winter storm nemo and lots of free time!

so i'm on an impromptu winter break this week, with so much time on hands that i've been reorganizing all my stuff, making lists, and planning lots of wonderfully fun new things!

let me backtrack...

in case you've been under a rock over the past few days:  the u.s. northeast, and particularly new england, where i reside, was hit by a major blizzard last friday night, covering many areas, including my own, with upwards of 3 feet of fluffy white snow!  while it's been beautiful to look at, it's been unbearably awful to experience, as we were trapped in our home 2 1/2 days!  but 2 days only seems like a lot, until you consider that some people in my city, the largest in CT, mind you, are still waiting for the plow to come!

the arches at bridgeport's seaside park, on monday-- the city hadn't plowed yet, but UB had done some sections of the road, including here.

downtown bridgeport during the height of the storm (photo credit:  benjamin henson)

when entire cities are shut down for days, so are the schools!  this means that for an entire week and a day i've been home with my children, who are eating me out of house and home and driving me absolutely bonkers!!  lol!  so you can imagine the pleasure i'm getting from disappearing every now and then into the the laundry room or my studio, to do housework or declutter!  and anyone who knows me knows how much i like to plan and make lists, which is exactly what i've been up to!

yikes!  there's a car under there somewhere...

my husband and son headed to the store on sunday, shovel in hand since the road was not yet plowed, after we ran out of bread, milk, and eggs-- it was slim-pickings at the gas station down the street, though!

"hmm, how do we get outta here?!!"

i've been thinking of new ways to present my crafts, recipes, and other ideas, as well as to build my business.  i've also been thinking of new products to create, as well as old products to retire, as i continue to hone a niche for handmadecows.

though i've already been slow to get back into the blogging game, i am taking a hiatus for the rest of the month, to reorganize my thoughts, create some new things, and bring you an all new blog.  it will focus on ways to create fun and innovative items as well as delicious and easy recipes, without spending a ton of money.  i am a teacher, so of course i know how to be thrifty!  haha!

until then, enjoy 20% off at handmadecows, during my winter clearance sale, with the code HEART13.  but hurry-- this offer expires february 28th!

see you soon!

rhonda :)

rainy day blues

i was supposed to take the kids to a birthday party today, but the rain postponed our plans.  instead, i am thinking of making some sort of crock-pot concoction with chicken and vegetable broth-- i'll let you know how it goes...

here are some other things i've made in the kitchen recently, while bored:

simple and yummy!

ever have one of those mornings where nothing in your pantry will suffice for breakfast, and all you REALLY want is a big, fat hunk of chocolate cake?  that's what happened this morning, only there was no cake!  instead i started the day with chocolate for breakfast:  nutella on wheat bread and a huge amount of ovaltine powder in my coffee!  a delish way to start the day!  the only downside is that my 5-year-old wants to eat this every day now!

this lunch cannot be good for me-- but it sure was yummy!

i had a bite of grilled cheese sandwich with pesto at a festival earlier this summer.  if you like pesto the way i like pesto, then you're probably drooling right now!  and since i had an open jar of pesto in the fridge, i decided to dress up my sandwich at home.  just a smear of pesto on either slice of bread, two slices of deli american in the middle, and tons of butter on the outside = YUMMMMMM!!  and i added some fried plantain to my plate, also cooked in butter, to, um, round out my meal...  ;)

pesto pizza and fried ravioli, with pizza sauce for dipping

more pesto!  this time, the hubby requested pizza like his favorite, the mel cooley, that our local two boots restaurant no longer has on the menu-- it's a white pie with peppers, onions, pesto, and probably a few more ingredients.  my pizza came out pretty good, considering i had limited ingredients on hand.  actually, i wish i had taken a picture of the entire thing, because it truly was a specialty pizza:  the crust was made with a canned dough, which i spread with pesto on one half and pizza sauce on the other.  i covered the entire thing with shredded mozzarella cheese.  then i put pepperoni on 1/2 of the red side and thinly sliced bell peppers and vidalia onions on the entire green side and baked to a golden perfection!

