Pickles

I've always loved dill pickles. You simply cannot have a summer picnic without them. 

When planning our garden my husband came up with the genius idea to grow pickling cucumbers. We already grow our own dill, so cucumbers were the next natural thing to plant. 

I have been researching home canning for weeks. I choose to water can because I do not own a pressure cooker. 

We spent $20 on jars, but we can reuse them every year. I also spent $10 on vinegar, pickling salt, and spices. But we ended up making 20 jars of pickles!! That's a $1.50 a jar! It will be less next year because we won't have to buy the jars, we will just need to replace the canning lids. Oh, and by the way, the taste freaking amazing!!! 

Home canning is a little addicting...I'm thinking pizza sauce or homemade stock is next 

Last Day of School Cookies

A friend of mine has a tradition with her kids on the last day of school. When they get off the bus she greets them with balloons and a cake to celebrate the beginning of their summer vacation. This year she asked me to make cut out cookies. I'm happy with the way they turned out. This project made me fall in love with edible markers. I wish that decorating cookies was as easy as the YouTube videos make it look. I am not even close to mastering the art of cookie decorating, but for now these will do 😀

Bride and groom cupcakes

I was asked to do two cupcake cakes. A bride and a groom, for a bridal shower. The groom was to be in blue to match what he would wear on that day. This was super easy and quick! 

I made all the cupcakes from scratch using my new Magnolia Bakery cookbook. Seriously if you do not have this cookbook buy it, now!

Unfortunately not all the cupcakes I wanted would fit on my cake board, but I made it work. I bought the brides belt from Michaels in the bridal section and just cut off the ribbon. 

I happened to have a gumpaste rose already made. I think it really makes the groom's outfit. The bride is just covered in rosettes, and the groom is simple zig zag technique using a 1M tip. I switched to a tip 12 for the bow tie and buttons. 

Single mom Saturday's

I used to joke that every weekend I experienced "single mom Saturday's " because my husband would be doing projects all day in the back yard. Well I'm happy to say that those days are over. And now we get to enjoy the back yard, relax and spend quality time together as a family! 

 

This is the new water feature. The pictures do not do it justice. We have 8 toads that live in the pond. They have given us millions of tadpoles. I love taking the kids to watch the tadpoles. It's a great way to include science into everyday life. 

Public market

Saturday morning trips to the public market has always been a part of my life. My dad would always take me to market, where we would eat breakfast and buy some goodies. This is a tradition that I have continued with my son, Eli. Our first stop at the market is Zimmerman's, a food stand, for yummy breakfast sandwiches, because you can't shop on an empty stomach.

Not only do I just love the atmosphere of the market, but there are so many benefits to shopping at your local public market. Buying local food simply tastes better because it's fresher. It has spent less time on a truck. It literally goes from the farm to the market! I love talking with local farmers about their crops. They can give me information about where my food came from. Organic? Free range? Non-GMO?

I also buy all my flowers and veggie plants from the public market. Why? They are CHEAPER! When you skip the middle man there is more money left over in your pocket. We are also supporting local small businesses...the farms! I love my Wegmans just as much as the next person, but I rather have my money going to the farmer directly. They work hard and deserve my money :-)

The local friendly farmer also lets me know when they are planting their crops. This is such crucial information because nothing annoys me more then taking the time to plant a garden, and then losing all my plants to frost.

Buying local fruits and veggies also allows you to literally see what is in season. Eating in season is the way to go! Lets face it, home grown local strawberries taste WAY better than the strawberries you get in the middle of November from who knows where. Remember you can always buy in bulk from the market and then freeze and can what you can't eat. Do you know where your local market it? Tweet me your market selfie with the #eatlocal

Bookworm Invitations

There are so many things I love about my little peanut, Juliet. But, her love of books is especially touching. It's the one thing that she constantly goes to. So this year for her birthday play date I decided to go with a book theme.

I love party planning. Even though I'm not having a huge blow out party for her I wanted it to be put together, starting with the invitations. Now I used to think that invitations didn't matter...they just end up in the garbage anyway, right? But, invitations are the first impression that your guests have of your event. It sets the tone and stirs up excitement.

I can't say a book themed party is something you see everyday...I would like to think it's a unique and original idea. It does make it difficult to find inspiration via Pinterest. But, with a little help from my friends (amazon), I was able to get everything I needed for my super cute invites.

What you will need:

Return card sleeves
Library Return or book cards
Old books from a thrift store
fine felt tip pens ( do not use Sharpies, they will bleed through the paper)

You don't even need to use a glue stick for this project! The return card sleeves are self adhesive. I do wish that the return cards were  a little bigger...but then they wouldn't fit in the sleeve.

Come on...these are so super cute ! I'll post all of the DIY decorations and the book cake I plan on making. What is the theme for your child's birthday? Find me on twitter (@meganpheterson) and let me know with the hashtag #kidparty

Battle Free Bedtime

My favorite college professor always told me we must set our students up for success, and although I'm not teaching elementary school, I have always found this to be true in parenting. I can't expect my kids to go to bed like perfect angels when I'm not giving them what they need to be successful.

So what do they need? Finding this out has been...well...FRUSTRATING! The number one rule...it's not about you. My kids will not go to bed early because I don't feel well. They will not be able to skip parts of our routine because I decided to take them out to a movie and came home late. So I take a deep breath, and remind myself it's about them. It's about what my kids need, and if I focus on them I will get what I need. A stress free evening where I can eventually wind down myself (kid free) and maybe have a glass of wine...or some chocolate...or both.

