Baby Dinosaur

Even though Grant and I are not the most creative when it comes to costumes, we figured that Will should have one this year for Halloween... it is his first after all!  I had a great time making it, both Grant and I LOVE seeing Will in it and hopefully he'll enjoy seeing these photos when he gets older!!  Happy Halloween from our tiny dinosaur.

Materials:

Orange felt with matching thread

Hooded sweatshirt

Fold the felt in half and cut spikes so the base of the spike is on the fold.

Pin spikes along the back of the sweatshirt and up on the hood.

Sew each spike along the fold.

Fold spikes in half and pin both sides together.

Sew along the edge of each spike.

The finished product!

Our little dinosaur in action

This kid LOVES to stand up, even though he's far from balancing!

New Camera Lens

One of the pregnancy and preparing for child birth books that I read (The Girlfriend's Guide to Pregnancy) suggested that the husband get a gift for his wife for going through labour and delivery.  I was skeptical, wondering if I would really feel the need for Grant to buy me a gift (isn't the baby the best gift after all?).  

It turns out Grant did not need to buy me a gift.  In fact, I had completely forgotten about this idea until one day a week or so ago Grant came into our apartment with his hands behind his back.  I was feeding Will in the rocking chair chattering away about what he and I had done that day and didn't even notice that Grant was hiding something.  He revealed that he had a camera in his hands with a card taped to the lens.  It took me a minute.  Did Grant get me a camera?  I already have a camera.  That looks like my camera. Oh wait.  The lens is different!  Grant bought me the portrait lens that I had my eye on for a long time.  No, it wasn't jewelry as the book had suggested he get me, and no it didn't come moments after our son was born.  This was so much better!  It was unexpected and thoughtful and will help us capture memories of our incredible son.  And the card was a letterpress card from Paper Source that has a tandem bike on the front.  He knows me so well... letterpress cards, beautiful paper, tandem bikes and a sweet note! Looking forward to my next tandem bike ride... possibly a Pie Ride in Santa Rosa over Thanksgiving??  

"I couldn't have done it without you."

And now for the task of learning how to use it!

Worn out shopper

How glorious would it be if this is what grocery shopping on a Monday afternoon felt like as an adult?

Little Snugs

Pattern: Little Snugs

Yarn: Patons Classic Wool in Cream and Heather Grey

Raveled Here

These were one of the first things I knit after Will was born and my desire to knit stuff came back!  Unfortunately, they don't fit since the lining became all bunchy in the felting process.  So, these cute little snugs are a nice decoration on top of his dresser!  I'll just have to make another pair!

Mulled Cider with Whipped Cream

Okay... this is my all time favourite fall treat!  

Ingredients:

Apple Cider

Mulling Spices

Whipping Cream

Vanilla Extract

Granulated Sugar

Optional: Carmel Sauce

Directions:

1.  In a saucepan over medium heat, combine the apple cider and mulling spices.  Add a 2-3 teaspoons of spices to 2 litres/1 half gallon of cider using a tea infuser or tea filter.  Once cider begins to bubble, reduce heat to low and simmer for 30-45 minutes.  Feel free to stop here... the cider is delicious all by itself!

2.  Not everyone knows this, but whipped cream and apple cider are a match made in heaven.  I use a pint of whipping cream, 3 tablespoons of granulated sugar and about a teaspoon of vanilla extract.  Whip with an electric mixer until stiff peaks form.  The measurements are guesses because I don't really measure when I make whipped cream and taste testing as you go is a must.

3.  Top cider with whipped cream and enjoy!

4.  Optional: Carmel sauce drizzled over the top is fantastic.  Mine was way past its expiration date so Grant and I had our cider last night without it.  Making your own carmel sauce is also an option, but I found that you end up with a ton of sauce that goes bad before we could eat it all.

Pumpkin Cream Cheese Muffins

Yesterday was the first chilly day and first snow here in Minnesota. In spite of what I just overheard the weather man say, Canada is not to blame for the cold air. :-) 

Whenever the weather is cool, I always crave warm drinks and sweets with spice.  These muffins are some of my favourites and are another Starbucks knock off.  They can also be made gluten free and still delicious!  Enjoy!

Muffin:

3 cups all-purpose flour (or gluten free pantry all purpose flour)

1 teaspoon Cinnamon

1 teaspoon Nutmeg

1 teaspoon Ground Cloves

4 teaspoons Pumpkin Pie Spice

1 teaspoon Salt

1 teaspoon baking soda

4 eggs

2 cups Sugar

2 cups Pumpkin (canned or homemade)

1 1/4 cups Vegetable Oil

Cream Cheese:

8 oz. Cream Cheese

6 (or so) Tablespoons of Icing Sugar (or Powdered Sugar)

Dash of Vanilla

2 Tablespoons of Butter

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees

2. Mix all of the "Muffin" ingredients and fill muffin tins (either greased or with paper cups).  Start by creaming the oil, sugar and eggs and then slowly add the rest of the ingredients.  (I'm a pretty inexact baker, so I apologize to those of you who like more precise instructions.)

