halloween sneak peek...

yogurt making 101

I made yogurt a couple of days ago, and will probably make another batch in the next couple of days... it's so easy! Here's what I did, mostly following my sister Ashley's instructions:

Heat a quart of milk (4 cups) to almost boiling (180°F).
{I used whole milk for creamier, thicker yogurt}
Remove from heat and let cool to 100°F.
When milk is at 100°F, whisk in 1/4 cup of plain yogurt either from the store, or from your last batch (it needs to have active cultures- read the label).
{You could play around with adding flavors at this point... I added a little vanilla to mine, but failed to add any sweetener so my yogurt still tasted pretty sour- like plain yogurt}
Pour yogurt into small glass jars or ramekins and place into a 9x13 pan filled with water heated to 100°F.
Place in oven set to 100°F and let sit for 7-9 hours.
Make sure the water in the water bath stays at a pretty constant 100° (too hot and the yogurt cultures die, too low and they won't grow).
After 7-9 hours, the yogurt should be set. Cover the jars and store in the refrigerator.

Easy as that! My sister used an electric skillet to do her hot water bath, which may be easier than trying to set an oven to 100° (most ovens "start" at 150°, I just set it a little below that and kept a candy thermometer in the water bath). Anyway, the yogurt turned out great. Maggie likes hers with agave nectar and granola mixed in. Ben likes his with agave, granola and berries or bananas. Anyway, it was fun and I feel oh-so domestic! I'll definitely be making more!

Fall-ing

The weather has been so warm and lovely lately (don't you love words like 'lovely'?). We've been spending as much time outside as possible. This particular day was accompanied by fern crowns and the telling of "scary" stories that always begin with the words, "In the deep, deep, dark woods..."





Also, isn't this skirt cute? I found it for $1 at the local thrift shop and modified it to fit Maggie (it was originally a mini skirt for a teenager- much cuter on my 3 year old, if I may say so).




And here are some pictures of Maggie's freckles which appeared so abundantly this summer. They are so sweet, I hope they don't fade too much this winter.



Her daddy tells her that they are angel kisses from her Papa Quinn...



And now I'm going to go try my hand at making home made yogurt and rice pudding. If they turn out, I'll post pictures later.

laun·der·ette

noun; a self-service laundry having coin-operated washers, driers, etc.


We had our laundry room re-tiled and so I was without a washing machine & dryer for several days. When our clothing supply got low, I had to make a trip to the local laundromat. To pass the time I snapped a few photos because, hello, laundromat photo backdrops are the bomb:

Documentation

For those of you who don't see me on a regular basis (pretty much everyone but Ben and my kids) here is a self-portrait of me at 35 weeks:



After scrutinizing the picture on the digital screen, I attempt to take another photo in which I will not look quite so chubby, hence I take a stab at "sexy lips", but guess what?

Gustapo

Dear Aunt Ashley,

Thank you so much for Ethan's old rain boots. I love them. In fact, they are the only thing I will willingly put on. Marching around in boots makes me feel so manly (and the ladies definitely love it).



Love,
Cash

Six

... years.


Happy Anniversary, my love.

Conversations

Maggie: Mom, what shall we have for dinner... chili, or mermaid?
Me: Mermaid? Do we eat mermaid?
Maggie: Yes, we do. It comes in a can.
Me: Oh, you mean Chicken of the Sea.
Maggie: No, it's not chicken. It's mermaid.
Me: Well, it's not chicken OR mermaid... it's tuna.
Maggie: Mmmm. Yes, tuna. Well, shall we have that?

----

While I was typing up this post Maggie came running in to where I was sitting and said, "Mom, I broke an egg."
I went into the kitchen and was greeted by this:


{that's eleven broken eggs}

So now we are off to the store to buy more eggs and a can or two of "mermaid" (but before we go I need to change Cash's poopy diaper).

How is your day going?

Glad, glad, glad

Did anyone else out there watch Haley Mills in Pollyanna as a kid? It was one of the few "Sunday-Approved" movies at our house... that, Old Yeller, and The Swiss Family Robinson (mmmm, Fritz was a hottie, remember?). Anyways, in Pollyanna there is a scene where she shares a quote by Abraham Lincoln (it was engraved on a necklace her father had given her): "When you look for the bad in mankind expecting to find it, you surely will." So true. And the opposite is also true- if you look for the good, you will surely find it. So, I've been trying to look for the GOOD in everything, EXPECTING to find it.

Things that made me smile (and even laugh) today:

Hearing my unborn baby's hearbeat at the dr.'s office

Watching Maggie chase a fly with a fork, trying to spear it (I of course had to intervene when the fly landed on Cash's leg)

Seeing Maggie's third ensemble of the day (loving the socks)


Getting a phone call in the middle of the day from my handsome hubby

Cuddling with Cash after his nap (he is EXTREMELY cuddlesome after napping)


Watching Maggie and Cash hold hands while playing

Hearing Cash say, "I Yub You"

Life is Rosy...

found at Target in the dollar bins... what a steal!

{sidenote to self: apply lotion to hands on a more frequent basis}

Photographic Evidence

I've been busy, people... busy.

Baby Blankets:


Freezer Jam:


Banana and Zucchini Bread:


Burp Cloths:


And baby bibs (with requests for matching bibs in a much smaller size... remember how Maggie's dolls are super spoiled?):


But the dolls do appreciate my hard work:


And we've been playing, too. Enjoying every last minute of warm weather by spending lots of time outside, and also the circus came to town.