.
.
Adorable, no?
The garland that we made looks no where near as cute, but oh-well pretty much nothing like it. However, I do like the way ours turned out and it was fun to do a little crafting together.

Here’s how to make one like ours:

1. Go to the Wal-Mart paint department. Consider the colors… Choose reds, pinks and purple for Valentine’s Day.
I loved the colors on my inspiration garland, but was, um, less than inspired by the paint card choices at the store. Though I’m not sure I can entirely blame the paint cards – the whole process made me a bit nervous.
Look furtively around then slip several paint cards into your purse.
I know they are free, but I still felt a bit like I was up to no good (considering the fact that I had no intentions to buy their paint for this project). What are your thoughts? Is it ethical to take paint cards without intending to buy paint? #firstworldproblems

2. While at Wal-Mart, go look at their paper punches. They do not, have not, and likely will not ever have what is needed. Remember that you have a punch at home that will work.

3. Go home and dump out three baskets of craft supplies to find heart-shaped punch. Huh. It’s smaller than you remember. Make do.

4. Start punching. Realize that you do not want to poke a needle (twice each) through all those tiny hearts. Decide to glue. Realize that this will not only be easier, it will make your garland double-sided, perfect for hanging on a window. In your face, inspiration piece!

5. Lay several hearts, wrong side up on a piece of tag-board (which is fancy-speak for an old manilla folder). Put a dab of craft glue near the top of each heart. Lay a length of crochet thread (or whatever you have lying in a drawer somewhere) on top of the glue.

6. Place another heart wrong side down, sandwiching thread and glue in the middle. Allow to dry, then hang somewhere prominent so everyone can ooh-and-ahh over (or make crazy-eyes under) your “hard” “work”.

Total cost: $0 (if you have a punch, glue and thread buried in your crafting supplies).

Newt and I had so much fun, we also made the scrap fabric knotted heart wreath. I’ll share it later in the week.

What projects are you working on?

What I’ve Been Reading
I’m all over the place lately. From classics to non-fiction to YA to light romance (but no bodice ripping for me).
Here’s a sampling of what has been on my nightstand:

Across the Universe
Loved it. YA distopian future society, murder mystery, and even a bit of romance all taking place on board a giant space ship.
The very first scene, of the protagonist’s mother being cryogenically frozen for a 300 year flight to a new planet, hooked me right in. I happily stayed up too late for a couple of nights in order to finish.
Can’t wait to read book two.

The Seer of Shadows
A deliciously creepy ghost story set in the early days of the art of photography. A short read, I finished in one evening, but I haven’t stopped thinking of it.

The Zookeeper’s Wife: A War Story
I had such high hopes for this book. After all, it is a true account of a WWII Polish family risking their lives to hide more than 300 Jews in their bombed-out zoo, right under the noses of German guards. How could it fail to be a good, inspiring read? Sadly, I only got about half-way through before abandoning it. I’m sure it was inspiring, or at least it could have been, if it wasn’t so dull and meandering.

What I’ve Been Reading to Newt
Poems of William Blake Free for Kindle
These poems are a mixed bag. There have been some that we both have really enjoyed (The Lamb, The Chimney Sweeper) and others that have been less than interesting (The Laughing Song, The Blossom). And then there is the rather racist The Little Black Boy. I skipped over that one…

The Princess and the Goblin Also free for Kindle
This is the first time I have ever read this classic fairy-tale. I’m glad I found it; it’s a good one. Newt can’t wait to see how Princess Irene and her friend Curdie, the miner boy, will outwit the goblins that live under the mountain.

What We’ve Been Listening To
We both love a good CD in the car. Our latest choice is Ella Enchanted. This is such a fun twist on the Cinderella classic story, and I love the youthful voice of the narrator. She sounds familiar… I wonder is she has done some of the Dear America audiobooks.
Note: If you have seen the movie, it really, really does not do the book justice. The book has far more depth and feeling.

What Newt Has Been Reading
Lucille Ball: Pioneer of Comedy
This is for next month’s History’s Heroines Club. It’s fun to hear Newt tell me facts about the I Love Lucy Show. We rented a DVD of season two and both laughed out loud several times watching Lucy try to “teach Ricky a lesson”. Even after all these years, Lucille Ball is still relevant and funny.

