Domestic Momma

Spring!

2009-03-21T19:50:00.003Z

Spring is coming. You can feel a buzz in the air that wasn't there just a week ago, everyone is moving. We have enjoyed a full week (that's right WEEK!) of sunny nearly cloudless weather. Apparently this is unusual but even without all the nice weather you can tell that Spring is in the air.

We went to the market in Bury St. Edmunds today, which was quite fun to do. I haven't been to a market in ages and winter time markets just didn't stir any ambition to get out of the nice warm house. It was a fun time for the most part, Sophia still wanted to "go to the base" but she tolerated mom wandering in circles looking at all the good deals....the markets bring out the penny pincher in me!
We did quite nicely I think, everything in the picture was less than £20. I was on a real produce kick and couldn't resist all the "£1 bowls."

Sophia still got to go to base today as well...mom couldn't resist going to the garden center on a nice warm day. I decided to start a container garden, since we rent and I am not allowed to tear up the yard. Which is wise of our landlord because if I had things my way the whole yard would be one big garden. Until I have that option this will do nicely. For the moment all I could fit in the car was supplies for a small herb garden, some strawberries and tomatoes. I am still working on it and will be adding to and moving plants around to get the best grouping. I am quite pleased with it, hopefully it survives!

Hope everyone is feeling Spring like we are!

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

2009-03-17T07:54:00.004Z

I am not Irish, at least not in any real sense, perhaps one of my many English ancestors had some Irish blood in them but that was so far back that it doesn't even count. However I can identify with Irish culture a great deal. I defiantly plan to make it there while we are still overseas.

So in the spirit of St. Patrick's Day I knitted a shamrock! I made it for my daughter to wear to school. She loves pink, and red, and sometimes brown if it has pink in it....but she doesn't have a stitch of green clothing. I found this unacceptable and so I found this pattern. She was quite happy with her "leaf."

Hope everyone has a fun St. Paddy's Day!

Valentine's Day Cookies

2009-02-16T09:04:00.004Z

I don't get terribly excited about Valentine's Day but this year my mom sent me the coolest sprinkles in the world so I had to try them!
Along with some very cute heart cookie cutters.

I just made a sugar cookie dough and added a bunch of cocoa power, 2/3 of a cup of cocoa power...they are very chocolaty! Sophia could hardly wait until it was rolled out to start cutting out the hearts. She enjoyed that more than she has enjoyed the actual cookies!

I have a whole bag of just the plain chocolate cookies, I think they are better without frosting, but I don't really like frosting.

But without frosting how do you get to try out pretty sprinkles?!

Happy Valentine's Day!

First Day of School (sort of)

2009-01-30T09:59:00.003Z

This week was Sophia's first week of school. We have been waiting and working for 6 months for her to get into school so this was a big week. She has surprised me, and the teachers, with how well she has done. She still needs a lot of individual instruction and guidance but once she gets the routine down I am sure she will need less. We are lucky that her teacher has worked with Autistic kids before and is familiar and understanding with all of her quirks. Ms. W. emailed me later on the first day to tell me how well she was doing and that she had even had a nap! (she hasn't taken a nap in almost 3 years) It's nice to have contact with the teacher if I need to, Sophia doesn't understand what I am asking when I ask her about her day so I don't get a lot of information from her....so it is great to have some communication.

We have her IEP (Individual Education Plan) meeting on Tuesday so that should be another step toward getting her caught up a little bit with reguards to her social skills and coping skills. This has been a long time coming but I am quite glad that she is finally getting some help, and I am very hopeful that one day she will be able to cope and learn new things all on her own.

Our "First Day" picture. This was actually not her first day, it was supposed to be but there was a mix up with the taxi service and they never showed up on Monday morning. Fortunately they got it worked out quickly and she went to school on Tuesday. The picture was just too cute so I am still going to consider it as her "First Day" photo!

This is another one and you can see the new mittens that Momma made for her 2 days before she had to be to school. They turned out okay it was a quick project since she needed mittens rather than gloves for school. Once she gets better at putting on gloves by herself she may not need the mittens but I wanted one less thing for her (and me!) to worry about on her first day!

I will be posting more along the line of projects I think now that I only have to keep track of one kid during the day now. I hardly know what to do with myself!

2009-01-17T11:50:00.003Z

Finally some proof that I have been busy with knitting projects!

