Remembrance Packet

Our society and lifestyles have lead us to often times live even

hundreds of miles away from our families. Gratefully there are many ways

for us to keep the family updated and connected such a social media and

other types of amazing technology such as Skype. However, these tools

are not a complete replacement for missed family events or face to face contacts.

 

This past January my family suffered the great loss of my second born Son. Due

to the unexpected nature of this event and for other reasons, neither one of my

parents were able to attend his funeral.

 

Being a mother of a baby not known intimately by his extended family nor by

the world is an experience unlike any other. However, some things are the

same as giving birth to a surviving child.  Just like with my first born, I wanted

desperately to share my son with the world. Share how very special he is. I

wanted my parents, and the rest of my family to know him as I do, LOVE him

as I do. So, I set to work on a “remembrance package”.

 

1) I took a 12x12 piece of card stock and folded it into an open end envelope

with the top overlapping the bottom by about an inch.

2) Out of contrasting card stock I punched two circular discs

for the enclosure piece.

3) I then lined up the circle to the bottom, middle portion of the

top flap of the envelope and hole punched though both pieces creating

a single hole. (as seen below)  

 

4) I then paced an eyelet in the created hole. (found in

the scrapbooking/paper crafting supplies)

 

 

5) I Repeated the process for the bottom portion of the envelope,

taking care to leave at least a 1/4 in. gap between the top and

bottom circles .

6) I then tied/anchored one end of a  long ribbon say about

8-10 in. to the top circle. ( The ribbon and knot behind the

circle and around the eyelet NOT through the eyelet)

This allowed me to close my envelope by winding the

ribbon in a figure eight pattern between the two discs,

closing the envelope in a very “Old English” kind of way.

 

 

7) I printed simple/respectful sticker labels for the front

of each envelope.

“In Remembrance of Brennan James McCarroll”

 

8) I enclosed the following:

*one copy of each of the talks given at the funeral

*one copy of the program used at the funeral

*one small, inexpensive photo book which included

photos of the flowers, his hands and his feet (taken by

professionals in the hospital) the location of the cemetery,

and copies of several quotes and poems that I found

comforting.

 

This was not only helpful for them to help make up for not

being able to attend the funeral, but it was also therapeutic

for me as well. 

 

This idea does not have to be associated with such a sad occasion.

There are graduations, weddings, births and reunions missed by

family members all the time! This is a simple and inexpensive way

to include those who are unable to travel or miss out for any reason,

a family event.

What ideas do you have that you could place in such a memento?

 

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A Handful of Money Saving Tips.

Sometimes we simply spend money that we don’t need to spend.

I do it and I know others do it too. When we have the “extra” money

we tend to be blinded by the convenience of buying new and we miss

the saving opportunities that are nearly always there.

Whether things are tight or not I get a thrill from saving my family

money. I have a few ideas for you today that can help stretch the budget

and get your creative juices going.

 

First up:  “Old Fashioned Mending”

 

My son has grown tall but still stays slim. So, this spring I started to

go though his clothing to see what I had and to make preparations 

for his summer wardrobe. I found several pairs of pants that had

worn knees and frayed hems. I decided to crop and hem them into

new shorts for the summer.

 

This can be done in a matter of 30minutes to an hour and for each pair

of converted pants to shorts, I saved my family anywhere from 5 –10

dollars! This is a total savings of $20-$40 for 4 pairs of shorts!

 

Second on the list: Iron-on $avings!

 

Never underestimate the power of a strategically placed iron-on

embellishment. Iron-ons come in every shape and size. They are

fast and require no sewing. They can dress-up an inexpensive, and

otherwise drab item and make it something fabulous! They can also

be used to hide a multitude of problems that would cause one to

throw an otherwise good garment away. I have two perfect examples

for you today.

 

I found this plain blue cotton-t on clearance for next to nothing. My

son was shopping the iron-on isle with me and found a race car patch

that he simply went crazy for!

 

I could have stopped with just the race car but I had some letters left

from another project so I decided to embellish this sleep-shirt with a

very “punny-saying”.

 

 

 

 

Total cost for a new custom sleep shirt: $5.00 (about a 50% savings)

 

 

My 3 almost 4 year old is very loving  but he is equally rambunctious!

I was doing laundry this winter when he ran full speed around the

corner and rammed into me as I was pouring bleach in the wash.

Needless to say, once you see the next pic, his favorite winter

hoody was ruined…or so I thought….

 

Iron on a soccer ball patch and…. you have

a $aved Fave!

 

 

Cost of new Hoody $10 – $12 vs. cost of iron on patch: $2.50!

 

 

Thirdly: “$craps of $avings!”

 

If you are a sewer at all, more than likely you have scraps of

fabric from other projects piled in a closet or stacked in a box.

