Snow Day

Happy Snow Day friends!  We woke up to a snowy wonderland this morning, and how better to celebrate a day off school than blueberry muffins and The Devil Makes Three on Sonos.  Don't even get me started on Sonos.  I love that thing.  Life changing, for reals.

The second best thing about days off school?  KIDDOS!!!!  When I was a young mama, many moons ago, I thought, oh won't life be easier when the kids are in school.  Well, it's different, but I miss those little turkeys!  We played and played and played outside.

The birds need to shovel their front stoop!  Oh, and yes, my kids sled down the porch steps!  

You gotta do what you gotta do folks.

Such characters.

The most delicious way to top off a snowy, fun filled day....homemade bread and vegetable soup.  

Precious day with precious kiddos.

love and light,

jen

All Time Faves

Do you guys ever check that "stats" thingy on your blog page?  I just discovered that thingy with my Onion Grove Mercantile blog.  It's kinda cool to see which posts folks think are better than sliced bread.  I'm not going to go crazy and say any of my posts are equivalent to segmented bakery goods, but there are a few that have more than three visits.  Three is my high water mark.  I decided to check out the stat thingy over here at Notes From the Heartland too...just for kicks.  I mean it's cold, it's dark at 2pm and I have some time on my hands in between NetFlix episodes of Sons of Anarchy.  Okay, don't even pretend you can't get behind a long haired tattooed biker with a big heart.  Okay, okay, I'm NOT a fan of the gratuitous violence (I cover my eyes) but the bikers, yeah I kinda like the bikers.  There should really be a girly version of that show.  Long haired cute bikers minus the yucky blood and guts. Like, maybe they run a pet shelter and fight for the rights of pets everywhere.

I actually married a tattooed biker....wanna see?

Hehehe.

 So I digress, back to the stat thingy.  

I thought it would be fun to review my top 5 stat thingy posts. 

 AND.....here they are.  On to to the statistical fun.

Number 5! 

 The garden markers made from.....can you guess?  Of course you can.  Can...can....get it?  Can?  Orange juice can lids!  These are a fave.  

Number four!  

The dry erase project made for one of my besties.  She has five kids...and runs a cafe....and basically volunteers for everything she's ever been asked to do.  Please don't ask her to join your group, I like to go dancing with her once in a while. ;-)

Number 3!  

This one surprised me a tad...I like these signs...love the message they deliver, but still a little surprised.  I think these puppies rode the subway sign wave that went crazy a year or two ago.

Number 2!  

The Wallpaper potion. This will change your life. Swear.  Well, I guess it can only change your life if you have wallpaper.  Okay, I guess maybe not everyone has wallpaper anymore.  If you live in a 100 year old house like us, you'll want to send me chocolates.  For reals.

AND......I know you've been holding your breath through all that other junk.....I PRESENT NUMBER ONE!!!!  Crockpot Mongolian Beef. There.  Done.  Now I have to say, while this stuff is pretty good, I don't know that it warranted 107,679 visits.  Really, people?   Thus is the magic known as Magic Mike...heheheh...that really just made me laugh out loud.  My internet bestie (someday real life....I'm going to photobomb his upcoming trip to the Caribbean....you just watch Michael...I'm gonna be there;-) Michael of Inspired by Charm is magical.  Michael has the Midas touch when it comes to Pinterest.
 If he pins you, you'd better be prepared.  FYI.

This Mongolian Beef post is probably ready for a Caribbean vacation.

I hope you enjoyed this little tour through my stat thingy!  

love and light,

jen

I'm Back...Maybe...Well I'll Try

So...here we are....four months later.  I have to say that I wax and wane with my interest level toward my personal blog.  Uh, we just have to look at the ole blog header up there to determine that...lol!!  It's perpetual summer here in Iowa, hadn't you heard?  I did change my profile pic...that's pretty good, right? I should really post a "real life" photo of myself next to that one.  I have look liked that one day in my life.  The  other jillion days of my life I have a pony tail, no makeup and paint splattered from stem to stern.  So, in defense of all women who are intimidated by foofoo photos of other women....this is what I REALLY look like (pre-pro makeup & hair).  Normal, normal, normalty normal.  Yay for normal. ;-)

 I had an art teacher in high school who refused to take videos of family events, or even use a camera for the most part, because he said you were missing out on LIVING life, while you were trying to CAPTURE life.  I think about that a lot.