A Series of Unfortunate Events
Newt rediscovered these on our bookshelf a few weeks ago and has been working her way through the series. I enjoyed them when I read them a few years ago too – all but the last one. I’m not telling Newt that though. I wonder if she’ll find the end as annoying as I did?

What’s on you nightstand right now?

Newt has expressed an interest in wanting to learn to type as fast as me (ha). I wanted to find a typing program that was online, free and kid-friendly. Dance Mat Typing from BBC Schools fits the bill nicely.

Here is more information from their website:

Dance Mat Typing [is] an introduction to touch typing for children aged 7 – 11 years.
Each of the 4 levels are divided into 3 stages. Begin at Level 1 and build up your skills gradually through to Level 4.
Stage 1 introduces the home row, and stages 2 – 12 will:

• Recap the previous lesson
• Introduce new letters typed with the left and right hands
• Practise all previously learnt letters
• Reward the typist with a mini song and dance

Newt really enjoys the characters (and their British accents). None of the stages are timed, so she does not feel pressured or stressed; she is able to move at whatever pace is comfortable for her. Best of all, she really is learning to type.
Without cheating.
I may want to give it a try myself…

This was an unsolicited and uncompensated review. I just like the product and thought you may too.

What I Would Feed my Family on a Monthly Budget of $250
This one got me thinking. I’m going to give it a shot. Watch for a post about how it goes.

Curried Carrot Soup
I can’t wait to try this. However, since Walt is neither a soup, curry, or carrot fan, I think I’ll have to wait until he has a night shift at the police department.
Or I could make it for lunch.
Or maybe make it for dinner alongside grilled cheese sandwiches. That way Walt could have soup and a sandwich, hold the soup…
No mater what, it will get made. And soon.

Seven Lies about Homeschoolers – Video
It’s funny because it’s true…

Doodling in Math: Spirals, Fibonacci, and Being a Plant – Video
Newt and I look forward to every new Vi Hart video on you-tube. We may not understand all of the mathematical principles that Vi talks about, but we enjoy watching. Math should always be this fun and interesting.

We Must See Past What it Seems…
I saved the best for last. This post was written a little over a year ago, which would make it about 147 years old in internet years. However, it is well worth revisiting. This is probably one of the most moving and outlook-changing things I have ever read. Go read it. You’ll be glad you did.

re-pin
re-pin
re-pin
[big happy sigh]

When I was a teenager, I learned some pretty wise words of uh… wisdom from Poison’s Brett Michaels. Sing it Brett!
Every rose has its thorn,
Just like every night has its dawn,
Just like every cowboy sings a sad, sad song…
Every rose has it’s thorn.
Yeah it does.

Pinterest’s thorn is this:
Sometimes, just pinning makes me feel creative enough.
It’s rare that any of those wonderful ideas ever live outside my pin-board.
Let’s remedy that, shall we?
I’ve spent the evening combing Pinterest for ideas of Valentine’s crafts to do with Newt. My only criteria was that it be something simple to create and inexpensive. There was no shortage of ideas:

.

.

.
Newt and I will recreate one of these crafts this week and report back next Monday. Here’s the really fun and exciting part: You get to pick which one!
Disclaimer: The previous statement is likely false. You may find this idea neither fun or exciting. Humor me, would you?
Leave your pick in the comments.

We are coming to end of this chicken, but can you believe how far we’ve been able to make it stretch?
Today, we’re talking stock (or broth). Chicken stock is truly a wonderful thing to make. Like my homemade veggie stock, it’s made with the scraps that you would otherwise throw away. At the store stock costs about $3 a quart. One chicken carcass (ew) will make me about a half gallon of stock. Not only is it cost effective, it tastes wonderful – far better than what you could buy, you know exactly what is in it, and costs far less.

Here’s how to make it:
Take your chicken carcass and put it in your largest stock-pot (see why it’s called that now?).
Fill pot with cold water.
Add a generous splash of white or apple cider vinegar. This will help to break down the bones and add more minerals to your stock. Let set for about a half an hour, then add chunks of celery, carrot, onion and garlic. No need to peel anything (even the onion and garlic); just give it a good scrub and a rough chop before dropping it in all the pot.

