Copycat Cafe Rio Shredded Beef

Due to a new baby cousin arriving in October, my sister and I combined my nephew, Carson, and Jacob's birthday parties together.  We figured it would be easier for everyone, and save on food costs.  Shauna had wanted to make taco's for Carson's party, so we kept to that idea, since it's something different than sloppy joe's, and is just as easy.

I've had a recipe pinned for awhile that I wanted to try, even though i have never heard of the store it copycats, but the recipes are alway's popping up and look so good.  Plus, it's made in the crockpot, so can it get any easier??

Cafe Rio Shredded Beef

Ingredients

1	small onion
2	lbs. boneless beef chuck roast
1	c. low-sodium beef broth
1	Tbl. ground cumin + extra to taste
3-5	garlic cloves, minced
1	(8 oz.) can tomato sauce
1	(14 oz.) can green enchilada sauce
1-2	Tbl. tomato paste

Directions

Cut the onion into large, chunky slices; place on the bottom of slow-cooker. Place the roast on top of the onions. Combine broth, 1 Tablespoon cumin, garlic and tomato sauce; pour over the top of the roast. Cover and cook on LOW for 6-8 hours. Transfer meat to a cutting board; use two forks to shred the beef. Strain the juices from the slow-cooker, reserving the juice. Transfer shredded meat back to the slow-cooker and pour some of the strained juices over the shredded beef (as much as you prefer). Stir in the enchilada sauce and tomato paste.Season with salt and extra cumin, to taste. Serve in taco shells with desired toppings.

This recipe was a HIT.  I literally had about 2 spoonfuls leftover, which my nephew Collin begged me for, so I sent home with him.  Earlier, he said, "Nikki - can you tell my mom how to make this, her's doesnt taste this good!"  Made me laugh. 

I also made a chicken taco recipe.  I threw some chiecken breasts into another crockpot, added 1/2 packet of taco seasoning, and a jar of salsa.

No photos, as i have not uploaded them off of the camera yet, but i will do that soon, and post a link of the construction cake. 

My First Quilt Tutorial

I have gotten into sewing over the years, and although my fabric stash comes no where near my aunt Debbie's, it's getting up there.  I buy stuff with no real purpose in mind, if it's on sale, or just too cute to pass up.  I also have a few bought for stuff I know i want to do. 

I was in a purse/bag kick for awhile, and although I love me a new purse, I was getting tired of doing them.  And after tackling an Amy Butler pattern for diaper bag, on my own (aka, no help from Jen) I realized I could do more than just bags.

Jen made Jacob a gorgous quilt for my baby shower.  This girl put time into it.  And it was her first quilt.  That girl has talent.  I realized that I will need to up my game when they decide to have a baby, and so I should start working on that now. 

I made a quilt for my soon to be born niece.  The first on the Posey side.  I actually did it without a pattern, although I'm sure that is obvious.  It is like a playskool, my first ______, except quilt version.
It was fun picking out the fabric, all girly and baby.  I actually had made Bailey a purse for her birthday a few years back, and had some leftover fabric from that, which i was able to incorporate into her baby girl's quilt.  Like Momma like baby right?

I had the baby word fabric from Jen, which was from Jacob's quilt, so Baby Girl Posey gets something from her momma and her cousin.  The other fabrics, purple dot, owl, pink side, was actually from Target and was for receiving blankets.  The backing was the minky pink from JoAnn's that is just so soft.

I started by cutting all the fabric, by far the most time intensive part I think.  The width was the the length of the receiving blankets, and then i did 3.5 inches for the width of each strip.  I cut 15 strips, 4 of the purple dot, 4 of the pink, 3 of the purse fabric, 2 brown baby, and 2 owl.

Start cutting away

 After pinning the pieces, I started sewing.  1/4 inch seam, matching right sides together.  I wanted the quilt to be wider than receiving blankets, so I stitched together all except the 4 pink pieces, in the following order:
Purple, Purse, Baby, Owl, Purple, Purse, Purple, Owl, Baby, Purse, Purple
You can view pics farther down to see a visual.

