An addiction? or Obsession?

I think I may need some help... you see it all started by reading Farmgirl. I loved all the photos of her farm life and then of course her wonderful recipes. Then her blog lead me to Kitchenmage and more recently Seriously Good. All three of them have great blogs. And if you click their "labels" you can find some awesome posts about baking and other fun things. A couple of days ago all 3 of them started another blog together called A Year in Bread. I was sooo excited to see that there are a few posts on the new blog about pizza dough/crust. I'm making pizza tomorrow I'm sure the crust will pass the DH test.
The other day i found some rye flour at the local wally world so i picked it up. B/c anyone who really knows me knows i love rye bread and I thought that it couldn't hurt to try and make some. So Yesterday I made a "sponge" of sorts. I also looked for some recipes online. I found a lot of bread machine recipes but BLAH, i don't like bread machines. when I bake bread I do it by hand in the oven. I had a bread machine for like a week back when my DH and I married, but I despised it and never got it to make a good loaf of bread so I went to the regular bread baking and haven't looked back. anyways i can use the recipes but the one I got calls for molasses, and I thought that I had some but I don't. So I made do. The sponge I made i used the rye flour and yeast and water. Then I set it out, after work I mixed up a basic bread recipe and then mixed in the sponge and let it rise. Well if you're like me Hot fresh bread is awesome. sooo i cut into it before taking a pix of the whole loaf. It was a light rye flavor, I'd also mixed in some caraway seeds for authenticity. I have to say it was good the crust is crusty and crunchy and oh it's yummy! I made it in my loaf pan b/c i wanted to make sandwiches or toast it. Anyways I have to say I'm happy that it turned out wonderfully! I will def be making it again. I do want to try the recipe but I'll have to hit the store first.
To fuel my addiction I've found this wonderful forum.. sigh. it's so wonderful! They even have lessons for baking if you've never made bread before. I hope if i haven't made you hungry I've made you want to bake! If you have any fave recipes LMK!

If you're Happy and you know it Leave a Comment!

It was so nice out today that the ice cream truck came by the neighborhood today. i took this pix from my back yard with the zoom. (yeah it's good) it played this really annoying version of if you're happy and you know it.. but the kids were running. you can't see them in the pix b/c i edited it. While it's nice out the ground is still really WET! so it's pretty gross. but the girls enjoyed playing outside regardless. but I've not met a kid that doesn't enjoy it. We even played tag. Did i tell y'all that I Joined Weight Watchers 4 weeks ago? It was really hard to step on that scale the first time. But I've been following their plan and guidelines and it's working. I'm excited. so far I've lost 6.4 pounds!!! Happy Dance! Well last week was trying to get more motion into your week so the plan is to add 3 points of activity to your routine a week. So to why i went on this tangent is b/c the playing tag earned me 1 point. there are only 3 of us sooo it didn't work so well. Beady the destroyer decided she wanted to swing and the bub wanted to dig holes and plant seed. (what seeds?? not sure) While i was out there i sewed in some ends to a hat I finished making for my friends new baby. OK so he wont' be wearing it this year as it's spring and warm weather is upon us. not to mention it's a little BIG.. here's the destroyer modeling it for you.. she's just like her dad with the funny faces!

LOL Pam, I hope you like it. that's all your going to see until I come to visit FRIDAY!! (said in a sing song voice)
So Friday the Bub was part of a speech meet for her school. She memorized one of Aesop's fables, The lion and the mouse. Then she recited it and got graded on it.. she got an excellent ribbon. They weren't graded against each other but only on their public speaking and memorization. she's decided that next year she's going to memorize some poetry. LOL. I'm so proud of her!!

I've been wanting to write this for a while now.. I have been trying to keep the house looking better and i just run out of time. but I'm working on posting more often. If I'm not around much leave me a comments and I'll make sure to update my blog.
Anyways i also finished the Bub's apron last week. Sorry it's kinda a dark pix but it was night time.(the only alone time and crafty time i get.) She loves it and Beady the destroyer has been hounding me for her apron... SIGH. I'm working on it! Just a little slow! And b/c you can't bring the camera out with out the girls posing.. Here they are in all their teethy smiles.
so that's it.. you're up to date on my life. Leave me a comment and LMK what is going on with you!

