It's a Team effort. Mostly.

Hiya!

2011-11-14T07:50:00.001-08:00

I am having a good day. Yes, i still feel fat. And yes, my house is still a DISASTER. But my sweet baby is sitting here next to me and he loves me and i taught him to say "oh man!" this weekend. Siiigh.

Ps. This is from the 30 mile MSwalk.

Test 3

2011-11-01T12:36:00.001-07:00

Still testing

Test 2

2011-11-01T12:35:00.001-07:00

Yuuup.
I love it already.

Teeest! Again.

2011-11-01T12:32:00.001-07:00

Yup. Just trying out the new BLOGGER APP!!!

I'm so excited!

Halloween!

2011-11-01T12:29:00.001-07:00

Yooooooo Gabba Gabba!

I've been crafty!

2011-09-08T05:41:00.000-07:00

Hey! Its been a while.
I'm trying to get over the frustration of deleted posts, pic sizing issues, and overall annoyance with blogging.

I've been cooking as usual but unfortunately i have not really been taking pics. Oops. On a lighter more happy note i have been super crafty!

Here are some things i've been working on...

The ottoman was the first of my growing reupholstery projects. I got an entire bolt of that fabric for 9$ years ago at a thrift store.

The yo gabba gabba dolls were for a friends little girl. We gave them to her at her 2nd bday party. It was mvb's first friend party! (i'm making him a set for christmas)

The paper garland was an idea from pinterest. I saw it and thought it was the prettiest most cheery thing i'd seen in ages. I made it during naptime and hung it above our little reading corner. The pics don't really do it justice.

Love,sarah

Chocolate Mousse Pie with Peppermint Cream

2011-09-08T04:44:00.000-07:00

Chocolate mousse pie with peppermint whipped cream!
Serves 8

For The Crust:
8 chocolate graham crackers, coarsely crushed
1/2 teaspoon coarse salt
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
6 tablespoons butter, melted

For The Filling:
1 3/4 cups heavy cream, divided
5 ounces bittersweet chocolate, coarsely chopped
2 tablespoons confectioners' sugar
1/2 teaspoon Peppermint extract

For the topping:
8oz peppermint candy, soft type (recommended: Bob's)
1 cup heavy cream

Make crust: Combine graham cracker crumbs, 2T sugar, salt, and melted butter in a bowl and mix. Press into a pie pan covering bottom and sides. Bake at 325 for 15-20 minutes. (Or you can buy a chocolate cookie crust premade at the market)

Make filling: In a medium saucepan, bring 3/4 cup cream to a simmer; remove from heat and add chocolate. Let stand 5 minutes; whisk to combine, then let cool to room temperature. In a large bowl, whip 1 cup cream with confectioners' sugar until stiff peaks form. Gently fold in chocolate mixture until combined. Pour filling into cooled crust and refrigerate until chilled and completely set, about 1 1/2 hours (or wrap tightly with plastic and refrigerate, up to 2 days).

Make topping: Crush peppermint candies the best that you can. After you are sick of it put the crushed bits in a bowl and shake it a little from side to side. Collect the larger pieces that come to the top and set aside. Whip the cream into soft peaks. Gradually fold the crushed mints into the whipped cream a little bit at a time. Give it a taste after half has been folded in. You want it sweet and minty and a little pink. Spread over chilled chocolate mousse in a large high pile and sprinkle with the bigger peppermint bits.
YUM!

Purslane

2011-07-05T16:35:00.001-07:00

This little veggie is delicious! Its called Purslane.

In the US its considered a weed and pulled from sidewalks (!) or gardens as it tries to take over. Similar to the way mint does. But in other countries it is eaten fresh, pickled, or sauteed. I like mine fresh in a salad with avocado. Like this one here (pictured at the top) Instead of watercress i use purslane. Yum!

"This salad recipe is from Gourmet. According to them, the secret ingredient for the delicious sauce is grated apple. You could never guess it from a bite of this dressing, since it's not at all sweet or fruity, just perfectly balanced and lip-smackingly delicious. Its slight pulp extends the unctuous richness of avocado and complements the clean assertiveness of watercress (purslane).

Watercress can be trimmed 1 day ahead and chilled in a sealed bag lined with damp paper towels. But if you can't find watercress greens that you use to make any favorite salad can also be used just as effectively.