and yes, i did say fried ravioli, a la tgi fridays!  i figured:  how hard could it be?  but just to be sure, i looked up a recipe online.  it called for buttermilk, which i did not have, so i used egg and milk instead, followed by plain bread crumbs, which i seasoned with dried basil, salt, and pepper.  i fried them for literally 60 seconds, turning once, in super hot canola oil-- they really cook up quickly!  also, the recipe, which i did not follow, suggested sprinkling them with grated parmesan while still hot.  i didn't do that, 'cause i thought this meal was rich and fatty enough, thank you very much!

oh, gotta go check on that soup...

rhonda :)

pinterest

so pinterest has sucked me in-- deep!  for the past few months i've been constantly pinning and pinning!

i have 38 boards, almost 1800 pins, and over 200 likes.

i have a ton of breakfast, dinner, and dessert recipes, menus for any party theme you can think of, tips on how to clean and organize my house from top to bottom, ideas on how to decorate my home inside and out, dozens of inspirational quotes, hundreds of exercise regimes to flatten my tummy, firm up my thighs, lose 20 pounds, hairstyles, manicures, outfits, shoes, jokes, pretty pictures of nature, nostalgia from my favorite books, movies, tv shows, toys, teaching ideas, crafts, kids' crafts, patriotic crafts, halloween crafts, christmas crafts...  phew!  

will i EVER paint my nails like this? doubtful!

i try to only pin things that i'm actually capable of and willing to do.  i'm not pinning crochet projects when i don't know how to crochet, nor am i pinning elaborate recipes that require hours in the kitchen or exotic ingredients.  my expectations are fairly realistic:  yes, i can make baked potato soup in the crock-pot;  yes, i can build a planter out of cinder blocks;  yes, i am certainly able to harvest and dry sprigs of rosemary and maybe even make infused olive oil with them!  i'm hoping that in this lifetime i'll get to actually try out all these recipes, tips, ideas, and lifestyle improvements that i have bookmarked, but at the rate i'm going, it's likely to take decades!

what i love most about pinterest is that i see fantastic recipes and projects, and then i get inspired to experiment, put a different spin on them, and make my own stuff!  here are some things i've made recently-- it helps that i've been on summer vacay for the past 7 weeks!  :)

baked french toast casserole, aka heaven on a plate!

baked french toast

this is a paula dean recipe, so you know that not only is it delish, but it's also really bad for you!!  here's the recipe, but basically, you soak slices of french bread in a concoction of eggs, milk, cream, sugar, and spices overnight, spread a fabulous layer of sugar, corn syrup, more spices, pecans, and 2 entire sticks of butter on top, and bake to a nutty, caramel-ly goodness!  i added sliced bananas on top and decided to forego the maple syrup that paula dean suggests-- no need for any extra sugar in this dessert-type breakfast!

it seems so counter-productive to deep-fry quinoa!

cheesy quinoa cakes

i've been buying lots of quinoa lately, trying to eat things that are healthier and full of the vitamins and nutrients that my snack cake and tortilla chip diet was severely lacking!  these quinoa cakes were absolutely yummy, though they did not taste the least bit healthy, in any way, shape, or form!  here's the recipe, though i altered it a bit, by using red quinoa instead of yellow, havarti cheese instead of fontina, and chives instead of green onions, or is that the same thing?...  i also did not make the accompanying aioli in this recipe, opting instead for a cilantro lime greek yogurt dip that i had on hand from a previous recipe.  it was a lot lighter than a dip made with mayonnaise, which was good, 'cause these cakes are very greasy!

peach cherry crisp = a healthier dessert alternative!

peach cherry crisp

i am constantly looking for ways to use up all the overripe fruit in my kitchen-- needless to say, my family eats a lot of muffins, banana bread, smoothies, and fruit crisps.  only having ever made apple crisp, i wasn't sure how this recipe would turn out, but i had to too many peaches and cherries on hand not to try it!    i used sliced peaches, sliced cherries, lemon juice, cornstarch, oats, flour, sugar, butter, and cinnamon.  here's the recipe i loosely followed-- i used regular enriched, unbleached flour, regular granulated sugar (and less of it), and bottled lemon juice, and i had no nuts on hand, so i did without.  it was super tasty while piping hot and still crispy on top, especially with a dollop of whipped cream on top!

next up:  i'll post some things i made without the help of my fellow pinners...  yes, there is life beyond pinterest!  

rhonda :)

must give credit where credit is due:

• giraffe manicure photo is from fuckyeahnailart.tumblr.com

• though the food pics are all my own, the original recipes are from foodnetwork.com, spoonforkbacon.com, and karma-free-cooking. com, respectively

it's been WAY TOO LONG!!

sorry i've been away so long!  facebook and pinterest, work, and of course momhood have totally consumed me!!  what's been up with me in the past year and a half?  to sum it up:

• i never finished my 30-day challenge...  but i plan to start a new one real soon!  here's a fun one!