Starting the block sewing

 First 3 strips done!

 Here is the finished strip sewing, also a visual for those who want to see the pattern.

 Next, I attached the pink strips to the outside where I wanted them.  They meet in the middle since I was using the length of the recieving blanket for this.  Even though a seam in the middle, it works out well, and adds texture.

I then stitched the oustide pink strips to the quilt, again matching right sides together and 1/4" seam

 Next, came the batting.  I went a bit overboard on the batting, because this was My First Quilt, and it didn't seem "fluffy" enough to me, so I did two layers.  You only need one....

I cut to the size of the quilt and pinned it down to the wrong side of the quilt.

 At this time, I also cut the oh so soft pink minky fabric for the backing.  I pinned this to the other side of the batting, so it looked like a quilt (almost) at this point. 

After pinning the batting and the backing to the front of the quilt, I stitched a 1/2" seam around the entire quilt.  Don't worry about the edges, that's what the binding is for!
Sorry for the blurry edged picture...

 After, I added the premade binding (in white).  It took two packages, bought from JoAnn's. I pinned, and then stitched as close to the inside quilt edge of the binding in matching thread.

All DONE!!

 Here is a view with the backside also.

 I opted to not stitch across the quilt.  I had debated on it, but due to timing, it just wasn't going to work with the shower coming up.

Can't wait to meet Baby Girl, who is due to arrive next week!!



Lemonade Punch & S'mores Trifle

By popular request from the get together we had for our "Holiday Party in July" here are the recipes for the lemonade punch and the S'more trifle, both of which were gone by the time the party was over (and i made a quadruple batch of punch...)

Cucumber Mint Lemondade Punch  (click to see original website)
Ingredients:
1 cucumber
1 lemon
1 can of frozen lemon concentrate
7-Up
2-3 sprigs of mint (i did lots of mint)

Directions:
1. Mix the lemonade concentrate with the 7-Up, set aside.
2. Blend 1/2 of the cucumber and mint in a blender.
3. Whisk the blended mixture into the lemonade/7-up mixture.
4. Slice up the rest of the cucumber and the lemons, add into the drink. Also rip the leaves off the last sprig of mint and add to the top.
5.  We also discovered you can add some adult "supplements" to this for a fun summery adult drink (white wine, rum or vodka)

S'mores Trifle - Look to see some mouth watering pictures...
Ingre­di­ents

• 1 box brownie mix
• 1 large box or 2 small of instant choco­late pud­ding (approx. 4 cups)
• 2 sleeves of gra­ham crack­ers, bro­ken (not crushed), set aside 2 crackers
• 1 tub of whipped topping
• 1 small jar of Marsh­mal­low Creme
• 1 C mini marshmallows
• 1 Hershey’s Bar

Direc­tions:
1. Start by bak­ing a 9x13 pan of brown­ies accord­ing to the pack­age direc­tions. Once done, allow to cool and cut up into chunks. No need to be exact with any of it! While that bakes & cools, you can mix up the pud­ding and break up your gra­ham crackers.
2. In a tri­fle dish add a layer of brownie pieces (for me, this was a lit­tle less than half the pan). Then, top the brownie pieces with about half of the pud­ding.
3. On top of the choco­late pud­ding, add a layer of bro­ken gra­ham crack­ers. I just broke them up in a bag­gie. I wanted small pieces, but not just crumbs. Make sure the choco­late pud­ding is cov­ered well with the gra­ham cracker.
4. Take half of the whipped top­ping from the tub and mix it in a bowl with half of the marsh­mal­low creme. It will prob­a­bly lumpy and that’s totally ok. Spread that mix­ture over the gra­ham cracker layer.
5. Repeat all the lay­ers again. You’ll end with the whipped top­ping mixture…
6.  YOu can broil the marshmellows for about 10-15 sec to get them brown, but i don't know if i would do that step again, kind of a pain.  Otherwise, sprinkle the marshmellows on the top.  Crush the 2 graham crackers, sprinkle over marshmallows, and then break up the candy bar over that.
7.  Chill for a few hours to blend flavors, and serve!