Turn on burner to high and bring to a good rolling boil, then reduce heat to simmer. Simmer for anywhere from 12 to 36 hours, adding more water as necessary. When you see foam forming on the top, skim it off with a spoon and discard.

In the last hour or two of cooking, feel free to throw in some herbs, if desired: parsley and thyme are my favorites.
Warning: Your house will smell wonderful. Make sure you have something good planned for dinner.
After you have simmered your stock for the desired amount of time, remove from heat and allow to cool. This will make it easier to handle.
Strain through a colander. If you prefer a more clear stock, you can line your colander with linen, but I usually don’t bother.
Pick through the bones and separate the meat. Store in fridge or freezer. Discard everything else (even the veggies – there is nothing of value left in the. It’s all in your stock).
There will likely be a layer of fat on the top of your stock. I generally leave it, but if you find that it makes your finished stock too oily, just place the entire bowl in the fridge. The fat will rise to the surface and harden. It can then be picked off and thrown away. (Or used to make chicken gravy.)
I like to put my finished stock in wide mouth quart jars and freeze until needed. Just don’t overfill or they could burst in the freezer. Leave a couple of inches of headroom.
I made soup with our stock for lunch yesterday.
Full disclaimer, this was actually made with turkey stock. The chicken stock wasn’t quite ready, but it smelled so good… I went to the freezer and pulled out some leftover meat and turkey stock I had made after Christmas. While it was thawing, I had Newt cut some kale from the garden. This, I sauteed with celery, carrot, onion and garlic. I added the stock, meat, a handful of pasta (though rice or barley are also good), and salt and pepper.

Lunch was on the table in less time than it would have taken to heat up frozen fish sticks.

If you have never tried cooing a whole chicken before, I hope you are feeling a little more confident about it. None of the dishes I made this week required a whole lot of special skills or equipment, but each one of them tasted great. Go ahead and try it. Don’t be chicken!

Linking with: Making it With Allie, A Crafty Soiree , Works for Me Wednesday and Trendy Treehouse: Create and Share

Tomorrow, we talk stock.

Let’s talk chicken. Sure, we are all familiar with the boneless, skinless variety, but can I be frank?
Those can be a bit, um… boring.
This week, I’m going to help you to break you out of that chicken rut. Let’s start by embracing the whole bird, shall we?
Um… not like that.
Awkward.

Want to feel like a hero in the kitchen? Put this on the dinner table:

Sweet and Spicy Roast Chicken

I made this dish for dinner last night. My family raved over it, and gave me enough praise to fill my little middle-child heart with glee. What they don’t know it this: roast chicken ranks right up there with spaghetti and baked potatoes on the cooking difficulty scale. This is one dish where the outcome far outweighs what you put into it.
Want to make things really easy? Throw some potatoes in the oven to bake while the chicken is roasting. If you round things out with salad, making it will be the most difficult part of the meal.

Tomorrow, I’ll show you what to do with the leftovers, if there are any.

Linked with: Works for Me Wednesday, Create and Share, Whatever Goes Wednesday, Blue Cricket’s Show and Tell Pin It]]> http://franticallysimple.com/2012/01/embrace-your-chicken-part-1oven-roasted-chicken-with-a-sweet-and-spicy-glaze/feed/ 7 http://franticallysimple.com/2012/01/on-my-mind-the-musical/ http://franticallysimple.com/2012/01/on-my-mind-the-musical/#comments Mon, 23 Jan 2012 06:39:43 +0000 Simply Heidi http://franticallysimple.com/?p=3918 Sometimes I like to pretend that my life is a musical.

I often bust out into whatever song I feel is appropriate, much to the embarrassment admiration of my friends and family. Even when I’m not singing out loud, there is almost always a song running in the back of my mind. When I pay attention to it, I find that the words usually relate to whatever I am experiencing at the time.
For example: a couple of months ago, smack in the middle of my personal winter, I spent several days with The Lion King’s The Circle of Life running through my head. I had no idea why, and frankly, I was beginning to get a little annoyed by it. However, when I took the time to pay attention, I realized that the predominate lyrics I was thinking on were: There’s more to see than can ever be seen/More to do than can ever be done,
Lightbulb: I was silently belting out my feelings of anxiety and stress. Realizing that did absolutely nothing to relieve my stress, but at least I understood the soundtrack.

