Peach Cobbler: make it now, enjoy it this winter!
By mom4life | Category: Recipes & Kitchen Tips
It is great to see you back! Please feel free to jump in and leave a comment so I can get to know you better!
I am going to give you a fair warning. If you don’t like fresh peaches, peach cobbler, drying peaches or canning peaches you are NOT going to like this post or the next few I have planned. Just click away and come back this fall when I am talking about something else–like making applesauce.
Last Saturday I bought 140 pounds of peaches from an orchard that delivers to our local Farmer’s Market. I was only planning on getting 100 pounds but was offered two free boxes of “split pit” peaches (this means peaches with pits that are. . . wait for it. . .split) and there is no way I an turn down fresh, free peaches. I loaded up the van and the kids and I munched on peaches as we drove home fueled by the peach juice dripping down our arms (note to self, next year bring wet wash rags).
I arrived home and sorted out the peaches taking those that were the most ripe or bused and setting them aside for immediate use and separating the rest into single layers in the boxes and their lids so that they could continue to ripen without touching (if they are not touching and one starts to go bad, it prevents the neighboring peaches from going bad as quickly). After Quinten discovered how fun it is to reach into the boxes and squish the soft, juicy flesh, I quickly stored the boxes out of reach in a closet.
Two days later the fun began. I started by using my bruised peaches in a dish that will be cooked and frozen. Peach Cobbler is one of my favorite things to make for the upcoming cold months. I make the cobbler filling ahead of time and freeze it for later use. The recipe that I use is fast and especially easy because you don’t have to peal the peaches first.
First chunk up 4 cups of peaches (about 6).
Then add sugar, cornstarch, cinnamon and lemon juice in a 2-quart saucepan (exact measurements are found in a link below).
Cook over medium heat stirring constantly, until mixture thickens and boils. Boil and stir 1 minute. Allow to cool.
After it fully cools, separate into gallon size zip lock bags and freeze it for later. When it is time to cook, place the sealed bag in warm water. It will thaw in about 5-10 minutes. While it is thawing you can mix up the cobbler topping. Add the mixture to a pan, top it with the cobbler and bake!
I can throw this dessert together in about 10 minutes and it is ready in about 45 minutes (including thawing and cooking time) and it tastes FRESH! A lovely treat in the middle of winter! I have made this same dessert with nectarines (simply substituting the nectarines for peaches) and it was just as good. I have also used a “crisp” topping instead of the cobbler for something different and that is also very good.
Want the full peach cobbler recipe? (click the link and you can email the recipe to yourself) I saved it in my ZipList (another awesome website I recently found out about through Carley over at Mothercraft Coaching). She did a video tutorial of ZipList and I immediately started using and loving it. You can quickly and easily clip all the great recipes you find on-line into your own “recipe box” or add your own favorites. Then when it is time to go shopping, simply click on the recipes you want to make and voila, the ingredients are added to your shopping list (which is also accessible via your phone–or can be sent as a text message)! Come on, you can’t tell me that is not super cool!
AND if you create your own free account then with the click of a button you can add any ZipList recipes that I share to your recipe box (an advance warning: I plan to start linking to my ZipList recipes in my posts). In fact I even have a bonus dessert to add to your ZipList recipie box. . . check out this amazing Strawberry Cream Pie dessert that my friend Kira just posted about (photo teaser below). She made it for me once and I loved it so much I made it myself THE VERY NEXT DAY!
Posted Tuesday, August 31, 2010
A month in review: courtesy of Cozi
By Heather Ledeboer | Category: Family Focus, Organize Me!, The Journey of Motherhood
Three months ago I started using a website called Cozi to organize my calendar (and my life). I LOVE IT!!!! If you don’t have a calender system that you love, you are in for a treat. Do you have an active family with mulitiple schedules? This just may be a dream come true for you. Each family member is given their own color dot allowing you to signifiy which events affect which people and easily recognize in a glance who needs to be where. Don’t want your husband to forget your Parent Teacher meeting? No problem! Simply set up an auto text reminder for his phone ( ___ minutes) before the meeting.
Not only is Cozi super intuitive and easy to use but it has some really great extra features too. One that I have started using lately is the “journal”. This is a great way to add a photo and a quick snipt about your day–think of it as an online diary. I use it for stuff that isn’t “big” enough to blog about, but that I don’t want to forget. The bonus is that you can set it up to automatically email all your journal updates to friends and family on a monthy basis (think grandparents). Or if you have someone that you want to keep updated that doesn’t have computer access (think great-grandparents) you can print your journal and pop it in the mail to them! I am also able to access my Cozi account though my phone so updating and checking my calendar (or journal) is effortless. You can also sync your journal entries to your facebook page so that all updates are automatically shared on your profile page.
Want to get a feel for the journal? Here is a peek at our August journal entries.
Perhaps you are like me and are a visual learner. You are in luck because I found out about Cozi though Carley over at Mothercraft Coaching. She has her pulse on all things helpful for moms who want to keep their lives organized and sends out a weekly newsletter with one simple actionable idea. I (heart) Carley and have started using almost EVERYTHING that she has suggested–seriously it is just sort of ridiculous. Whenever I start telling Trent about something new I am using he asks, “Did you find out about this though that lady again?” and I say “Of course I did!”
Oh dear I almost totally forgot my focus there. What I wanted to say was that Carley created a Cozi video tutorial that will quickly and easily give you the tour of Cozi and help you see how super cool it is. And when you start using it, don’t say I didn’t tell you so (oh and the best part, Cozi is free)!