This hat is for Katie...which Sophia so graciously volunteered to model! I may have to make one for her now since she really seems to like it.

A collection of the knits I have been putting off and starting periodically since December. I am down to just one sock, and one hat left to finish. My goal is to get these all done by Feb. and sent out. However my tendency to start new projects before my old ones are finished makes some projects go slower than planned!

Pumpkin Soup and the Great Pantry Purge of 2009!

2009-01-15T16:13:00.005Z

What's cheap, delicious, and clears out my pantry? Pumpkin Soup!

We have been eating very frugally the last few months and that means a lot of soups! There isn't a lot in the way of fresh produce available this time of year so canned goods get used quite a bit. In this case I used one of the many cans of pumpkin I had picked up for Thanksgiving and never turned to pie.

To be honest I like the soup better anyways!
No recipe, just winging it with what I had on hand, but I have a list of ingredients...

1/2 an onion
garlic
2 grated carrots
dried thyme
large can on pumpkin
1 can evaporated milk
4 cups of chicken stock (made from chicken base, as I have no room to store the real thing)
1 cup of light cream
pepper
salt
dash of cayenne

Sure was a nice break from tuna melts!

Update, plans and aspirations

2009-01-08T11:32:00.005Z

It's been awhile since I have posted. I want to say that I have accomplished a lot in my absence from blogging but alas...it's not the case. We are just now peaking out from the chaos/clutter of Christmas and things are slowly getting back to business as usual.

I have a million plans for the new year. One of which is to try out my sewing machine that I got for Christmas! I managed to get it out of the box finally and have discovered that we need a transformer to run it. Since we are getting closer to getting a house on base (with dual voltage) I think it may stay in it's case until we get moved. However there are a lot of sewing related things to do besides sewing, like cutting squares for a blanket for the boy. I promise updates!

Still knitting as usual. I am almost done with my late Christmas presents for the ladies in my family. Two pairs of socks finished, two more pairs are halfway done, and one hat is nearing completion. Just waiting on some yarn for another hat and inspiration for 2 more hats. Just hope they get them all before Spring!

I am also writing a book. It's quite possible that no one will read it or that I won't get enough written or written well enough. However I have wanted to write a book for awhile...though the subject matter has always varied. The subject for this book involves things that may life is affected by daily. Raising a daughter who is on the Autistic Spectrum, living in harmony with nature, and obtaining true happiness. A lot for one book but I hope it will come together as I envision it. Mostly I just want to see if I can do it, there is no point in someday "hoping" to write a book someday, I just need to do it and see what happens.

We are going to be busy this month I predict, Sophia will be going to school the end of Jan., we will be preparing to move in the near future, and I have a million and one projects planned for myself. Also LOST is coming to television this month in the UK!! It will be a busy month.

I hope to post more often, God knows I try, I just don't know what will happen. So many possibilities and no guarantees!

Holiday Cookies!

2008-12-24T13:49:00.003Z

A frenzy of Holiday baking! I love to bake for Christmas. I plan on making a coffee cake for tomorrow morning and some yummy eggnog!

These little gems are delicious! I wish I could take credit for it but the recipe is here. It is worth it to check it out, they are my new favorite!

I think I have used up most of my almond bark. I have been dipping whatever I can get my hands on! The kids especially like the graham crackers...they are really good at helping me decorate them as well!

Dreaming of a White Christmas (and almond bark)

2008-12-18T17:45:00.004Z

I received a TON of almond bark this year from dear relatives...the Brits have no idea what it is and don't carry it at Tesco. I think however my family would like to stock the entire island with almond bark, since they sent me 12 pounds collectively!

I'm not complaining though since I love the stuff. Sure it tastes a million times better to have real chocolate but I don't care. By the time you get chocolate melted and tempered who has the energy to create anymore. It's different doing chocolate work at home, at least in my experience, and I have never had the kitchen space to do it properly...especially now!

So since its the holidays Sophia and I made snow men! Since there is no snow on the ground this will be a yummy substitute. Though the cookies may disappear as quickly as the real thing does!

On a side note I am starting to bake my own bread. Not fancy bread or anything difficult...but plain ol' white bread (though I am considering a wheat bread.) I am mostly doing this for my husband benefit, since he is the one who has to pick up sliced bread after working 12 hours. We will still be purchasing and eating sliced bread but hopefully this will help prevent daily grocery store trips!