RIP Brother

Before i forget please go and do your BSE and maybe join club 17 while you're at it. I know it's not the 17th anymore. I'm really slow at getting around to blogging. UGH I'm always thinking about it thought and saying to myself oh i so need a pix of that so I can blog about it. LOL I've got to start making my thoughts about blogging and actual blogging connect. Sorry I'm such a slacker.
So last week as I was sewing along making the bub an apron, my sewing machine broke. Yesterday I took it to Jo-Ann's to get it looked at. I'm not sure about your local Jo-Ann's but ours has a sewing machine guy who is (separate from the store) there to fix and sell sewing machines. He's really nice and explained to me why my machine was broken. The timing mechanism was off and it wasn't catching the thread from the bobbin. OK I see you, who do not sew, zoning out and your eyes glazing over. Anyways the cost to fix the Brother machine was about $100. I'm told b/c it's made of plastic and the insides are plastic. So they sewing machine guy showed me this machine (a necchi) that someone had returned b/c they wanted more stitch options. So for just a few bucks ($20) more than it would've cost me to fix the old machine I got a NEW one! Which is wonderful for me b/c I've been wanting a new machine for like ever! But I couldn't justify it until my old one broke. so it was good i haven't used it yet i keep meaning to but haven't had time this week yet. I think the neatest part of the machine so far, b/c i haven't used it yet.... is the removable arm well not that really but the secret compartment for all the gadgets! I even took a pix!
OK that's all for now folks! time to sleep!

Day 10

Across the street from my house is an old Mobil station. It's not used anymore I think maybe it's used only for hobby purposes. Not that I blame the owner, I'd love to have a wonderful building, heck I'd settle for my own room. Anyways the guy who owns it is real crotchety and not so nice. He doesn't like anyone to park there. I'm not even sure if he likes anyone to look at his little area. in fact someone is getting towed right now. If it were mine I'd put up parking meters and let people park there b/c it's basically a parking lot and people see it and want to park there. So why not get some money? Anyways that's my 2 cents on the subject.

Now on to what I wanted to share. this past weekend I bought some fabric. I plan on making some aprons. I got The Apron Book, remember beady the destroyer? So it's dry now and I've been reading it and looking through it. I'm going to use the fabric to the right for my apron. I haven't decided on the pattern yet. they're all so great! I do know that I'll have to make one that covers my shirt b/c that is what seems to get so dirty for me. (I'm a real mess in the kitchen.) I had the bub look through it so that I could figure out what to make her. It's a surprise so I just showed her the book and talked with her about it. She decided she like the Basic Smock Apron. I just have to scale it down to make her one and the beady one. I'm going to use the fabric to the left for the girls. I think they will like the surprise I'm going to make for them. Every time I go into the kitchen to make something they come a running wanting to help and they both want their own apron. I only have an old pampered chef apron from when I sold PC. But it's really boring and I wanted something way more girlie. I guess now that I am getting older I'm embracing my inner girlie-ness. Lets just say I'm not the girlie-est girl. Ask my mom or my sister. And I still really don't like too much girlie things, but I'm learning to like different things. I blame it on the girls. They're so in to dress up and barbie, pink and purple the frillier the better. Anything girlie they like, and it's weird b/c they didn't get it from me!
Today I was wishing I had my new apron made already. I received some Amish friendship bread a while ago and the last time I sent some starters to my mom and sister and then I gave some to my neighbor. If you don't know what Amish friendship bread is, here's the lowdown. You get a starter and instructions on day one. You go thru a couple of days an then add stuff (flour, sugar and milk) to it and then wait a few more day then on day 10 you add more stuff and separate it to give to friends and make a batch of bread. But not with out saving some for your self to make more bread in another 10 days. (vicious cycle) So today was day 10 and I didn't have anyone to give starters to, b/c everyone I know has a bunch or they didn't want any. So I made double batches of muffins with the bananas that were taking over the freezer. The one double batch I made banana oat bread in regular sized muffins. The other I made chocolate chocolate chip banana bread in Texas sized muffins. I plan on sharing some with work and then freezing some for a quick breakfast. So if in 10 days or so you'd like to have a starter leave me a comment with your email and I'll get back to you and send you a starter..
Oh my look at the time, I should be sleeping. I have to get up and work you know. PTL for coffee. TA TA

Just talking.

