going private.

It's been a tough decision to make.
I've fought it every step of the way.
But, I know that I am making the right choice.
As hard as it may be. I've decided to make my personal blog, private. (on June 16th.)
Never fear, I will still continue to keep a public blog of arts, crafts, and recipes. (I will let you know my new address-- and the debut of my new crafty blog!) I just want to keep our family things hidden.
I think it's my motherly instinct kicking in.
*If you are a grandparent, don't worry-- I will personally walk you through the process of getting a password. (it's easy)
*If you are a friend, leave me a message with your e-mail if you would like to be included on my invite list.
Thanks for understanding.

I just hope I can go through with it!

e

***Update*** I am seriously having a hard time with going private. It's just made me sad! I am debating a blog clean up of personal stuff (last names, etc...) and a change of address so our last name is not on there. Talk about a big job, I would have 900 posts to sift through! Thoughts on all of this?!

my middle name is rainbow brite.

Lately, you would think that my long lost sister was Rainbow Brite, I've been so fascinated with color in the kitchen. Any way to throw it in and see what happens. Cooking is so much more fun when there is an artistic element involved. Being a fan of stripes makes this jello jiggler so much more than a child's finger food.

I'm here to reassure you that it's okay to play with your food sometimes. Look what happens when you do.

My boys were fascinated, and I should have hid broccoli, brussel sprouts, and lima beans inside of them because they both gobbled down three.

Wanna make 'em?

Get three boxes of 6 oz jello (red, yellow, and blue) and a box of gelatin. Empty the blue jello and an envelope of gelatin into a bowl and add two cups of boiling water. Stir to dissolve and then add a half a cup of ice cubes. Stir to dissolve and pour into a 9 by 13 inch pan. Refrigerate until set (about 40 minutes to an hour) and then do the yellow jello, and finally the red. When all is set, cut into squares and enjoy.

dear Jeff,

Did I even stir when you kissed me goodbye at the crack of dawn this morning? I don't even remember you leaving today!

Did you happen to fly over the house today? I know, probably not-- but while we were in the backyard this afternoon, I spotted a private jet fly over and I told the boys it was you. Their hearts were all a flutter, and they both furiously waived to you. Josh was concerned that you had not seen him waive, I assured him that you had-- and I'm telling you this so that when you come home and he asks, you can make sure that you say yes!

You are such a lucky boy to be away from the house on this fine Tuesday, because what kept my hands busy you ask? Housework, housework, and more housework of course! At one point (between the dusting and the folding) I felt like Cinderella, and speaking of Cinderella-- even she had a rockin' pair of new shoes so I felt that I deserved the same for all of that busy housework. So this afternoon-- I shook the dust from my hair, hung up my red apron, and I went shoe shopping and bought:

I knew you wouldn't mind, right? That's the price you pay for a clean toilet these days. Do you adore the peek-a-boo toe? I do.

Well hon, I'm off to wash the dinner dishes (in my new shoes of course). Let's just hope I don't slosh any greasy water on them in the process. I've been thinking about you all day, and hope that this five day trip flies by as fast as when you are home.

I'll have some fresh cookies waiting for you when you get home, among other things... (hint.)

I love you.
xoxoxox
emily.

fine living.

Sometimes, if we are lucky-- Jeff will bring home snacks that the rich and famous get to eat on his airplane. This has caused my two boys, to have very ritzy and distinctive tastes.

At the grocery store the other day, we had passed the bottled water on the way to the dairy section. Ben, upon seeing the water says out loud, "MOM! Where is the Fiji! I only drink Fiji water bottles!" To which I received lots of questionable stares from other passing customers.

our "stay"cation.

Have you heard of the new trend since the gas and airline ticket price hikes? Staycations? Not Vacations. They are all the rage.

Today we staycationed in our own town:

We weren't the only ones to have the idea to staycation here...

(Which just happened to choose the same beach as us to celebrate!) Beach party!

.

Picnics are better when they include:

Picnics are also better if you can eat them under a giant:

with:
And, wasn't I lucky that my entourage included:

Hope YOU had a good one.

back to the basics.

When I was in my freshman year of high school, I was so excited to choose electives. One of my first choices was Foods 101, and I was even more excited when I was rewarded my first choice.

.

Little did I know, but the rest of my class was full of upperclassmen. I felt a bit intimidated in my unsure 14 year old state and felt that I really stuck out like a sore thumb.