Just in time for back to school–go get organized!
Please share: What method of calender organization works best for you? Do you have one?
Posted Sunday, August 29, 2010
Weekly Giveaway – Hush Little Baby CD
By mom4life | Category: 4 Free Friday Giveaway
Congratulations to Jen, who won The Mommy Measure in the style of her choice! The Mommy Measure will be 10% off this week (until Thursday night)!
Lots of great items, priced to move!!
PLUS all discontinued BabyLegs have been marked down to between $6.00 and $10.00!!
Hush, Little Baby CD -everyday sounds to calm baby’s tears
Retail Value: $15.99
Hush, Little Baby CD is a must for all moms and dads. This CD features sounds similar to what a baby hears in the womb—a heartbeat, water, and white noise. Use these soothing everyday sounds to calm your baby’s tears.
Everyday Sounds Include:
1. Babbling Brook 8:45
2. Heart Rhythms (Heart Beat) 8:57
3. Stream with Frogs 8:54
4. Humming Along (Vacuum) 6:04
5. Surf with Gulls 8:15
6. Wash Me Gentle (Washing Machine) 4:37
7. Rain with Traffic 8:02
8. Tear Dryer (Clothes Dryer) 6:22
Listen to the variety of sounds and find the ones most calming for your baby. Then both of you can R-E-L-A-X.
How do you win?
“Share your thoughts” below and tell us what your favorite relaxing sounds are.
You have until Tuesday, August 31st, to enter!
Posted Friday, August 27, 2010
Quick and Easy Skirt Tutorial
By kristinabjornbak | Category: Home Crafts
A few weeks ago, I made the Fast and Cheap Skirt from the Polka Dot Cottage, which is now one of my absolute favorite garments. Not only was it very easy and fast, it inspired me to give a skirt in the same style a whirl. So, here we are, my quick and easy skirt tutorial! So simple a novice sewer can finish it in a single evening. More advanced sewers could probably do it in an hour if the fabric is already prepped.
Materials needed:
Enough fabric to make a skirt. Probably in the area of 1.5-2 yards. If you are tiny around the middle, you may be able to do 1 yard.
Elastic for waist. I used 3/4″
Fabric marker or chalk
Fabric measuring tape
An understanding of basic math
Sewing machine or needle and thread + extra time.
Step one:
If your fabric hasn’t been washed and dried in the way you intend to wash and dry it after your skirt is complete, do it now. Iron flat.
Step two:
This is the only tricky part. I promise. Measure around your waist or where the top of your skirt will end up sitting. Take this number and divide by half and add it back to itself. So, if you have a waist measurement of 36, half of that is 18. 36+18 is 54. Or, 36+(36/2)=54. Whatever that final number is, add 1″ to it for seam allowance. So if you started with a waist of 36, your final number will be 55. We’ll call this number X.
Now measure from your waist to where you want your skirt to fall. Take that number and add 1.25″ to it, and then add whatever the width of the elastic is to it. We’ll call this number Y.
Step three:
Cut your pieces. Cut two rectangles that are X by Y. Note: if you want your skirt to be curved at the bottom, add a little but to the length and cut a gradual curve, if you wish, but this is optional. Mine does not curve.
Step four:
Pin pieces, right sides together. Sew side seams only with a 1/2″ seam allowance.
Step five:
With right sides facing (so it is currently inside-out), locate what will be the bottom of the skirt. Fold under 1/2″ and press. Fold under again 1/2″ and press again, so the raw edge is hidden.
Find the top of the skirt. Fold top over 1/4″ and press. Fold over again the width of your elastic plus a tiny bit. My elastic was 3/4″, so I folded over 3/4″ plus a little. The raw edge should be hidden now.
Step six:
Find the bottom hem that you created when you pressed, and sew along that edge. Find the top edge and sew along the edge of the innermost side, right at the edge of the seam, but DO NOT go all the way around. Leave about1.5 or 2 inches open. This is where you will put in your elastic.
Elastic casing
Step seven:
Take an elastic band and measure around your waist with. Mark where you think the edges should connect. It’s ok to leave it a little big, as you can take it in later.
Step eight:
Put a safety pin on one end of elastic and feed it through the casing you made in the top edge. Baste the edges of the elastic together once it is all the way through and try on the skirt. Adjust the elastic as necessary and sew it together for the last time. Sew the opening in the casing shut.
You’re done! Go and wear your new skirt!
Done!
Posted Thursday, August 26, 2010
Go to bed already!
By Heather Ledeboer | Category: The Journey of Motherhood
I have discovered something about myself. If I am up working on the computer at night, I have a hard time stopping. I end up being up very late and at the end I find I am not doing anything productive, just killing time doing things like checking my facebook status instead of crawling into bed. I don’t understand this. This very minute I am writing a blog post instead of going to bed.
Knowing this about myself, I recently started shifting my computer time to earlier in the day so that I didn’t get “caught” online late at night. However, now that I am working on my manuscript, I find that late at night have the most uninterrupted time to edit and write. So once again I am back in the silly temptation to stay up and do nothing once I am “done.”
So while I am still awake, I will show you a few funny photos of Hunter sleeping. See him below surrounded by his books that he was looking at before he fell asleep.
And below is the way he decided to organize and display his CD’s (he recently has been listening to the Narnia books on CD). If you look closely, you will see that he has them set up in chronological order. . .
Hopefully no one will read this post for many hours. . . I am going to bed now:)!
So am I alone in this or does anyone else have this problem of going to bed at night?
