Amy’s Notebook 07.29.09

July 29th, 2009

This anti-boredom kit is a great idea for the kids (@ Instructables)

This strawberry bread pudding would be a wonderful brunch dish (@ Baking Bites)

I love this tip on keeping sports bottles in the car (@ Parent Hacks)

This knitted cupcake hat is amazingly beautiful (@ A Purse Full of Cheerios)

I love these eight helpful tips for food photography (@ Pioneer Woman)

I like this ideas for throwing a circus birthday party (@ Let’s Explore)

I need to learn how to knit on double pointed needles so I can make these knitted coasters (@ do stuff!)

Setting a tantrum timer is a great idea for parents (@ The Toby Show)

This homemade wheat waffle mix looks so yummy (@ giver’s log)

I am going to have to remember these tips for freezing summer fruit (@ Cooks Illustrated)

These alphabet block magnets are so inventive and adorable (@ plum pudding)

This knitted guest hand towel is beautiful (@ 3 Sleeves to the Wind)

These knitted leg warmies would make a wonderful baby gift (@ Sew Liberated)

I am going to make some of these little homemade make-up kits for my daughter (@ Parent Hacks)

I love this thrifty & pretty solution for earring storage (@ Teresa Franco)

My children would love this homemade moon sand (@ ohdeedoh)

Notebook Experiments: Is WHO Bread Delicious?

July 29th, 2009


Experiment: Is WHO bread really and truly delicious?

Experiment Taken From: Notebook Entry 02.14.07

Materials Needed: Please see SouleMama for the complete recipe and instructions.

Results: I have had this recipe bookmarked for a very long time and have finally replaced my bread machine so I can test another fun bread machine recipe.

We grilled out last night and I thought I would make a loaf of this bread and (just because I am over-the-top kind of gal) I decided to make a batch of my Honey Butter to spread on top.

This bread is delicious and smelled like heaven as it baked. It has all of my favorite elements in it- a dash of brown sugar, honey, oatmeal, and cinnamon. I did substitute one cup of the white flour with whole wheat flour, which gave it a deliciously chewy texture with a nice firm crust.

Conclusion: I would definitely make this bread over and over again. It is such a perfect balance of flavors and adding my addition of the honey butter really made it even more delicious. Every single person in the family loved this bread and I look forward to smearing some jam on it for toast in the morning.

If you don’t have a bread machine, don’t despair because Soule Mama also has an acoustic version for those without bread machines. Many thanks to Soule Mama for generously sharing her wonderful recipes!

A Fresh Blueberry Addition to Your Iced Tea or Coffee

July 28th, 2009

Making homemade syrups for drinks is something that I love to keep in our refrigerator to fancy up a glass of iced tea or a mug of coffee. Making homemade syrups does not take a lot of time, but it can make a regular glass of iced tea go from a standard glass to a fantastical gourmet treat.

Today, I wanted to share with you a fun recipe for making Blueberry Drink Syrup that can be added to your iced tea, your coffee, or even your margarita! Whatever gets you going in the morning, I promise not to judge!

To begin with, you will need four cups of fresh berries and two cups of water. Put these two ingredients into a pot and bring it to a boil. Once it is boiling, you can turn it down and let it cook for ten to twelve minutes on the stove.

While that is boiling away, grab a glass bowl (or something that won’t stain easily) and put your strainer on top. Line your strainer with a square of heavy-duty paper towel or cheesecloth.

Now bring your berries over to your bowl and pour them over the strainer. While you are doing this, stand way-the-heck-back because you will get splattered and it will be difficult to get those stains off of everything.

Once you have all of the juice strained, put it back on the oven and add one cup of sugar (or a 1/2 cup of sugar for each cup of juice that is strained). Reheat for two minutes or until the sugar is dissolved.

Now your syrup is all done and you can pour it into a clean jar. This can be stored in your refrigerator and you can use it whenever you feel like a little blueberry pie in your coffee or tea.

Add two tablespoons of blueberry syrup to your drink and please sit back with your feet up when you drink this! It is that kind of drink that speaks of summer and laziness to me. If you add a little cream to your coffee, I bet it will taste just like that slice of blueberry pie you have been craving!

This would also make a lovely summertime gift for a friend or loved one. Add a bowl and a label to the front with the instructions. I bet your friends will think you have truly risen to Martha Stewart status with this one!