We will see.....

Merry Christmas to me?

2008-12-18T10:41:00.004Z

I have a pretty good idea what I got for Christmas and it's not boots. (It's even better I can't wait!) However I still want boots. The website is down at the moment so I have no choice but to ponder the decision for a few hours. I need to decide whether I have been good enough this year for these amazing, rugged, ass-kickin' boots.

What's funny is I think I like them mostly because I'm homesick. These are the kind of boots I would have cringed at as a teenager. We always got good quality, warm, sturdy boots as kids, and I never appreciated it until now. Man what I wouldn't give to be able to go shopping at the feed store!

Christmas is coming...

2008-12-14T19:45:00.003Z

Our house is slowly getting into Christmas. We may not get all the way into Christmas as far as decorating is concerned, since there is no room in our tiny living space. We are hoping to get a small tree just for traditions sake but we will see.

Our stocking's are hung however...accented by our small Christmas card collection. I'm sure many people don't know where we live anymore. I can't even keep track these days!
The majority of our loot has arrived however. As you can see it has taken over my dining table since there is nowhere else for it to go. Also we are quite spoiled!

I made some of my famous fudge tonight...it's super easy and all kinds of delicious! I tweek it every year to make it different. One year I even tried to add marshmallows...which didn't work out since they were too soft to keep the fudge stable...but I like to experiment.

The recipe is pretty mistake proof...just don't over heat it!

1 12 oz bag of semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 9 oz bag of peanut butter chips
1 14oz can of sweet condensed milk
1 tsp vanilla
1 cup walnuts
1/2 cup dried cranberries

Grease a 8 inch cake pan. (I use glass) Melt chips and milk on low heat until melted. Add vanilla and remove from heat. Stir in nuts and cranberries. Pour into pan. Cover and chill.

You can add ANYTHING to this recipe....be creative!

Snow Day!

2008-11-23T12:40:00.004Z

We had mixed reactions to the first snow day......

Sophia instantly went to go find her snow pants and hassled me until she had on all her necessary clothing! Then spent her time catching snow flakes, making snow balls, throwing snow in the air, and insisting I make her a snow man!

Sebastian cried.....and cried and cried! He hated is new warm coat, he didn't want to wear his hat, he was generally unhappy with the idea of getting all these clothes on to go outside. Why couldn't he wear his jacket and run out barefooted like he was accustomed?

Eventually we coaxed him outside after spending all the fun being mad at mom in the house. He insisted that Dora come along and wouldn't put anything on his head. He was unamused.

Eventually we were able to put the hood on at least...it was rather cold which was probably why he relented. Sophia gave him hugs and that seemed to cheer him up....and he even started laughing. He just needs to get used to his winter wardrobe and he will have a lot more fun playing in the snow!

As usual the morning ended with hot cocoa with a choice of marshmallows. We used our Christmas mugs because if it snows you can use Christmas mugs right?

We plan to go back out this afternoon....since more snow has fallen since we first went out. Unlike the kids momma has no winter wardrobe and was in desperate need of mittens and snow boots. So the play time was cut short because mom had to go in and somehow snow isn't fun unless mom plays too!

Here's to Snow Days!

The Acceptance of the Hat

2008-11-20T07:54:00.005Z

About a month ago I started a hat for my darling boy. I finished it a day later. Now there is something about the boy you should know....he HATES new things! Somethings only take a few hours for him to like...others can take months. This hat took a month for him to wear but its super warm and super cute, totally worth it. And since his recent mishap with his hair cut (the boy got his head shaved) he is gonna need the extra warmth! So one new thing conquered...next up; Snow Boots.

Finished hat a month ago.........

Finished hat yesterday! He even put it on himself!

Getting ready to go outside in their two cute hats!

Beeswax Stocking Stuffers

2008-11-14T20:34:00.005Z

I just bought this for my kids for Christmas. It's modeling beeswax! I remember playing with this stuff when I was little and it's the BEST. The colors don't mix together like clay, it never dries out, smells fabulous and makes your hands feel nice. Really whats not to like? I think it might have been a present for me more than the kids but really who isn't guilty of that sometimes?

