Reclaiming The Home

Where to Begin?

First off, I want to share my excitement about an amazing event going on right now over at the RTH Forums!  The Ultimate Household Challenge has begun, and members old and new are competing each week for prizes, reclaimed homes, and bragging rights!  If you want to join in, you can hop on over at any time.  There are door prizes for new members, live chats, games, and all sorts of motivation  & inspiration.  Most importantly there are so many new friendships to be gained, and a sense of community that is difficult to find these days.  Pop on over and join in if you like, or even sit back and watch the fun unfold! :)

Lastly, and far from least, I have some BIG personal news to report.  The winter of 2008 will bring us a brand new little bundle.   

This was something completely unexpected, but very very exciting for us.  I am still in a little bit of shock from the news, but it is starting to sink in, especially since the morning sickness and exhaustion are reminding me quite often of the new little addition!

The girls are quite excited about the prospect of being big sisters, especially Anna.  They keep rubbing my tummy and asking "baby?" which just makes me melt into an emotional blob right where I'm sitting. :)

This means lots of changes in our lives but will also mean so many amazing joys ahead.  With the baby due just before Christmas we will be planning and preparing for both the baby and the holidays with vigor, so I'm am sure you'll see some results of that on the blog here before much longer.

I could go on and on all day with the plans and surprises that all of this brought to us, but my slice of toast is calling me, as are my loving children who are anxious to spend a morning coloring with Mommy. 

I just couldn't wait a moment longer to share our news with you all.  :) 

Thank you for sharing in my joy!

Kristin :)

PS - check out the AMAZING artist who drew that lovely picture of a pregnant woman at THIS BLOG.  So cool. :)

Big News!

Here at Reclaiming the Home big things have been going on behind the scenes.  The needles have been knitting, the sewing machine has been sewing, and bits of craftiness are showing up everywhere around the house, here and there.  Because of my cold, the only cooking that has gone on was done by the infamous Mr. Rose with some buffalo cheese dip that he was quite proud of.  I'll have to ask him for the recipe so that I can share it soon!

The big news though, comes in the form of the new public Reclaiming The Home forum! 

My goal for the forum is to be a community of people who care about their homes and the gentle home arts.  There will be tutorials, resources, and information that will help us all to learn to be better Reclaimers, while providing incentive and motivational games in a fun atmosphere where we share our love of the home with one another. 

It is a place of friendship that welcomes people from all walks of life, where we all get to be ourselves, get to know one other better, support each other, and share our joys as well as our sorrows.  You don't have to be a mother, a wife, or stay at home to enjoy homemaking.

I know you will find real community here, grow friendships, build each other up, learn new things, and just enjoy hanging out at the forum.

If you have a moment, stop on by and take a look. There is so much to be found there and so much more to come, including a big surprise event for all of the forum members that will begin within the week! 

This idea has been in the works for some time, and I am so pleased to say, has finally come to fruition.  So many people were involved in its creation.  A big thank you to Caitlin, Pam, Diane, Audrey, Rachel, Robyn, Danna, and SO many more lovely women who helped to make this part of my dream a reality!

Knit (or Crochet!) Your Bit

After a long, incredibly difficult day today, I sat down at the computer tonight, wiping away the tears of sadness and frustration, fully intending to catch up on some work.  Thankfully my deadline isn't for a while yet, because I found myself lost somewhere in the depths of the World War II Museum website, reading stories of the heroes and heroines of the past.   

It made me think of my grandfather who served in WWII as a fighter pilot.  It wasn't something that he talked about often, but I do know that he believed in selfless service and cared about the men and women of the military in a very deep way.  Since Papa passed away last fall, my mind has drifted quite often to the things I wish I could be doing with and for him if he were here.  I see so many beautiful patterns that I would love to knit for him.  His feet and head used to get so cold in his final years, and a pair of hand-knit socks or a cozy nightcap would do wonders for him if he were still here to wear them.  I decided that since I couldn't knit something for Papa, I would knit for another WWII veteran in his honor. 

Having also just read Knitting for Peace, I was incredibly inspired.  If you haven't read this book yet, please do.  You won't be disappointed.

I was so pleased to see that the National World War II Museum has organized a Knit Your Bit Campaign that knitters (and crocheters) everywhere can donate handmade scarves to.  They will be donated to a Veteran's center by the Knit Your Bit Campaign and given to a WWII veteran.  If you wish, you can include your name and address and they will send you a certificate of participation to thank you for your donation and will let your recipient know that you are the one who sent the scarf.  You may also give anonymously if you would rather.

