Rice krispy sushi for one cool seven year old!

My nephew Little D is quite the fisherman. Fishing at the lake, the creek, the river, the reservoir – he’s all over it! So when my little sister asked me to make a cute treat for his fishing themed 7th birthday party, I went into full-on Pinterest obsession mode. When I came across these cute rice krispy sushi at Simple Nests, I was sold!

Step 1

Gather your supplies:
– Rice Krispies or other similar rice cereal
– Marshmallows
– Fruit by the Foot
– Swedish fish

Step 2

Make your rice krispy treats (I just used the tried-and-true recipe on the back of the box: http://tinyurl.com/ricekrispysushi):

Ingredients:

• 3 tablespoons butter or margarine
• 1 package (10 oz., about 40) regular marshmallows
• 6 cups Kellogg’s® Rice Krispies® cereal

Directions:

1. In large saucepan melt butter over low heat. Add marshmallows and stir until completely melted. Remove from heat.
2. Add cereal. Stir until well coated.

Step 3

Press out to about an inch thick and let cool. Try to keep tiny fingers from pilfering little pieces.

Step 4

Measure your Swedish fish out on top of your treats and cut your treats into roughly the same size rectangles. It doesn’t have to be perfect! I know the treats below look much bigger than the fish, but I ended up making them a bit smaller than this. You’ll find what works for you and will be forming them into balls in the next step anyway.

Step 5

Using your hands, form each square into oval balls, similar to the nigiri you get at your favorite sushi restaurant (We’ve yet to find killer sushi in our new town, sigh….we are so spoiled coming from the SF Bay Area!). This is a good job for little hands, too.

Step 6

Have your little helpers put a Swedish fish on top of each “rice” ball.

Step 7

While they’re keeping busy with that, cut your fruit by the foot and wrap one around each treat. It should wrap all the way around the rice krispy treat & the fish and overlap itself a little. If you’d like, you could use some sort of a frosting to stick the fish to the treat, but I found it unnecessary because everything is so sticky on its own.

Voila! You have rice krispy sushi!

At this point you have a decision about how to display and serve them. You can stop here and leave them as nigiri – super cute!

Step 8 (optional)

Since Little D’s party was at a lake, I chose to stick them on a lollipop stick for easier transport and display outside – a good call since it was RAINING that day!

(Yes, that’s a little glimpse of my rain jacket in the bottom left corner!)

For this option you will need:
– Lollipop sticks
– Cellophane treat bags & ties
– Sand bucket
– Floral foam
– Paper or cellophane topper
– Bobbers or other fishing themed decorations

I put a piece of floral foam in a sand bucket and stuck in the sushi pops. (Note: I found that I needed to squish the sushi around the stick a little extra to make sure that they stuck well, and you’ll also need to be careful to pull them out of the foam by the stick, not the treat itself.) I topped it with blue shredded basket topping and layered in a few toy bobbers.

I got my sticks and baggies at JoAnn’s, but I’ve also seen them at Safeway, and I bet even Target has them. All the other stuff I found at the dollar store.

And there you have it, one satisfied seven year old! I have to say, I was surprised – these were as delicious as they are cute. There was something about mixing the rice krispy treat, Swedish fish, and fruit roll up together that totally worked. VERY sweet, but they are delicious!

Snugglebug

Naptime is pretty colorful around here.

Writer’s block in the Pinterest age, and winter daydreams of the coast

At the wise and subtle prompting of my BFF (I hope you’re reading this!), who ever-so-bluntly told me to “just get over myself” and blog, here goes!

I read a post that was circulating on Facebook recently about how Pinterest has added a whole new level of pressure on mamas to “be the best” and make everything super-cute and over-the-top fun. So if you aren’t making your own fruit snacks (on my to-do list); posing your Elf on the Shelf in nightly shenanigans; and hosting raging themed birthday parties (although we DID take the beasts to a fabulous “Where the Wild Things Are” party last week – you know who you are!), then somehow you are failing as a mom. I’ll echo that! And I’ll also add that, as a new(ish) blogger, Pinterest has been taking the wind out of my sails recently…paralyzing my creativity & motivation and making me feel that every post has to be utterly pintastic.

So, to heck with it, let’s keep it light, shall we? It’s been stinkin’ COLD here in Northern California! I’m sure to folks who live anywhere east of here, that’s debatable, but this native sunshine state girl is an icicle. I’d much rather be sitting in the sand and sunshine here:

Not only has it been cold, but our entire family got wiped out by the flu or some other nasty bug these last couple of weeks, and we’ve been feeling dreadful, tired, cooped up, and stir crazy. Although there’s nothing better than wrapping up in a cozy quilt when you’re sick, I think I like my quilts at the beach much better:

That’s Big River beach at the Mendocino Headlands up there. Anytime I start itching for the coast, Mendocino is where I want to be! And man, looking back at these pictures, I realize that it’s been over a year and a half since we were there. And that, my friends, is unacceptable. Must. Work. On. This. Problem. I mean, look at these cute little feet at Van Damme beach! Those are Big Pia’s little toes, and he’s not so little any more.