Bella Luna Toys has some of the best stuff for kids. I can't wait until my kids get older and want to play with all the crafty stuff! They just have a bunch of good simple toys and games which is hard to find sometimes. I don't think kids need all the "gadgets" we give them....sometimes all they need is a good ball of wax. Sometimes that's what mommas' need too!

My New Knitting Accessory

2008-11-04T14:00:00.005Z

Here's what I wanted......
And this is what I got.

I found an old Crown Royal bag to put my knitting in....it's perfect for my marathon sock making! Also I didn't even pay for the Crown...I think it was one of my siblings last Christmas. So I could have spent 20 bucks but I chose good ol' free! Of course if I loose this one I gotta go buy more liquor so it wouldn't save you much. However the Crown can make for some fun knitting!

This is my latest sock....it's a self-striping yarn which is amazing. I have never used any before but I love it. I don't know who gets to be the lucky person to get this sock for Christmas...but maybe I will keep them for myself!

Happy Halloween

2008-10-31T18:19:00.004Z

Happy Halloween! We had a nice relaxing/busy day today. I was under the impression that Halloween wasn't really celebrated here (the trick or treater's we have had speak otherwise!) so the plan was just to do our own thing this year. All in all a pretty fun day of making caramel apples, cleaning and carving a pumpkin, and roasting some delicious pumpkin seeds for "dinner."
Our pumpkin was supposed to have teeth but it didn't work out...I had too much "help."

Phia helped me wash and soak the seeds in salt water before we roasted them. Soaking them in salt water actually makes them perfectly salty without having to add more or end up with over salty seeds.

I added cayenne pepper and black pepper with some olive oil to coat and tossed them in the oven for about 15 min. My oven is terrible so don't ask me the temp. I just try not to burn stuff these days!

There were 6 but I didn't take a picture fast enough!
Yummy!! Also ouch....my teeth hurt these days when I bite into super sweet stuff like this. Totally worth it!

Hope everyone had a Happy Halloween!

Box House

2008-10-26T16:51:00.003Z

Today was a yucky cold rainy day. There was a short attempt to play in the rain but it was very cold and the kids came back inside almost immediately for hot chocolate. Fortunately we found some old boxes to make houses out of. It's amazing that a simple box that would otherwise be thrown away can provide hours of creative fun.

What I found this morning

2008-10-26T16:37:00.003Z

These were all taken by Phia. This morning the kids went downstairs before me and were getting into trouble. Playing with momma's camera was bad enough but it's really bad when it contains incriminating evidence! My favorite piece of evidence is the picture of Sebastian getting into my wallet!

No Gifts Please

2008-10-23T21:52:00.002+01:00

I've become increasingly bitter about my original plan to make gifts for people this Christmas. Maybe I will change my mind but I think this chick might be on to something.
No Knitted Gifts

First Ever Pair of Knitted Socks!

2008-10-21T10:05:00.003+01:00

I finished my first pair of socks last night! It took me forever and I had to rip out a lot of previous attempts but they are finished. Considering I about quit trying to knit "f--ing socks" I think it is amazing that they are actually done. What is even more amazing is that I might actually like it....I am starting a new pair and quite thrilled about it!

So here is the picture of the finished socks. Not a great photo but considering they have a few flaws and variations between them I think it looks better for me if the picture is crappy! :-)

On another note I am super excited to get started with knitting for Christmas! I was debating about giving knitted gifts but with the economy being in the toilet I thought maybe we all need to remember something bigger about the holidays....and not worry about going broke to buy people new ipods! I also have been looking into buying "gifts with purpose." I have been scouring the internet for different web sites that have simple, handmade, gifts from 3rd world countries, eco-friendly, recycled.....etc. I might post the sights that I like the best on here. It's fine to buy Ipods if you can, but maybe it's also fine to create something, or give back just a little....maybe the world is bigger than our consumer driven lives.

Anyways....I will save that for a later post. I just wanted to brag about my first ever pair of hand knitted socks! Yay me!

Brunch

2008-10-13T08:24:00.004+01:00

In honor of my husband having 4 days off I started out the break with brunch. I guess technically though it was just a late breakfast. I did however make apple fritters. Yum! the recipe was too complicated for breakfast though so I plan on using a different one. It had to sit for 2 hours....there was folded egg whites....too much for the morning. But they were still delicious!

Yes. Those are homemade hash-browns. I am the master at hash-browns....so long as I have my trusty omelet pan!