.

For our first cooking activity, our teacher gave us an assignment to make biscuits. My group assigned me to the dry ingredients. In my naive fluster, I forgot to add the leavening agent (being the baking powder) and needless to say that our biscuits came out of the oven looking more like hockey pucks then something that coniel sanders would approve.

.

My team was devastated. I was devastated. We didn't get to eat our biscuits like all of our flaunting counterparts. We sat and waited the last 10 minutes of class while we watched our classmates pick crumbs off of their shirts and smack jams and jellies off of their lips. Not only was that punishment enough, but suddenly I heard a voice across the room.

.

"Okay class!" The teacher boomed "Let me show you what happens if you don't add all of your ingredients correctly..." She slowly walked to my table and went through my mistake step by step for everyone to make note of as I sank lower and lower in my chair.

.

This memory kept running through my mind today as I used up 10 eggs trying to make the perfect pavlova today.

The first try, I skimmed the recipe and forgot to add the teaspoon of vinegar. I didn't realize this mistake until my pavlova was already in the oven. Trying to talk myself into the fact that it wasn't an important ingredient, I went on the Internet to look it up and see what the vinegar was for.

.

I realized that it was in fact very important.

.

And so, I tried again.

This time, I also made sure my egg whites were room temperature before I began. These two steps made all the difference:
Of course, the second time around was a charm.
Mixed Berry Pavlova:

4 extra-large egg whites, at room temperature
Pinch salt
1 cup sugar
2 teaspoons cornstarch
1 teaspoon white wine vinegar
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Sweetened Whipped Cream, recipe follows
1/2 pint fresh strawberries, hulled and sliced
1/2 pint fresh blueberries
1/2 pint fresh raspberries

Preheat the oven to 180 degrees F.
Place a sheet of parchment paper on a sheet pan. Draw a 9-inch circle on the paper, using a 9-inch plate as a guide, then turn the paper over so the circle is on the reverse side. (This way you won't get a pencil mark on the meringue.)

Place the egg whites and salt in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a whisk attachment. Beat the egg whites on high speed until firm, about 1 minute. With the mixer still on high, slowly add the sugar and beat until it makes firm, shiny peaks, about 2 minutes.

Remove the bowl from the mixer, sift the cornstarch onto the beaten egg whites, add the vinegar and vanilla, and fold in lightly with a rubber spatula. Pile the meringue into the middle of the circle on the parchment paper and smooth it within the circle, making a rough disk. Bake for 1 1/2 hours. Turn off the oven, keep the door closed, and allow the meringue to cool completely in the oven, about 1 hour. It will be crisp on the outside and soft on the inside.

Invert the meringue disk onto a plate and spread the top completely with sweetened whipped cream. Combine the strawberries, blueberries and raspberries in a bowl and toss with about 1/2 Tablespoon of sugar, or enough to coat the berries lightly. Spoon the berries carefully into the middle of the Pavlova, leaving a border of cream and meringue. Serve immediately in large scoops.

.
Sweetened Whipped Cream:
1 cup cold heavy cream
1 tablespoon sugar
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Whip the cream in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a whisk attachment (you can also use a hand mixer). When it starts to thicken, add the sugar and vanilla and continue to beat until firm. Don't overbeat!

.

Looking for something for your kids to do this summer?

.

click here!

.

The first class is halfway full, reserve your spot now!

ring buddies.

So my super new friend Kirstin and I were tearing it up on Saturday night, (farmers market, whoo hoo!) when I realized that we have almost exactly the same wedding ring set. The only difference is hers has a princess cut square diamond, and mine is a classic circle cut. Are you as flabbergasted as we are?

We thought this was amusing, and since Kirstin would not agree on my game called "who can find the ugliest shoes at Wal Mart and put them on for a picture spot on my blog" (next time...) we decided to end our night with the "ring buddies" side by side.

Thanks for amusing me, Kirstin-- and helping to talk me out of the red-gingham picnic peek-a-boo sling backs. The wouldn't have matched my new dress anyway.

my right hand man.

"But first I will tell you that for many years I have longed for a servant to help me with the housework and to cook the meals and wash the dishes."

~ excerpt from The Patchwork Girl of Oz by L. Frank Baum.

let's go play on the rail road tracks, kids.

