My Halloween Decor for this year

Everything I've made this year is a total knock off! Can I get a hip-hip-hooray for blog parties?? Without them, I'd still be sitting around with nary a ghost or a goblin in my house!

I love this acorn frame! I can't link to it because I couldn't find it on line, but I can tell you I saw the idea in Better Homes and Gardens magazine. I just took a thrift store frame and hot glued acorn caps all around. I took a single leaf to frame. Perfect and simple.

This is the dollar store wreath that's been circulating like wildfire from House of Hepworth's.

I just HAD to do the dryer ducting pumpkin, also from HOH. And the paper centerpiece by Lil' Luna.

I am such a late bloomer when it comes to decorating. I spent the first part of my married life not decorating AT ALL. Not for NOTHIN'! I wasn't interested, I wasn't inspired. But, I've added little festive pieces of flare here and there since I had my kids. I add a couple pieces every year. I still only need one big storage container for each holiday, but I'm getting there. I'm not trying to break the bank all at once ;-)

And even though these are all borrowed ideas, I'll link to these parties just to spread the word and inspiration!

Meatless Monday! Soaked Oats

I had never tried steel cut oats until this week. I always buy the Old fashioned slow cooking oats and my kids do like them, so that makes me happy. But I think I've read that steel cut oats are healthier, more of the grain is left in tact, more fiber remains. So, I decided to spend the extra money and try them.

I used this recipe from Cooking Light.

Ingredients

• 1/3 cup steel-cut oats (such as McCann's)
• 2 tablespoons uncooked pearl barley
• 1 1/4 cups water
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1 tablespoon sliced almonds, toasted
• 1 tablespoon honey

Preparation

1. Combine oats, barley, and 1 1/4 cups water in a microwave-safe 4-cup bowl. Cover and refrigerate 4 hours or overnight.

2. Uncover bowl, and stir in salt. Microwave, uncovered, at HIGH for 6 minutes or until most of liquid is absorbed, stirring well after 3 minutes. Stir in 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon and nutmeg. Top with almonds and honey.

What a way to start your Meatless Monday! So easy to just pull it out of the frig in the morning and cook in the mikey. I found it was quite tasty and not mushy or gummy.

Visit Meatless Monday for more ideas to help you go meatless at least once a week!

Homemade Laundry Soap

To go along with my Homemade Deodorant and my Homemade Lip Balm here is a recipe for Homemade Laundry Detergent.

Grate and dissolve a 3 oz bar of ivory soap in 5 cups of water on the stove.

Pour 3 gallons of hot water in a 5 gallon bucket.
Add ivory water and stir.
Stir in 1/2 cup of washing soda (not baking soda - can be found in many stores' laundry...... aisle.) stir well,
then add 1 cup Borax and stir well.
Put on lid and let sit overnight.

Pickle bucket optional

It will look like gelatin in the morning.
Just stir it well or mix with your hands to blend well and make it "dippable". use 1/2 cup per load.

Cost to make one batch: $.79
One cent per load. The cost to wash 110.5 loads is $1.11.

This recipe is from my friend Steph. I'm not sure where she saw it, otherwise I'd link to it. I've been using this for more than a week now and I like it. It leaves my clothes bright and clean and fresh with no perfume scent. It does not suds up during the wash cycle; this is weird to me, but I'm dealing with it, because I like the results. I had two Tide bottles that were empty, so I filled them up with my homemade stuff. I have to shake it before I use it each time. I have a standard washing machine (not front load) and I use about a cup per load and I use vinegar as my softener.

I link to these parties on Mondays:

On Tuesdays:

On Wednesdays:

On Thursdays:



On Fridays:

Fibers on Friday: A Sleeve is Started

We're on a roll now! I finished the body of my February Lady Sweater! Starting the sleeves was a little harrowing, I must say. I picked up the stitches from the scrap yarn...no problem....I picked up and knitted the underarm stitches....no problem. Then, I started knitting in the round...yippie!!

But wait??? The pattern was coming out wrong...it was inside out....oh no! I was knitting in the wrong direction. ARGH!!

frog

I was so tense frogging back to those starting stitches. I just knew I'd lose some or mess up my count or something. But, I did it and it all worked out. I've said it before and I'll say it again:

It's all about learning!

