Picture Perfect Portrait…or not

Before embarking on the whole stay-at-home gig, I taught art at a local middle school.  I love it and miss it and was reminded of a lesson the other day.

Portraiture.

A hard beast to tackle ,I think , even for the best portrait artists.  I would practice with the children how the face is divided down the middle for symmetry.  The face is then divided into thirds and then we would place the facial features.  It was always fun,and all were great, although none were “perfect”.   Myself included!  One of the hardest habits to get the kids to kick—eye placement.  I would joke—“move the eyes down-ya need room for your brains!”  Eyelids would also go to the wayside.  “Are you surprised in your portrait?”  “Be sure to include eyelids.”  They usually show almost all the time—surprised or not.   Right??

Perhaps I should take a look in the mirror.

 

 

Where the h- e- double toothpicks are my eyelids?  Seriously.

 

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New Year’s Resolution…write in blog more often

Oh dear.  Resolutions are already slipping and Christmas was over in a flash.  Like all, we had a bustling Christmas and New Year.  The dust had finally settled and I thought a break would be given before Goose turns 5.  No such luck.   Parenting skills are currently being tested with a round of the stomach flu.  Yee Haw.  But in all seriousness—life is good and I have many new projects to share.  For now, I will back track and finally post some holiday pictures.Lillie and Caleb’s photo taken for the o-so-standard Christmas Card.  Are you happy Gammie??  Ha ha!  To see a past (and way more fun) card click here.

Time to open stockings.  Great Eva knits every family member a stocking with lots of  TLC.  After Caleb was born—his stocking arrived in a flash.  I wish I could get things done like that—wowee! *On a side note*  Perhaps I should put a new robe on next year’s list?  New sheets too—less pattern.  Oh the glamour of being Mom.

  Lots of gift opening and even a “jewel” from Santa!  What girl doesn’t want some bling for Christmas?

                                       Patient…very patient cousins.

Caleb hanging out with Papa.  He is wearing the bib G.G. made for Lil.  I love it!!  He must have just had a bottle-has those glazed over, calorie-coma eyes. 

Lastly…a picture of me opening my gift from Jake.  More details on that in a later post.

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Reindeer Cupcakes

Simply a must this holiday season.  I saw these little gems on the cover of Disney’s Family Fun.  So Lil’s cousin came over one afternoon and we decorated away.  The cupcakes had to dash off to preschool the next day.  I didn’t want all those little reindeer faces staring at me…beckoning-with their siren song.  Make it easy on yourself this holiday season and use a mix.  Shhhhh I won’t tell anyone.

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Thanksgiving

A Holiday Full Of

Food

Friends, Family and Fun

Traditions

And no matter how you try to hide it…

Family

***I need to take more photos next year.  Better photos.  Alas.  We had this lovely event at my wonderful in-laws house.  Thank you Gary and Susan for all the hard work!  What a wonderful day!***

        

Apple Butter

This is just a staple in the fall.  My mom always made homemade applesauce.  She would just whip it up and I remember the house would just smell delicious.  Since the cool weather has officially arrived and the warm sweaters are out,well,it is time to warm up the kitchen with some cinnamon and spice.  I used this recipe from the Southern Living slow-cooker cookbook.

Here are the ingredients straight from the book.

15 minutes or less to prep—Awesome!

Overnight Apple Butter

1 cup firmly packed brown butter

1/2 cup honey

1/4 apple cider

1 tablespoon ground cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon ground cloves

1/8 teaspoon ground mace

10 medium apples, peeled cored and cut into large chunks

The book recommends a variety of apples to create a “complex” flavor but I just used a bunch that I got from Costco on super sale and I had all the other ingredients on hand.  I take that back-I had to buy the mace—which why the heck did I do that when I only needed an 1/8 of a teaspoon?!  Oh well.

You put everything into the crock pot on low and let it cook down for 10 hours.  I did this overnight and when I woke up the house smelled so good.  Then, since I didn’t have a Foley mill, (sad face) I put the metal sieve over the top of the crock pot and took the apples out a bit at a time and mushed them through with the back of the spoon.  It worked.  A bit time consuming but it worked.  When this step is complete crank the Crockpot up to high and leave apples in an extra hour so the apple butter thickens up.  Next take out of cooker and put in a bowl in the fridge.  I have now put the butter into little mason jars and are ready to hand out a few as gifts.  Spread it on toast in the morning…mmmmmm.  So good.I had to include this picture too.  Lil made the labels for the apple butter.  This is her turkey.  I love it and had a hard time parting with that jar.