Sometimes I drive like a maniac. I have a simple reason though, and I'm not making excuses. It's because I am on the constant lookout for new backdrops for pictures. If you've been checking in on us since December, this one will look slightly familiar. I'm on the hunt again for a new backdrop.

..

I've been dreaming at the wheel lately. I had a 15 minute conversation in my head this morning as I drove home from dropping the kids off at preschool. Do you want to know what it was about? Pictures in a corn field. Waist deep in emerald green corn leaves (the boys sporting crisp bright blue overalls, the only problem: I don't want any old cantankerous farmers after me with a rusty old pitch fork because my two subjects and I have just trampled his crop. This could cause a problem. And I'm slightly afraid of bugs. Oh yeah, and snakes-- like the one that Hanah's dad killed as it was eating eggs out of the hen house yesterday. A 4 foot rat snake. Do rat snakes live in corn fields?

..

Barns. I love old barns, and there is a plethora of them in these parts. My favorites are either the bright red with white trim, or the old delapated death traps. Problem is, they are usually behind a menacing barbed wire fence, and I'm just not that dedicated. That's got girl scout troop #1490 written all over it, and if you knew what I was talking about, you would be laughing your head off. (Right Amanda?)

..

And the good ol' Texas bluebonnets. What happened to all the bluebonnets this year? I saw a small patch of 4 or 5 by an old mud puddle and decided it wasn't worth it. The first year we moved here, you couldn't escape the fields of flowing and billowing bluebonnets.

You can tell that Ben was so over the blue bonnets.

Well, at least I miss the bluebonnets.

So, for now-- your stuck with the railroad pictures. Maybe one day I'll work up enough nerve to belly crawl through that snake infested corn field with my babies strapped to my back and craft the perfect shot. But for now, I'm keeping my eyes peeled for something else.

like a dimestore cowboy.

So what am I doing out here in the country with these two:

We're out here to ride:

My bloggin' friend Hanah invited us out for a little horse back riding.

Josh earned his right to be known other than a:

Ben needed a little:Josh adds another item to his Christmas wish list.
Ben decides riding isn't so bad if it's done:
Josh and Hanah's little boy Bradley try to feed the horse:
Soon, it was my turn to ride all alone.

Next on the agenda,
Ben was chicken of the chickens.

Sneaky Josh tries to devise a trap.On to the bunny!
Thanks Hanah! Pilots wives need to stick together.

(ignore our sultry southern humidity glow.)

because I am addicted to color.

Today I made "play dough cookies".

Doesn't it really look like play dough? Well, it isn't. It's a tasty colored cookie dough. I have no idea where I found this recipe. I printed it off last month and forgot that I had shoved it into my cookbook cabinet. Today was the day we tried it out! Take the colors and make a ball. Roll the ball into a snake, and bake baby, bake!
Play Dough Cookies
3/4 C butter
3 ounces cream cheese
1 cup white sugar
1 egg
1 t vanilla extract
2 and 3/4 C flour
1 t baking powder
1/4 t salt
assorted food coloring (gel or paste works best)


1. In a bowl cream butter, cream cheese and sugar until fluffy. Add egg and vanilla. Beat until smooth.

2. In a bowl combine flour, baking powder, and salt. Add dry ingredients to the creamed mixture. Stir until soft dough forms. Divide dough into Fourths. Tint each with a different food coloring. Wrap in plastic and chill for two hours. (I stuck it in the freezer for 15 minutes because I hate to wait!)

3. Preheat oven to 350. Shape colors into 3/4 inch balls. For each cookie place one pink, one orange, one green, and one blue ball together and roll to make one giant ball. Roll into a 12 inch long snake, and then starting at one end coil roll to make a cookie. Place cookies 2 to 3 inches apart on greased cookie sheet to allow for spreading.

4. Bake for 8 minutes or until lightly browned. Cool and store in an airtight container.

Enjoy!

*not tired of me yet? click here!

6 and a half hours.

Today, this is what the monkeys did for six and a half hours, nonstop. (potty breaks only.)

What else can you do when a 94 degree day beckons you?


We even ate outside today. One of our favorite activities!

.

In other news, my 20 minute apron tutorial is being featured here today!

.

On my coffee table today (fresh and newly delivered from Amazon) is this. I can't wait to get started on a new project!

.

And, Jeff bought this little lovely for me for mothers day. It smells like fresh lemonade. I can't stop putting it on today!