Lemon cookies and fresh salsa

Sunday was Minnesota's first 60 degree day in over 5 months!  We celebrated!  I made lemon cookies and fresh salsa.  The boys rode bike though mud puddles with mounds of snow next to them.  The snow was great as Landon felt uncomfortable with out his training wheels, I told him to crash into the snow bank, he went on to give it his all and did great!  Then the boys golfed in the driveway, hmmm wonder what's gonna happen to all them white golf balls….in the snow!?  They were upset they lost them all! 
                                           Here is the delicious recipe for the lemon cookies!  

You will need:

1 1/2 sticks butter softened

1 egg

1 cup almond flour

2 1/4 cups flour

2/3 cups sugar

1 tbls fresh lemon juice

4 small lemons

(combine all ingredients)

mix well, ball up 1 inch cookies and use a cup or jar to pouch them semi flat, 

baste with a heated egg, add super thin lemon slice, sprinkle sugar on top.  Bake at 350 for 6 minutes, then broil for 2-4 min, until golden brown.  Sprinkle with powdered sugar.

These were so delicious, just make sure the cut the lemons thin so the rhine softens!

The fresh salsa was delicious and even prettier to look at!

I can not wait to say all of this goodness came from my garden, for now the city center market will do.  I also planted over 100 seeds in starter biodegradable planters.  Last year I spent $75+ at the Green Barn garden center on something I could've started on my own.  It feels great to do it your self.  Hoping warm weather comes to all, as I just love the spirit of people when we have our first spring days!  Everyone is joyful and waiving, there is no road rage, we are all just feelin' good!  Bring it on.

Making something out of nothing

I woke up and felt like sewing, I am sure glad I did, because I love the few things I made all before noon.  The first thing I made was a library bag for Landon.  We started going once a week now, and he really loves it, this week was fun, because they had a preschool playtime, with story time, and a movie. For this project I used a cute dinosaur pillowcase that I recently found a thrift store.  It's great quality cotton because it was probably a $15 pillowcase at one time!  I cut it apart, and added handles, here it is;

isn't that adorable?!  He loved it.

My next project was a bag for me, I used a thrift store ankle length suede leather skirt, and a belt.  This project took 5 minutes!?  super cute for 5 minutes and about $4.  I'll use it for misc stuff I always have to haul around to sports!

It's hard for me to leave ugly leather things at thrift stores, because I see beauty in them, for example, a old leather coat could become a zipper pouch, clutch, bag, or even baby mocs.

I made a few little white 7 inch long zipper pouches out of an old calvin klein sheet, the cotton is just so much better than what the craft store sells.

I plan to make many large ones, to start storing printed photos in!  I thought it would be a great way to group them together, and I could label them with my alphabet stamps…

I also had to share this cute idea I came up with, old linen books, are usually hollow spined, so you can cut out the inside super easy, I used this teal one for a center piece on my table.  

I hope you have a great weekend, look twice at stuff, before considering it unusable!

Guest room makeover

Since winter is hanging around longer than normal, I have been super motivated to update parts of our home that severely need it!  We bought our dream home a year ago, and love so much about it, like my studio space, a huge entry way, and fireplace.  Unfortunately there was lots of wall paper, as well as blue and mauve bathrooms and bedrooms!  I will post photos of our master bedroom someday, as I worked on that in December, but today I'll show the progress our guest bedroom has made.  
                                               Before:

I wasn't lying about the blue!  The after picture still has the blue ceiling fan, we are going to take it down and paint it white, as I wanted this project to stay affordable, there is also blue carpet, but my hubby didn't want to put money into new flooring right now.  The only cost of this project was $30 for the white paint and supplies, and the cost of the new quilt from Urban Outfitters.

After:

I love that the quilt is reversible so I can change the look for the room by flipping it!  The chalkboard piece hanging above the bed was brass and outdated, it said live, laugh, love in maroon… errr, not my thing, but I knew it didn't need to be tossed, so I painted it, and am hoping to improve my chalkboard writing skills, and put some adorable quote or verse on it.  

I spend a lot of time in this room, folding laundry, and it is connected to our main bathroom, so redoing it has made me feel happy to walk through it instead of "blue".  If I want something done, I just DO IT!  I am thankful for that ambition in me.  {I'll thank my parents for that trait}.  Now all I have left to makeover, is the kitchen, laundry room, big living room, dining room and Logan's room! Ha, it's fun making things how you want, I just wish we didn't have such a big amount of square footage that needs new updated carpet, tile and wood!  Go give a room a makeover, you will LOVE it!

Crystal

Cucumber Herb Salad \\\ eating fresh

It's almost spring here in Minnesota, yet we had a blizzard this morning!  It's expected in March I guess, so no big deal, however I would be lying if I didn't say I am craving summer!  I know I can't have it right now, so I am starting to eat like it's summer.  I was inspired by this cucumber recipe I saw in a magazine, and decided to make it for lunch.  My littlest son Landon had a ham sandwich, as he still looks at me like I am crazy when I eat a pile of veggies. 

