Minute to Win it!

My seven year old and his friend were, obviously, bored one day and came up with the cutest idea.  After watching Minute to Win it religiously, they decided to invent their own minute to win it.  Without any help from myself, they went and filled 4 cups with water and proceeded to look for the ping pong balls.  Once found, the fun began.  

The greatest part was watching them try over and over again to get the ball into the next cup, which at one point seemed impossible.  Soon after, the other little ones followed suit and set up their own two cups with water.  My tile floor was covered in water within minutes, but it was well worth it.

Just look at my little one's face the moment his hard work paid off!  I just wish the photographer could have had her camera aimed just a bit higher.  Don't worry, I'm not a paid photographer.

Smencils

My little boy came home from school the other day with this little doodad.  I really think this is the coolest thing!  These are Smencils and they are made from 100% recycled newspapers.  That's not even the only cool thing about them...they smell amazing!  My son brought home cinnamon and I tried to talk him into giving it to me, but no such luck.  He must realize how cool they are too.  When I went onto the website I realized they also make Smens.  You really should get some.  If you want some get them here.  Make a bet I'll be sporting one next time you see me with a writing utensil.

Browsing Overstock

Sometimes I completely forget about Overstock.com. And it's a tragedy, because there are truly some diamonds in the rough to be found! I browsed around a little bit this morning and came across a few things I wouldn't mind shipping home to myself (for only $2.95 for the whole order!)

This watch. I really need a new watch (READ: I need a watch, period.), and I like the look of the new white resin/ceramic bands. Are they too trendy? Oh well, I really like them anyway.

A white duvet cover. We are also in need of this. The one we currently use is the same one I had in high school. YIKES! I adore down comforters and white bedding. I love the feel of getting into a crisp bed with white sheets and covers. It feels so clean!

This lovely ottoman. Oh I would love to have this in my home somewhere.

A Flip Video. We actually already have one of these little beauties, but I absolutely love it. This accompanied us to Europe, and it was awesome. They are so convenient. Very light and small. They have a built in usb, so they easily just plug right into your computer when you are ready to download videos. No worrying about cables. EASIER than a camera. Love.
These boots. I love me a good pair of riding boots. But if we are being completely honest, and I always am, what I really want are some good old fashioned FRYE Boots.

Lastly, I am in the market for a shoe storage bench. This one would fit the bill! Who else out there constantly battles with missing shoes? I absolutely can't stand it when we are getting ready to walk out the door and one of the kids realizes their shoes are missing. Perhaps a shoe bench would make it more fun for the children to keep track of their foot wear.
It's always fun to "window shop" via the internet. In France I learned they call it "window licking", which I thought was funny. Where are some of your favorite online window shopping locations?

Whole Wheat Bread

Hear it is, the great bread recipe.  Thanks so much Shannon for sharing this with us!  Before you begin, I would not make my own bread if I didn't have my Bosch mixer.  A kitchen Aid will work also.  To mix by hand would be just too much work for me.  If you want to attempt this without a mixer, more power to ya!  I'm just saying I wouldn't!

Whole Wheat Bread
4 C hot water
2 Tbsp salt
2/3 C oil
2/3 C molasses
2/3 C honey
2/3 C Vital Wheat Gluten
2 1/2 Tbsp saf instant yeast
10 C flour (about)

Mix together water, salt, oil, molasses and honey. Add about 4 C flour and the wheat gluten. Mix for 1 minute. Add yeast and mix for another minute. Add the remainder of flour until the dough sweeps the sides of the bowl. Once enough flour is added, continue to mix for 8-9 minutes so the gluten to forms. Grease table top and hands and shape dough into 3 loaves.  Let rise until double in size. The recipe said it would rise 30 minutes, but mine took at least 2 hrs. Shannon says hers takes 2-3 hours also.. Once risen, bake at 350 degrees for 30-40 minutes.