If you have a moment, go check out the specifics on the campaign.  There are also several free patterns available for both knitters and crocheters. 

I am going to be working on some scarves this month, as time allows, and will update with pictures accordingly. 

If only I could sit and knit all day, there would be a Veteran's center full of cozy hand-knit scarves this month... hopefully the couple I am able to finish will make a difference to that one man or woman who needs that bit of extra warmth right now. :)

Chalkboard, Pillowcase Shirt, and Twirly Skirt Goodness

I have been truly enjoying all of the submissions so far for the Grand Giveaway!  You all have such fun ideas for names, and such interesting stories about what you named your own cars.  Thank you so much to those of you who have joined in on the contest, and for those of you who have not done so yet, be sure to pop on over and put in your entry by Friday!

Sadly, with the sun shining through the windows on to all the laundry waiting for me to fold it up, I simply can't spend much time here today.  (Secretly I love the soft feel of clothes all cozy warm from the dryer, and the smell of fresh laundry!) 

Before I run off to fold however, I did want to share some creative goodness that I whipped up last night while the babooshkas were sleeping.

This cute little chalkboard was picked up at the thrift for 59-cents!  A quick coat of paint and a little personalization and it is now a great sign that will be hung by vintage ribbon next to the girls' bedroom door.

This cute little outfit took a total of 90 minutes to plan, cut out, and sew.  I didn't use a pattern really.  I did use the tutorial for the twirly skirt from House on Hill Road as a guide for the skirt (though I altered it a bit).  The top is based off of the basic pillowcase dress, only shorter and with a little added trim. 

What is even better is the fact that this entire outfit cost less than $2 since those fabrics were snagged off of the discount table at the fabric store!

I am also going to be stalking Sew, Mama, Sew for the Girl's Clothes Tutorial Round-Up, and the Boy's Clothes Tutorial Round up (friendly stalking of course)!   Such cute, fun, and easy ideas to help me in my destashing efforts!!

What crafts do you do?  Sew?  Paint?  Knit?  I'd love to hear it!  Also - what projects do you love to do to help destash a bit?

A Grand Giveaway

We have reason to celebrate, my dear friends!  Over at our lovely group, Reclaiming The Home on Ravelry, we have gained over 1000 members!  That is an enormous milestone for me, and for all of our members, and is most certainly worthy of celebration!

I am also celebrating my new baby, my 2006 Dodge Grand Caravan, in the color Inferno (here's hoping the cool color name takes away some of the soccer mom stigma, haha!).

To celebrate our 1000 member milestone and my new Grand Caravan, I am hosting a Grand Giveaway!

For this giveaway, I will be stuffing a Priority Mail Flat-Rate box full to the brim with various goodies, fabrics, trims, yarns, and more for the winner!!  I will even include a handmade item that I am putting together just for this giveaway!

   

To enter the contest, reply with a comment to this post with a suggestion on what to name my new Grand Caravan!  I am currently leaning toward Sally, but I think that is mostly from lack of imagination in my cold-medicine-induced-state.  Therefore, the burden of naming her lands on you (yes, it is a her!  she is so pretty)!

The contest will end Friday night on March 7th at midnight CST.  At that point I will draw a name, and the winner will receive the box of goodies.  Have fun gals!

The tale of the Flu, the Hawaiian Chicken, and the Black Forrest Cake

To start out, I want to apologize for having been away for the past week.  I've been feeling a little punk, as my grandma would say.  The flu took hold of me and I haven't hardly made it away from the couch ever since.

That said, I have been trying to do a little cooking from the Recipe Contest when I've felt well enough to sit up longer than 10 minutes at a time.  I have to say I'm glad that I did!!  The family has thoroughly enjoyed the foods that have  made it to the table, and even in my flu-induced state, I've enjoyed them quite a bit as well!

To start out, we made the completely decadent Black Forrest Cake submitted by Aviva.

Can I just say YUM!?  Oh-ma-goodness.  My hubby and kids have devoured this!!!  There are about 3 pieces left in the fridge that I am certain will be gone by tonight.  If you have never made a Black Forrest Cake before, please please please try it.  It is so good, and really not complicated at all!  Here is the recipe Aviva submitted, copied and pasted from her post:

Black Forest cake (Absolutely my favorite!!!!!~Viv)

Ingredients:
1  chocolate cake mix (Dark chocolate is best)
1 c sweetened condensed milk
1 c cream of coconut (Or Pina Colada Mix)
1 can cherry pie filling
1  (8 ounce) carton whipped topping (Cool Whip, etc)

Instructions:
   1. Mix cake according to package directions and bake in a 9X13 inch pan.
   2. As soon as you remove from the oven, poke holes in the cake with the handle of a wooden spoon.
   3. Pour the sweetened condensed milk and cream of coconut over the cake.
   4. Make sure the milk& cream of coconut go down in the holes.
   5. Refrigerate cake for 20-30 minutes.
   6. Remove cake from refrigerator and spread the can of cherry pie filling on top.
   7. Refrigerate again for 30 minutes and then spread the carton of whipped cream over the top of the cake.
   8. Refrigerate several hours or overnight before serving .

