Low Fat Granola

I am slightly obsessed with good low fat granola.  This recipe has been modified so many times to try to get the right mix of crunchy and sweet so the kids will eat it.  Here is the best dang low fat granola ever!

4 cups oats

2 tablespoons water

2 tablespoons olive oil

3 to 4 tablespoons maple syrup

1 cup nuts your choice

preheat oven 275 cook for 45 min stir every 15

If you want to add dried fruit... mix it in when the granola is cool or you will end up with fruit rocks as my daughter called them

This is super tasty and kid approved pour it over some home made yogurt.

School clothes

This was the first and then forgotten outfit for school!  Top is a free pattern by Dana Made it. Pant is Patchwork kids I believe. In all honesty she does not dig the pants.  She likes leggings or tights... pants are just not her thing.  The pattern was great though they will probably sit in her drawer until they are too small.

Singing in the Park

Here is our version of a concert in the park.

Stepping into fall

We are lucky enough to live a block away from an elementary school.  We take nightly walks over to let the kids blow off steam.  As the summer has wound into fall I find these walks almost dreamy knowing the rains will come and we will be holed up in the house enjoying the warmth of the heater instead of the sun.

Great Grandma's Hat

A stop at Baba's house always must include a quick sneak into the guest room. 

Why you ask?

Well of course to wear the hat that Great grandma wore to Baba and Pop's wedding.

and to brush the dog that momma bought Pop for christmas long ago with the brush that was Baba's when she was a baby.

... and of course to sit in the princess chair.

You see this is all very important to a girl of 4.

Day at the farm

My dear friend Christiane and her Beau Patrick invited us for a day at the farm. 

Drawing happily in the car.

The Cows

"Momma why don't the cows like me?  I want to pet them."

Our gracious hostess in Logan's cap.

You know Logan and his apple love.  I think he ate most of 4 of them while we were picking.

Patrick filling our bags.

Phia and Daddy in the tree.

Logan on the ladder doing his own form of picking.

 Pears and apples galore!



What a truly lovely day.  Clean air, fresh fruit and veges and my first BBQ beets. 

It was a beautiful day to remember all winter long while we eat our dried apples, pears, apple butter and frozen pears.  We are truly blessed to have such wonderful friends.

Niece Love

My beautiful niece came for a visit.  Sophia just adores her.

Wish we lived closer so we could see her more often!

Outfit 4

She's got her cowgirl on!

This was again the Sienna Lil Blue Pattern with a bit of stenciling on the front back and sleeves. Super simple, happily comfortable and with leggings she good all winter.

Ode to Blue

We lost a valued, loved part of our family this week.  His heartbeat in our house is so greatly missed it is hard to imagine him not coming home.
Blue our faithful, trusted companion and first child for 12 years is gone.

It's so hard to describe the important place this chubby stubbornly sweet dog took in our lives.

He was David's ears barking and creating a fuss when people came to the door.

Phia's first and most patient playmate allowing her to dress him in the most ridiculous outfits.
Logan's first frenemy above Blue gave him a nice kiss to get him to move over so he could snuggle with Phia.

My walking buddy annoyingly happy to walk at 5:00am in any type of weather.

Arriving home from the vet I put the kids in the bath and sat down on the floor to take a breath automatically reaching over to the empty space that was Blue to pet him.

Woke up in the middle of the night to a quiet room without his bear like snore.

Stepped out of bed in the morning and stepped over his empty place.

Made my way down the stairs for a run holding the door open for the emptiness that didn't need to go out.

Arrived home from work and opened the door to a quiet home and reached in automatically to get him a dog treat.

Followed Phia in and out of the bathroom since Blue isn't there to keep the monsters at bay.

I won't miss picking up poop, the constant water puking and the ridiculously bad tooting but I would take it all back to have our guy back.

He was the best food vacuum, he was quick to come when needed and most importantly he was a much loved member of our family.

Today when we were coming back from the park we saw a rabbit running willy nilly through the field and I am quite sure it was Blue giving him a good chase.

Good Boy Blue! Get that rabbit but don't bring it home Mommy's allergic.

Orange Outfit 3

What do you want next Sophia?
"An orange dress and I want oranges on it not just the color."

Coming right up!  Here is her orange dress.

Well shoot no orange printed fabric but hey an artist for a husband.  "Sweetie do you mind drawing me up an orange?"  So off he went to draw me up an orange on some master carve rubber that I had left over from my nieces gift last year.  I carved out the stamp and using fabric paint stamped then splatters some juice on it.

Pattern is Lil blue boo Sienna dress (super simple, great directions, great blank slate for modifying)

used Lil blue boo free Beret patten for the hat.

She loved it!

Moral of the story if you ask a 4 year old what she wants, be ready to get creative.

as an aside Lil blue boo also did an orange dress but she silk screens hers which makes the pattern really sharp.  We did not see hers until after ours was completed though I think ours turned out super cute as is.

Sewing School Clothes outfit 2

I did it I made Sophia a full weeks worth of clothes using what I had in my stash and a few t-shirts  of mine that were on their way out.  I got a couple lil blue boo patterns as well as a couple others with my friend Kerianne and went to town.

We have the wrap skirt from Patchwork Kids and a Target $4.00 t-shirt that I then appliqued the cut out flowers on.

I added an extra panel to the skirt for a bit more swing.

Be courageous

There she stands the tallest in her class my little girl growing and learning with all her might.  She stands at the ready excited and loving that she alone, is going to school. (Little brothers are not aloud you know).  I miss the excitement of that first day,  but she tells me all the important things.  She is the "Rock Princess" as her shirt announces and that her skirt is perfect for being a pirate.  All her old friends have gone on to kindergarten but that's ok because now there are new ones.  Except Sydney who she wishes "was just a little more her age and not bigger."   She tells me that a mommy liked her skirt and she told her that I could give her the pattern because I made it and then she could make one for her little girl.  That Mr. Tonio (Antonio) doesn't have a toehawk (mohawk) like daddy said and that he is still very tall.  That she likes her new teacher and that she wants to write "a newsletter for Daddy but don't tell him it's a secret."  That her favorite word is still courageous and that she liked playing kitchen with the boys.

I listen...
children maybe born to us or raised by us, but they are really only ours for a short time.  The world is ready for sweet Sophia and she ready for it, even though I am not ready to give her up.  I guess though, I am happy to share her.

Be courageous  Phia, Mommy is watching.

Yogurt in the crock pot!

It works I have made it twice now and will again this long wonderful weekend!
http://crockpot365.blogspot.com/2008/10/you-can-make-yogurt-in-your-crockpot.html

I have been eating it for breakfast with granola. 

It is thick but hard to see in this photo.

I added a tablespoon of vanilla and 1/3 cup sugar the first time and maple syrup the second time both were yumm!  Kid approved though it is not as thick as normal we put my homemade low fat granola on it!

Also added our strawberry jam/syrup one morning.

Cowboy Coffee

Got this from somewhere and I looked and can't locate it anymore.  I did not come up with this but it's brilliant!   Bag of coffee...

In a huge pot of water over night (stir it then leave it to sit)

Strain the gruel.

Store in the fridge for as long as it lasts :)  Makes a rockin' iced coffee and saves me one extra step in the morning! I LIKE!