Blueberry Syrup for Coffee or Iced Tea

4 cups fresh blueberries
2 cups water
1 cup sugar

Place blueberries in a saucepan with water. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer 10 minutes. Set sieve or colander lined with cheesecloth or paper towel over a bowl and pour in the blueberry mixture. Gently press out the juice with a spoon or by twisting the cheesecloth. Discard the pulp and measure the juice into saucepan. Add 1/2 cup sugar for each cup of juice and cook over medium heat, stirring until sugar is dissolved. Bring to a boil and cook 2 minutes. Chill and pour into covered jar. Store in refrigerator. Add two tablespoons to each glass of prepared iced tea or coffee. Stir well.

An Apron Full of Giveaways 07.28.09

July 28th, 2009
Photo Credit: motley boutique, $18

Welcome to our Apron Full of Giveaways, where we round up all of the best giveaways on the web. This is the spot where you can share your blog contests or where you can find fantastic stuff to enter.

I am still recovering from BlogHer and came home to two sick little children so we will not be running a contest this week. I do, however, want to still offer you a chance to list your giveaways so please link up!

Below are the contest links-if you are hosting a contest please link it up below. Sorry, we aren’t giving away the aprons just showcasing them! Please put your site name and then what type of contest you are hosting. For example, “MomAdvice (Children’s Movies).”

Please let me know if you have any questions and good luck to each of you!

Fresh Blueberry Pancake Syrup On Homemade Waffles

July 27th, 2009


I sincerely hope you love blueberries because I am afraid it is blueberry week on my blog. We brought home a ton of fresh berries that were dying to be poured on top of some deliciously light waffles this week.

I love making pancake syrup, but this is my first attempt making a berry syrup. It is amazing how sugar, water, a little vanilla, and fresh berries make such an incredible difference on a plain old waffle.

The burst of flavor, the happy dance in my mouth, and the smacking of lips at the table make me so incredibly joyful. The berries coat the waffle perfectly and add a little sweetness to my waffle without a sugary overkill.

This is really and truly a fantastic indulgence that takes about the same amount of time to cook as it does to make up a batch of waffles. Fast and delicious!


Fresh Blueberry Pancake Syrup

1 pint (or two cups) fresh blueberries
1 cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/4 cup water

Place all ingredients in a saucepan. Cook over medium heat and stir to dissolve the sugar. Allow it to cook for 12-15 minutes and give the berries a little smash with your wooden spoon to break them up into the syrup. This syrup can be served warm over The Best Waffles Ever or you can serve the syrup cooled.

Best Waffles Ever (Courtesy of Better Homes & Gardens Cookbook)


1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 egg yolks
1 3/4 cups milk
1/2 cup canola oil
2 egg whites

In a medium mixing bowl stir together flour, baking powder, and salt. Make a well in the center. In another bowl beat egg yolks slightly. Stir in milk and oil. Add egg yolk mixture all at once to the dry mixture. Stir just till moistened (should be lumpy). In a small bowl beat egg whites until stiff peaks form (tips stand straight up). Gently fold egg whites into flour and egg yolk mixture, leaving a few fluffs of egg white, Do not overmix. Spoon waffle batter into your waffle iron, making sure not to overfill it. Side NoteI doubled this recipe for my family of four and we had enough for three extra Belgian waffles.

And what did my children think of the new blueberry addition to their plate?

Sometimes a picture can say it better than I can!

Freebie Friday: July 24, 2009

July 24th, 2009

Happy Freebie Friday! A huge thanks to Heather, from Freebies 4 Mom, for sharing her weekly dose of freebie goodness with our readers. Be sure to visit her post on tripled grocery savings. Please visit her site all week long for fantastic freebies!

I am here at BlogHer for the weekend so if you are here too please try and find me to say hello or send me a message on twitter (@momadvice)!

Health & Beauty

Food
Mars Free Chocolate Friday
Caribou Coffee Cooler or Brownie (Facebook fans)
Splenda

Entertainment

World eBook Fair (thru Aug. 4)
NASA Send your name to Mars
Milk Matters and Budy Brush Coloring Book
Get Married magazine
Golden Voices Music Sampler (Amazon)
Gretsch 125th Anniversary Guitar Poster
House Party (4 events to apply for)

Home & Garden
National Night Out organizational kit
Viva towels (Walmart)
Ziploc Healthy Lunch Box Ideas recipe book download (enter 2 Ziploc UPCs)
What to Expect Guide to a Healthy Home (download from Clorox)
Window Covering Safety Council Retrofit Kit

Upcoming Freebie Events:
Please call your local store or restaurant to confirm they are participating in these freebie events.