This takes less than 10 minutes to throw together, and it is so refreshing and healthy!   

what you'll need:

1/4 cup plain yogurt

2 tablespoons chopped fresh dill

1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley

1 teaspoon chopped fresh mint

2 tablespoons fresh squeezed lemon juice

1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

2 teaspoons dijon mustard

1/2 teaspoon sugar

large pinch of salt

large pinch of pepper

1 chopped clove of garlic

2 medium cucumbers thinly sliced

1/4 red onion thinly sliced

mix the sauce together, and toss over garlic, cucumber and onion, then gently mix your herbs.  

Serve as a light lunch or a side with your dinner, either way, it will give you hope of fresh farmers markets, and sunshine!

For a colorful "summer" snack I cut up a fresh melon, pineapple and berries.  It's so pretty to photograph!  I tend to buy a lot of apples, bananas and oranges in the winter… kinda boring!  

{not so great cell phone pic, the fruit was cleared out by the time I could get my camera}

It is unfortunately costly to always eat everything fresh, but could you imagine how we would all feel if we did?  Imagine a diet of water, fresh fruit, fresh veggies, fresh fish… you get the point!  I think I may give this "diet" a whirl, because I always feel kind of sluggish, and I dislike diets where you can not eat.  I dream of feeling refreshed and energized, and fueling my body.  This is a goal for me.  Eat fresh! Let's do it together. 

Crafts big and small

Craft {an activity, involving skill and making things by hand}
Crafting is something I choose to do daily! 
I realize people think crafting takes a lot of time, and sometimes a lot of money, but this does not have to be true!  I am showing you a few examples of large and small crafts we've done in my home this week, the small craft costed $2 and the large $4.  

The target dollar section has these cute pom poms and wooden tacks right now for a $1 each!  I hot glued them together.  These would make an adorable gift in a small reused and glittered box!  I've also seen similar at Anthropoligie for a lot more money!

Next small craft;  Prayer containers

I used old oatmeal containers and covered them with a sheet of paper that I printed on.  Glittered the lids, and stuck a small $1 notebook inside.  These could be given away to a friend, or put out at a random place in the public.  I think they are super cute, and would love to fill them with prayers and/or good messages for others.  Total cost $2  the glitter tape was also found at the target dollar section for $1. (I may have an obsession with gold glitter… but it does make everything prettier!)

When I want larger crafts done, I usually need to have my hubby help!  I am NOT good with a saw, I've tried to use one once with my mom, and I closed my eyes!?  So if I pick up the materials I need, and give instructions, my husband will rock something out for me with in an evening! ( eeee I just LOVE him)   The wood for these 20 x 20 frames was less than $3 for both, then we used wood glue and old stain we had.  For hangers on the back, we screwed a few small screws in and used fishing line.  If you make these, I would recommend ordering your prints mounted on boards.  Almost everywhere offers board prints, but I love Nations Photo Lab.  I also painted these old deer antlers bronze, I love the rustic touch they added to my boys' room.

The next bigger project that just got finished, is my favorite.  I found this 7 foot tall ugly rack filled with baskets, I just wanted the baskets, and almost left the old rack behind.  When I got home Jeff commented on how ugly it was, then I looked at it with excitement and said, CUT IT IN HALF!  Oh boy…. he thinks I am crazy of course.  Well I went to Menards and bought some cheap wood, $3 a board.  I wanted to turn this into bedside tables, as we have been using T.V trays.

He used wood glue to attach the wood, sanded the edges, and stained it.  These are so one of a kind, but if you remember that junk isn't always junk, you can find something similar to work with!  These crafts were so cheap, they were almost free.  You could used reclaimed wood to make your projects free, and it would add a lot more character, but I live in MN and any reclaimed wood is covered by about 3 feet of snow!  Get crafting and have fun!

Crystal

keewaydin island {a hidden paradise in america}

Last weekend we returned home from a family vacation.  We rented a home through vrbo.com from a private owner.  It is on Keewaydin Island out of Naples and only accessed by boat.  What an adventure it was pulling up to a dock in the middle of no where, walking through a bog walk an into a majestic home directly on the gulf of mexico!  It was a much needed break for my husband,  I took the kids on lots of swims and walks, when they got bored, we became explorers and wandered the island looking for treasure.  We only found coconuts, and wild pigs, but that was pretty exciting.  My husband chopped the coconuts open for us and we ate them raw, and filled our lemonades with the milk.

 One day at the beach dolphins came and played for an hour, attacking the water and fish around us, they even let us touch them.  It was an incredible experience that we will never forget.

 I felt such peace here, and I miss it, I had Lucas take a photo of me at our 7am walk so I remember how I felt.  I wanted to remember the peace I felt.

 When Landon found this star fish, he yelled, I FOUND PATRICK!  It was so cute, I guess Patrick is on Sponge bob?!

 The boys and Jeff caught shark and catfish!

