14
Oct

Entertaining a Crowd

I love entertaining.  It is so wonderful to be able to welcome people into your home and serve them delicious food and drink.  Our house right now is not ideal for entertaining large crowds, but we can manage to host a pretty good medium-sized party.  My husband (who is an avid winemaker and homebrewer) always has the drink part covered and I am left to make sure we have an awesome meal!This past weekend was my baby girl, Matilda Jane's baptism into the Catholic faith.  We had about sixteen close family and friends attend the ceremony and luncheon at our home … continue reading

10
Oct

Spruce It Up!

Have you ever wanted to spruce up your house, but didn't have the funds to get it done?  Well for around $4 you can update your house in no time and the secret is spray paint!!Many newer homes come with basic builders fixtures consisting of those, not so elegant looking, brass fixtures.  Well that is not a problem if you have spray paint.  There is absolutely no priming or sanding involved - you just shake the can and spray away. We did not have a light fixture in our dining room and my in-laws offered us this shiny brass one.  We were VERY thankful to have been … continue reading

8
Oct

The Creative Family

"In dwelling, live close to the ground.  In thinking, keep it to the simple.  In conflict, be fair and generous.  In governing, don't try to control.  In work, do what you enjoy.  In family life, be completely present." Tao Te ChingThis is a quote from the book The Creative Family by Amanda Blake Soule.  This is a wonderful book for families in regards to how to encourage imagination and nurture family connections with in our home life.It is so important for us to be truly present in our family life.  So often we think of the list of things we need to get done - … continue reading

7
Oct

I LOVE Ina Garten (The Barefoot Contessa): Lentil and Sausage Soup Recipe

When I think of Ina Garten (The Barefoot Contessa) there are so many things that I admire about her life; her amazing career, her incredible creative talent, her loving relationship with her husband Jeffrey, her great friends, her beautiful home, her well-maintained garden and I could go on and on......... So I thought I would share a few recipes of hers that I thought you might enjoy trying the next time you are having a dinner party or are looking for some entertaining food ideas.LENTIL & SAUSAGE SOUPMakes 4 Quarts: Serves 8-10Ingredients:1 pound green lentils¼ … continue reading

6
Oct

The Big Rig(atoni)

Dinner time always seems to be crazy at my house - with bed-times and a newborns' feeding schedule - it's hard to know if the timing will be just right for me to start dinner.  I LOVE making dinners that can be done ahead of time. That way I can find a chunk of time during my day to get it assembled and then simply turn on the oven in the evening and I have a wonderful homemade dinner waiting for my hubby when he walks in the door.I don't know about you, but my husband is always looking for meat at dinner time (I myself could probably be a vegetarian and never … continue reading

6
Oct

I LOVE Sewing!!!

I LOVE LOVE LOVE sewing!!  I have to say it again, I LOVE sewing!  There is something so satisfying about handmaking something that you envision.  I got my first sewing machine only just a year ago (a birthday present from my wonderful Mom and loving hubby).  I read the manual and off to town I went and have never looked back.I had minimal instruction from my Grandma Peggy and my Mom, but really taught myself.The creative possibilities are endless with this small machine.  Here are just a few of my projects that I have  completed with my good friend, the sewing … continue reading

6
Oct

Semi-Homemade

I was searching my cupboards, freezer and fridge this past week trying to think of something for dinner with what little we had on hand.  I've been trying to be really good lately about using what we already have and grocery shopping less.  Isn't it amazing how much a trip to the store adds up?  And I always feel so bad when I waste food or have fresh food go bad.  So I've been trying to buy a lot of frozen and can goods to remedy this problem.So here's what I came up with - Fiesta Green Chile Burrito Bake.  I remembered seeing a similar idea to this semi-homemade … continue reading