• i grew out my relaxer (it's been 27 months!) and am now obsessed with natural hair!  i'm even contemplating making my own natural hair products and trying to figure out a way to make it onto "the curly cruise" next april...

• i bought a new, more reliable, more efficient car-- did i mention it was NEW?!!

• i had a booth not once but twice at the annual bridgeport arts fest!

• since pinterest has reared its not-so-ugly head into my life, i've been doing lots of experimenting in the kitchen and the craft room.

painted flower pots for teacher appreciation week

warm and nutty cinnamon quinoa for breakfast

• and of course, i'm maintaining my stagnant jewelry business online-- staying afloat, even though my heart is not nearly as much in it as i would like...  i am still looking for my "niche"...

see you soon-- i promise!

rhonda :)http://www.thecurlycruise.com/

30-day challenge: day thirteen

a picture of your favorite band or artist

lisa loves cake AND pie as much as i do!  <3

anyone who REALLY knows me knows that i love, love, love lisa loeb!!  she's been my favorite artist since i saw her live in 1994!  i went to a $2 concert my freshman year at nyu-- the artist was kept a secret, but for $2, who wouldn't go?  at that point, she was an unsigned artist on an independent label who also happened to have the very first ever grammy for being said unsigned indie artist, for a little song called "stay" (from the reality bites soundtrack!)  i bought her album, "the purple tape," at the concert and fell in love!  i guess lisa was my first girl crush!!  lol!

she sings a mix of folk and rock, with a very poetic feel.  and she sings from the heart, about real life stuff.  there's nothing ordinary about her music, and her voice is absolutely infectious!

since then, lisa has released over 10 albums, including 2 children's cd's, a digital ep, and a rerelease of "the purple tape," which you can finally get on cd or mp3!  she also had a reality show on E, a cooking show with dweezil zappa (her ex) on the food network, and a bunch of guest spots on various tv shows!  and she currently has a super cute line of eyeglasses.  AND i'm seeing my 3rd ever lisa loeb concert in exactly 2 weeks, and i'm super psyched!!!

rhonda :)

30-day challenge: day twelve

a picture of something you love

i absolutely, positively LOVE going to the beach!!!  if i could retire tomorrow and move to a tropical place where i could just lay on the beach all day, every day, i so would!!!  i love to just bake in the sun, reading, listening to music, eating snacks, swimming in the ocean, digging in the sand, searching for shells or hermit crabs, walking along the boardwalk, eating ice cream, checking out the occasional horseshoe crab, snapping photos...  oh, why can't summer be here already?!!

rhonda :)

30-day challenge: day eleven

a picture of something you hate

this one's super easy!  blech!!!

rhonda :)

30-day challenge: day ten

a picture of the person you do things with the most

my ideal weekend is spent on the couch in front of the tv, with plenty of snacks, maybe a little cleaning here and there, with some internet shopping and surfing to round things out...  rob, however, can't sit in the house for more than a couple hours or he goes insane!  so he's always dragging me out to... somewhere...  if we're not at a zoo, aquarium, museum, movie theatre, park, carnival, festival, restaurant, party, farm, pumpkin patch...  we're at least at the mall...  whew, makes me exhausted just thinking about it!...

rhonda :)

30-day challenge: day nine

a picture of the person who has gotten you through the most

i've been through a lot over the years, and rob has even put me through some of it himself!  lol!  but he's definitely always been here for me, helped me out of tough spots since we began dating 11 years ago, and he's always been very supportive of me in whatever my endeavors!  not to sound cliched, but he is my rock, and i don't know what i'd do without him!  i love you, rob!

rhonda :)

30-day challenge: day eight

a picture that makes you laugh

i dunno, i think this pic is pretty funny...

we laugh a lot at work!  i don't know what i'd do if my coworkers weren't such a joy to have around!

rhonda :)

brunch, anyone?