Next, is Hawaiian Chicken, as submitted by Dani.

Let me tell you - this was SO different from anything we've ever tried.  It was SO SO good.  Hubby's eyes got big and you could just tell before he even said anything that this was going to become a new favorite meal!  Once he stopped eating long enough to talk, he told me this was INCREDIBLE.  I have to agree!!  The chicken was tender, juicy, and just a hint of sweet.  We felt so good after eating this meal.  It just seemed healthy and fulfilling.  I would recommend this recipe to ANYONE!

Hawaiian Chicken:

2lbs chicken tenders (boneless skinless)
2 cups all purpose flour (1/2 cup reserved)
2 cups flaked baker's coconut
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 eggs, beaten
4 tbsp pineapple juice

Makes 6-8 hearty portions
Suggestion: for parties, these are a huge hit! We bake them with pre-soaked bamboo skewers in them (or you can add them after... it's just a bit messier)

Note: I choose to bake these in the oven on Silpat, but you can fry them with some veggie oil if you prefer!

Directions:
Rinse chicken well. With the 1/2 cup reserved flour in a Ziplock bag, coat the pieces lightly. Then dip into a mix of the 2 beaten eggs and pineapple juice combined. Then toss into a mixture of coconut/sugar/flour in a 2nd Ziplock baggie--- press to coat
Bake at 350 deg F on Silpat sheets for about 20-30 minutes

Serve with pineapple salsa, hawaiian fried rice and enjoy!

Something else that has been good for my sickly soul is a warm bowl of stew.   This is super-easy... Just took a package of stew meat (about 1 lb), and browned it lightly on the edges in about 2 Tbs. olive oil.  Throw that in a pot with full cans of corn, peas, and green beans.  Toss in a can of tomato paste, chopped up potatoes, and 1 cup of chopped onion.  Let it simmer for about 3 hours or until the meat is cooked through completely.  This has such a full, rich flavor that isn't overwhelming and just feels so good and cozy from the head to the toes.

I have also been busy *planning* out my creativity.  I recently got about 2000 buttons in the mail and I cant wait to play with them and do something fun and creative, rather than slumping on the couch all day. 

I did manage to get one creative thing done the other night, with the help and prodding of my best friend, Rachel. :)

I totally borrowed the idea from an incredible Flickr member.  You can see her work here: Carambatack's work "Under My Wing." It looks a lot more like her original than I had planned or hoped, but I think part of being sick is having very little originality.  That said, mine will of course be for personal use only.  :)  I just love her style and was trying to find some different ways to use up book pages that I had on hand from an old Nancy Drew book that had fallen apart and this seemed like a perfect project.  I'm hoping to come up with some new (original) designs in the future :)  It was just nice to be a little creative in my Nyquil-induced state.

All that said, I'm about to go (finally) get dressed and start my day.  Never-you-mind that its 2pm... ;)

Dinner, Dessert, and Dates!

I know its only been a couple of days but it feels like its been forever!!  I've been a busy girl :)

To start off, I want to share some of the DELICIOUS goods that I've been whipping up from some of the recipes from our Recipe Contest! 

To start off, I made the Ginger Snap Cookies by Dani, our contest winner!

Here's her recipe, copied and pasted from her contest entry!!

Ginger Snap Cookies
These are a mix of like 5 recipes from the net, I didn’t like any one of them on it’s own, so I mixed and matched and this is what happened =)

1 cup packed brown sugar
3/4 cup shortening
1/4 cup molasses
1 egg
2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1/4 teaspoon salt
granulated sugar, for dipping

1. In large bowl, mix brown sugar, shortening, molasses and egg.
2. Stir in flour, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, pumpkin pie spice, cloves and salt.
3. Cover and refrigerate *at least* 1 hour.
4. After chilling, heat oven to 375F; Lightly grease cookie sheet.
5. Shape the dough by rounded teaspoonfuls into balls, then dip tops into granulated sugar.
6. Place balls, sugared sides up, about 3 inches apart on cookie sheet.
7. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes, or just until set (Do not overbake!).
8. Remove from cookie sheet, and cool on wire rack.

