Photo Friday

I'm still in somewhat of a Turkey coma. So here is a little photo love to tide you over. The Muffin Tin Boy was having leg cramps from playing so hard and not getting enough water (bad Mommy) on Thanksgiving day. So, I gave him some TLC. Look how he has his arms up in that first photo. At one point he said "That's better Mommy".

Glad I could help you feel better little man.

Roasted Butternut Squash WIth Red Grapes, Sage, and Hazelnuts

In a rush and don't have time to search for the perfect side dish to that delicious Turkey? Then try this simple yet super tasty recipe for roasted butterneut squash. I attended a cooking class this past weekend where we learned how to make it (and taste it!). It's healthy and delicious and is sure to please your dinner guests.

Julie Frans of Dining Details has graciously allowed me to share this recipe with you.

Roasted Butternut Squash with Red Grapes, Sage and Hazelnuts

Ingredients:

• (1) 2 1/4 lb. butternut squash, peeled, seeded, into 1 1/2 in. pieces
• 1 1/2 cups seedless red grapes (about 8 ounces)
• 2-3 shallots, peeled and sliced
• 2 Tbsp. thinly sliced fresh sage leaves
• 2 Tbsp. EVOO (Extra Virgin Olive Oil)
• 2 Tbsp. (1/4 stick) unsalted butter
• 1/4 cup hazelnuts, toasted, skins removed, and chopped

The most time consuming part will be peeling and chopping the squash and prepping the hazelnuts. I think the hazelnuts are worth the effort and give this recipe a complexity that tastes amazing.

Preparation

• Preheat Oven to 425 degrees F
• Combine butternut squash, grapes and onion in a large bowl. Drizzle with oil.
• Season genrously with salt and pepper. Toss to coat.
• Spread out onto large rimmed baking sheet
• Roast until squash begin to soften, stirring occasionally, approx. 30 minutes
• Brown butter in skillet, add sage, then add sliced shallots and saute for 1 minute.
• Toss butter sag shallot mixture with butternut squash mixture
• Add hazelnuts
• Roast another 10 minutes
• Transfer to platter and serve (serves 8 people)

Julie Frans is the master chef behind Dining Details, a personal chef service in El Cajon, CA. I recently had the opportunity to take a cooking class from Julie. What a delightfully inspiring experience! Julie shares her extensive knowledge and experience of the kitchen with confidence and ease. When I left I walked away with not only pages of new recipes, but how to make a meal organic, healthy and delicious.

Thanks Julie!

Say Thank You With Photos

 

Show your gratitude this holiday season with photos! Photo Thank You Cards are fun and easy to make. Before you know it, you will have a personal and creative thank you card ready for that special occasion. You’ll need a few things to get this simple project completed.

• Magnetic Alphabet Letters
• Digital Camera
• Photo Printer
• Cardstock in color of your choice
• Glue stick (acid free) or photo corners

I happen to have been blessed with a photo printer thanks to the fine folks at HP. So this project was that much easier because I was able to print the photos at home. (If you don’t have a photo printer at home, then have them printed via your local 1 hour print shop. Many grocery stores have photo printing services available, so you can pick up your print when you are shopping.)

• Arrange the magnetic letters to spell the words “Thank You”.
• Photograph the words in good light near a window. Try not to use your flash
• Print out the image on 4x6 photo paper, set aside
• Cut  cardstock to 6 1/2 by 9
• Fold cardstock in half to make a 6 1/2 x 4 1/2 folded card.
• Adhere “Thank You” photo to front of card using photo corners or adhesive.
• If cardstock is dark in color, think about lining the inside with a piece of white cardstock sized 4 x 6.

***I am including the “thank you” images in this post, so that you may use them if you wish. I put a creative commons liscense on them, so if you use them in a blog post, just attribute back to me. So, if you don’t have alphabet letters, you can just use mine!

***Click on the photos to be taken to the image in my flickr photstream.

This idea would work great for other occasions like birthdays and get well cards.

Alternate Uses for Craft Beads

Today I am contributing over at Blissfully Domestic sharing several ideas for using craft beads for learning and play. These colorful little doo-dads are capable of providing endless amounts of fun!
*Link has been fixed. :)

How To Make Apple Gumdrop Turkeys

In case you missed it, I am contributing over at the brand new re-launched San Diego Bargain Mama today with a tutorial on how to craft these adorable little apple gumdrop turkeys !

Muffin Tin Monday - Theme: Thanksgiving

Welcome to the Thanksgiving 09 Edition of Muffin Tin Monday!  We had so much fun this week! How about you? I made it a Pilgrims and Native American themed tin. We had "turkey dinner" for dessert! If you are not familiar with Muffin Tin Monday, then go check out the Muffin Tin Monday FAQ.

From the Bottom Left:

 Ice Cream Mashed Potatoes

Pilgrim Ship (filled with "fish" for the feast).

Cornucopia O' Carrot Sticks

Corn Nibblets a.ka. Starburst pieces

Pretzel Tee Pee (held up with frosting)

Apple Gumdrop Turkey

**To learn how to make that adorable Apple GumDrop Turkey, head over to San Diego Bargain Mama, where I am guest posting. San Diego Bargain Mama is relaunching their site! They feature money and time saving deals local to San Diego residents as well as those passing through. So check it out! I am one of 8 columnists that posts monthly on getting "the best for less."

I was pretty thrilled to suprise my kids with this week's Muffin Tin Treat. They delighted in each cup, my daughter practically squeeled when she realized the corn was candy!

Did you make a Muffin Tin Meal this week? Won't you share it with us? Be sure to leave the URL of your post or photo from a  photo sharing site in the form below.

