Two weeks ago we had a photographer come over and do some family photos. Breezy Winters (yes, that’s really her name) was a delight and did a fantastic job. Check out her website.
Just in time for Christmas cards, new pictures for the hallway and Christmas gifts for grandparents.
Warning: the following contains a ton of super cute photos. You may not be able to handle all the cuteness.
Posted by Hugs, Kisses and Snot on November 29, 2011
http://hugskissesandsnot.com/2011/11/29/family-photos/
Soup’s on! It is officially winter weather (at least until this crazy Oklahoma weather decides we need another 80 degree heat wave 4 days after Thanksgiving) and that means soup, stew and chili are on the menu.
This chicken and rice soup is so easy it can be ready to go in 45 minutes start to finish and can feed a crowd or just a small family for several days. As with most soups it’s always better the next day.
Here’s what you need (should you feel so inclined)
Rotisserie chicken from the deli section of the grocery store
Turkey kielbasa sausage
3-4 carrots, peeled and cut into bite size pieces
3-4 celery stalks, chopped
a handful of new potatoes, cut into bite size pieces
1 small onion, diced
1 large carton of chicken broth
salt & pepper
celery seed
olive oil
4 cups cooked rice
Florescent lights are NOT a part of this recipe. They are just being moved around my kitchen waiting to be recycled. I repeat, DO NOT put florescent lights into your soup.
In a large stock pot saute the onion, celery and carrots in a tablespoon, or so, of olive oil. Add salt, pepper and a healthy sprinkle of celery seed. While that is slowly sauteing pull the chicken from the bone. In the middle of your chicken’ picken’ take a moment to add the potatoes to the pot. Add enough water just to cover the veggies and simmer on low. Continue pulling as much chicken off the bone as you can.
Cut the turkey kielbasa into rounds and brown in a skillet. This step is optional and is not completely necessary but will give the sausage a nice color. Add the browned sausage and chicken to the pot. Add the chicken broth and more water (if it’s necessary) to make sure everything is taking a nice deep bath. Simmer on low for 15 or 20 minutes. Enough time to fix a green side salad, set the table, tell your kids to wash their hands about 16 times and wrestle the toddler into the high chair.
Just before serving add the cooked rice to the pot. A perfect meal to warm your soul in the bleak mid-winter.
Posted by Hugs, Kisses and Snot on November 27, 2011
http://hugskissesandsnot.com/2011/11/27/easy-chicken-and-rice-soup/
Thank goodness I read my Macaroni Kid emails. It lets me know about all the exciting haps in my neighborhood.
Last Saturday Fred Jones Museum of Art was having a screening of Phineas and Ferb The Movie: Across the 2nd Dimension with special guest appearance by Jeff “Swampy” Marsh. Mr. “Swampy” is the show creator an animator and writer for the show as well as the voice of Major Monogram.
We didn’t tell Addison about this special treat and Dear Husband whisked him off to the museum. When they announced the movie he nearly hit the roof. After the screening, Swampy Marsh was signing autographs. Dear Husband and Addison patiently waited in line for two hours to get an autograph! According to Dear Husband the guy was great and a great sport for drawing about 200 pics for little kids and talking to them as Major Monogram.
No, he does not have a hand deformed from arthritis. It’s cramped from drawing pictures and signing autographs for two hours.
That night at dinner I got the complete run down of the events of the day and movie plot line.
FREE kid events at world class musuems. Just one more reason why I love Norman.
Posted by Hugs, Kisses and Snot on November 22, 2011
http://hugskissesandsnot.com/2011/11/22/phineas-ferb/
Two weeks ago I went to a used book sale and scored this nice little stack of books for $9.50.
I was excited to see a couple of books that Addison and I will enjoy reading together. How To Eat Fried Worms by Thomas Rockwell. I LOVED this book when I was little and I’m anxious to see Addison’s reaction. He’s not big fan of gross out humor, he’s more of a potty humor kind of guy but I think he’ll like this one. I think a movie was made in the past few years but I refuse to see it. Some things should just be left alone.
There was also a “choose your own adventure” book. Oh my gosh, I loved having to make a decision that would determine the end of the book then going back and rereading and making a different decision. How fun was that?! It has “22 possible endings”. Something tells me he will be all over this.
The Scarlet Pimpernel by Baroness Emmuska Orczy. When Dear Husband and I were first dating he introduced me to his taste of movie watching by showing me some of his favorites. I think it was some sort of test. The Godfather I & II (and then III just for good measure), Somewhere In Time and The Scarlet Pimpernel staring Anthony Andrews and Jane Seymour. Not only was I hooked on the The Scarlet Pimpernel but I was also hooked on the guy showing me these movies. It didn’t take me long to know that he would someday be “Dear Husband.” When I saw this book at the book sale I knew I should give it a shot.
The Time Travelers Wife by Audrey Niffenegger. I read this book quite a while ago. I loved it so much I knew it was one that I would need to read again and again. I did not see the movie after hearing the reviews. Again, some things should be left alone.