Thanks again to all those who came over on Saturday!  Luckily the weather held out for a bit!  I think these are some of my fav Pinterest recipes!

Kitchen Touches

 

The kitchen is starting to look a bit more updated, but before i post those pics (i need to take them yet...) here are some of the "updates" or changes I did do.

Pantry

Lot of character here....

I found an idea on pinterest for putting wrapping paper on surfaces and modpodging it rather then contact paper, which is not all that cute.  Off to Michael's I went for the supplies.  Katie was brave enough to actually do the work, since she came over to help me, but painting and pregnancy are kind of frowned upon, so she took up this task.

We took all the boards out, cut the paper to size, put modpodge right over the top of the contact paper, put downt the new paper, put on another layer of MP and VOILA!  it's done.  But, putting on the paper was kind of a pain, to have to keep all the bubbles out, and do it quick before the MP dries.

Next I painted the whole pantry a fresh coat of white, and then put in the new shelves.

So pretty!!

Sneak peek of kitchen colors....

Next up was the area above the sink.  It needed a curtain/decoration, so I made a pellet box.

Dont mind the mess, or the painters tape...

I think it took me longer to pick out the fabric then to make the box.  Warning, bad pics, but I figured i can update with a better pic later.

 

I love the birdies!

I took some foam board, cut to size of the window, plus trim, cut the sides out about 2 inches, and duct taped it all together.  Then attached the fabric, and also taped that to the board.  I bought some 3M picture frame holders and used that to attach to the window and ceiling.

I really got to get a pic during the morning.  Afternoon doesnt work either as the sun comes right in that window, see below:

Good thing I don't make a living doing photography...

Bathroom Decorations

 

 My "rose" bathroom was looking a little BLAH, to say the least.  Since I can't go ripping out tile right away, or getting rid of the sink, or the toliet, I figured I could at least spruce it up beyond painting it. 

 And, I also need to get rid of hte light fixtures...

(this is actually master bath, but same light fixtures)

And I found these *ADORABLE* printouts on Pinterest, that I thought would be perfect.
http://jandaandco.blogspot.com/2011/11/bathroom-printables-download-working.html


I went to Goodwill, and picked up a variety of frames.  I think they costed $8 total, for 6

Aren't they lovely??

 

I had some leftover paint from the old house, and so I used the deep purple that was on our accent wall in the bedroom. I popped out the glass, and got to painting.

After 2 coats, and drying, I cut down the printables to the correct size, put everything back together and VIOLA! Cheap, easy, and quick decorations!

Not the best picture, and def not as nice as the professional blogger above, but they are SUPER cute in person!

Hawaiin Ham & Cheese Sliders

Seriously, these little things taste as amazing as they look. 

And suprisingly quick and easy to make.  Which has been a huge priority lately, since Jacob has been underfoot and demanding to be read to, played with and held.  Or all three at once.  Which makes it hard to stand by a stove and try to do something that tastes good, without being labor intensive.

I've made these a couple times, and have frozen the leftovers.  They taste good reheated, but much better if you reheat in the oven then the microwave. 

Here's what you'll need....

1-2 packages of Hawaiian sweet rolls
1 onion, minced
1 stick of butter
3 Tbs of Dijon Mustard
2-3 teaspoons of Worcestershire Sauce
3 teaspoons of poppy seeds
1 pound of shaved deli ham- or more depends how thick you want them
8-10 slices of Swiss cheese

Directions:
In a sauce pan melt your butter. Add onion and cook until soft.
Then add in your mustard, Worcestershire, and poppy seeds. Simmer for 5 mins
Slice your rolls right down the middle. Place them in a pan with foil.
place 2/3 of mixture on bottom of rolls.
Add your ham and then your cheese.
Top with the other side of the rolls and add the rest of the mixture on top.
Bake for 20 mins on 350! Cut where the lines are in the Hawaiian rolls and you know have perfectly melted sliders. Enjoy!!!