I took a picture of the kid's food but they didn't eat anything except the bacon anyways. Weird kids!

Sweet Girl's Hat

2008-10-06T22:01:00.005+01:00

I finished Sophia's hat last night. She got a chance to wear it today and proudly sported it all morning. It pooled a lot in various spots but I didn't want to try to fix it since I only had one ball of yarn. I like it anyway. The yarn is warm and soft so I guess that is the important part. I wish I had some yarn for Sebastian to have a hat.....I ordered it but when it came it was purple instead of blue. I think the boy needs something a little more manly than purple...so it's now going to be a hat for me! Ahhh the silver lining...

It's just a basket weave stitch hat so the pattern went really fast.

The decreases went crooked...I think the pattern I used was off by a dozen stitches...oh well what can a girl do?

Now off to my hat to match!

2008-10-02T10:52:00.002+01:00

We've had a crappy internet connection for the last several days. I have barely been able to check my email much less post a blog. Hopefully it gets better.

Here's what we've been up to these past days...

I got my supplies to start knitting socks! I always get excited to see this label in my mail box.

My pretty sock yarn. I'm still having issues with my sock knitting....I've never knit anything moree complicated than a hat! I'm on the hunt for information and better instruction on what to do. If that fails I guess I can always make tube socks! :-)

We went to base to get an oil change and ended up spending all day in the rain. Cool at first but it was rough at the end when everyone was wet and tired.

The boy finally relented and wore his rain boots!

She refused to put her hood up all day...typical Phia.

Sure doesn't look like a lot....there is more but I am hoping to post this before the internet craps out again. Who knows it might not crap out at all and that would make me very happy!

Mrs. Good's Miracle Elixir! Good For What AilsYou! All For Just Pennies!

2008-09-23T09:00:00.006+01:00

Blah! We have all been sick with colds for the past few days. The worst part is that the weather decides to be gorgeous as soon as we are all sick and don't feel like doing anything! I wanted to post something fun and exciting but unfortunately we didn't do anything except buy groceries.
No matter though because I can still post about my soup! I couldn't get enough of this stuff....it's magic elixir. I may try to market this stuff...its that good...and I am totally convinced of the healing properties!

I know it's just chicken noodle soup...even if its homemade you can't expect to reinvent the wheel right? Well I didn't but I tweaked it to make it a better, more streamlined, sexier wheel!

Here's what I did...sorry no real recipe...it's chicken soup. I put a chicken carcass with a good amount of meat on it that I had in the freezer for just this occasion. I added an onion that I just cut into chunks and threw in the pot. I put in like 9 peppercorns...that's a lot but I accidentally added too many...oops! I also added some sprigs of rosemary, a bay leaf and some red pepper flakes. I covered the mess with water and put the pot on low heat for like 5 hours. Actually I forgot about the whole thing until an hour before my husband got home...so I had to hurry the last little bit!

I strained the broth from the chunks of chicken and veggies...then added the broth back to the pot. I set the chicken aside to cool a little so I could remove the meat. Meanwhile I added carrots and onions (sorry I was out of celery.) I removed the meat and threw it in the pot.

This is where it gets interesting. I got a wild hair up my ass and threw in some lemon zest and juice from a lemon. I was worried about the taste being weird but I thought the citrus would cure my ailing body. Then I added thyme, chopped rosemary and a little bit of cayenne pepper (that will clear the sinuses!) I took 5 garlic clove and thinly sliced them and put them in the soup. Then I added linguine noodles...which are now my favorite "go to" pasta shape because I can use them in almost every dish I make...but that's another blog. Lastly, of course, salt and pepper.

The end result was amazing! It tastes like my roasted chicken...but its all just soupy goodness. The lemon I was worried about actually was the best part. I just added a small amount of zest since it's powerful stuff, I wouldn't add a lot. I really did feel like a miracle cure!

In all it was a boring weekend but if it ends with an amazing soup how bad could it be?

Fry Momma

2008-09-17T11:17:00.006+01:00

Last night I fried mac & cheese. I am a big believer in NOT owning a deep fat fryer...so you don't do stuff like this everyday! I get a nice heavy pot and a thermometer and do it the old fashioned way. This is such a pain in the ass that I rarely fry things...which is why I am not 200lbs!

It was quite delicious.

Wrapped in bacon for extra goodness!