Dressing can be made 2 days ahead and chilled, covered. Stir or shake before using. Be careful not to use all of the dressing, add just a little bit at a time, and check to see if you need to add more. Otherwise the taste can be very overpowering."

AVOCADO AND WATERCRESS/PURSLANE SALAD

Ingredients:
1/4 cup rice vinegar (not seasoned)
1 tablespoon grated sweet onion such as Vidalia or Walla Walla (use large holes of a box grater)
1/4 cup finely grated peeled Gala apple (use small holes of box grater)
4 teaspoons soy sauce
1 teaspoon sugar
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
6 cups watercress (thin stems and leaves only; from 1 large bunch)
1 firm-ripe avocado

Directions:
Stir together vinegar, onion, apple, soy sauce, and sugar until sugar has dissolved, then stir in oil.

Just before serving, toss watercress with enough dressing to coat. Quarter, pit, and peel avocado, then cut crosswise into 1/4-inch-thick slices. Gently toss with watercress.

GAHHHHH!

2011-06-08T05:47:00.001-07:00

I just wrote an entire post about blogging and it being frustrating and what happened? It got deleted.
Wow.

Maybe i will disappear for another 3 weeks.
I miss you.

Pretzel Salad-ish (pics)

2011-05-18T13:21:00.001-07:00

Eggs + toast!!

2011-05-18T13:14:00.001-07:00

We love eggs at our house. They are yummy and fast and versatile and inexpensive. Mvb just started liking them too!
The other thing we love LOVE at our house is "toast". We call it toast cuz its easy but its really a slice of Trader Joe's Tuscan Pane toasted and spread with avocado and sea salt. It is my go to snack.
One day i mistakenly gave a bite to my hubs and he loved it. Which i knew he would and that bothered me because it is MY go to snack. Was MY go to snack. He now eats it all the time and i have to buy Tuscan Pane and avocadoes like crazy. It could be worse.

This is "toast", scrambled eggs with sauteed mushrooms, and a side of salsa. Yum!

Dips!

2011-05-18T05:43:00.001-07:00

Grape tomato salsa. Mango salsa. Avocado guacamole.
Yuuuuuum!

Fried Rice!

2011-05-17T14:00:00.000-07:00

STEP 1.

1 c brown rice
2 c water
Pinch of salt

Add above together and cook in rice cooker. When rice is done move to next step.

STEP 2.

Chop:
A handful of carrots
1 zucchini
1 onion
1/2 block tofu
3 cloves garlic

STEP 3.

In a LARGE PAN saute above (carrots first, garlic last) in 2+ teaspoons olive oil. Do not burn.
When garlic is fragrant dump the rice in. Push rice mixture to edges to form a hole in the middle exposing the pan. Spritz with oil and move to next step.

STEP 4.

2 eggs, scrambled
3 TBS soy sauce

Pour eggs into center of pan and let cook for a sec. Slowly mix in rice until its all a big ricey-eggy mess! Toss with soy sauce. Serves 2. Yum!

Honey Lime Enchiladas with Lemon Chive Couscous!!

2011-05-13T10:53:00.001-07:00

Honey Lime Enchiladas!

This recipe is courtesy of Elizabeth Vincent. She brought this to our book club a couple of weeks ago and they were amazing!

2 14 oz cans Green Enchilada Sauce
3 cooked chicken breats, shredded
1/2 onion chopped
2 cloves garlic chopped
1 T chili powder
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
1/2 tsp cumin
3 T honey
3T lime juice
1/2 cup sour cream
cream cheese
Flour Tortillas
2 cups Monterey cheese

Mix together honey and lime juice, set aside. Saute onion and garlic in oil until tender. Once onions are done stir in seasonings, shredded chicken and juice/honey mixture. Mix until all combined, then remove from heat and stir in sour cream.

Pour some enchilada sauce on the bottom of a 9x13 pan so to prevent sticking. Spread thin layer of cream cheese onto tortilla then fill with chicken and a light sprinkling of cheese. Roll and set in pan. After they're all done, pour the remaining sauce over top and cover with remaining cheese. Bake at 350 for 20 min until bubbly.
Serve with additional sour cream.