Little Pia didn’t even have hair yet!

There’s so much to do!

Fall in love (Pia proposed here!)

Fly a kite

Go tidepooling

Go for a hike

Or just hang out at our favorite home-for-the-weekend in the redwoods

Forgotton fabric, a friend in need, and why I love handmade

I bought this fabric online last year, before we moved. I loved the mix of cheery oranges, turquoises, and yellows and thought that it was fresh & summery. I loved the play of the bold geometric patterns off of the vintagey florals. But for some odd reason, when it arrived, I wasn’t sure if I liked it anymore. I ironed every single last piece and was going to start a quilt, but kept thinking, “Why don’t I like this fabric as much as I thought I would?”. So, I stalled and that’s as far as I got. It hung over my stair railing for months, and I’d just ignore it every time I walked past (I’m lazy that way). Then we moved & it got shoved in a box marked “Fabric” with all of my scraps and remnants, and sat in a pile of still-packed boxes in the corner of our new  office.

Then I got the sad news that one of my best friends’ dad passed away. Even though I talked with and texted her every day, I felt helpless because I couldn’t be right there with her. And that’s when I remembered my cheery, fresh, summery fabric. Suddenly, I had a purpose. This is how I could feel useful. This is how I could feel closer to her across the miles. I ran to that fabric box and pulled out this long, lost fabric…and I LOVED it. It was so gorgeous, how could I ever have doubted it?

So, I got to cutting…

And sewing…

And then I snipped, and snipped, and snipped, till this happened (sorry for the blurry iPhone photo!):

And with each cut, stitch, snip, I thought about my sweet friend and her family. I remembered her dad’s smile and how it lit up his face and eyes. I reminisced on all of their homes I’d been to over the years, from junior high, to high school, to college & beyond. I realized what a great sacrifice it was for her parents to leave their native country to give their kids the life they wanted for them here in America. And I was reminded of how grateful I was for that sacrifice, because I never would have met one of my best friends in this world.

In four days, in between all of my mom chores, swimming lessons, breaking up fights between the pias, and more, “Mom, look at me-help me-what’s this-moooommmmms” than I can count, I had made this:

And I gave this to my lovely, beautiful friend:

I have to admit, it was a little weird giving a gift at a funeral. I waited for a calm, private moment so I wouldn’t draw attention to myself. But it felt so good to give my friend a piece of my heart, something that she can wrap around herself when things are tough and she needs a big, warm hug.

And that, my friends, is why I love giving handmade gifts. It is not just the pretty fabric or the end result, but the warmth, love, time, and effort that are hidden inside.

Yummy chocolate covered apple pops, and I ask myself, “Am I THAT mom?”

These chocolate covered apple pops were so fun to make, made a big statement (more on that later…), and were sooo yum!!

I pinned these pops from RosaRot that have been circulating on Pinterest (such pretty pictures!), hoping I would have an excuse to make them. Then big pia started preschool – my big boy! And…I realized that I had to bring treats for his birthday. I guess I could’ve picked up cookies or cupcakes, or made them, but noooo – darn you, Pinterest! My mind immediately jumped to my “Kiddos” board and all the cool options I had pinned. Chocolate covered Oreo pops? Teddy bear race cars? Or, since September’s theme at school is apples…how about chocolate covered apples!

Problem was, RosaRot’s post is in German. So, one day during the pias’ nap time, I experimented with the dipping chocolate. I struggled with this a bit at first. First I tried using dipping chocolate that I got from Jo-Ann’s. It tasted pretty OK, but it was a little thick, then I think I microwaved it too long, or got water in it or something, because after a few apples it clumped up. I couldn’t yell at the chocolate because the pias were napping. I didn’t want to waste time driving all the way back to Jo-Ann’s for more chocolate. So, it was back to Pinterest to find a recipe. I ended up using this one from Our Best Bites, and it worked great. I used Ghiradelli 60% Cacao chocolate chips because it’s our absolute favorite and I buy like 10 bags whenever it’s on sale. It was perfect.