I rolled in in store bought crumbs...because honestly I don't have time to make my own crumbs. Nor the appliances with which to do it in a time efficient manner. Also, who cares? It's fried mac & cheese...bread crumbs won't make the difference.

We ended up not using silverware because the bacon is hard to cut with a fork. I also don't see this as a dish that should require two pieces of silverware! I have enough dishes to do thank you very much.

Also it reminds me of work. I miss cooking in a restaurant sometimes and stuff like this takes me back to "making my lunch" at work. Just grab leftovers and fry 'em!

Rainy Day

2008-09-12T13:02:00.003+01:00

I am reading "Last Child in the Woods" by Richard Louv, and even though I'm not finished with it yet it has still made my list of favorite books. In the book he talks about getting our kids back to nature. He recommends finding ways to give kids "unstructured" time in nature. By letting kids play on their own outside...with no toys, parents, or rules (besides obvious safety rules) kids are able to really discover nature on their own. It goes beyond the facts of books. Kids need to ask and find out what water feels like, what grass smells like, and what dirt tastes like.

Lucky for me my kids LOVE to play outside in the rain. For whatever reason they can spend hours outside as long as it's raining. (and not freezing!) Maybe it's because we have spent the last 3 years in the desert....this is their first experience with actual weather.

They get really excited to go out. They start hounding me about getting raincoats on...then they go out to the back yard. They make mud in the garden...collect water from the gutters into buckets...stick out their tongues and taste the rain drops. They actually play better and longer if I am inside and not be a "helecopter parent." Part of me wants to tell them to "Stop playing with the gate"...."Don't eat dirt"...."That water is yucky, don't drink it"...."Get off of the chair before you hurt yourself." But I stay inside and keep my mouth shut. They need to learn and experience. There is nothing for them to be seriously hurt by in the backyard....and even in the small space they are still building an intimate relationship with nature.
The best part is coming back in the house drying off and having hot chocolate! Then we wash sticky faces then snuggle up in the big chair to read "The World of Pooh." Rainy days are starting to grow on me.

Argyle is so hot right now!

2008-09-11T18:12:00.005+01:00

These are my newest project! I finally got the knitting needles/supplies that I ordered so now I can get started. However all I can do is "start" because I didn't realize I need size 8 DPN's and I don't have any. I did get them started and have started on a scarf that I hate but I am going to see if it grows on me. If not I don't mind tearing it apart to start again.

I'm really excited about knitting again! It's been months and I'm a little rusty but I like it...I just have to develope callouses on my fingers and hands again. Ouch!

Cookie Queen

2008-09-10T15:05:00.008+01:00

My sweet girl and I made Chocolate Chip cookies yesterday. She really loves to stir...as you can see we are continually working on this skill!

I have to say I have the best recipe in the world for chocolate chip cookies. I know everyone probably says that but it's because they haven't tried my recipe! So here it is:

Soft and Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies

4 1/2 cups All Purpose Flour
2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
2 cups softened butter
1 1/2 cups brown sugar
1/2 cup sugar
2 packages (3.4 oz.) instant vanilla pudding
4 eggs
2 tsp vanilla
4 cups chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix flour, salt and baking soda. (My Sweet Girl took care of this for me) Set aside. Cream together butter and sugars, mixing until light and fluffy. Mix in instant pudding. Add eggs and vanilla. Mix to combine. Stir in flour mixture to combine. Add chocolate chips. Drop onto cookie sheet. Bake for 10-12 minutes until the edges are brown.

I usually add less than the required amount of chocolate chips but that is just a personal preference...how weird is it that I prefer the cookie over the chip? This recipe bakes a HUGE amount of cookies. However I just send them away with my husband or to my neighbors and everyone is happy.

I also made the last of my turkey into Turkey and Noodle Soup yesterday. It's the best because I put it on at 10a.m. and kept it cooking on low heat all day long. This made the house spell fantastic and I got to hang out and bake cookies instead of thinking about dinner!

It is also worth mentioning that my husband's family has a wonderful way of eating their turkey and noodles. They put it in a bowl full of mashed potatoes! I thought it was so weird when I first ate it but damn it grows on you! It's now my favorite way to eat turkey and noodles. Thanks Jake's Mom!