JULY

25 – Lakeshore Free Kid Crafts make a buggy welcome sign 11-3pm
25 – Lowes Build and Grow Kids Clinic make a helicopter 10-11am
27 – McDonald’s Free Mocha Monday 7am-7pm

AUGUST

Staples Teacher Appreciation Days free gift bag to first 100 teachers
1 – The Home Depot Kids Workshop make a message center 9-noon
1 & 2 – Museums on Us (free admission for Bank of America customers)
4 – National Night Out
8 – Lowes Build and Grow Kids Clinic make a powerboat 10-11am
15 & 16 – National Parks Fee Free Weekend

Making An Addition To Our House for Less

July 23rd, 2009

We have now lived in our little home for six years and I am so proud of all of the changes we have made. Two of our major projects that we did ourselves were our kitchen update and our do-it-yourself patio renovation. Both of those projects were a great deal of work, but the spaces seemed very separate from one another.

We have been trying to take the 1960’s look out of our tri-level home which is no small task in itself. We have done all of the projects ourselves (with the exception of a new roof) and now we are coming to those projects where we need a professional’s help. This, of course, takes money so we are doing these projects little by little.

What better way to update our space then by replacing our tired screen door with a new patio door? This screen door was an eyesore to our space. It came complete with a grandma-ma warning security tag and the door was falling apart. More than that though, it was difficult to access our new patio and hard for me to watch my kids when they were playing outside.

We decided to hire Champion Window to come out and put in a new door for us. After measuring our space, we could accommodate an eight foot door, which would take out our old window and the rickety screen door that had been previously occupying the space.

This is our kitchen after the installation of the door. All I can say is, WOW! This door completely opened up our kitchen and brought in more natural light for our space. It has made our space feel more modern and having a view in the morning of my patio and the yard has just made such an incredible difference in our space.

This is my view in the morning. I can actually see almost every square inch of the entire yard so when the kids are playing outside, I can really keep an eye on them. I can also close just the screen portion and feel like I am outside with them when they are playing on the patio.

The best part though is that we can actually open the door with ease when grilling outside or heading in and out. The kids can open it themselves, but it is secure enough that I can lock it so they can’t get out unless we want them out there.

I feel like we got an addition to our house by just doing this little makeover to our door and I feel like it makes our kitchen renovation complete! Next up will be replacing the garage door, pantry door, and on-its-last-limbs refrigerator to modernize our space.

Notebook Experiments: Can I Make My Hotel Stay Better?

July 22nd, 2009

Experiment: Can I make my hotel stay better?

Experiment Taken From: Notebook Entry 10.30.08

Materials Needed: Please see Digital Bliss for the full instructions. This post was written by Angie, over at Blog Coach, so please be sure to check her site for additional great blogging resources!

Results: While I am off traveling, I wanted to share with you two of my favorite sites to use while I am away from home. If you are ever away (with kids or without), give these sites a try… especially if your room comes with free Wi-Fi!


iSerenity was perhaps my favorite resource on that list because I hate all the sounds from my neighbors and out in the hallways of hotels. In our house, each of us has a sound machine in our rooms so I really love having some type of white noise when I sleep. I tuned into the sounds of the ocean and it helped so much to cut down on the background noise so I could get some sleep. This would have been a great resource too when my children were smaller to help them sleep better too.



The other site that I used was Kukuklock. Is it just me or does anyone else have trouble figuring out how in the heck to set these alarms in the hotel rooms? A little manual would be helpful! I set my alarm on my phone in my room, but I like to have a back-up alarm just in case. I went ahead and set it to the rooster setting and it was as easy as pie to set.

I headed to bed and woke up to the sounds of the ocean with roosters crowing over the waves. Yeah, it was pretty freaky and I thought I fell into an alternate universe for a moment there, but it worked like a charm.

Conclusion:
I plan to use these sites every time because it helped me sleep better knowing I would wake up on my time and I could eliminate the background noises in my room. I hope you can check these out on your next trip!

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I am so excited to open our Notebook Experiments up to everyone and I hope that you will be able to participate this week or in weeks to come! I will be posting this each Wednesday so please mark your calendars if you plan to participate. You can post your entries at any time throughout the week and then leave your entry in the links below.

We have this handy banner that you are more than welcome to use, but it is not a requirement! It is just something you can add to add a little sparkle to your entry.