Here’s how I did it…

First, I sliced and cored the apples. Next I stuck the candy sticks in (I found mine at Jo-Ann’s but I also saw the same exact ones at Safeway). Then, it was on to dipping:

You may need to play with the temperature a little to get the right consistency. If the chocolate is too hot, it will be too thin and slide right off. If it’s too cold, then it will be kind of sticky and not coat the apple smoothly. Once you have the consistency you like, lay your apple down on a tray covered with wax paper and sprinkle it while it’s still hot. Big pia got to pick out his sprinkles, which had fun stuff like dinosaurs and cars.

Once they’re all dipped, put your tray in the fridge for awhile to set up. While mine were cooling, I decorated these little candy bags with stickers. (again, I got these at Jo-Ann’s and also saw them at Safeway). I found that these bags were a bit small so I will go bigger next time.

To display them, I put a piece of floral foam in a cute little cardboard basket I found in the Dollar Spot at Target. I topped it with some ribbon I had on hand, and Voila! PIA said they looked professional!

And big pia loved them, too. What a fun way to show up to preschool for your birthday!

Which leads me to my question, “Am I THAT mom?”! Because when I showed up at school with these things, the teachers and the moms went bezerk! “Wow, Jenna, thanks for showing us up!” “Ohhhh, so you’re THAT MOM – there’s always one in the class!”. And then, in a scene I still relive in slow motion, I said (I kid you not), “Well I didn’t want to be Lame Mom”, hopefully not alienating everyone around me in one fell swoop. Ugh. All teasing and in good fun, but I left there sweating and heart racing, thinking, “Did I do too much?”! I’m brand spankin’ new to this school thing so I’m figuring it out as I go. This week’s birthday mom brought popcicles, which I think is genius in its simplicity!

What about you, what kind of treats do you bring for your kid’s school events?

Homecoming: A (finally) finished quilt and a family is complete

I am always amazed at how quickly my rag quilts come together! Leave it to me to take it down to the wire, but after months of waiting for “my” baby girl to arrive (via our dear friends’ adoption)…planning her quilt, picking fabrics with her soon-to-be mamma, playing photographer, and otherwise busying myself with everything other than cutting and sewing, I finally got my act together AFTER Sweet Baby Girl was born. In the end, I realize that, after months of not sewing, my hangup was that I was intimidated by cutting down my fabric and figuring everything out again. Once I got going though, it didn’t take long to find my groove again, and I was off!

Whew, just in time for the shower, too. Which, can I just say, was the biggest, happiest, most special baby celebration I’ve ever been to…for the happiest, luckiest, proudest new parents. A long, hard journey is finally over, and our dearest friends have found their special one (or maybe she found them?) and their new happy-crazy-things-will-never-be-the-same-and-we-love-it normal.

Here’s a little peek at “Homecoming“…

Waste Not, Want Not – How to Freeze Lemon Zest

I am not a stickler for organic stuff but when it comes to lemons I usually stick with the certified kind. I’m sure that the juice is safe & sound under that thick rind, but the thought of zesting a bunch of wax and other chemicals off with the good stuff kinda wigs me out. When I have a recipe that only uses lemon juice, my frugal brain freaks out a little at the thought of throwing out all of that perfectly good zest. If I am going to pay three times as much for organic, you better believe I’m going to use every last bit of that fruit!

I am not sure where I came across this tip, but somewhere along the way I discovered that you can freeze zest. I’d like to think that I came up with this genius on my own, but it was probably on Food Network or Pinterest. I’ve been doing this for awhile now and it works great. There’s no special technique here, just zest your lemon BEFORE you juice it, throw it in a small container or ziplock, and pop it in the freezer until you need it. I just keep adding to my zest stockpile as I go, crumble off whatever I need when the time comes, and then throw the rest back in the freezer.

The bonus is that I always have enough organic zest on hand when I want to make our new favorite lemon chicken, which I found on Annie’s Eats via Pinterest. I make this at least every couple of weeks because it is so easy, tender, and delicious!

Homecoming

Well, hello there! I knoooowwwww. It’s been awhile. We moved (yay!) and, in all the hustle and bustle and settling in, I kinda lost my creative mojo. No sewing, no writing, no nothin’ (unless you want to count the endless hours I spent wasting time on Pinterest and Houzz madly looking for decorating ideas). Let’s just call it hibernation, because I’m starting to feel some creative stirrings. And if there was ever a time to come out of my rut/hiding/hibernation/whatever-you-wanna-call-it, this fabric and soon-to-be baby quilt is it!

Isn’t it just precious?! I chose these prints with a dear friend who is awaiting her first baby in June. It’s been quite a long journey for this soon-to-be family (as baby stories often are…) and I couldn’t be more excited to blow the dust off my sewing machine and get going on this quilt!

