Grouted Fireplace

I had book club here at our home. A lady had been here 14 years ago (ten years before we moved in) for a baby shower, and was amazed at how different the house looks.

Grouted fireplace surround (over painted bricks).

Better in Person

Dark rooms are easier for me to sleep in. Saw this idea on Etsy, a lady making star nap curtains. I searched for a star punch, finally settled for LEATHER PUNCH, circles, and asked for it for Christmas.

During the day the light comes in. Kind of like playing with Lite Brite, but just clear...I want to go get more black out fabric and try other patterns, more words, perhaps, a going-to-sleep poem...

Pizza Party Homestyle (Leftovers)

Pizza experiments:

Left over bean dip (salsa, refried beans, canned corn, canned black beans, mozzarella cheese) with olives and more cheese.

Cottage cheese spread over crust, split green pea soup (thick, cooked down from Christmas ham bone), pepperoni, onions, fresh mozzarella.

Cottage cheese, sliced tomatos, sliced fresh spinach (this one was my favorite!).

Cool Thing from Target

I used a gift card from Christmas (thanks Brock!) to buy this:

Cute chevron container. I struggled between the turquoise & white or this black & white one. Three different sizes, and also clear storage containers with turq or black or green chevrons. So beautiful.

Count the Happy Things

During hard times, I need to keep listing the good things about my life. I love playing with little children. I love reading them stories, playing the piano, singing "All Creatures of Our God & King" loudly, opera-style on the "Alleluia" chorus...

My friend loved the candy castle today:

Little brother friend loved the left-over balloons!

Pomme Frites

I learned how to make these in Nancy, France from Sister Meyers while I was serving an LDS mission. I learned how to eat them with sauce tartar in Liege, Belgium. They had 26 different flavored sauces to go with their frites. I start to drool remembering!

(For Suzanna's Sweet 16 "Winter Defiance" party, we made burgers and fries to go with her Portal Cake. Big success, lots of fun!)

The secret to successful real Belgian fries: double fry.

Use good potatoes. Cut them by hand. SQUEEZE out moisture with clean kitchen towels, keep covered until ready to fry (we used peanut oil).

Heat oil to (325') hot, make sure low enough in pan that it won't overspill. Hot enough that a bread crumb fries and sizzles, not just sits and soaks up oil. Only put 1 1/2 cups fries in to cook at a time. Cook until just barely changes color, NOT BROWN on the first frying.

Set aside draining on paper towels, okay if cools off completely. Do 2nd fry right before serving. This time until brown, less than 2 minutes. Salt to taste.

I taught Max everything I know about this. He says he is still not sure about how to tell if the oil is hot enough. I think it is a practice thing, or buy a thermometer.

Now, armed with a bag of potatoes, a knife, a towel, some oil, salt, a deep enough pan, he can create wonder on his own.

Out With the Old: Mildew/Mold

Happy New Year!

Dear Emma,

Sorry to bring bad news, but these two paintings were in the closet by the downstairs bathroom, and have suffered from the improper storage. I am sorry. Very gross, and I tried to fix/save them, but decided healthier to just take pictures and throw them away.
Hugs & Kisses,
Mom-me

P.S. The basement smells better. The water got a bunch of portfolio stuff of mine, too. Time to start over, create some new!