Last night was "the" night. LOL not anything that was over the top but the DH and I celebrating our annv. Before our date and night away i got a package in the mail. I received the Whirly Pop popcorn popper that i ordered. I've been wanting it since I'd seen an episode on the food network about popcorn. I think it was the show unwrapped. They talked about this popper and said that you could make popcorn with less than a tablespoon of oil and still have that stove top taste. plus they said almost all of the kernels pop. Since i don't really enjoy microwave popcorn, it's easy and fast but also plasticy. GROSS! anyways I bought it off off amazon, but you can also get it here. they had it in the red so i bought it b/c this girl loves color! Now my DH is sooo upset b/c he ordered a hat the same time i ordered the popcorn popper and he paid more for shipping and still hasn't received his hat. I'm sure it will come on Monday.
With that order we also got two books for us to read to the girls and a DVD, Stranger Safety. it's for kids and parents to watch together so that you can get talking about being safe around strangers. Let me say this movie is GREAT though at parts the voices are quiet and the music loud. but that doesn't really matter. It's a fun way for kids to learn about safety and what to do in different situations. And they did it in a FUN way for kids my DH and I were cracking up b/c it's so silly and funny. really it's fun to watch. The bub loved it and really wanted to "talk" about it and discuss what they "taught" us in the show. Beady (the destroyer) was riveted by the show, she watched it straight thru. And for a 2 year old that's great. So I would suggest it to anyone with kids!
My close friend Pam had her baby boy on Wednesday. He's so cute (I've only see pix). I'm not going to share any pix I'll let her do that. I'm going to go visit her on the 31st it's going to be great!
well with that I'll let you go. thanks for stopping l do so love comments! Hugs!

PARTY

I love a good party and normally I'm on time. So does fashionably late count?

Welcome to my blog! Come in and stay a while. mostly i talk about my kids and my crafts. Occasionally I'll talk about other things..
I love coffee and if i meet you in person you're going to bet I brew a pot and sit there talking your ear off. Something about needing adult conversation. LOL
Go on over to 5 Minutes for Mom and get their invitation, you still have a few hours. if you're a night owl like me that is.
I'm sitting here racking my brain trying to figure out what recipe to share with Ya'll and for the life of me i can't even bring one to mind... at least not one I've not shared before.. sigh.
it's a party though so I'll share with you my salsa/pico recipe off the top of my head.
Ok so it's all about how you feel.
Allena's Make It (up as you go) Salsa.
take 2 or 3 good sized tomatoes
2 jalapeno peppers and one habenero (i don't know how to spell it, the really hot small ones) pepper and maybe a yellow banana pepper. depending on how HOT you want this salsa/pico
one or two onions. depending on the size.
you'll also need a lime and some cilantro fresh is always best but dry works too.
oh and some salt and pepper.

so dice and chop up those tomatoes and put them in the bowl. Sometimes I'll blanch and peel the tomatoes but if I'm in a hurry or wanting a real fresh taste I won't. (what ever bowl you plan on serving this salsa in I'm all about less is best with dishes)
chop up the onion ( i use my PC food chopper) add it to the bowl.
now is when we get serious take your peppers and cut them in half and seed them. (this means removing the seeds, i know you know that but what about the others?)
Now chop and dice these peppers very small. And while you're doing this don't touch your eyes or nose b/c the juices will burn them and you'll regret it! Now add them to the bowl.
Stir it up add some salt and pepper to taste. Cut your lime in half and juice half of it over your mixture. Half should be good but if you want to add the rest. chop up some cilantro or measure out some from your spice rack. mix up your salsa and let it set in the fridge for an hour or so.
then take it out and enjoy with chips or pretzels. it should stay good in the fridge for 2 days or so.
Hint: If you mix some with an egg and cook it up in the skillet and then wrap it up in a tortilla it makes a really YUMMY breakfast!

Anyways Enjoy! i hope you have a wonderful rest of the PARTY!

8th Anniversary

Today is my DH's and my Anniversary. We've been married 8 years. Really, it seems like the past 8 years went by really fast. But isn't that how looking back at things seem like they went by fast.
I'm excited for this weekend, we're going to a local holiday inn and just having a grand old time!
He had these beautiful roses for me. He knows how much i love roses and he's so thoughtful. I'm so fortunate!
I just had to brag some.. thanks for listening.

The most useful 6 bucks ever spent!

I bought this wonderful staple gun yesterday and some wonderful
upholstery fabric. I've been meaning to get a staple gun for a while now. They come in so handy and useful. I covered my old computer chair to this wonderful stripey one. (hey friends remember what it used to look like? all grubby and scrappy looking) We moved our computer into the spare room so I needed to revamp the computer chair it was red and raveling.. so not pretty! And the spare room is my Dh's room, he decorates it with his sports stuff. I like my "new" chair. What do you think?


I also picked up some other stripey fabric but I'm not sure what to cover now. I'm leaning more towards the glider rocker but our hand me down dining room set sorely needs attention. I thought I could ask you my readers to help me out. I just love stripes. I'm also pondering going a solid neutral color for the dining room chairs so that no matter what color we paint the walls it will blend. And if we ever get around to getting new couches and such I can plan around this wonderful striped fabric, I love how the red pops out around the cream and tan. the fabric immediately caught my eye and I had to have it. I've been pondering painting my living room that red color but also pondering painting it a shade of brown. Color is wonderful isn't it? All these wonderful choices.
sorry no pix of knitting or crochet they're all surprises. soon enough! I am working on them I assure you!
Thanks for listening to my ramblings.

