Father's Day Fun

For Father's Day Zoey had three gifts to make -- one each for her Daddy, Grandaddy, and Grandpa.  After spending time browsing on Pinterest (probably too much time if I'm being honest), I came across a really cute hand print card.  And no, I didn't care that it was supposed to be a Valentine's Day card.  Toddler hand prints are always in season.

I can't find the original one I pinned.  I swear I pinned it, but now I can't find it.  After a little searching, I finally found something similar to the pin I can no longer find.  And no, it probably isn't because I have too many pins to look at.  Unless we're talking food and drink pins.

 

Zoey had never had her hand print traced before, so having her hold her hand still was interesting.  Apparently it tickled.

 

After folding the card stock in half, I traced her hand along the folded edge and cut it out, so that it sort of made a heart when opened.  Then it was time to paint!  Zoey wanted to use her dot paints, and then the next day wanted to add glitter.  She had a blast making these, and was so proud that it was her hand.

New Year's Resolutions

So I know I probably should've done this sooner, since we're now almost a full week into the new year.  Whoops.  Although I wouldn't have done it the last few days, I totally threw out my back while shaving my legs in the shower.  Yes, I felt like an old woman.  Still do.  Ugh.

Anyway, I don't do well with finishing things sometimes.  So this year I'm actually going to make a couple of resolutions, and they're pretty general, in hopes that I can stick with them.

Here we go!

1.  Let's start with the most specific one.  My stepmom gifts me every year with a subscription to Vegetarian Times, which I love.  But a lot of times I read through it and don't cook any of the delicious-looking recipes.  So each month I'm going to cook two from each issue.  I haven't decided yet what to make from the latest issue, I just finished reading it this morning.  I'll keep you posted.

2.  Ben and I are both wanting to lose some weight.  Which means this one is actually a two-fer - eating healthier and exercising regularly.  When I was into it before, I did treadmill or other cardio M/W/F mornings and weights T/Th.  So hopefully I can ease back into that starting on Monday.  Whee!  Although I suppose that all depends on how my back is feeling then, doesn't it.  Bah.

Good luck to all of y'all who also made New Year's Resolutions!

Happy New Year!

Wow, I was so busy getting ready for the holidays that it didn't even dawn on me to visit over here.  Whoops! 

Zoey made out pretty well gift-wise.  So many people who love her and want to give her gifts!  She is definitely one well-loved little girl. 

By far, her favorite gifts were her Yule gift (the slide up above) from Mama and Daddy, her Ernie alphabet tablet from Grandaddy, rocking horse from Grandpa and Gamma Carol, jingle bells from Uncle Cliff and Aunt Christy, and a Lego Duplo block set with story book from Mimi. 

Oh, and Santa totally followed through.  All she asked him to bring for her was some black mittens.  Then it snowed Christmas day (gasp!  Snow in Texas!?!?) and she got to wear her new black mittens while running around the yard in the snow for the first time ever!  And yes, she held her arms out like that the whole time, on both days that there was snow.  Pretty sure it's from the mittens.  :)

I was given a couple of cookbooks, one of which I cooked from tonight - a yummy Vegetable Tetrazzini.  More about that coming soon.

Anyway, I hope y'all had a great holiday season.  Zoey sure did!

Happy Thanksgiving.... and Go Frogs!

I hope you all had a relaxing, tasty Thanksgiving!

We have two Thanksgiving get togethers over here.  On Wednesday we go visit one big group of family, and then on Thanksgiving we visit another group.  Being a vegetarian among a bunch of meat-eaters, and people who like to cook their veggies with bacon, I brought a yummy veg-friendly dish to both places.

This year I decided to try something new, the Festive Chickpea Tart from Let Them Eat Vegan by Dreena Burton.  The one I made Wednesday was kind of dry and crumbly.  But the one I made this morning turned out great and I thought it was quite tasty.

I also made Dreena's Artichoke and White Bean Dip, also from Let Them Eat Vegan.  Zoey and I thought it was pretty good.  Make sure to let it sit a little bit before eating it.  I tasted it right after making it, and it was much better by the time it was actually being served.

For Christmas, which will be at our house, I think I'll try a couple of her other holiday meal ideas.

Now as for the last part of the title... You see, Ben is a University of Texas grad.  And yours truly went to Texas Christian University.  And at the moment, we're watching a TCU vs. UT football game.  So, definitely a big Go Frogs.  Otherwise, Ben and his brother (who is also a UT grad) will never let me hear the end of it. 

Ben's Favorite - It's Shiner Soap!

Ben likes beer.  He likes all kinds of beers.  But his favorite is Shiner Bock.  Ben also likes to collect beer bottles.  In our kitchen, the ledge at the top of the cabinets are completely covered in beer bottles.  There are also boxes of other bottles that have no place to go, because the ledge is completely full. 

That is Ben's Shiner corner.  Shiner has made several different flavors, and has changed their Bock label a few times.  I'm pretty sure Ben has most of them.

Years ago when he was out of town for the weekend, I made a batch of soap with Shiner Bock.  I hid it and gifted him all nine bars for his birthday.  It was his favorite soap, and from what I remember, he told all of his friends about it.

Recently he's been... nagging... me to make it again.  So I present to you Ben's Favorite Beer Soap all ready to be put to bed in the oven. 

Unlike my Brighid soap, which is made with beer and a fragrance, or Michelada, which is beer and lime, Ben's Favorite Beer Soap has nothing to add to the scent except beer.  Cheers!

Happy Belated Halloween!

I hope you all had a wonderful Halloween!

This year was the first time Zoey went trick-or-treating.  My little bumblebee had a blast.  For the last month or so since we've been talking about Halloween, she has a sentence that she says over and over.  "On Halloween, if you wear your bumblebee dress, they will put candy in there."

I guess when I explained trick-or-treating I somehow left out the part about going up to houses and ringing the doorbell.  The first house we went to was our next door neighbor.  When I tried to guide her up the driveway, she almost had a meltdown.  "We can't go trick-or-treating!"  But I told her that we were actually trick-or-treating, we just had to go ring on the doorbell for them to give her candy.

After that, it was smooth sailing and she quickly became a pro.  She said thank you for her candy and everything!

And by the end of the night, her little Elmo basket was pretty full.  For someone who only has candy every once in a while, she's got quite a stash of it!

Happy New Year!

I hope you all had a safe and fun night last night.  :)  For our first post-Zoey New Year's Eve, Ben and I just stayed at home.  Dinner at Fuzzy's Tacos (yum!), and a glass of prosecco at midnight in our wedding toasting glasses.  Good times!

Meanwhile, I'm excited to say that I'm working on my first book for the book challenges I signed up for.  Yay!

In soaping news, 2011 should bring some changes in my shop.  A few price changes, and new products too (laundry soap and stain sticks!).