Christmas Gifts - Teachers & Grandma's

 

I really appreciate Jacob's teachers.  They are helping to raise my sweet little boy, and I wanted to show them how much I appreciate that during Christmas.  The only problem?  Currently he has 4 consistent teachers he sees within a 2 day period.  There are 3 each day, to take care of the 12 toddlers tearing up the room.    That being said, I need to stick to a budget, and I didnt want to give them each a $10 gift card.  I know they would appreciate it, but it seemed to be not enough.

 

Enter Pinterest...

I think Mike is starting to despise Pinterest.  Now he knows how i feel about Craigslist.  Really, that's what Pinterst is, a girl's version of CL.

 

I found this great idea of making homemade cake/plate stands.  These are melamine plates and bowls, and all you need is a little super glue.  So, off to the holy land (aka Target) in search of cute bowls. 

 

I found several, each one different and didn't think to take a pic of each one before gluing, but if i did the post would be super long.

 

 

 

Plate one

Glued to the base

 All you need to do is put some super glue on the bottom ridge of the bowl and attach to bottom of plate.  Then let it cure for about 8 hours.

On the trip to target, i found little gifts to add:  coffee mugs, candle holder, Ferrio Rocher candies, and some lotion.  I went to the dollar store and got the FUZZIEST softest socks.  I had some hot chocolate at home, and added to packets to each gift.  I also put a votive into each candle holder.

All assembled

 

Close up of tree tray (my fav)

 

 Then, I took some cellophane bags, wrapped around the gift, and secured the top with some fun garland and a sparkly snowflake ornament.

All lined up

Close up of garland and ornament

 Cost and location:
Plates : Average 2.50 (I found some on cleareance)  Target
Bowls: Average 2.00  Target
Mugs:  1.99 Target
Choc:  1.25 Target
Lotion: 1.99 Target
Ornament: .50 Target
Socks:  1.00 Dollar Tree
Garland:  .50 Target
Candle Holder:  .48 Target (Clearance)
Votives:  .50? (I had at home)
Hot Choc: .50?  (again, at home)
Average cost:  $13.21 if you had to buy everything

I thought much better than a gift card!

For my grandmas, I have always struggled with what to give them. THey have everything they could need, and I didnt want to get them another pair of slippers, or other stuff that is a waste of money.

So, I took the plate stand idea from above, and took a Trader Joe's twist to it instead of target.  I got some crackers and cookies.  I did pick up mugs from Target (both coffee drinkers), and from the dollar store I got a kitchen holiday towel and a candle.

Who wouldn't love some TJ's snacks??

 

Grandma's gifts!

Grandma's gift cost:
Plates:  Ave $2.50  Target
Bowls:  Ave 2.00 Target
Mugs:  1.48 (clearance) Target
Snowflake:  .50 Target
Garland:  .50 Target
Candle:  1.00 Dollar Tree
Towel:  1.00 Dollar Tree
Crackers:  3.99 TJ's
Cookies:  3.29 Tj's
Total Cost:  $16.26

Super easy to do, and easy on the budget, without doing the gift card route.  I had fun making them, and wish i would have thought of the idea sooner for other gifts I have given.  You could do theme ones, or I had debated on adding a small shot size bottle of peppermint schnapps to the teachers mugs for an adult hot choc, but didnt make it to the liqour store to get it. 

Tomato Soup & Grilled Cheese

Now, I know this is one of the most basic seeming meals, but for all the different cooking and baking i have done, I usually open a can of tomato soup and take some sliced white bread along with a piece of sliced american "cheese".

Which is good, but by no means does it rival real tomato soup or the delicious grilled cheese sandwiches you can get at restaurants.

so, I found some recipes on Pinterest and Voila! delicious grown up grilled cheese and tomato soup, that was surprisingly easy.