To my friends and family:

Please start coordinating when you have babies so that I have enough time to make each of you something. I'm feeling rushed and that I'm not able to do what I really want to do. And that is spoil each of your babies with lavish and wonderfully made gifts. I can't show much of my progress but I do have a few hints of what I've been working on. No of course not! I will not tell you what they are.. try and figure out for yourselves.

The other day I received a book I'd ordered from amazon like a month or so ago and I'm really loving it! I ordered it b/c on my sew I knit group we're making kitchen items and I'd love to make an apron, not just any apron though, but a really awesome one! This book was the best way I can prepare myself for that.
Yesterday Beady the destroyer (as I'm calling her now) decided that my wonderfully new book needed a bath and doused it with some water that she was drinking. so now it looks really saggy and wrinkly as a book that went swimming usually does. Luckily enough I can still read it.

I've been busy I made a corner of the girl's room a dress up center..
I thought i would show you pix of how it turned out. the girls just love it and that is how i got this pix that i think is really sweet of the girls in the mirror. they were jumping up and down and up and down. You see that is what girls do when they get excited.
OK and with that I'll leave you to your thoughts.

Club 17

It's not an elite club so to speak. you can join if you are a woman and you do BSE. I joined today and i'm proud of it. and yes i did my BSE today! Rock on. (and you don't have to own a blog to join)
Go check out Holy Mama's bloggy home. Here's her post all about BSE and Club 17. You'll be glad you did and you may just save your life! I'm on my way to a crown, how about you???

get your mittens here!

so i finished these mittens for the beady. they match her flore hat that i made her a while ago. so what if they're a "little bit" bigger than her hand... she can wear them longer. LOL sometimes I'm not sure what I'm thinking. i may never know.
I made up the pattern for the mittens instead of a ribbing i used the "petals" pattern from the hat just modified a bit. of course the i cord joins them so they won't get lost. she likes them so it helps for this cold weather. she's always trying to put them on, which means i don't have to fight her to keep them on. Score one for mom!

Lookie!

So my sister Jessica, had her baby yesterday. they didn't find out what they were having until yesterday when she was born. They were thinking it was a boy but SURPRISE!!! it's a Girl!
Chloe Adaline. She was 7 lbs 15 oz and 20 1/2 inches long. Congrats to my sister. She's a cutie! I wish i lived closer so i could hold her and get my own pix..
Thank you to Amy for sending me the close up. She's so cool she sent me like 8 pix of my niece! the one on the right my parents sent me. that hat is one that Jessica knit.

This is MY day!

Yesterday, today, tomorrow and Sunday are my days. They're my days for the crochet pattern a day calendar. I totally forgot about it till yesterday when i changed the calendar and saw my name! It's my weekend. I'm so excited. (That and tomorrow I'm going to use my gift certificate to get a massage and a manicure an a pedicure!) Isn't it awesome! Just had to share.

Rock on! rock on.

I've been sitting on this post for a couple of days, ONLY because of blogger. I think it's on crack. I uploaded the photos and saved them b/c I had to do something (what I can't remember). Then yesterday when i came back to finish it i couldn't get into blogger unless i changed to the new blogger so I decided to change but then when i got to the last step nothing happened soo I closed down and figured today I would switch and then do my post. But today when I pulled up my blog it's now saying my blog has NOT been selected to switch to the new one.. WHAT THE??? ok so I'm over that b/c really who likes change? Now on to my post....

A couple of days ago i got a package at first i was like hmmm a late b-day present? or a RAOK? No it was neither.. much to my surprise that is. a while ago and I mean a WHILE! I entered a contest at make me and won, and this past week i finally got it! LOL it cracks me up. I thought she'd just forgotten or it'd gotten lost in the mail and I wasn't worried about it. Her note said that she would look at it and say "I need to send this" so she finally did. It's really cool. I took a pix of me wearing it so you can see it. Thank you so much Hilari!
And it's still winter! Rock on! I've been wearing it a lot around the house and outside to get the bub off the bus.. LOL love it!
Speaking of winter, since we finally have some snow on the ground the other day i took the girls out to play. I bundled them up and by the time they were done they looked like the kid from the christmas story. LOL Well a momma has to keep her kiddies warm! I snapped some pix of them b/c they were so cute. They made snow angles and tried a snow man but it wasn't the right kind of snow so we ran around kicking snow at each other and the beady swung on the swings. But it was super cold so we lasted maybe 20 min before we came in and made Hot Chocolate. That is real HC not the kind in a package! it was awesome and voted "the best HC you've ever made" according to the bub! LOL kids crack me up! we haven't made it out again b/c it was melting yesterday, but today surprise it's snowing again. crazy weather! well I'd better post this before blogger changes it's mind again.. sigh