I hope these directions are clear.  Bread making takes practice!  Once you've figured out how the bread should feel and look when just the right amount of flour is added, it becomes much easier.  Just practice!  I also grind my own wheat because I think it tastes better and is much fresher than the stuff you buy in the store.   One more thing, Saf instant yeast is by far the best.  I've tried others and it never turns out as well as Saf.  With Saf you do not need to proof your yeast or start your yeast in warm water first.  If something is confusing, just leave your question in the comments and I will respond asap!  Good luck!

A few little bits of happiness

Hello lovely readers! It's good to be home. (I just returned from a tour of Holland/Belgium/ France and Germany.) Aside from the awful jet lag, everything is just perfect. I have so many things to share, but for now, here are a few thoughts from my recent trip:

1: So grateful for the Tom's shoes. Aside from the hus, they were my favorite travel companion. Didn't hurt one bit.2: My love for macarons has grown 12-fold. Over the course of just a few days, I easily devoured 12 of these little beauties. Keep in mind that each little cookie cost about $2. A small price to pay for a slice of heaven. (Today I ordered a cookbook especially for macarons -- I am totally going to master the art of the divine cookie. STAY TUNED.)3: I love art. The Musee D'Orsay still reigns as my favorite museum of all time. And Vermeer still reigns as one of my favorite artists. Got to love The Lace Maker.
4: Jumping pictures are the perfect way to spice up any collection of travel photos. Especially if they include the best bus driver around. Love you Frankie!5: Germany is hands down the most beautiful/wonderful country I have ever seen. Flower boxes in every window? Check. Adorable little wooden and stone houses? Check. Castles everywhere? Check. Insanely gorgeous mountains in every direction? Check. Green pastures spotted with white cows and darling goats? Check. Christmas shops so full of cheer you have to stop what you are doing and hug your sister in law because you feel so much joy? Check.
A post revealing the chiffon project is coming soon. I just need to face the task of sorting the 5o pictures I took of the process. It took me 4 different tries to make it turn out!

Exciting new posts!

I am proud to announce that I actually have some new, exciting posts thought up in my head. The problem...so many pictures, so little patience. I promise I will be sharing this next week! (if I don't get sidetracked by the company that will be here for the next 3 weeks, which is even more exciting for me!)

Just a little preview: a new tutorial for a beautiful, headband, flower, accessory thingy, (did you get that?) a great Snickerdoodle recipe and a clever, little game my 7 year old and his friend made up to entertain themselves. What's better than two 7 year olds entertaining themselves rather than relying on me to do it? Nothing! I can't wait!

AND...the most exciting news! Heidi will be home! Yay! I bet you've missed her. I know I sure have!

And there you have it! Man, that's a lot of exclamation points and parenthesis. That reminds me, do you remember that song back in the 90's about punctuation? The words went something like this. "I love you period. Do you love me question mark? Please, please exclamation point! I want to hold you in parenthesis." Random, but do you? It was strange but very catchy! If you want to read the remaining lyrics find them here.

Flip Out

I never thought I'd be the "mom" who always had homemade bread on her counter at all times. Well, about 4 years ago a friend of mine taught me how to make my own bread from fresh wheat. This is the wheat you have to grind! Yes, my neighbor thought I was crazy when I gave her a loaf and she asked for the recipe. Needless to say, she's never even attempted the process. Anytime "wheat grinding" is brought up in conversation the mind immediately stops paying attention because that's just too much work. Well, let me just say, once you've tried this bread, you'll never buy that stuff from the store again! (nor will your husband ever let you bring store-bought bread home...ever.)

It had been a good few months since I had made bread due to a very strict diet and summer vacation so today I decided to do something productive. That's what I chose, until my minor freak out when the grinder decided to stop working. That was really bad news! Lucky for me, it just needed a bit of WD-40 and it's up a runnin' again. Phew!

I know this post sounds pointless, so I will leave you with some encouragement. If something ever seems too hard or even impossible, just try it. It's never as hard as it seems and it is usually worth the effort. Believe me, if this was difficult, I wouldn't be doing it. So, do me a favor and bake some bread. Even if it doesn't turn out, you're kitchen will smell good!