Spinach Artichoke Grilled Cheese

Fresh spinach-about 3C

Canned artichoke hearts-about 3 hearts

chopped for about 1/2 C

1T olive oil

garlic salt and pepper

2T sour cream

4 slices cheese-your choice

(Monterrey jack, provolone, cheddar)

4 slices of good bread

butter/margarine

Heat the olive oil in a large skillet.

Saute the spinach until wilted. Season well

with garlic salt and pepper. Stir in the chopped

artichoke hearts and heat through. Add a dollop

of sour cream and blend well.

Remove this mixture to a small bowl.

Rinse and dry the skillet and return to the heat.

Buter one side of the bread. Add 2 slices of bread

to the hot skillet, buttered side down.

Top each with a slice of cheese, the spinach

artichoke mixture, the remaining slice of cheese

and the remaining slice of bread,

buttered side up. Grill until golden brown,

Flip and grill the other side until toasted

and the cheese is melted
.

Tomato Basil Soup

3 cloves of garlic, minced

2 tablespoons of olive oil

2 - 14 oz. cans of crushed tomatoes

1 - 14 oz. can of whole tomatoes

2 cups of stock (chicken or vegetable)

1 tsp of sea salt

1 tsp of sugar

1/2 tsp of fresh ground black pepper

1/4 cup of heavy cream

Flour/cornstarch

3 tablespoons of fresh basil, julienned

parmesan cheese

In a saucepan, saute garlic in olive oil on medium heat for 1 minute - being careful not to burn the garlic. Add the crushed tomatoes. Add the whole tomatoes one at a time, squeezing them into the pan to break them up. Add the juice from the whole tomatoes, as well. Add chicken stock, salt, pepper and sugar. Add flour and additional cream if you want to thicken the soup.   Cook the soup on medium at a simmer for 10 minutes.

 

Mike doesn't like anything tomato, so I made him some Chicken Gnocchi Soup.  When i was making dinner, he comes into the kitchen and asks "you made yourself a seperate soup?" 

 

:) My response, "No, I wanted tomato soup, and i know you dont' like that, so i made YOU a seperate soup"....   

Crockpot Chicken Enchiladas

I made this last night, and it was so yummy & easy, I had to share it right away!

When I made it, I doubled the recipe, thinking I would have leftovers.  I do have leftovers, but not as much as i thought i would!  But, will throw the rest in the freezer and have a quick meal when I need it.

Crockpot Chicken Enchiladas:
Package of chicken breasts
Can of Enchilada Sauce
1/2 pack of Taco Seasoning  (i used whole pack since i doubled everything)
Shredded Cheese
Green Onions
Flour Tortillas

Optional: 
Corn Bread
Cilantro
Guac
Lettuce
Tomatoes
Black Beans (not optional in our house, Jacob LOVES them)

Throw the first 3 ingredients into the crockpot on low for the day.
Shred the chicken, dump some of the sauce in CP over the shredded chicken, add cheese and onions.

*Since i was making corn bread, i popped the pan of ckn and cheese in the oven for about 10 min to melt the cheese more, delicious, but not necessary)

Put on tortillas, with your favorite toppings.  I love the 100 cal packs of guacamole. Mike doesnt like guac, but I love it.  It's a waste to make it myself, since it doesn't last.  THe packs are the perfect amount, and you can freeze them, so when I put the leftovers in the freezer, I throw a guac pack in also, so i have one for the next time!

Baking Shenanigans

So, if you know me, you know I love to bake.  Typically I bake without issues.  Yes, my kitchen is a COMPLETE disaster, and I eat more dough than I bake, but Saturday was more than a mess in my kitchen.

I had a zucchini to bake up, and since Jacob was taking an epic nap, I figured I would bake up something pumpkin as well. Both had massive issues.  And there are several witnesses.

With the zucchini, Mike had wanted a chocolate cake.  The recipe is listed below, it's really good with ice cream.  So I mixed the cake, poured it in the bundt pan and popped it in the oven.