Aiden needed new jammies desperately. Between myself and my

mother-in-law we found an old pajama pattern and three flannel

scraps of material that we were able to turn into three fabulous

pairs of pajama pants!

 

 

Three pair of pajama pants. Total Cost: $3.00 (for elastic) A total

savings of about $15.00 or more!

 

When sewing from scraps remember a few things:

1) Look through all your material to see what you have.

2) Ask your fellow sewers/crafters what they have as well.

(we sewers are always happy to use up our scraps)

3) Don’t disregard old patterns. Some things really never change.

Boys pajama bottoms are exactly the same as they were 30 years

ago. Don’t let the dated image on the pattern envelope discourage you.

Look through your stash or ask around before buying a pattern.

 

 

Pillows!

There is a running joke in my family about always “buying plenty”

and if you have too much “you can always make a pillow with the extra.”

This philosophy has resulted in a LOT of extra. So, before buying new fabric

for pillows look through your scraps first or in this case your wardrobe!

 

I had a new, awesome, white sweater until I spilled hot cocoa down the front

of it. I tried everything to get rid of the stain to no avail and the stain was

in such a place that I could not craftily place embellishments to hide it and

still look cute so…. I made my sister a sweater pillow for her house warming.

To embellish the pillow I made three different flowers with one from the

sleeve. The other two I took strips of the sweater, ran a running or

gathering stitch along one side and an decorative stich along the other

with contrasting thread. I used scraps of matching bias tape to make leaves

and before I knew it, I had a lovely decorative pillow gift for only $3.50! (for the stuffing)

 

 

 

These are just a few tips and ideas on ways I have recently saved money

for my family. If you stop and take a minute before throwing out the old or

running to buy new, often times you can find ways to reuse, repurpose and renew

items you already have and make them into things you really want to keep.

 

How do you save money for your family? Write to me, I would really love to know!

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Roast Beef Panini

 

I can barely put this sandwich down to type up this post.

It is simply that good. My Husband loves good sandwiches 

and this is one of our go-to sandwich dinners that is not

only very satisfying, but is very simple too.

 

You will need:

1/2- 3/4 lb. Roast Beef thinly sliced (I get mine from the deli)

1 can beef broth (or I use beef bouillon powder)

2 slices American cheese

2 slices Swiss Cheese (I used processed… Don’t Judge!)

4  thin slices tomato

2 tbs. Mayo

4 slices sourdough bread

Butter

*yields 2  sandwiches

First butter your bread like you do for grilled cheese.

Now,  bring your beef broth to a boil.

You will place your roast beef in the boiling water for

just a few minutes, just enough time eliminate any pink

and heat your meat all the way through.

 

Place first slice of bread, butter side down on pre-heated

pan or Panini Grill.  Spread mayo on top, then place tomato

slices followed by your cheese slices.

Now pile your juicy beef slices on top of your cheese and

top of with the other slice of bread. Now either close your

press or if cooking in a pan you can use an additional pan or a

foil covered brick to help press the sandwich down.

 

Your Panini is done when the bread is golden and crisp and your

cheese is oozing out the sides!

-This sandwich was inspired by my brother-in-law Renee Cano

Enjoy!

 

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All American Salisbury Steaks

My mom is an amazing cook, but not in a traditional sense.

Yes her food is, most importantly, yummy to eat however, her

talents lay in the way she can feed an army a filling meal with

little to nothing in the pantry.  We grew up with our tummies

full, never going to bed hungry but this was no easy task for my

parents. They worked very hard and there were in fact times when

we barely scraped by. My Mother’s knack for peering into a nearly

bare cupboard and in 45 minutes or less presenting a delicious

filling meal ensured our family’s survival. One of the meals she used

to cook on a fairly regular basis was what she called “glorified

hamburgers.” These burgers were made with hamburger mixed

with chopped onion, a little ketchup, and Worcestershire sauce.

The patties were then pressed into saltine cracker crumbs and then

fried in this impressive, black, cast-iron skillet. Sounds simple and

maybe even a little odd but they were very tasty and a welcomed

change from what sometimes was the third or fourth night of

some version of a hamburger based meal. (Hamburger was by

far the cheapest of meats at times and went the furthest)

I took this idea and combined it with a similar recipe that I got

from a nephew of mine.

  

 

You will need about 1 1/2 lbs. Hamburger

1 cup minced onion

1/4 –1/2 cup oatmeal

2 eggs

1 tsp. garlic powder

1/4 cup milk

1 can Golden Mushroom soup

1 sleeve crushed butter crackers (I used Ritz)  

TBS. Oil for frying

*Mix all ingredients except crackers and

soup  in a bowl.

Form into patties and then press patties into crushed

butter crackers.