 I enjoy reading other folks' blogs about recipes, but really don't want to take the time to take photos of every step myself.  I love seeing "before & after" shots of home projects...keep up the great work friends!  However, I tend to dive in and not take photos til my projects are finished, if even then.  SO, I'll try to do better, friends...try to plop out a blog entry once in a while, but my husband does a great job blogging about our family, mostly for the benefit of my folks and I have stayed super busy with my third baby (not really a real baby, don't go crazy).  

Onion Grove Mercantile has taken on a life of its own.  I went legit this year and even filed TAXES.  

CA-RA-ZY, right?  I feel so blessed to pursue my art and make a contribution to our family finances!  Life stays busy, our kids keep growing and we are loving every minute of it!  

I included a couple shots of some of my faves from the last few months!

Our oldest celebrated his NINTH birthday last week. Whoa.  I understand every bit of what my art teacher meant now....while you're not looking your kids will grow into little adults...like "oh look at this little baby" to BOOM! young man in a blink.

That shaggy hair makes me grin everyday. 

 This kid knows who he is, is proud of it and is a beautiful ray of light in the world.

love and light,

jen

Sock Drying, Fun for All Ages

I know.  Right now you're asking yourself, what kind of magic has been performed on these children.  LINING UP to help with chores.  Hanging socks, nonetheless.  Quite possibly the worst job in the "hanging-of-clothes" line of profession.

Enter Papa.  AKA, The Genius.  Yes folks, my dad is a genius.  After spotting one of these babies hanging from an Amish clothesline (we love our Amish around these parts) he took a snapshot in his brain and recreated it for my clothesline.  And my sister-in-law's clothesline.  And another for my sister-in-law's clothesline (those folks have A LOT of socks...possibly more than two feet per person, I don't know what's going on over there.)

And let me tell you, we kinda fight about who gets to hang the socks now because it's SO DARN FUN.   

The socks don't get folded over the clothesline, so they dry so nice and evenly and they flap around in the wind so they don't resemble cardboard when removed from the sock dryer.  It's revolutionized our feet. 

Kids, lining up to do chores.  Does life get better?

Then of course we need to take a break from the fun for some more fun.  Running through drying sheets has to be one of the all time best things about kid-dom.  If you never had the opportunity I strongly encourage giving it the college try now.  I grew up running through my grandmother's drying sheets and towels and there's nothing better.

Happy socks.  Happy Mama.

One last, kinda crummy photo, for those of you "recreators" who would like to see the top view for making your very own sock dryer.  Everyone needs more fun in their life...sock drying should be part of that. :-)

Be kind to each other,
jen

Lemon Blueberry Bread

It's officially Fall in Iowa.  It's official because I say it's official.  In a hundred year old house, when the weather turns cool, you freeze.  I'm frozen.  The glitch here is that I have a rule for myself (and all the innocent victims who live with me.)  No furnace until November (if humanely possibly).  So, like a little cave woman I'm  huddled over the only heat source in the house (besides the lap dog)....the oven.  It's time to bake, get warm and put on my winter "layer". tehehehe.  

This bread is insanely delicious.  Bring over a crowd while baking because A) your house will smell divine.  B)  your winter layer will become extra thick unless you share.

Enjoy friends!

Lemon Blueberry Bread

1 1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 cup plain yogurt

1/2 cup sugar

2 large eggs

2 teaspoons grated lemon zest

1/2  teaspoon vanilla

 1/2 cup vegetable oil

1 1/2 cups blueberries (fresh or frozen)

Lemon Syrup

1/3 cup fresh lemon juice

1/3 cup sugar

dissolve over medium heat, cook 3 minutes, stirring

Lemon Glaze

1/2 - 1 cup powdered sugar, sifted (or not, I forget sometimes when the wild beasts sweet children are begging for Lemon Bread NOW!!)