Today you get to see my face

no don't run away. i just thought i would share my hair cut with ya'll. i went last week and used up the rest of my gift card to Boscovs. it's longer in the front and shorter in the back. I'm so pickey when i get my hair cut b/c usually the people i go to don't listen to me. i've only lived with my hair 28 years you'd think i know that it poofs when you blow dry it so that i look like a trapazoid head. I also know that when you cut it it's going to dry shorter b/c it's naturally curly, air dry is the best way as long as there's some no frizz serum in it... Anyways this lady i went to was great her name was Mary! she rocked. i didn't have a pix of what i wanted just an idea. I saw it on Sarah Jessica Parker in a rerun of Sex and the City. i don't get to do too much with my hair being naturally curly and not knowing or wanting to blow dry it straight or iron it every monrning. but i think it was the 5th season she had shorter hair like mine actually a bit shorter in the back. I think when i go back i'll have Mary trim it up shorter for me. anyways so i just described the hair cut to Mary and she rocked it out! i was pumped. i love it. i tried to take a side pix and a back pix and the front of course. LOL it's a silly pix. So i have some fuschia high lights i'm thinking about adding to my hair... what do ya'll think?
I do want to show you proof that we actually do get snow here in PA. that was taken about 3:30 or so on monday. the snow then kinda melted and today it's snowing again. I love snow it looks so fresh and clean! like a new beginning.
This past week i borrowed a book called "the Yada Yada Prayer group" by neta jackson, from the church library. It is an awesome book i devoured it. and it's been a while since i've made time to read a fictional book and boy this book just spoke to me. I'm going to read it again and write down all the bible references that is in there and just really learn how to pray again. if you haven't read this book please pick it up. ok well i am going to go i'll TTYL

Don't eat the pink icing!

So i've been meaning to post here but i've been down right distracted. you see for christmas i got my DH an Xbox 360. (i'm a totally awesome wife i know!) You can see the surprise on his face as he opens it. He didn't think he'd be getting one for a while. SO to the reason i'm distracted. we got the game Viva Pinata HOLY COW that game is addicting. i can sit down and then 5 hours later i realize i need to stop playing to feed the kids and take care of the house. Yes i'm a slacker. so i've had to restrict my gaming for the time being until i can "control" my "urge" to play non stop.
So last friday was my b-day. WHOO HOO. well not really as you get older they just aren't that much fun, Or are they? Thursday, when i came home from work, i got a surprise from my Sister, Jess. SHE ROCKS! just look at what she got me. She knew i was wanting to spin some on my drop spindle but i didn't want to buy any roaving until i really learned so i didn't mess it up. I know, how am i supposed to learn if i don't practice? well she sent me a book called Hich Whorling and some roaving 5 different colors and she said that it was good roaving for learning. I was so pumped to get such an awesome present. I didn't think i was going to be getting anything b/c my husband said i needed to go and GET my present.. UGH! so i went out and didn't look for myself. But I used my gift card to get an awesome purse that was 50% off. you can't beat that! and then i went home all sad and depressed that i wouldn't have a great birthday from my husband and kids.
So when i got up on friday i found a cake (the eating kind) and a card from my Dh. saying "forget about the past you can't change it and forget about your present b/c this is it" yeah i know i was a little upset but i didn't want to ruin anything so i said thanks for the cake and the card. Then he pulled out a small wrapped present. So i ripped off the wraping and found an Ipod Shuffel! I was sooo happy. and i should've known better like my DH would forget to get me something or make me get it for myself. He's really good at getting presents but he does like to trick me. so i've been loving this little thing. and Little is right is's about the size of a postage stamp just a little longer. I've put all my music on it and i still have half the memory to use up. it's awesome. Go DH you ROCK! Also on my IT list this past week is my dear friend Kelly! She's the best she sent me a wonderful cake all made out of flowers! it's soo pretty the pix i took today so it's looking a little haggard b/c i can't get the girls to stop touching it. so all in all i had a wonderful b-day and the pain of turning a year older wasn't felt that much. LOL Thank you so much friends and family I feel so loved! Now i must go i've got a date with Clark Kent, you sexy thang.

PS sorry about the spelling i can't get blogger to spell check i'll go over it myself but sorry if i missed a lot!