Sophie’s Choice by William Styron. I know, I know…it’s super sad. I already know her agonizing choice thanks to the movie. But I didn’t see the movie all the way through, just that terrible part where she has to choose. But for some reason I feel compelled to read it.
The Kite Runner by Kheled Hosseini. Two years ago I bought A Thousand Splendid Suns at this same book sale and have yet to read it because I need to read this one first.
The Bronte Project looked like chick lit that I would enjoy and The Poisonwood Bible had an interesting cover.
Which would you read first?
Posted by Hugs, Kisses and Snot on November 21, 2011
http://hugskissesandsnot.com/2011/11/21/used-book-sale/
Last week when Addison saw the paper snowflakes I made he wanted to make some too. I knew that my snowflakes had way too many layers for his little hands to cut through and the folding might be a little too complicated. So we made some simpler snowflakes that he can proudly display when the time comes. For those of you with little ones who’s cutting skills aren’t that stellar, this is a really fun way to practice folding, cutting and work those fine motor skills.
Start with a square piece of paper, fold it in half then fold it in half again to make a smaller square. Draw a simple pattern for your artist to follow.
For the next one he wanted to draw his own pattern.
We are well on our way to an indoor winter wonderland.
Posted by Hugs, Kisses and Snot on November 18, 2011
http://hugskissesandsnot.com/2011/11/18/paper-snowflakes-for-little-hands/
I grew up reading and loving C.S. Lewis. When I became an adult I still read his fiction for children but began to explore his inspiration writings for adults. One of the things that I love about Lewis is his ability to balance the head and heart in his theology. I need something that is going to make me think, not just feel warm and fuzzy.
Way back in college I got a large volume that contained 4 of his bestselling works, Surprised by Joy, Reflections on the Psalms, The Four Loves and The Business of Heaven. I had every intention of reading and being inspired but I’m going to admit to you right now that since that time long ago I have hardly cracked this book. It has traveled from state to state, apartment to house, bookshelf to bookshelf without much ado. Two weeks ago Harry decided I needed to start reading it. He was digging through my stuff in the bedroom (as he does) and decided to pull this big thick book off the shelf and find a new home for the dust jacket. I discovered his mischief and flipped through the book to discover that The Business of Heaven contains 356 daily readings. Well what do you know. Just what I needed to spur my ongoing struggle with daily devotion. That day’s devotion happened to be about the relationship (or lack there of) between God and time. The idea that God does not operate on the same time schedule that we do is very interesting to me and sometimes difficult to wrap my head around. We move along our time line from birth to death and nary the two shall meet. For God there is no such time line. It is all happening right now. We experience this world moment by moment. God experiences all of the moments at the same time.
Almost certainly God is not in time. His life does not consist of moments following one another. If a million people are praying to Him at ten-thirty tonight, He need not listen to them all in that one little snippet which we call ten-thirty. Ten-thirty – and every other moment from the beginning of the world – is always the Present for Him. If you like to put it that way, He has all eternity in which to listen to the split second of prayer put up by a pilot as his plane crashes in flames. – The Business of Heaven, November 8, C.S. Lewis
Oh my goodness, that is so wonderfully heavy. In other words we have God’s attention, infinitely.
Posted by Hugs, Kisses and Snot on November 16, 2011
http://hugskissesandsnot.com/2011/11/16/does-god-tell-time/
Generally I make it a rule not to put Christmas decor out, watch Christmas movies, listen to carols or think too much about Christmas before Thanksgiving. Dear Husband is very diligent and helps keep me on track. However, I felt the need to begin holiday preparations by making some paper snowflakes ahead of time. I promise not to display them or use them in crafts until November 25th.
Also – I apologize in advance at the horrible condition of my hands and nails. My cuticles are in a shambles, my skin is dry and I regularly nick my index nail with the butcher knife. Manicures are not a part of my life right now. Don’t feel bad for me, I’m at peace with that statement. The condition of my hands and nails is not in my top ten list of priorities and it doesn’t bother me one little bit. However, I am sorry that you have to be witness to my hands close up.
Now that we have that out of the way…on to paper snowflakes.
To begin we need a square piece of paper. All the paper I have is from the printer so to make it into a square, fold one corner over and cut off the strip that is left at the bottom.
You are left with a right triangle. Fold it in half.
Position it so that the 90 degree angle is pointing away from you. Fold one corner over so that the edge is a little bit over the middle of the triangle then fold the other corner over in the same way. You should have a cone shape with two tails sticking out of the bottom.
Cut those two tails off and you are left with an isosceles triangle.
Now it’s time to start cutting out the design. There is no right or wrong way to do that. Just start cutting and be prepared to experiment with a lot of paper. IMPORTANT NOTE: Part of the folded side MUST remain intact. If you cut away all of the folded side your finished snowflake will fall apart.
My folded edge is on the bottom and has four spots where it is still intact.