I think I’ll call this one Homecoming, because not only is this the first quilt I’m creating in my new house, but when this sweet baby girl finally comes home it will be quite a homecoming indeed.

P.S. Fabric fans, can you spot the hidden word in the alphabet print? I swear, I did not stage this, I just happened to hang it perfectly!

Dutch oven tamale pie

Our first foray into dutch oven cooking was a 50/50 split. While we were in Yosemite we made tamale pie (a success!) and brownies (so-so). For the tamale pie, I modified a Cook’s Illustrated recipe that is one of my standbys at home. PIA, MIL & the little pias all loved it, so it’s definitely going in the camping “keeper” box. It’s a total one-pot meal, and the perfect end to a day out on the trail.

Cook’s Illustrated Skillet Tamale Pie

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

1 onion, minced

2 tablespoons chili powder

Salt and pepper

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 pound ground beef

1 (15 oz) can black beans, rinsed

1 (14.5 oz) diced tomatoes, drained

1 (6.5 – 8 oz) package cornbread mix (I used Jiffy, our fav)

1 cup shredded cheddar cheese (so not enough! I used more)

1 (6 oz) can black olives, drained (my addition)

1 (14.5 oz) can corn, drained (my addition)

Since I’m still so new to the whole dutch oven cooking process, I’ll assume that you know how to build your fire and get your pot hot and ready.

1) Heat oil and add onion, chili powder, and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Cook until onion is softened. Add garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds.

2) Stir in ground beef and all cans and bring to a simmer, breaking up beef.

3) Meanwhile, mix cornbread batter according to package directions.

4) Stir cheddar into filling and season with salt & pepper to taste. Spoon batter on top and spread into an even layer.

5) Put lid on and top with desired number of coals (as you can see in the picture above, I think we went a little overboard!).

6) Bake until cornbread is cooked through in the center.

The brownies? Well, let’s just say there was some definite yumminess to be scraped off the top. Our fire was a bit hot, so we’ll have to work on that next time. But I have to say, there’s nothing like eating a nice, warm brownie under the stars, even if it’s got a bit of char.

Our Yosemite adventure (or, Mom doesn’t chicken out)

I’ve been either preggo or hovering over babies the last three summers, and let me tell you, I’ve been seriously jonesing for some fresh, mountain air. So when it looked like Little Pia was finally over his I-hate-the-car-and-I’m-gonna-torture-you-every-long-mile-with-my-screaming phase (aka, his first 1+ year), I made reservations in Yosemite quicker than you can say “s’more”.

Then we had a “little” incident where Little Pia screamed his head off for an hour while we were spending the night with family and, on the same trip, cried for an hour-and-a-half straight on the way home. I was scared. (I’ll tell you sometime about the time he screamed for three hours on our way home from Mendocino).

What a mental battle, I‘m sure know I drove everyone around me nuts. I went from “I’m not going. What if he wakes up the whole campground?” to “I’m going! I’m not going to get scared away, and I don’t want to miss out on the fun!” and back to “I’m not going. I can’t take it!”. In the end, I’m glad I sucked it up and didn’t chicken out. I mean, look how gorgeous this place is!

Yosemite is definitely touristy, but it’s great for families and fall is the perfect time of year to go. The weather is still warm and the crowds have died down (although not completely gone away). Many of the more popular trails, like Lower Yosemite Falls, Mirror Lake, and the first part of the Mist Trail, are paved – perfect for strollers and (where allowed) bikes. Big Pia rode his balance bike on most of our hikes.

We stayed in the Housekeeping Camp in Yosemite Valley. It’s a perfect first “camping” trip if you have younger kiddos: three concrete walls, a concrete floor, a canvas roof, a couple of beds, with a kitchen prep area, camp table, and a fire pit.

Oh, and BONUS! power outlets! We brought some Christmas lights to add some fun. Our neighbors all loved the lights because they could find their sites in the dark.

The pias did not let us down. For all my freaking out, they were troopers and the trip went surprisingly smooth. Some small wakeups during the night, but no “OMG, I’m so embarrassed!” moments, which I call a big success. It was a good reminder to not get so wrapped up about stuff, and just go for it!

I brought my Delta Breeze quilt along to have on hand for picnics, evening stroller rides, and al fresco naps.

Thanks for a fun trip, Yosemite, we’ll see you next fall!

In the garden today

This beauty stopped me in my tracks during what I fondly (ha!) call “the witching hour”, that time between 5:00 and 6:00 p.m. when dinner is in some state of almost-not-quite-not-at-all-ready, Little Pia’s screaming and pulling at my legs as if I’ve never fed him before, and Big Pia wants me to watch his every move. What a nice excuse to slow down for a moment.  🙂