When liz made these she did half of them vegetarian using white beans for those non-meat-eaters in the group. For tonight's dinner i made the whole thing vegetarian using shredded tofu and white beans. They were delicious, and hubs and his friend thought they were chicken the whole time!

I used half of a block of tofu and pressed it to drain some of the water for 10 min. Then on a box grater i shredded it and tossed it into a pan with some olive oil. I added all of the spices then so that the tofu would have a nice flavor and i cooked it until it was dry and almost crisp. I did this first, removed it from the pan, and then followed the directions in order. When it calls for adding the chicken i tossed in the tofu and 1 can of rinsed white beans.

I served it with lemon chive couscous. Yum!

When i make dinner for them i ask that hubs and his friend tell me they like the meal i prepared NO LESS THAN 5 TIMES. It is a rule.

Chocolate Mousse Pie with Peppermint Cream

2011-05-13T10:48:00.000-07:00

I made this pie for a contest with my family. Sadly i did not win. I tested it on my book club first though and they loved it!

These photos are the 2 different times i made it. Notice how smooth the whipped cream looks the 2nd time. Practice makes perfect.

Serves 8

For The Crust:
8 chocolate graham crackers, coarsely crushed
1/2 teaspoon coarse salt
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
6 tablespoons butter, melted

For The Filling:
1 3/4 cups heavy cream, divided
5 ounces bittersweet chocolate, coarsely chopped
2 tablespoons confectioners' sugar
1/2 teaspoon Peppermint extract

For the topping:
8oz peppermint candy, soft type (recommended: Bob's)
1 cup heavy cream

Make crust: Combine graham cracker crumbs, 2T sugar, salt, and melted butter in a bowl and mix. Press into a pie pan covering bottom and sides. Bake at 325 for 15-20 minutes. (Or you can buy a chocolate cookie crust premade at the market)

Make filling: In a medium saucepan, bring 3/4 cup cream to a simmer; remove from heat and add chocolate. Let stand 5 minutes; whisk to combine, then let cool to room temperature. In a large bowl, whip 1 cup cream with confectioners' sugar until stiff peaks form. Gently fold in chocolate mixture until combined. Pour filling into cooled crust and refrigerate until chilled and completely set, about 1 1/2 hours (or wrap tightly with plastic and refrigerate, up to 2 days).

Make topping: Crush peppermint candies the best that you can. After you are sick of it put the crushed bits in a bowl and shake it a little from side to side. Collect the larger pieces that come to the top and set aside. Whip the cream into soft peaks. Gradually fold the crushed mints into the whipped cream a little bit at a time. Give it a taste after half has been folded in. You want it sweet and minty and a little pink. Spread over chilled chocolate mousse in a large high pile and sprinkle with the bigger peppermint bits.
YUM!

Lemon Cream Pie

2011-05-10T11:48:00.000-07:00

Oh my gosh! This pie is so good. The recipe is one i've made many times and its from my bro & sis-in-law, will & hayley. I literally want to lick the plate every time i eat it. An entire slice of this pie once ended up splattered on my jeans (thanks jen) and i was tempted to scoop it off with a spoon.

I did change the crust though. To be honest unless it's something special like ginger snap, chocolate-almond crumb, or pretzel, crusts just don't do anything for me. I won't lie. I will eat some of it always. But to some people the crust is where its at. Not me. I'm all about the filler. This pie originally calls for a rolled baked pastry dough crust. Like apple pie with no lid. This time i tried it with a graham cracker crust and it was equally delicious.

Crust:
8 whole graham crackers, crushed
6 Tbs butter, melted
2 Tbs sugar

Filling:
1 Tbs grated lemon zest
1/4 c. lemon juice
1 c. sugar plus 3 Tbs, divided
4 Tbs butter
3 Tbs corn starch
3 egg yolks
1 c. milk
1 c. sour cream
1 c. heavy whipping cream

For the crust mix graham cracker crumbs, melted butter, and sugar. Press up the sides and bottom of a pie plate. Bake at 350 degrees for 10 minutes or until golden brown. Cool completely and set aside.