Once you get the hang of folding and cutting you can experiment with the size of the original square.
Flatten them out by pressing them in a big, thick book. I have all of mine stored away in a huge atlas ready for black friday. (What? You mean maps used to be printed on paper and then collected in a book? What’s the point of that? You can’t zoom in? How can you tell what the traffic is like on the interstate?) That’s what I imagine all teenagers to ask when you show them an atlas.
Anyhoo – My snowflakes are tucked away between Albania and Greece safely awaiting their window display. I also have a snowflake jar craft coming your way.
Here are a few more designs for inspiration.
Posted by Hugs, Kisses and Snot on November 14, 2011
http://hugskissesandsnot.com/2011/11/14/how-to-make-a-paper-snowflake/
Day 13…I’m thankful for Hobby Lobby and instructional videos on YouTube.
I promised a new wreath post this weekend and a new wreath post you shall have.
Quite a while ago my mom came to me with the Williams-Sonoma catalog and showed me a beautiful pumpkin wreath and said “you could make this…look how simple it is and look how much they want for it.” The challenge was on.
source: williams-s0noma.com
Here is our inspiration. A beautiful Pumpkin Patch wreath that can be yours for the low, low price of $99.95. That is a bit out of my price range for a wreath and I’m always up for a little crafting challenge so off to Hobby Lobby we went.
For my shoestring budget wreath you need a foam wreath form, moss, a variety of pumpkins with a thick wire attached to it, fall ribbon, hot glue and floral pins.
Generously hot glue the moss to the wreath as well as use floral pins to secure it in place. Don’t be stingy with that hot glue or the moss. More is more in this case. Beware: this is a very messy job and you will need the vacuum later.
The great thing about this type of floral wreath is that you can put the pumpkins and pull them out and rearrange to your heart’s content.
YouTube has lots of instructional videos on how to make a bow for a wreath. For some reason I settled on this one. There is something about her accent and mom jeans that I really liked.
This is my wreath with just the pumpkins and looking a lot like the Williams-Sanoma one. But something was missing. It just didn’t have enough “omph” for my taste.
I found a small fall garland already formed into a circle amongst my collection-o-wreaths in the garage. A few floral pins, my Thankgiving bow, a lot of finaggaling to hide the back of the bow and I was done! I spent less than $30. Eat your heart out Mr. Sanoma.
Now, doesn’t that just make you want to baste a turkey?
Happy Thanksgiving!
Posted by Hugs, Kisses and Snot on November 13, 2011
http://hugskissesandsnot.com/2011/11/13/happy-thanksgiving-pumpkin-wreath/
Source: Cook’s Country
I’ve decided this week is the week of the pumpkin. Earlier this week I gave you the X-Wing fighter pumpkin, tonight it’s the pumpkin roll and this weekend I’ve got a pumpkin wreath for your enjoyment. Yes, another wreath.
This recipe is directly from Cooks Country. The cream cheese filling is my own concoction. It is surprisingly easy to make and all the ladies at the auxiliary luncheon will fawn over you for it. You will even have enough pumpkin left over to make pumpkin pancakes the next morning.
Tonight I’m feeling lazy so rather than me retype and copy and paste the recipe and directions please visit the Cook’s Country site for their step by step instructions.
Cream Cheese filling:
2 packages cream cheese, softened
1 – 1 1/2 cups confectioners sugar
1 tsp. garam masala
Bake. Roll. Enjoy.
Posted by Hugs, Kisses and Snot on November 10, 2011
http://hugskissesandsnot.com/2011/11/10/pumpkin-roll/
The day before Halloween, Addison and I (well, more like I) carved our jack-o-lantern. I convinced Addison that a Star Wars pumpkin was the way to go since he was Jango Fett (not to be confused with Boba Fett) this year.
My cute library friend recently posted her idea of using cookie cutters to make her jack-o-lantern and a light bulb went off over my head. I could do something similar. I busted out the Star Wars pancake molds to make a template. He had his choice between a tie fighter, x-wing fighter and the Millenium Falcon. X-wing fighter was the winner this year. I traced around the pancake mold, cut that out then taped it onto the pumpkin. Thankfully I saved the pumpkin carving tools from previous years. They were buried deep in the recesses of the junk drawer.
This handy little tool works great to poke holes around the pattern. Then you just connect the dots.
How cute is that?
That helmet made it to about the end of the drive way. I tried it on and I have to admit it was really hard to see out of. Not ideal for maximum candy collection.
Just because Halloween is over doesn’t mean you can’t carve another pumpkin. Ideas for Thanksgiving pumpkins: use a turkey cookie cutter or pilgrim cookie cutters as a template. Maple leaves would make a great cut out. Are you planning on carving a Thanksgiving pumpkin? I’d like to hear about it!
Posted by Hugs, Kisses and Snot on November 8, 2011
http://hugskissesandsnot.com/2011/11/08/the-force-is-strong-with-this-pumpkin/
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