 I could dance on the beach forever with these people!  I love them so much, and even though none of them wanted pictures, I am so glad they partially cooperated for me, because these pictures mean the world to me!

Awesome fact:  Joe Biden's brother bought a home on Keewaydin Island, and Joe visited there the month before us!  There is only about 10 - 20 homes on the Island.  And it is 7 miles long.

wake up & recharge | coconut oil and hemp seeds

I am NOT a health nut, I love to enjoy fruit loops with marshmallows & pancakes with extra syrup in the mornings.  With that being said, those things do not make me feel good, they are just fillers, I am an adult and want to feel good, so I do choose to keep those things to a minimum, and fuel my body with actual fuel many mornings.  I wanted to share a couple tips you can add to your breakfast to make you feel more energized, and not suffer some awful tasting difference!  
I am sure EVERYONE knows about coconut oil, but if not, listen carefully…I use coconut oil for my skin, my sister uses it for her son for diaper cream, you can use it for a deep conditioner for your hair, (although you'll be rinsing for an hour to get it out) it is an anti fungal, so it is so great for babies that get yeast around their neck, chunky thighs, etc… these external uses are unlimited, but truly the best benefit is if it is ingested.  It tastes a bit greasy, and as a supplement many will be scared off, well do this trick and you will not look back,  each morning drop a tablespoon or two of it into your coffee.  It immediately melts, and you do not taste a thing, maybe a little sweetness... the only after effect is soft coconut lips! (if you do not drink coffee, try tea, or plug your nose and swallow the spoonful, but I've tried it and it's not fun). When it is ingested, it goes straight to your liver and is therapeutic on your brain, nervous system and skin.  It will help you  burn more fat, and fight off infection.  It moisturizes your skin from the inside.  It has lauric acid in it, one of the only other places to find lauric acid is in breast milk.  Possibly the reason breast fed infants get less infections and viruses.  These are all things I have known for a long time as I have been using it for years, some of this information however was found at authority nutrition.com Web MD and natural news.com.  You should buy pure and unrefined organic coconut oil, found at the city center market, walmart and other grocery stores near the cooking oils.  It costs under $8.  

Next is a simple bowl of oatmeal with some great toppings.  I know steel cut oats are better for you, but I prefer old fashioned rolled oats.  I top with blueberries, brown sugar (I'm being honest here), cinnamon and hemp seeds.  The hemp seeds taste delicious and blend right in, they actually taste like nothing really, but they are a super food with a million great things, they have huge amounts of magnesium, iron, amino acids, fiber, omega 3's, omega 6 which is a great anti inflammatory and great for your skin.  Adding a few tablespoons of this to your diet will definitely not hurt you.  I found mine at our local food co op but you can also find it here for less than $7 Hemp hearts.  Cinnamon carries its own great list of health benefits, fighting off infections and ailments.  So charge up, don't spend a fortune, and curve your hunger by fueling yourselves in the mornings!

spilling my heart out, adoption, and foster care

My family and I just got back from vacation.  A much needed week of rest and fun with the kids on an Island with no roads or stores.  My morning walks consisted of the foggy ocean breeze, sea shells, and sea glass.  One thing became clear to me as I walked that beach.  What we have in this life is NOT ours.  I have heard this, yet never really listened.  Many selfishly live life, like we are in it to win it.  Self happiness is definitely necessary, so keep being in it to win it, because when you are taken care of, you can help others, but don't stop there!  We are in it to serve others.  Others meaning, not only our offspring, but all people.  That IS our purpose and if we are not doing this, as I don't think I have always been the best at, we will never be serving the Lord and fulfilling our purpose here in our temporary homes.  I am so glad I am figuring this out before I turn 30!  I feel purpose as a wife, a mother, as a creator and memory keeper.  All of which fill my heart to the brim, but there is more room!  I thought that having a 4th child of our own, would help fill the room in my heart, BABIES DO THAT!  After trying for a baby for 2.5 years after a partially unsuccessful tubal reversal, I have come to the realization that this may not be the plan for us.  Meanwhile it has become well with my soul.  So what now, well there is still a HUGE spot in my heart to serve a little human who may be in our families plan?  We have so much room in our hearts to do this, so this morning I made the call to the local TSA (therapeutic services agency) different than our local social services, this foster program is state wide, so we will not be limited to fostering in our own community.  I really hope we can foster to adopt one little angel, but if we just get to help a few beautiful children through their journey in life, that will be so great too!  I just read a wonderful quote that said, "We're all just walking each other home"  well, isn't that the truth, so I choose to leave my comfort zone and pray for our next adventure, to share our story. The boys will love welcoming a new person into our lives!  They have all agreed they would love this.  { The first things people usually say about foster care is what if the child is troubled?  Second thing is, what if they take the child back?  Answers from me regarding those questions... What will you do if YOUR child is troubled?  What will you do if you don't get to keep your child forever?  I am pretty sure those two questions are answered now.  }

p.s I would love feedback from anyone who has more information on adoption or foster care.  I would love to connect with you!

Crystal