Makes about 24 cookies

I followed the recipe to the *T* and they are truly the BEST ginger snap cookies I have ever had!!!!  They were moist, had a WONDERFUL texture, and the flavor is just WOW, so good!  Not over-gingery, but just enough of that ginger taste to make you say MMMMM and crave some more!  After the first batch was done, they were snagged up and eaten before the second batch ever made it out of the oven!

Next, I made the beautiful pizza casserole recipe by Amanda Fuentes.  Here's her recipe cut & pasted from the recipe contest!

Pizza casserole:

1 can pop and bake biscuits
Mozzarella cheese (shredded)
3-4 cups of pasta tossed w/ tomato sauce (or jarred spaghetti sauce)

Spread the biscuits in a casserole dish. Spoon the pasta (I like bowties) and tomato sauce over the biscuits and top with shredded mozzarella cheese. Bake uncovered at 350 for about 14 minutes. Enjoy!

This is a FABULOUS recipe and one I would have never thought of on my own.  I don't think I would have ever thought to put noodles and biscuits together in one dish, but it was so YUM!

My big suggestion based upon my own experience.... don't make the same mistake that I did and forget to cook the noodles before putting them in the dish! 

I was such a dork and thought they'd cook in the sauce while baking, but NOPE.  Cook the noodles ahead of time, and trust me that this will be one dish you'll have over and over again.  SO SO GOOD. 

In other news... you *MAY* have noticed the new ticker in the left column of the blog.  That's right... I'm going to RENT!!  Not only am I going to RENT but I am going with one of my oldest and best friends, Rachel.  Can life get any sweeter??  I think not!

RENT wont be playing on stage after June of this year, so the fact that Rachel and I get to go see it together is just so meaningful to us.  Its a musical that has touched our hearts and lives and has always been something special for the two of us.  Its inspirational, motivational, moving, and jam-packed with the best music on the face of this earth.  If you haven't seen RENT yet, please please find out if its playing near you and go see it before it is taken off stage!  If you dont get a chance to see it live, at least get the movie - you won't regret it, because after all... there's no day like today!  :)

 

   

Chocolate Cake for Two and a Valentines Giveaway

Valentines Day is upon us and do I have a special gift of love for you all!  My lovely friend Rachel over at Simply Abundant has offered to send these gorgeous vintage valentines to the winner of a drawing here at Reclaiming The Home!

Aren't they absolutely gorgeous?? 

If you're interested in joining in on the fun, and entering your name for the drawing, leave a comment on this post and I will announce a winner 24 hours from now (1pm CST on Valentines Day)! 

For our own valentines celebrations, I have been playing with different ideas for yummy cakes and goodies.  This is one that I whipped up last night, thanks to some prodding and motivation by one very hungry little girl with cake mix in hand.

To make this super-decadent chocolate cake for two I prepared the cake mix as described on the package, and then poured into 4 mini bundt cake pans (it probably could have made 6, no problem).  If you dont have mini bundt cake pans,  cupcake pans will work also for single servings - just fill them halfway with mix so that they dont form a big cusp at the top).  When the cakes were finished baking according to package directions, I flipped them upside down onto dessert plates.  Then I used a little bit of whipped cream in the can, and made a small whipped cream border, and filling in the center cavity.  Then I sprinkled semi-sweet chocolate chunks on the whipped cream and called it done. 

For variations you could drizzle melted chocolate, crushed nuts, cherry pie filling, or melted frosting over the top.  You could also top with one marachino cherry or a slice of fresh strawberry for a tasty and colorful touch without much added work.

Enjoy!  And dont forget to comment to be entered for the drawing! :)

And The Winner Is....

ALICE!  Congratulations on winning the drawing to celebrate our 700 mark over at Ravelry! 

I'm sorry I dont have pictures of the drawing uploaded right now but I will post them tomorrow!  My camera battery is dead right now, and it wont let me upload pics until it is charged again! 

Until then, note that our lucky winner will receive a copy of "You Can Do It!" - a book all about learning new things, branching out, trying something different, and celebrating your skills and abilities as a woman.  Many of the tutorials in this book have to do with the home, but there are also some that dont.  I felt that it was a very well-rounded book that was also fun and inspirational.  I hope you love it Alice!

You will also be receiving some super yummy yarn in the mail, so don't forget to show us what you create with it!

Congratulations again, and thank you everyone so much for playing along!