For the filling, in a saucepan, combine lemon zest, lemon juice, 1 cup sugar, butter, egg yolks, and cornstarch. Stir in milk. Stirring constantly, cook over medium heat until thickened. Let cool then fold in sour cream. Pour into cooled pie shell and chill for at least 2 hours.
Before serving whip heavy cream with remaining 3 Tbs sugar and spread over top. Serves 8-12

Pretzel salad-ish

2011-05-09T20:03:00.000-07:00

Here's the thing. So the crust is the same. And the colors are the same. But thats all really.
Pretzel salad's middle layer is much simpler than this one's but its top layer is more complex. Traditional pretzel salad is also much lighter than this dessert with the jello and berries making it cool and refreshing, whereas the top 2 layers here are richer and a bit sweeter. Its delicious though and very similar to a "no-bake cheesecake". My book club ladies liked it for sure. Yum.

2 c. crushed pretzels
1 stick butter, melted
2 Tbs sugar
1 12 oz. can sweetened condensed milk
1/2 c. water
4 oz. cream cheese, softened (optional)
1 3 oz. pkg instant vanilla pudding
1 c. heavy whipping cream, whipped
1 1/2 cans fruit pie filling (cherry, blueberry, or raspberry)

*note: i feel that if it looks like cheesecake it should have some cheese in it. I like the mild creaminess of cream cheese and think it not only adds depth but cuts the sweetness of this dessert's middle layer.

Mix first 3 ingredients and spread in a 9 x 13 inch baking dish. Bake at 350 degrees for 10 minutes and let cool completely.
Mix sweetened condensed milk and water. Add pudding and beat for 2 minutes. If using, whip softened cream cheese for 5 minutes and add to pudding mixture. FOLD in the whipped heavy cream, spread over cooled pretzel crust, and chill for at least 1 hour. Spoon pie filling on top and chill until time to serve. Serves 16

Kale and Tomato Frittata

2011-05-08T20:27:00.000-07:00

Oh my gosh it was so good! Yum!

4 eggs
2 egg whites
3 cups chopped kale
1 cup grape tomatoes, halved
1/4 cup sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
1/4 cup pecorino romano cheese, shredded

Saute kale with a little olive oil in an oven-safe pan. Add some garlic and onions if you have some. I didn't, but it would be great. Toss in the tomatoes. Mix the eggs and pour them into the pan. Cover on low/med heat for 5-10 minutes until the eggs are almost set. Heat oven to broil and sprinkle cheeses over underdone frittata. Place entire pan under the broiler until cheese is bubbly and golden. Slide out of the pan onto a cutting board and slice with a pizza cutter. Enjoy!

Peter's orange cream slush recipe to come.

Here's my boy and his cousin

2011-05-04T20:23:00.000-07:00

Sushi pic! Finally.

2011-05-04T20:22:00.000-07:00

I just wrote this whole long post and it got deleted.
Annoying.
So now i will just tell you the important parts.

Sushi is easier to make than you think. We love it. But it is super pricey to go out for all the time so sometimes i opt to make it at home. I usually underestimate how much time i'll need to prepare it though and thats really the catch. Time.
If i'm alone and just want say, an avocado roll or 2, well that's no problem. But all the slicing and steaming and tempura frying and battering and wasabi making and hand wetting it takes to prepare a large quantity of it is a pain. Major pain. I'm not even gonna go into it right now but what i will say is that good rice is key.
We once had homemade "sushi" with this couple we were friends with and the rice they used came out of a box and it was not from japan. Well i don't think it was. The point is that it was NOT sushi rice.

Sushi rice is sticky, slightly sweet, short, and plump.
We get ours from our local asian market, Young's.

The rest of this post got deleted and i'm at work so i hope this inspires you to go talk to your local asian market owners and learn to make your own sushi. That's how i learned.

P.s. In this picture there are avocado rolls, cucumber rolls, sweet potato tempura rolls, and a mix of the 3. Here's a quick tip: Frying sweet potatoes after you wash, slice, and batter them is A LOT OF WORK. I like to use store-bought sw. potato fries, like the Alexia brand. Yum!

I need help... with blogging.

2011-05-03T14:51:00.000-07:00

Seriously.
This blogging thing is fun but also sucks.

I am posting via email and sometimes the font is small and other times large. Sometimes the pics are little and other times they dont show at all.
What the crap?

I know i'm no idiot, but geez, sometimes i feel like one.
Help? Please?