Then, fry in olive oil until golden brown.  Burgers do not have

to be cooked through. They will finish cooking in the oven.

Now, place burgers in a baking dish and

cover the burgers with the soup.  {This meal

is also one of my bulk cooking meals I make 12’ish

burgers at a time and then place them in foil

baking trays. I cover them in the soup, then in plastic wrap.

I cover the entire thing with foil and freeze. This way in

same amount of time it takes me to make one nights meal,

I have prepared two more in advance!}

  

Bake in the oven at 350 for about 45 minutes or until the burger is cooked

all the way through.

 

The soup makes a delicious gravy which reminds me of the old T.V. dinners

back in the day. (of which I would never eat now, but loved as a kid)

My mom is an All-American cook at heart who reminds me to be humble

and remember where I came from. I am grateful for her talent to make

great things out of very little. It was humility, and the hard work of the

working class that built this nation. It was the sacrifice of Mother’s and

Father’s alike that paved a better life for their children and their children’s

children. That is what makes this country grand. I am thankful for my roots

and I am proud to be an American.

 

Thus the re-name of this re-mix dish to All-American Salisbury Steaks and

why I chose this recipe above all others as my 4th of July post this year!  

I love you Mom and all that you have done for me. You are an inspiration.

 

Happy Independence Day!

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Simple trash to treasure

I LOVE taking what appears to be junk and turning

it into something fabulous! My husband loves the

results but hates to participate in the “finding” of

such treasures! We drove past this beauty nearly

twenty times over a span of two weeks and every

time we passed it I drooled, and every time my

hubby stepped on the gas. Well, I finally found

myself driving on my own one day and I scored!

I felt triumphant! Then it sat on the back porch all

winter long. See, here in Flag I am restricted by

season as to when I can paint.

 

{ Insert your imagination Here}

 

This is where I was supposed to but the glorious pre-

picture of my “trash” It was great! A dirty white  wicker

frame with a splash of blue stain across one side.

Can you picture it? Pretty trashy right. Okay, I will

explain. I have been going through a lot of emotional

turmoil the last six months and well, I have somehow

lost my picture along with my mind. So use your imagination

and enjoy the following post-pics. they are good too.

It just looses it’s “wow” factor without the before photo. Sorry folks.

 

The phrase is from one of my favorite songs I sing to my son.

It makes a big statement on a very blank wall of our home.

With it’s size I think I may add more fabric flowers to it so that

it balances out more.

I made the two roses by rolling old rick-rack around itself, and

the larger flower was from the sleeves of an old sweater!

The frame was from what looked like an old vanity. Between

paint and the thin fiber board for the back this project

cost me around 6 bucks! Can’t beat that!

 

Oh BTW, the flowers are removable! I attached wire to the

back of the flowers and then wedged the “stem” in the frame.

This way I have the option of changing the accents by the season.

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Penne Rustica

 

Macaroni Grill is my husband’s absolute favorite place to eat and when

we get the chance to go, we always split the the Penne Rustica!

I found this recipe some time ago on Your Home Based Mom.

I made a few customizations of my own to make it a little closer to the original

and I tell you what, there is no other copycat recipe as close as this one is

to the original flavor!

 

 

Ingredients:

12 oz. grilled chicken breast
1/4 lbs. Pancetta

1/4 lbs. Prosciutto
2 boxes penne pasta
1 1/2large red bell peppers- diced and sautéed till soft 
1 1/2 cups freshly grated parmesan cheese
½ tsp paprika for sauce and some to sprinkle on top!

3 cups Mozzarella cheese

Gratinata Sauce:
2 tbs. butter
3 large cloves chopped garlic
1/3 apple juice + 2 tbs. red wine vinegar + 1 cup chicken broth

1 tsp. dry mustard
1 tsp. salt

1 tsp. chopped fresh rosemary and several sprigs for garnish
¼ tsp. cayenne pepper
4 cups heavy cream + 3/4 cup milk

 

Directions:
Sauté garlic and peppers in butter in large pan.

Add apple juice mixture, mustard, salt, rosemary, cayenne pepper,

and heavy cream and milk.

 

             Cook pasta according to directions.

Chop pancetta and prosciutto into small pieces and then fry

in a skillet. Slice chicken into medium-bite size pieces.

(***Tip, when grilling chicken at any time be sure to add a couple extra

breasts on the grill. Then slice up and throw in the freezer for future meals

like this one. This Saved me a good hours worth of time! )

Combine sauce, cooked pasta, diced chicken, pancetta, prosciutto,

bell peppers, parmesan cheese, and paprika and mix thoroughly.

Spread in pans, and top with chopped rosemary and mozzarella cheese.

Garnish with 3 rosemary sprigs in each pan.