Rules for Participation:

1. Choose anything from any of our notebook entries (past or present) to do with your family. We have hundreds of bookmarked links of crafts, ways to save money, and organizing ideas.
2. Complete an experiment from the notebook and share about it on your blog or website. We would love to see pictures of what you accomplished or a detailed description of how your projects turned out. Please include a link to this entry, a link to the original posting of the entry (at the original craftster’s blog), and (to help us relocate the project) the date or link of the notebook entry where you found it. You can use the same formatting as our entries or you can just include that information in your post in your own unique way!
3. Post a link below. Please include your name or blog name & a fast description of your project. Example- MomAdvice (WHO bread)

I can’t wait to see what you create and what you find inspiring!

Amy’s Notebook 07.22.09

July 22nd, 2009

My kids would love this glow-in-the-dark slime (@ the idea room)

I will have to remember these great tips for getting rid of wasps (@ Tip Nut)

These chocolate wands would be great for a Harry Potter screening night or Harry Potter themed birthday party (@ Hello My Name is Heather)

These sweet and salty peanut chocolate chip cookies look delicious (@ plum pudding)

I love these summer sweaters that are really t-shirts because there is no sewing required (@ angry chicken)

I like this tutorial for making a simple reversible tote bag (@ Skip to My Lou)

I love this thrifty tip for what to do with those cut-off bread crusts from your child’s sandwiches (@ Parent Hacks)

These are cute ideas for what you can do with those recycled baby food jars (@ homemade by jill)

I love this ideas for traveling with kids (@ Craft)

I can’t wait to try this recipe for macaroni salad (@ Simply Recipes)

These little homemade stamps would be a fun and easy craft to do with the kids (@ Mel’s Own Place)

These broccoli, cheddar, & sausage muffin pull-a-parts would be a fun breakfast with my family (@ Picky Palate)

This playroom organization is so brilliant and beautiful (@ stephmodo)

This cranberry pecan chicken salad looks like a delicious lunch (@ Annie’s Eats)

I want to knit some of these sock slippers (@ Polar Knit)

This craft car caddy would change a crafter’s life (@ Craft)

This DIY lighted paper pennant garland is incredibly cool (@ Once Wed)

This sweet little centerpiece would be an adorable addition to our house (@ Living With Lindsay)

My kids would love these homemade yo yo balloons (@ zakka life)

These are 5 peanut butter recipes that I would like to try (@ The Kitchn)

I bet my family would love these Rice Krispies Cookies (@ Amber’s Delectable Delights)

All Knitted Up: Circle & Chinese Waves Dishcloths

July 21st, 2009


Summer is a time for knitting dishcloths for me. They are a perfectly portable project and can be whipped up from all of the scraps of yarn that I have leftover from past projects. They give me an opportunity to play with pattern without being committed to a large project. Best of all, they are completely useful and make a fantastic gift.

My dishcloths are threadbare and looking pretty worse for wear. I decided to replace them with my little homemade ones and it has been a welcome distraction between knitting baby blankets for friends.



Circle Dishcloth

Pattern: Circle Cloth Pattern (this links to the free PDF version)

Needle Size: US 7 Needles

Yarn: Peaches & Creme in various leftover colors

Notes: I don’t know if I will ever knit another type of dishcloth again after making these. This dishcloth is so pretty that I don’t think I even want to use it.

After seeing the pattern on Ravelry, I knew that I had to try it, just to figure out how it was done. The cloth is almost three dimensional and looks as though you are knitting in two layers. It really is just slipped stitches that keeping moving on the needles to make the impressive circles on top.

I almost want to make a scarf out of this and am already thinking what a great little hostess gift these would make for the holidays in festive colors.

I flipped them over so you can see what it looks like on the back. Obviously, the front of the cloth is the pretty side, but I love seeing how smooth the pattern looks on the back despite the intricate front.

This pattern is still easy enough for beginners, you just need to know how to slip stitches and how to switch colors. I will provide a You Tube video below for switching colors below!


Chinese Waves Dishcloth

Pattern: Chinese Waves Dishcloth (this links to the free PDF version)

Needle Size: US 7 Needles

Yarn: Peaches & Creme in various leftover colors

Notes: These little dishcloths knit up so fast and have a cool little wave texture to them. The only stitch that you need to know for this one is how to knit and how to slip stitches. There is no purling so you don’t even need to know that! The slipped stitches make a nubby texture to help get your dishes clean and they also add a little bit of thickness and softness to the dishcloth.

If you are looking for a project that will knit up quickly, these are super fast and fun to make!

How to Switch Color (A Fantastic Tutorial):