3. Using a mixer, mix the "Cream Cheese" ingredients.  Use powdered sugar to taste...more will make it taste like icing, less like regular cream cheese.  You can also just cut the 8 oz of cream cheese into 24 small cubes push them down into the batter.  Also delicious and quite a bit easier.

4.  I used an icing bag to "pipe" the cream cheese into the muffin but you can just drop it by teaspoonful's (using two spoons) into the muffins and press it down into the batter with your finger.

5.  Bake at 350 for 20-25 minutes.  Makes 24 muffins.

Overalls

Just a few photos from the last two days.

Sunday in Stillwater

This past weekend we had family visiting and on Sunday we spent the afternoon in Stillwater, MN. We're enjoying being tourists in our new hometown. 

The Stillwater Olive Oil Company was very fun! Who knew that Strawberry or Chocolate Balsamic Vinegar would be so yummy??

We went on a trolley tour:

Will is learning to grab onto of stuff.  This is going to get dangerous soon!

And finally we saw someone else's handiwork that looked remarkably similar to what we did to the side of our house last December! 

Pumpkin Scones

I looked out the window this morning and realized that most of the leaves have fallen.  I'm still in denial that summer is over, in spite of the reminders of brisk air and Pumpkin Spice Latte's.

My first year in Wheaton I was SO excited when the Pumpkin Scones and Latte's arrived at Starbucks.  I got up early the first morning with my friend Melissa only to discover that they had run out of scones already.  Determined not to be defeated I decided to try making them myself and 6 years later these are still a fall favourite (and I must say I like them better homemade).

Ingredients:
2 cups all purpose flour
7 tablespoons granulated sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 cup pumpkin puree (homemade or canned)
3 tablespoons half and half
1 large egg
6 tablespoons cold butter

Plain Icing:
1 cup plus 1 tablespoon powdered sugar
2 tablespoons milk or half and half

Spiced Icing:
1 cup plus 3 tablespoons powdered sugar
2 tablespoons milk or half and half
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
pinch of ground ginger
pinch of ground cloves

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.
2. Combine flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, and ginger in a large bowl.
3. In a separate medium bowl, whisk together pumpkin, half and half, and eggs.
4. Cut butter into cubes and add it to the dry ingredients.  Use a pastry knife or fork to combine butter with dry ingredients.  You want it to look like sand without any large chunks of butter visible.  You can also use a food processor (which I did) to combine the dry ingredients and butter because it is so quick.
5. Fold wet ingredients into dry ingredients, then form the dough into a ball.  Pat out dough onto a lightly floured surface and form into a 1-inch thick rectangle that is about 9 inches long and 3 inches wide.  Use a large knife or pizza cutter to slice the dough.  I like to make them much smaller than Starbucks (so you can have two).
6. Bake 14-16 minutes on a baking sheet.  You can oil it, line it with parchment paper OR if you have non-stick cookie sheets like these (which are worth every penny if you like to bake) you don't need to line or grease the pan.
7. While scones cool, mix the plain icing in a bowl.  A whisk or spoon works just fine.  When the scones are cool, drizzle a coating of glaze over the top of each scone.  I put the scones on a cooling rack on top of wax paper or aluminum foil to let the excess run over.  (See photo) And there will be excess! 
8. As the icing firms up, prepare the spiced icing in the same manner as the plain icing.  Drizzle on top.  I like to do it just like Starbucks does in a criss cross pattern.  I just use a spoon and hold it above the scones as the icing drizzles over, but you can use a squeeze bottle or something else too.

Makes 6 Starbucks-size scones or 12 regular-size scones.

Enjoy!

What are you passionate about?

Source: Simple Mom

New Beginning

I have had it in my mind to start this blog for a long time.  Last November I decided to go for it and finally open the Etsy shop that I had been dreaming about.  I had such a great time coming up with ideas, planning and anticipating.  It was a blast!  This was right around the time that we found out that we were expecting a baby.  Unfortunately this meant that soon after my all-day-sickness would set in and remain as my constant companion through the spring.  A lot has happened since then including my graduation from Grad school, moving from Illinois to Minnesota, welcoming our incredible baby boy into the family and beginning my new role as a mum and a Residence Life spouse.

My excitement to re-open my Etsy shop has only increased and I see this blog as a place for me to share my ideas and inspiration as well as some of our day to day life.

I'll leave you with this picture of one of Will's first smiles.  This is what I spend majority of my time doing these days and I love it!