When I set out to make this recipe I did not realize how large the recipe

was, but I was incredibly grateful that it did!

In one prep I made four dinners at once. Considering the amount of work

involved up front it was very beneficial to get three future dinners done

at the same time.  

Bake @ 475 for 10 minutes. If frozen, thaw in refrigerator the day of.

Cover with foil and bake @ 375 for 1 hour. Remove foil during the last 15 minutes.
Number Of Servings: Yields 4
Preparation Time: More than an hour

Future suggestions… As we started to eat we realized that the ONLY thing that

was missing was the shrimp! So next time I will add lightly sautéed Shrimp.

 

 

I chose to serve this with a simple salad and sourdough bread,

baked and buttered with garlic-butter.

 

Taking the time to set a simple table Scape sets the mood

and some how makes the food taste that much better!

Making dinner at home special also makes it easier to make

the choice to eat at home.

We even played some Italian music as we ate!

This is a great meal for date night, Valentines Day,

Italian themed movie night, Birthday Celebration,

or Father’s day.  Here is a fantastic dessert to

accompany any Italian meal!

This is now a permanent recipe in my rotation of

bulk meals. Since we are in Flagstaff now, and there

is not a Macaroni Grill here, this helps  to satisfy

my husbands withdrawals! 

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Kitchen Aide Accident!

It was late, and I was working under a heavy cloud of sleep deprivation.

I was up very late two nights in a row trying to prepare a lesson to be

observed by my new boss. The lesson went extraordinarily well, and as

always, I had promised my students a great reward for their extra effort.

After a long stressful day at work, a grocery store run for supplies,

and a fully cooked meal for the family, I set to work on the cupcakes

of my dreams. The first mistake I made, (which looking back,

should have tipped me off on how this project was going to go) was

purchasing a generic brand of cake mix. It had an odd texture,

and did not seem to mix well by hand. So, I dug out the handmaiden of all

handmaidens my precious Kitchen Aide!

I placed the contents in the bowl and set her to work…..

And then… well, I got a bit side tracked and ….. let’s just say

the consistency was no longer chunky but very very smooth

and very very aerated.  “oh well, they will still taste good right?”

and away I proceed. I then fill 24 cups to the top, (against the cupcake instructions)

because of course I want huge, impressive,  high top cupcakes like you find at Costco!

But, no, that is NOT what I got. What I got was a cupcake disaster that

resembled Pangaea, complete with all the tops connecting perfectly

to form a nearly solid flat surface. 

Well, scratch those, and start again,

After scrubbing the muffin tin clean for 20 minutes,

the rest of them baked oaky with little mishap.

But wait there’s more!

As my barely-tolerable cupcakes cooled I began my butter-cream

frosting. Hope renewed, I start with my butter and whip it in my

mixer till smooth and begin to add the first cup of powdered sugar.

{The rest of this story happened in a matter of seconds but in my

fatigued mind it was in very slow motion} As I am dumping the powdered

sugar I feel my grip on the cup loosen and I watch it as it falls into the bowl

of speedily whipping butter. Like a bomb going off there is a truly

magnificent explosion of butter and sugar in a perfect spray pattern

across my kitchen, across me and across the face of my three-year-olds

angelically, surprised face. The grinding of the motor and the off-beat scraping

sounds of my priceless Kitchen Aide wakes me from a trance of shock. I here

myself saying turn… it… off… stupid! 

and I gradually feel my arm catching up with my slow reacting mind as

I see my arm reach out to turn the abused mixer off. The clanging stops

and my eyes scan and assess the damage. My Son stands affixed,

wide-eyed in wonderment covered in icing! I see what can only be described

as a beautifully powdered wall, black table and dark tile indicating all too

perfectly the location and direction of the detonation. My husband emerges

cautiously from the office located at the furthest end of the kitchen and does

a quick assessment of the incident and then he, with some hesitation in his

voice asks,…what the heck happened?  It was at that moment that

 I l-o-s-t, lost it! I gave in to hysterical laughter! How could I not?

I mean, I have been cooking and baking since I was seven, what a completely

amateur move!   

                      These pictures could never give it justice!

 

 

          

 

Fortunately, my engineer of a husband was able to

bend my whip back into a usable shape and there was no

permanent damage to my favorite kitchen helper!

 

The show must go on, so I proceeded to finish my cupcakes.

I was up till midnight but I got them done. In my opinion, they

were the worst tasting but most adorable looking cupcakes.

 

I thought that it would be fitting to take at least one photo

with the splattered table as the backdrop.

 

I did sweep the floor that night but the table and walls did not

get cleaned until the next day!

In the words of my students. “WOW Those are awesome!”

They loved the story about the exploding cupcakes and

the epic story spread through the school hallways that day.

 

 

 

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