While that was baking, I started on the Pumpkin Pops.  I had mixed up all the dough when the Wildt family showed up to visit.  While the boys stole toys from each other (the little boys, not the big boys...) I figured  I would get the pumpkin baking.  As I am pouring the batter into the muffin tins, I heard some popping in the oven.  I opened the oven, and thought my pan had shattered.

There was white batter dripping onto the bottom.  Note the color, i was making a chocolate cake...

I said to Serena and Mike, that I thought the pan cracked.  So, I pulled the pan out, and realized it was applesauce.  I lifted up the pan, and wedged in the middle of the underside was a package of applesauce.  Seriously. 

I must have set the bundt pan on top of the container and put in the oven without realizing it.  (I did test my theory later last night, and yes, it does stick.  The container was in the oven for about 40 minutes before it started leaking.  Mike popped the container off, and back into the oven it went.  (Side note, cake still tastes yummy!)

So, after that fiasco, I finish baking the pumpkin pops.  I'm talking with Serena (obviously not a good combo for me and baking.)  Once they are done baking, I melted the butter, added the cinammon and sugar, and tried to roll the pumpkin pop in the butter.  While doing this i realized the stupidity in what i had done, and Serena got to watch the lightbulb finally click in my brain. 

Yes, I was supposed to melt the butter.  And mix sugar and cinammon.  But not mix the two together.  And I did try, but no, it does not work to roll the pumpkin in the sugar butter. 

So, I then started from scratch with new butter, and proceeded to run out of both cinammon and sugar.  So, half of the bites aren't sugared, but they still taste good.  Luckily, it all still tastes good, but seriously, I dont even know how the thought even crossed my mind that I should dump the sugar into melted butter...

Pumpkin Poppers

• 1 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 2 tsp. baking powder
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1/2 tsp. cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp. nutmeg
• 1/2 tsp. allspice
• 1/8 tsp. ground cloves
• 1/3 cup vegetable oil
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 1 egg
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract
• 3/4 cup pumpkin
• 1/2 cup milk

For Coating

• 1 stick unsalted butter, melted
• 2/3 cup sugar
• 2 tbsp. cinnamon
• Preheat oven to 350 F and spray mini muffin tins with non-stick cooking spray.
  
  Combine flour, baking soda,salt, and spices in a bowl and whisk until combine.
  
  In another bowl, mix oil, brown sugar, egg, vanilla, pumpkin, and milk.  Pour in flour mixture and mix until just combined.  Fill mini muffin tins until almost full and bake 10-12 minutes. 
  
  Melt butter in small bowl.  Mix sugar and cinnamon in a separate small bowl.  After popper cool for a few minutes, dip them in the butter and roll them in the sugar mixture.  Enjoy.  :)

Zucchini Chocolate Cake

Ingredients

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 cups white sugar
• 3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 4 eggs
• 1 1/2 cups vegetable oil
• 3 cups grated zucchini
• 3/4 cup choc chips

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease and flour a 9x13 inch baking pan.
2. In a medium bowl, stir together the flour, sugar, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder, salt and cinnamon. Add the eggs and oil, mix well. Fold in the chips and zucchini until they are evenly distributed. Pour into the prepared pan.
3. Bake for 50 to 60 minutes in the preheated oven, until a knife inserted into the center comes out clean. Cool cake completely before frosting with your favorite frosting.

Pinterest Posts

I've started to realize, or at least acknowledge, that Pinterest has just become a (somewhat) more organized version of my cookbook cupboard.  When I open the cupboard that has my cookbooks in it, I always have a hand half way up to catch whatever is falling out. Stuff frequently falls out.   When i have finished demolishing finding what I want (or likely what I have available to cook with) I just shove it back up there.  It's a mess.  Of epic proportions.  My version of knowing what recipes i want to make or have made and liked, is just a sticky tag.  No rhyme or reason, just tagged... 

My Pinterest board is becoming similar.  The only difference is that nothing falls on me and there are pretty pictures to look at.  Goal:  start tagging stuff better.  Instead of just having a "Yum" board, I plan to break it out into categories, ie dessert, crockpot, freezer meals, etc.  Which seems immensely easier than tackling the cupboard.  Which makes me cringe almost as bad as thinking of the junk drawer. 