I'm Thankful For Turkey

2008-09-06T21:50:00.011+01:00

Today we had "Thanksgiving" dinner. I love to have turkey dinner for no reason other than enjoying some awesome food. Also turkey is cheap....I can make up to three meals with one bird. That sounds like a deal to me!

This is my good china. I belonged to Jake's great grandmother and its just beautiful. I like to use it as many times as I can. I think life is too short to "save" good china for special meals that we only have a few times a year. Why waste space storing dishes? Especially in British housing where storage space is at a premium!
I made these peach hand pies! I used puff pastry because I love it and also because I am lazy and didn't have the space or resources to make homemade pastry. Don't undersell puff pastry folks. Also don't try to make it yourself....I can tell you from experience it is too much effort that can be used in other places.

This is my plate. This is how I eat my turkey with fixin's. I LOVE to mix the flavors! It is the best mix of sweet and savory that I have ever eaten. Also it looks gorgeous!

That was my day today. I enjoyed myself tremendously and will continue to do so.....just as long as the leftovers last!

2008-09-04T12:52:00.003+01:00

Yesterday in honor of my new blog I baked some cupcakes!

They actually happen to be my favorite cupcakes that are amazing....usually. There is something about England that is not friendly to my recipes. Everything I have baked here so far has ended up less that what I expected.

The cupcakes were still yummy just not orgasm worthy like usual. They seemed soggy, instead of the moist they were in Tucson. They are also A LOT flatter than they have been in the past. Another thing that I remembered, was that before we moved I had the Dark Chocolate cocoa instead of just the regular Hershey's. It is a definite difference but something that can be easily remedied. The whole recipe can be fixed pretty easily I hope...its just frustrating when my "Go To" recipes aren't up to par.

Regardless...Here is the recipe...hopefully you live in a higher and dryer climate...these should turn out for you perfectly. Also the Dark Cocoa REALLY makes a difference.

Chocolate Cupcakes with Coconut Chocolate Glaze

1 1/2 cups butter (cut into pieces)
1 cup fresh brewed coffee
1/2 cup milk
3/4 cup cocoa
3 cups all purpose flour
3 1/4 cups sugar
3/4 tsp. baking powder
3/4 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp soda
3/4 cups sour cream
3 Eggs
1 1/2 tsp. vanilla

Glaze:
6 oz semisweet chocolate
1/2 cups canned coconut milk
1 to 2 TBS corn syrup
1 1/2 cups coconut toasted

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line pan with cupcake liners. Put butter, coffee, milk and cocoa into microwave safe covered bowl. Microwave until the butter melts. Whisk to combine. In a large bowl mix flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, and baking soda. Set aside. In a small bowl beat sour cream, eggs and vanilla. Whisk hot cocoa mix into dry ingredients. Then stir in sour cream mixture just until combined. Fill muffin cups 3/4 full. Bake for 30 minutes or until cakes test done. Cool cakes in pans then remove to rack.

For Glaze, place chocolate in a medium bowl. Bring coconut milk and corn syrup to a boil. Then pour over chocolate. Let stand for 10 minutes then stir until smooth. Glaze cakes and scatter coconut over top.

This recipe for me usually makes 3 dozen cupcakes

(Most of which I send to work with my husband since the kids and I have no business eating 3 dozen cupcakes!)

The Journey Begins

2008-09-03T09:24:00.000+01:00

This is motivation. Motivation to be more interesting...to do fun and wonderful things and share them. Since we have moved to England it has been more important to share and keep in touch with our friends and family. Also since moving to England my life has become dull. I feed and dress the kids, do dishes, and wish I had a "charmed life." I have seen numerous blogs so far of people with the same occupation as me...domestic engineer/chef....that are, dare I say it, Fascinating! Also there are such lovely photos to make everything seem even more....lively. There are two things I want to achieve with this blog.

Number 1: Seek to experience something interesting and lovely things everyday. There is always something to make you realize how great life is...even if it's very small. You just have to look at life to discover its beauty. Thats what I want to do.

Number 2: To share it. Even if no one reads this and becomes changed because of it...I can still pretend they will. This will force me on days when I am feeling lame to go out and have an adventure. I live in bloody England for Pete's sake! If I don't have a ton of adventures...even domestic ones...while I am here there are people in The States who will kill me! Thats what you call motivation.

So this is my intro to blogging. I had better wrap it up and get off the computer so I can start living, also I am still in my jammies and that is unacceptable!