I needed a tool that, kept me on a regular bedtime schedule, was a visual for my kids, and also served as a reminder of the routine for my Hubby. I work a few nights a week so my hubby often has to put them to bed by himself  and we need to be consistent. So, I developed a visual bedtime routine to hang in our upstairs bathroom, a central location for both children to prep for bedtime. Now I could have printed out this schedule on paper and laminated it...but that would not be as fun! I was given a metal tray that wasn't my style and thought it would be a perfect background for my schedule. Some spray paint, Mod Podge, and a few pictures later and I was in business.

Some possible bedtime routine items are...

• Potty/diaper
• Bath/shower
• Brush and floss teeth
• PJ's
• Pick out clothes for tomorrow
• Book
• Turn on music or sound machine
• Turn on diffuser or humidifier
• Bedtime yoga

I try to allow my children to have choices during their bedtime routine so they feel in control. They can choose 1 or 2 books to choose from. We also have a specific box of bedtime books to avoid stories that will just excite and over stimulate them. They can have 2 or 3 kisses before lights out. They can have lavender or peace and calming essential oil in their diffuser.

When a child is over tired "a stress hormone called cortisol is released, which makes it hard to settle in and causes a child to wake up more throughout the night and wake up too early [in the morning]." according to Jennifer Waldburger the co-founder of Sleepy Planet. We found this to be very true with our almost 4 year old. After moving his bedtime up 30 minutes we found it was much easier to get him to fall asleep.

I do not stick to a strict bedtime. It just doesn't work well with our lifestyle. At times the kids are more tired because of the day's activities. Other days we will go out to dinner and may not get home until 7:30. I know the one thing I can keep consistent it the bedtime routine. At first when we would get home late I would just try to throw the kids in their pajamas and into bed, trying to make their official bed time. It resulted in my kids staying up even later then if I would have just gone through the normal routine. I know ahead of time that if we choose to be out late with the kids, that it will be very late after we have bath time and such. Being an obsessive planner I try not to have too many late nights in a row.

Do my kids go to bed perfectly every night? No. But I have found this helps. Hopefully it will help you. Find me on Twitter (@meganpheterson) and tell me about your bedtime woes and triumphs! 

Taco Tuesday

Dragons Love Tacos,  that is how our Taco Tuesday began. My in-laws bough this adorable book for my son. I love when a book can inspire and encourage my children to try new foods. He tried tacos for the first time, and they were a hit!!! Now every Tuesday we have tacos...or a taco inspired dinner. I have been making turkey tacos but I was in desperate need of something different. How many weeks in a row can you have turkey tacos?..I mean it's not pizza. I could eat pizza every day.

This week I made chicken fajitas! Not only did it fit into my Taco Tuesday theme, but it was a great excuse to use my new cast iron skillet. It also allowed me to use less meat. Lets face it, meat, even chicken is expensive. And, I'm always looking for new ways to introduce veggies into the kids diets. #moneysavingmeal

Chicken Fajitas - Serves 4 (2 adults and 2 small kids)

2 large boneless skinless chicken breasts cut into strips
1 green pepper
1 medium onion ( but I would use 2 next time)
2 tablespoons of fajita seasoning
2 tablespoons of canola oil ( you can use another type of oil if you don't have this in the house, but canola oil has a higher smoking point. That's why I use it)

Add oil to cast iron skillet and turn to medium high heat. After oil is hot add remaining ingredients. Cook until chicken reaches 165 degrees and veggies are soft and brown. Serve immediately with warm flour tortillas and Mexican rice.

Serve with Mexican Rice

2 cups of water
1/2 cup of tomato sauce
1/3 teaspoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon of onion powder
pinch of salt
1 cup of long grained rice (we used jasmine rice)

Combine water, tomato sauce, cumin, onion powder and salt in a medium size pot. Bring to a boil. Add the rice, reduce heat to low, cover and let simmer for 20 minutes.

We let the kids nosh on some chips and salsa while they wait for the cooking to be complete. But, Eli will remind us that it cannot be spicy salsa or he will start to breathe fire (like the dragons in the book). They love to add cheese and put their rice right into their "taco". Even Juliet, my picky eater, was chowing down. Dinner success!

Breakfast tacos, shrimp tacos, fish tacos...chocolate tacos? The possibilities are endless. Share your favorite taco dinner with me on Instagram (@megphetes) with the hashtag #tacotuesday.

Decorating in Stages

I would love to tell you that cake decorating is quick and easy...but it's not. It's time consuming. I have spent hours on one cake. But, it's a great way to have a personalized, one of a kind cake, at a reasonable price. It can also be a great way to make a little extra cash. My family and friends come to me to make cakes now, instead of going to a bakery. It's cheaper for them and puts a little cash in my pocket...which I usually spend on my crazy craft ideas.

Swirl drop flowers

Daffodils and lily

One of the things I do to save time, is prepare royal icing or gumpaste flowers ahead of time. These flowers can last FOREVER, lol! Well maybe not forever but they will not spoil. When I have a few hours free...which as a mom of two isn't often...I make a double batch of royal icing and make flowers. Then I'm prepared when I need to make a special cake.

Pink prim rose

After my flowers have dried for 24 hours I store them in an air tight container. They are ready to go whenever I am. I can add large flowers to cakes, and my little mini flowers to royal iced cookies.

Don't know how to make royal icing flowers? I suggest taking some Wilton Method Cake Decorating classes. You can find them at your local craft store. You can also check out this video Wilton posted to YouTube. They make it easy, you make it amazing! Once you have made some beautiful flowers post them to Instagram and tag me (@megphetes). I can't wait to see your creations!

Lots of flowers!