So, I did some more Pinterest Projects this week, which were all fairly successful!!

Blueberry Baked Oatmeal

This is one I plan on making again this week, if temps stay low enough to handle having the oven run. I baked it up one afternoon, and had breakfast for the next few days, which was great.  More of a thicker texture than regular oatmeal, which I liked.  I opted out of the bananas (big surprise) and also didn't have nuts on hand, so no nuts either.

Project 1:  Blueberry Baked Oatmeal 

adapted from here

Ingredients:
1 cup old-fashioned rolled oats
1/4 cup chopped walnuts, divided 
1/2 tsp. baking powder
3/4 tsp. ground cinnamon
Pinch of salt
1/4 cup maple syrup
1 cup milk
1 large egg, lightly beaten
2 tbsp. unsalted butter, melted and cooled slightly
1 tsp. vanilla extract
2-3 ripe bananas, peeled and sliced
1 cup blueberries or raspberries, fresh or frozen, divided

Directions:
1. Preheat the oven to 375F.
2. Lightly grease a 2-quart baking dish. In a medium bowl, mix the oats, half of the walnuts, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt. Stir to combine. In a liquid measuring cup, combine the syrup, milk, egg, butter, and vanilla.
3. Spread the sliced bananas in a single layer over the bottom of the baking dish. Top with half of the berries. Sprinkle the dry oat mixture over the fruit in an even layer. Pour the liquid ingredients evenly over the oats.
4. Sprinkle the remaining nuts and berries over the top. Bake for 35-40 minutes, until the top is browned and the oats have set. Let cool 10 minutes before serving.

Project 2 :  Cherry Lambic Sorbet
This was not originally a Pinterest idea, but I pinned to my page for any of you following on pinterest.  Jen came over on the 4th, and brought homemade Cherry Lambic Sorbet. 
OH. MY. WORD.

I felt like i was eating a bowl full of frozen cherry heaven (turns out i was).  Mike also surprisingly liked he (getting him to eat fruit could be an Olympic event...).  The boys were willing to try it once they found out there was beer in it. Come on, who wouldn't try a frozen beer dessert??


                          

You can buy your own ice cream maker on clearance right now at Target for $15, well worth it!  Or you can invite me over for dinner, and I will bring this!

Cherry Lambic Sorbet

1. 3 cups pitted sour cherries (18 ounces)
2. 3/4 cup Sugar Syrup (this is also where i got the recipe)
3. 1 cup cherry lambic beer (I used peach lambic, liquor store was out of cherry, worked well)

1. In a blender, puree the cherries until smooth. Stir in the Sugar Syrup and the cherry lambic beer. Pour the sorbet base into an ice cream maker and freeze according to the manufacturer's instructions.
2. Pack the sour-cherry lambic sorbet into a plastic container. Press a sheet of plastic wrap directly onto the surface of the sorbet and close the container with an airtight lid. Freeze until firm, 4 hours.

Project 3:  Jacob's new toy bin

I am a fan of rotating toys out for Jacob's bin.  It means less mess downstairs, new toys in rotation, and when an item comes back, he's excited to see it again (or will be once he remembers a toy).  Or if he needs a change of scenery, we can go up to his room and there are "new" toys up there for him to be occupied with.  I had just a small box downstairs, but it was a wee bit too small. 

Another connundrum at our house is we suddenly have a lot of extra empty boxes.  From toys, packages, and mainly, diaper cases.  Which surprisingly is about the size I wanted.  Jacob "helped" me make this, as you can see.  He really enjoyed playing with the contact paper and climbing in the box.



Jacob being Mommy's Little Helper




Not as cute, without a baby in it, but shows you more of the picture!

 This super easy and cheap project took me all of about 15 minutes (that is not including the baby helper time, that would make time closer to an hour...) and $4.97 for the roll of contact paper, and I figure the diaper box is a sunk cost.  But, you could do with any extra boxes you have around the house!