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Feather Bed Rolls

This wonderful recipe is from my mother-in-law.  She got it from her mother-whom I think got it from a neighbor.   At any rate, I love these sticky delights  they call “Feather Bed Rolls”. I can truly eat them until I feel sick. 
I have had this recipe for quite sometime but found it daunting to make them when my MIL can make them perfectly.  I plucked up the courage and baked some  for a Mops meeting the other day. And they were eaten up!  I was so proud of myself—too bad I brought breakfast  the wrong week.  Typical me.  Since they were a hit I thought I would post the recipe.  So hear you go…Enjoy!

Ingredients/Directions

1 cup shortening—plus a little

2 tsp. salt

3/4 cup sugar

3 eggs (well beaten)

1 cup boiling water

2 cakes or packages of yeast

7 cups bread flour

1 cup lukewarm water

Mix the sugar and shortening till well blended.  Add boiling water and let cool.  Add well beaten eggs and yeast which has been dissolved in the lukewarm water.  Add flour and salt and place in a well greased bowl and cover.  Let rise for at least 2 hours.  Shape into rolls and let rise again.

Now if you are like me, this might stress you out, but no worries! Here is how you do the rolling and shaping…

Flour the surface of your counter.  Take the dough out of the bowl and onto the counter.  Roll out into a rectangle (ish) shape.  Brush the dough with butter and then sprinkle the whole thing with sugar and cinnamon.  My mother-in-law uses brown sugar.  I goofed and used white but I didn’t get any complaints.  Next roll up into a long log type shape and slice into circles.  Make these more thin than thick. 

Now how to cook these up--wait first we have to make the yummy goo! 

Butterscotch Topping

1/2 cup brown sugar

1/4 cup butter

Plus one tablespoon light corn syrup

Melt down sugar, butter and corn syrup and  and put it in the bottom of an 8x8 pan.  For this entire recipe you will need 3 8x8 pans so you can do the above recipe 3x.

If you would like to add nuts, (chopped pecans are nice) now is the time to do it.  Arrange rolls on top of goo and nuts and bake for 20 minutes in a 350 degree oven.  For all my organized friends—you can do all of this recipe 1 day ahead of time.  Do everything but bake it (duh) and cover with saran wrap and put in the fridge-when ready just pop the 8x8 pans in the oven (minus the saran wrap) and bake up!  Mmmmm your house will smell so good!  Have fun making these delicious delights and try not to eat them till you feel you are going to pop.  Good luck and I would love to hear if your family loves them too!

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Birthdays sending you to the Poor House?

Lillie’s social calendar has been grueling lately.  She has had so many birthday parties it is making my head spin.  It is so much fun to go to and see all the kids excited to play with their friends and open their gifts!  It seems hard to remember getting so worked up about holidays and birthdays but to see the joyous expressions of the children…priceless.  But if you have ever had a month like me (with a million birthdays at once-okay really just three kids and two family members but… ) it can be a leeeetle dreadful on your wallet.  Cue the moths.

One afternoon I was flipping through the Land of Nod catalogue I came across this bin of goodies.  Eureka!  The answer to my problem.  Am I going to buy this?—heck no!  I am going to steal the idea and get all my goodies at the dollar store.  Holla!  I can put together this little ditty cheaper and minus the shipping and handling fee.  I packed the colorful container with craft sticks, google eyes, beads, stickers, markers, construction paper, glue, glitter, tape and spangles.  The list goes on and on.  I spent $50 and some odd change.  Divide that by 3 (which is the number of  kids birthdays for November)and you have spent roughly $17 a package!  Awesome!!

Here are a few extra ideas you could add in for some more fun but will run up the overall cost of the gift.

A copy of Harold and the Purple Crayon or a book from Eric Carle would be a great addition.

I love the idea of a big roll of craft paper or the non coloring book. (I am still searching for a link to this one).

Include a good craft, how to or rainy day activity book for kids.

Or you could print a variety of free or low cost images from the web. 

Robert Sabuda has a great site and links to making your own pop up cards. 

This etsy seller has cute pdf files for sale too.  So drop some card stock in your printer and include a little extra something in your art boredom buster art kit.

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