Baby Smoothie

2011-05-02T06:56:00.000-07:00

My mvb really loves to eat. I'm terrible about forcing veggies on him and usually let him dictate his meals, mostly. With that said he surprisingly eats VERY well. He is vegetarian for now but eats lots of high protein whole grain breads. TONS of tomato sauce and whole wheat pasta (with chopped egg, tofu, quinoa, or beans snuck in). He loves goat cheese and yogurt too, thank goodness. And he would eat fruit all day long with no complaints if i'd let him. I do still worry about him getting the nutrients (and protein) he needs though.

Actually, reading the above sentences, i realize he eats better than hubs or i do!

Oh well. Here's the blender-free "smoothie" he loves for breakfast:

1/2 c. Whole milk yogurt
1/2 c. Unsweetened applesauce
1 Tbs. Flax seed meal
1/4 tsp. Agave nectar (optional)
A few shakes of cinnamon

Mix it all together in a glass and stick a straw in it.

Pie

2011-05-01T14:10:00.000-07:00

I like blueberries.
And i like pie.
Thats not true. I LOVE both.
In the summer time we get 20 lbs of blueberries and we usually eat 12 or 15 of them fresh and freeze the rest. Sooooooo good. Last year when we picked them up my friend and i ate 5 lbs just on the car ride home.

Blueberry Galette recipe coming soon.

Food, remember?

2011-04-29T19:29:00.000-07:00

I love!!! avocado. We eat many batches of guacamole in our home.
My recipe goes like this:

2-3 ripe haas avocadoes, chopped into large chunks
1/2 c. Cilantro, chopped roughly
2-3 Tbs red onion, diced small
1 small tomato, chopped
Juice of 1 lime
SALT!

Fold all ingredients together, being careful not to mush the avocado too much. Serve with tortilla chips, on tacos, topping bean soups, or just with a spoon.
Attempt to eat it slowly. Fail.

Cloth Diapering

2011-04-28T16:22:00.000-07:00

Brands that are good:
Happy Heinys
Bum Genius
Thirsties
Fuzzy Bunz
Bummis
Green mountain diapers (aka clotheez)
Grovia (are ok)

Brands that are not good:
Kushies/Kooshies (terrible!)
Gerber (very very bad also)
anything else not on the above list

Ok, Team sanBeevchez uses happy heiny's, bum genius, green mountain diapers, & thirsties.

In happy heiny + bumgenius we only use "all-in-one pockets".
-AIO (all-in-one) means they can go from a teeny tiny baby to a toddler ready to potty train.
-Pocket means theres an opening at the rear of the diaper so you can stuff it for whatever absorbancy you need. For example the stuffing, or inserts, you'd use for a trip to church or out to dinner is totally different from what you'd use for bed time (if the kid sleeps through the night). If you tried to use the same for both the kid would either look like a giganto bottom out in public OR soak through dipe, clothes, bedding, etc. at night.

In green mountain diapers we currently use red edge prefolds (absorbant layer) with a thirsties size 2 cover (waterproof layer).
-Prefolds are the old school dipes that our moms used and secured with pins. They now come sized so you can get teeny ones for your nb and big ole ones for your tot. Also, pins are a thing of the past. SNAPPI is what to use if you go the prefold route.
-Thirsties covers are essentially waterproof pants. But instead of pulling them up like undies you put em on like a diaper. They look like a diaper too. They come in 4 sizes (xs, s, m, l) for like 11$ each, or you can get 2 sizes (size 1: xs & s, size 2: m & l) for 12$ each. We get the 2 sizers and Love 'em.

AIO pockets happen to be hubs' diaper of choice. They are easy and fast and, aptly named, ALL IN ONE. They are also what we send to daycare with mvb and since they close just like disposables the only real difference for his teachers is that instead of tossing it into the garbage they zip them all into a "wet bag" that i take home each night and wash them. They are also wonderful on the go. Especially with a wiggly kid.
I personally love prefolds w/ thirsties covers. I dont have a reason really. Well maybe i do. They are super cheaper!! Even AIOs used cant beat 'em.

Which brings us to pricing.