2-3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

mix together

(if you start with the juice then gradually add the sugar you'll get to JUST the right consistency)

----------------------------------------------------------

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Grease a 9x5 loaf pan (or whatever size you have....I just wing it)

Sift the dry ingredients together, mix the wet ingredients together, combine.

Mix the blueberries with the tablespoon of flour.  Fold them into the batter. (GENTLY!  Don't beat the poor things to death or you'll have blue bread. Or on second thought...do whatever you want, blue bread is fun too.)

Bake 50 minutes (or 70...whatever it takes to get the toothpick to come out clean when you poke it), cool ten minutes then remove from pan.

Place bread on plate.  Poke with fork or toothpick about 13.5 times.  Brush with Lemon Syrup.  

Once, let dry a tad.  Twice, let dry a tad.

Pour Lemon Glaze over the bread.  As much or as little as you like. 

YUM!!!!

Oatey Crunchy Coconut Cookies

I have a four year old who, everyday after preschool, asks what I did while he was gone.  He's not interested in how many signs I designed/painted/shipped, if I vacuumed or the seventy loads of laundry I did. He wants to know if I did anything "SPECIAL". SPECIAL = sweet treats.  And he wants to be surprised.  I trotted out a recipe I hadn't made in a while today....and half of them are gone as I type.  They are soft, crunchy, oatey, coconutey, delish!!   Enjoy!

Oatey Crunchy Coconut Cookies
1/c cup white sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 cup shortening
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups all purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 cups quick oats
2 cups rice cereal
1 cup flaked coconut


In a large mixing bowl cream shortening and sugars.  Beat in eggs and vanilla.  
Combine flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt; gradually add to creamed mixture and mix well.  Stir in oats, cereal and coconut.
Form 1" balls in hands, plop onto ungreased baking sheets.  Bake at 350 degrees for 7-9 minutes or til golden brown.  Cool on wire rack.

Sweet Sticky Spicy Chicken

I think I've developed a pattern.  I eat....wait four months....then post the recipe.  Nothing else.  I stink as a blogger lately. ;-)  My sincerest apologies.  In my absence please enjoy the forty billion other blogs who actually make an effort.  Life has changed around here in the last year....I would never have guessed 365 days ago that I would own a business...and a business that is CRA-ZEEEEE busy.  Feel free to check that out if you like....it's fun.  

www.oniongrovemercantile.com

You will be happy you stopped by today, however, because this recipe is the shanizzle.  Oh...and it's stupidly easy...and you moms know what I'm throwin' down...week night...kids in four million places at once...you need easy.  You'll dig this.

I'm a fan of chicken.  Not much else in the meat world....but chicken, I can get behind.  Now throw the words, sweet, sticky, and spicy in front of it and I am a very happy chicken eater.  The level of spicy can be adjusted for your family's needs....we breathe fire around here...FYI.

Sweet Sticky Spicy Chicken

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon brown sugar
• 2 tablespoons honey
• 1/4 cup soy sauce
• 2 teaspoons chopped fresh ginger root
• 2 teaspoons chopped garlic
• 1 tablespoon red pepper flakes 
• ***(please back off on this if you don't like "heat"...I don't want you to injure yourself)
• salt and pepper to taste
• 4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves - cut into 1/2 inch strips  (I use only meat from Wallace Farms...check them out...Nick rocks!)
• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil

Directions

1. Mix together brown sugar, honey, soy sauce, ginger, garlic and pepper flakes in a small bowl.
2. Lightly salt and pepper the chicken strips.
3. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add chicken strips and brown on both sides, about 1 minute per side. Pour the sauce over the chicken. Simmer uncovered until the sauce thickens, 8 to 10 minutes.