On a happier note (Ha! See what I did there? Song? Note? … Hello?), I’m pleased to report that for the last three days in a row, I have awakened to this song in my head:

Go ahead and listen. You can’t help but love it.

Here are a few things that are making me smile today.

one
The flood water is receding.
Note: It took me three tries to type w-a-t-e-r. My fingers kept wanting to type w-a-l-t-e-r. Walt is not receding. Thinning a bit, yes, but definitely not receding.
Not only is the water level going down, but we have had honest to goodness sunshine in patches over the weekend.
Me, suddenly bursting into song: I’m walkin’ on sunshine, yeah, yeah and don’t it feel good?
This is the kind of thing that people who know me well have to put up with all the time.

two
The slug slime came up off my couch. All I had to do was wait for it to dry, then scrape it off and then seal off and fumigate the entire area with napalm.
Now it’s gone, gone, gone, whoa-oh-oh-oh-whoa…

three
Things are getting done. Hurray!
Our remodeling/repair job feels like it is taking for-ev-er, but progress is being made. For example, we once again have two (count ‘em: one, two!) functioning bathrooms. The hall bath has received a complete makeover, including new tile flooring, new cabinets and sink, granite counter top, and a brand new no overflow toilet.
Haaaallelujah, haaaaallelujah, hallalujah-hallalujah, hall-ayyyy-ay-lu-yah!
We’ve still got some finishing touches to do; I’ll share pictures soon.

three-and-a-half
Remember this?

We found that old window at a garage sale back in September and I had such big plans for it. On Saturday, I batted my eyelashes and sweet talked Walt into finally helping me bring those plans to fruition.
The following horror was our entry when we first moved into our house. If you have small children on your lap, you may wish to cover their eyes.

We have done a fair amount of work there: replacing the front and closet doors, tiling over the ugly vinyl (not pictured) with a pretty matte black granite, replacing and painting the wood trim, and utterly demolishing those terrible prison bars spindles. Still the area didn’t look finished. Without the spindles, we had a hole in the wall that looked to me like a walk up ice-cream counter.
Enter new-old window:

Please note the new curtains too. Love. Them.
Here is another peek at my window:

This afternoon Newt told me: “Mama-
I love that she calls me that…
“Mama, if we sit right here on the couch and look at the front window and the entryway our house looks done. Let’s just not turn around briiiight eyes.”
Agreed. I’m not going to turn around and see my plywood and 70′s vinyl flooring (now with more asbestos!).
…but the view I love the most is on my front porch lookin’ iiiin!

four
Our church has multiple congregations that meet in the same building. Every year we trade meeting times around. Last year, we went to church at 8:30. AM. Twice a month I had early morning meetings. At 7:00. AM. As in, in-the-morning.
Aye-yi-yi, that’s early.
This year, we meet at 12:30. Sunday mornings are slow and relaxed again. We stay in our pjs for awhile, walk the dog together, make breakfast… It’s heavenly.
That’s why I’m eeeasy, easy like Sunday mornin’…

four and three-quarters
Newt made breakfast for us yesterday. I found her a recipe for pumpkin muffins and she went to work. They’re whole-wheat with no refined sugar, using honey instead, and oh-my-yum. The only modification she made (she is my daughter, after all) was adding some pumpkin seeds and walnuts to the batter.
Want some? The recipe is right here.
Why are there so many songs about muffins, and what’s on the other side?
Oh yeah, I also make up my own lyrics. Why not? It’s my show life.

What’s making you happy today? Sing it, Baby.

Linking up with: Not Just a Housewife, Create and Share, Whatever Goes Wednesday, Blue Cricket’s Show and Tell

Scratch that. Walt just asked me to google How to Clean Slug Slime Off the Couch. It seems that a fat one came in with him from the roof repair.
We may have to move.