No Need For The Sunday Paper

It's almost that time...Thanksgiving. It's such a great holiday. Unlike Christmas, I tend to relax more at Thanksgiving. And I am looking forward to it. How about you?

While you are contemplating that, feel free to grab a cup o' joe and browse this week's links.

Looking to DIY a child's apron for less? Then look to this adorable potholder/tea towel apron combo from Dollar Store Crafts. So, so, so stinkin' cute. ACK!

High Fructose Craft: I just spilled water everywhere this weekend while trying to refill my iron. Wish I had seen this tutorial for altering an old dish soap bottle. Would have saved me a lot of mess!

I absolutely positively want to make one of these clothespin thankful wreaths from Chica and Jo (photo above via Chica and Jo). Interesting to look at and lovely to put together. It actually brough tears to my eyes to read some of the comments. (found via The Crafty Crow)

I made Cranberry Stuffing Muffins last year for Turkey day. They were dee-lish. May have to make those again this year, that and my mom's awesome Sweet Potato Casserole Recipe. Stay tuned also this week for Thanksgiving themed Muffin Tin Monday and some other fun and crafty stuff.

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Scripture For Sunday

From the Book of Psalms in the Bible:

Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good. His love endures forever.

Make A Tea Light Votive Holder From An Old Drinking Glass

I took the tutorial for the kid's handmade tea light votive I posted last week and made a grown-up version. I used stickers the create the lettering. Painted over the whole thing, peeled off the stickers, let it dry and slathered on some Mod Podge.

Came out well I think... :)

Peace Love Mom Tee Shirt Review

Recently, PeaceLoveMom sent me a Tee to review. I knew, from the moment I browsed their site, that I was going to love their products. Their tag line is "A Celebration of Motherhood". They carry tees and thermals for moms and kids as well as other products like hats and totes.

Their tees are emblazened with slogans that champion all mothers: Lucky Mom, Happy Mom, Grateful Mom, Timeless Mom, and of course, Peace Love Mom. It's a company run by moms for moms.

I was so excited to recieve my Lucky Mom Tee in the mail. It's pumpkin in color and made of 100% soft jersey cotton.

From PeaceLoveMom:  V neck T-shirt, 100% soft cotton jersey, vintage in feel, modern in style, tapered waist and longer length, expect 5% shrinkage.

After several washes, it has maintained it's shape and the fabric feels just as soft as the day I recieved it. I love the tapered waist and longer length of it. And it's thinner fabric, which I like, but it's held up so far! And I love to wear it around my kids. They always tell me what it says and then ask me why I'm wearing it. I tell them, it's because I am a lucky mom to have two such wonderful kids.

I was a little worried about the sizing. I am a size #$%&* and I know how some tees can be. They say size 8, but it turns out to fit like a 4. Well, I ordered the XL (12 by their standards) and it fits great. It's a tad snug, but it shapes me nice, without being "oh my word" too tight.

Another thing I am concerned over is the price of the tees. At $40, it's hard to justify purchasing these uber cool tees for myself. I would, however, buy them as a gift or ask for one for my Birthday or Christmas. They would make a great gift for the upcoming Holidays. PeaceLoveMom also has a wonderful discounted section of their site called "FabuLESS Mom Finds", where they offer a selection of tees at a great discount, so you can still look fabulous for less!

Looking for a gift this Christmas for a mom in your life or are you looking for an item to put on your wishlist? PeaceLoveMom is a great company with great products for moms! To find out more, visit their site at http://www.peacelovemom.com/ and while your there, be sure to watch the video from CNN.

*PeaceLoveMom sent me one tee-shirt to review on this blog. I was not compensated any other way, other than to recieve the product to review.

What Makes You Feel Beautiful? Thoughts On Self Image.

You know that moment I'm talking about, right? That moment when all is right with the world, when your cares and burdens aren't weighing you down. You look in the mirror and see the awesome woman you are, not the one you think you'll never measure up to. You are gorgeous and alive and you feel it. When is that moment for you and what gets you there?

I'll be honest an tell you that I struggle with self image. Because of the kind of cancer I had 3 years ago, it has left me a post-menopausal mess and I'm only 32! I can't take hormones. I can't eat foods that will even simulate the production of hormones. That has caused me to gain some weight. And I have kind of lost my mojo a little bit in recent months.

But, the more I am disheartened about the current state of my body, the more I have come to realize that it's not about how much I weigh, or don't weigh. It's not about how other's see me or some unrealistic image I have in my head about what I should look like. It's about how God sees me. That's what makes me feel the most beautiful, the most loved.

Sure, a makover with perfect style, a la What Not To Wear, would surely cure the outside. It would make me feel beautiful to have that done It might even give me a needed boost of confidence. After all, the right fitting clothes can tranform a person's body. But, for me, the inside is what I am getting at.

There is a children's story put together by the makers of the Veggie Tales called A Snoodles Tale. It tells the story of a little "Snoodle" and how all the other Snoodles in Snoodleberg told him he wasn't good enough, talented enough, and he could never do anything right. The litte Snoodle believed what the others told him. Until the little Snoodle met The Tower Maker of Snoodleberg. The Tower Maker showed the little snoodle how He saw him - beautiful and perfect. And The Snoodle finally understood. Sometimes I feel like that Snoodle.

I want my beauty to radiate from the inside out. I want to be transformed inside so much, that the outside beauty is never an issue. That I'll want to take care of myself because God has taken care of me -He's told me I'm beautiful and perfect. I confess, I struggle with this issue.  What about you?

*photo credit: gullevek