Not to mention, it's all about making this beautiful sweater as good as I can, because too much work and time goes into it to have something bother me because it's wrong.

So now, my fiber loving friends, I can't wait to see what you've been working on! I've invited even more people this week and I hope to see them here on Friday. My button is on the sidebar....I'd love for you to grab it and include it in your post or on your blog. Spread the word :-)

Wordless Wednesday: Michelangelo?

Wordless Wednesday brought to you by 5 Minutes for Mom

This Little Piggy

My kids have the cutest little Piggy Banks we bought a few years ago while visiting Lancaster, PA. They have held up so well despite being lugged all over the house and not spending their lives poised nicely on top of a dresser. My kids NEVER let anything just sit nicely on their dresser.

So, a few weeks ago, we had a fatality. The little piggy fell on the kitchen floor and shattered. It was terrible! We already had a camping trip planned to Lancaster, so I figured I'd find a replacement while we were there. No luck!

While in target one day, I spotted this little piggy in the dollar spot.

"This little piggy went to the market......."


"And this little Piggy stayed home and got a make-over!"

He was so plain, so life-less. I asked my little one if we could jazz it up a bit. She said, "Sure, I'd like hearts and swirls"!

I broke in to my scrapbooking paper and Sizzletts and here we have it....hearts and swirls! A little Modge Podge and we're set!

"And this little piggy cried, weeeee weeeee weeeee all the way home."

The End

I link to these parties on Mondays:

On Tuesdays:

On Wednesdays:

On Thursdays:



On Fridays:

Meatless Monday! Vegetarian Pasta e Fagioli

My sister made this and brought it over for dinner. Ummmm, ummmmm, GOOD! Comfort, warmth, and Fall in a dish!

It's from Wegman's:

Vegetarian Pasta e Fagioli

1 pkg (16 oz) Food You Feel Good About Organic Dried Great Northern Beans, sorted, rinsed
10 cups water
3 bay leaves
2 sprigs fresh rosemary (or 1 Tbsp dried rosemary), if using fresh, strip leaves from stem
1/4 cup Wegmans Pure Olive Oil
2 medium sweet onions, 1/2-inch dice (about 3 cups)
4 cloves Food You Feel Good About Peeled Garlic, minced
2 carrots, peeled, 1/2-inch dice (about 1 1/2 cups)
1 can (14.5 oz) Wegmans Diced Tomatoes (or 4 fresh plum tomatoes, 1/2-inch dice)
1 carton (32 fl oz) + 2 cups Food You Feel Good About Vegetable Culinary Stock
1/2 tsp crushed red pepper
2 tsp salt
2 tsp black pepper
2 pkgs (6 oz each) Food You Feel Good About Baby Spinach
1/2 lb (1 1/2 cups) Wegmans Ditalini Pasta, cooked per pkg directions

You'll Need: Large stock pots

1. Place sorted, rinsed beans in large stockpot. Cover with water, allowing an extra 2 inches of water above the beans. Cover, tilted to vent. Soak 8 hours to overnight.
   
2. When ready to cook: Drain beans, discarding soaking water. Add beans and 10 cups fresh water to medium stockpot. Heat on HIGH 10 min, uncovered, until boiling. Skim as much foam as possible from the surface. Add bay leaves and rosemary; reduce heat to MEDIUM. Cover, tilted to vent steam. Cook 1 hour; do not stir.
   
3. Heat olive oil in large stockpot on MEDIUM. Add onions, garlic, and carrots; cook, stirring occasionally, about 10 min, until vegetables are tender.
   
4. Add diced tomatoes, stock, crushed red pepper, salt, and pepper. Simmer 10 min, stirring occasionally. Set aside off heat.
   
5. Check beans for tenderness; they should be completely tender (if not tender, cover completely; cook additional 15 min or as needed). Discard bay leaves.
   
6. Add beans and liquid to stockpot with veggie/tomato mixture; stir. Bring to a boil; reduce heat to MEDIUM-LOW. Cover, tilted to vent steam. Cook 30 min; stir occasionally.
   
7. Add spinach to stockpot 10 min before serving. Adjust seasonings.
   
8. Serve: Portion pasta into soup bowls and ladle hot soup over pasta.