Finally!

Yes, we are finally finishing up the painting downstairs in the dining room and entryway. Yes, it's amazing. And next week we'll be finishing the bathroom! Wait, maybe I shouldn't say that.... For awhile we've been searching for the 'perfect' mirror for the bathroom. Meanwhile, a small mirror from Target propped up in the window has been the only mirror. Nice, huh?

And those shutters are also going. A nice idea, but I've hit my head way too many times on them to like them. When folded they take up a lot of room. Yeah, that's a phone on the wall there, too, in reach of the toilet. As if. That is destined for the kids' toybox for sure. Maybe even today.

I'll post pics of the diningroom/entryway later, cause while it won't take long to finish the painting, it's going to take a lot of effort to get all the crap sorted and put away. Yes, I know I wait too long to do things like that.

Here's the bathroom wall, waiting for a mirror and lights, which we do have.

It will be nice to have these two projects crossed off so I can move on to the boys' room next.

Hey, I guess it really is winter!

Yep, there's about 5-6 inches of the white stuff outside, and the kids couldn't be more thrilled. As for the grownups who have to do the disposal....well, we're not so thrilled. I found myself wishing The Cat in the Hat would stop by with his little alphabet friends, especially little cat Z, the Vroom.  Dyno Dad gave me a lesson on the snow blower last night (yeah, nothing like clearing your driveway after dark) so the next time it snows, I can do it.  Yay. Brr.

Homemade Crackers and Sprouts, Too

Today Foo-Foo and I made crackers, putting our own spin on a recipe from Maria's Country Kitchen. The original recipe called for the baking tray to be 'slathered' with olive oil, in addition to the 1/3 cup olive oil in the dough, and so I did as directed, but the result was not the best. I found the crackers to be too oily, and the flavor too strong. So the next batch (so easy to make) I added chia seeds and dill weed for added flavor and sprayed the tray with cooking spray and then a bit of olive oil instead. The resulting crackers were much more palatable and yummy.

 Homemade Crackers

2 Cups flour (a mix of 1 cup white whole wheat flour and 1 cup of all purpose flour)
1 tsp salt
2/3 Cup warm water
1/3 Cup olive oil
1 1/2 Tbl Chia seeds
1 tsp dill weed

1. Heat the oven to 375*
2. Mix all ingredients together until it makes a soft dough.
3. Heavily spray a baking tray with cooking spray

4. Put dough on the tray and smooth it out to cover the whole bottom.
5. Cut the dough into squares with a sharp knife.

6.Sprinkle with salt and bake for 15 minutes or until golden.

Yummy!

I also started some sprouts; they should be ready tomorrow or the next day:

Mung beans on the left (these are the kind you see in the grocery store, but don't buy them; grow your own. Easy and much safer)  The seeds on the left are a spicy mix of alfalfa and other seeds that I can't remember since I threw the bag away a long time ago. (oops)

If you've never sprouted seeds, I highly recommend it. Not only are the sprouts tasty, they're incredibly good for you. Don't try sprouting beans from the grocery store, though. Those have more than likely been treated with chemicals. Obtain beans/seeds specifically for sprouting either from a health food store or online.

Wednesday That Feels Like Monday

What does that mean? Is it all about perception, or is it all about what confines us: clocks, calendars, labels.... what would the world be like if we had no clocks, days of the week, calendars? Would life be more spontaneous or at least more free?

I think it would.  What do you think?