Prices (used are in parentheses):
Bum Genius 4.0 EACH $18-20 ($8-14)
Happy Heiny AIO EACH $19-21 ($8-16)
Thirsties covers 1 size $11 ($6)
Thirsties covers 2 size $12 ($8)
Prefolds per dozen $25-35 ($20-30)

For a diapering lifetime in AIOs you need 2 to 2 1/2 dozen. Thats like $240 used or $570 new for a full supply.

For a diapering lifetime in prefolds w/ covers you need 5-6 dozen prefold dipes (2 doz in different sizes as they grow) with 8-10 covers (split in sz 1 and sz 2). Thats $298 new for a full supply.

Thats not adding in liners, wet bags, detergent, wipes and whatnot.
That sounds crazy but youd spend almost $250 on disposables in the first 6 months-ish.

ok this might throw a wrench in all that ive said but my sis just got a dozen AIO POCKETS from china on ebay for like $25. Theyre probably synthetic, not cotton (which doesnt get as smelly) and they might not be the best quality (loose stitches and whatnot) but she's liking them for now. The brand is Sunbaby i think. I see them all the time on ebay. Read some reviews.

Also check out ebay, craigslist, or diaperswappers for used ones.

Its a test.

2011-04-27T19:25:00.000-07:00

Test test test.

I love this kid.

Blog test

2011-04-27T19:22:00.000-07:00

Testing testing
Here comes treble.

Kkkkkkkkkk

,,,

Mrurbdgsjsmcifimnchfrels djfifidldnf dkdirie civuf vjfuu vf. Ndjd
Love, sarah

Food

2011-04-26T17:58:00.001-07:00

Ok i'm changing things.
My real love is food.
Eating it. Cooking it. Baking it.

LOVE.

i am slow.

2009-01-21T11:33:00.000-08:00

i haven't written in a while. but i've got to say, i have spent my fair share looking at other people's blogs. i like it too. A LOT. most of them are crafting blogs.

lots of do-it-yourself projects and sewing projects and things that i want to make and wear and hang in my home.

some of the ones i like are these:

www.jordanferney.blogspot.com

www.heatherbailey.typepad.com

www.annamariahorner.blogspot.com

www.nieniedialogues.blogspot.com

i have many many more that i love and like to look at regularly.

and if you know of any i will like please send them my way.

i am going to try to update this more often, eventhough i am pretty much 100% certain i am the only one who reads it.

Female KITTEN!!

2008-04-08T19:03:00.000-07:00

the kitten is thriving and has tripled her weight. her teeth are super sharp and getting her to eat soft food is NOT WORKING. also she really REALLY REALLY hates to poop. hope you think she's as cute as we do...

nameless sexless kitten

2008-03-23T20:55:00.000-07:00

our friend found kittens. they needed a home. we took one into ours.
he is very cute and very sweet and very very small.
today he is 1 week old (i say "he" but who really knows). we hope he lives so that he and our little sauvie can play and run and love each other. oh... little sweet one.

..

the life i lead

2007-10-24T20:45:00.000-07:00

sometimes life gets crazy.
and right now is one of those times.
the holidays are coming and my pvb is busy.
laura is back and i am thrilled!!
things are going well, dont get me wrong.. just really busy.

i have to remember what is really important to me.
family.
church.
God.
love.
learning.
friends.
good times.
Four square.

this is a really good time.

i've been looking at pics from the wedding lately and it makes me in love.
pvb is a wonderful loving man. he's funny, no HILARIOUS! and supportive and kind and
sweet and a fantastic human being. take a look.

get outta my face.

2007-10-20T19:41:00.001-07:00

I'm back!

2000-12-31T16:00:00.000-08:00

Hey! So i've been frustrated with blogging. I thought it would go smoother but i guess thats not in the cards. Looks like i might have to learn html to make this what i want.

Meanwhile here are some awesome things:

My friends NIKKI+DAN got engaged!
My friends LAURA+TRENT had a baby girl!
My friends VINI+KATIE had a baby girl!
BRITTNEY had a birthday and got older!
I reupholstered our ottoman!
I am the new PRIMARY PRESIDENT!
I made 2 new friends!
minivb LOVES swimming!

Ya know, a few of these things happened with people who live really far away from me and/or i was close with at one time but am not as close with anymore. Yet, that does not make this even one teeny tiny bit less exciting, wonderful, and joyous! Love from DE's TEAMSANBEEVCHEZ!

This was originally written June 8, 2011