you can tell i'm a true crafter, because it's been a gorgeous weekend, and i've been inside creating things!  lol!

yesterday, we had homemade pancakes and fresh-squeezed orange juice for breakfast, while entertaining our nieces.  today i decided i'd use up some of the bananas and applesauce laying about my kitchen in some muffins.  i tweaked a recipe i got from a google search (from sotastysoyummy.blogspot.com).  here's my version-- yum!

banana applesauce oat muffins

ingredients:

2 mashed ripe bananas

1 1/2 cups applesauce

1 egg

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/2 cup packed brown sugar

1 cup all-purpose flour (or 2/3 cup whitle/1/3 cup whole wheat flour-- i was out of wheat)

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

2 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1 cup quick-cooking oats

directions:

preheat oven to 35o degrees and grease a muffin pan or line with 12 muffin cups.

in a large bowl, combine banana, applesauce, egg, vanilla extract, and brown sugar.  in a small bowl, stir together the dry if the ingredients.  gently stir the flour mixture into the banana mixture.

fill muffin cups 2/3 full with batter and bake till golden brown, approximately 25 minutes.  remove muffins from pan and transfer to a wire rack to cool.

makes 12 muffins.

i guess i'll take advantage of this early spring weather and go out walking with the family, but then it's back inside-- i've got some earrings to make today!

rhonda :)

30-day challenge: day six

a picture of a person you'd love to trade places with for a day

this was a tough one, since i rather like my life and the people i spend it with, and i realize that no one is without faults, problems, worries, anxieties, fears, etc.  however, i guess, since my ultimate goals are to be organized and financially stable, i would trade places with martha stewart.  she is, at least on the outside, very happy, organized, creative, resourceful, and way more than financially stable!

on that note, i think i'll go clean something now...

rhonda :)

30-day challenge: day five

a picture of your favorite memory

my favorite memory, by far, is my wedding day!  i was a princess in a beautiful dress with all my favorite people around me!  and the best part:  i got to introduce my husband to the world as the person i will spend the rest of my life with!

our wedding took place on our first anniversary, and most people did not even know we were already married.  we had about 130 guests, and my mom did almost all of the work-- she ordered the invites, picked the flowers, hired the photographer and dj, found the reception hall, got the limo, arranged the salon session, bought my dress and accessories...  all i did was the table arrangements and chocolate favors!  and normally i'm a perfectionist, but on that day i threw away all my concern for things to go exactly according to plan, despite all the snags:  a missing bridesmaid bouquet, light rain, miscommunication w/the limo driver so that we only had a couple hours of time, forgetting the floral arrangements at the church, having to take pictures inside, not getting california roll in the bridal suite...  these things didn't bother me at all, as i sipped champagne, danced with my husband, and had the most wonderful day of my life!!

rhonda :)

30-day challenge: day four

a picture of your favorite night

mike, me, rob (yes, that's yoda on his back!), and jenn

this picture was taken just before sundown on a very magical night!  2010 marked our 5th year attending the gathering of the vibes, a 4-day music and arts festival held at seaside park, in bridgeport, ct-- my hometown!  this may not be my favorite night of all time, but it is definitely high on the list!

on this night, i donned a pair of fairy wings, dropped the kids off at grandma's house, and had a fabulous time:  i hung out with my best friends, partied and danced, listened to the ocean rise and fall, joked and laughed, snuck into an awesome dubstep set by mix master mike, nearly froze my butt off, bought a makeshift poncho for ten bucks, and ended the night witnessing mayhem and debauchery at mcdonalds-- good times!

was it the fairy wings?...

rhonda :)

type the sky!

being an early childhood educator, i love what i saw on facebook today-- the alphabet formed by voids in the sky from city buildings!  absolutely stunning, it always amazes me how people can see more than what is really there!  the other day my son saw a heart in the melted snow on a pine tree, and it took me a few minutes to see it too!  (i wish i took a picture of it!)  i have a very literal mind, but i'm always searching to find hidden pictures and images in everyday things-- no such luck!  

check out the full article here.  

rhonda :)

"type the sky":  i think i'm going to hang this in my classroom!

the classic butterfly alphabet

found-object alphabet:  genius!!

30-day challenge: day three

a picture of the cast from your favorite show

ah, my guilty pleasure...  in case you don't know (and why would you?!!) this is the cast of degrassi:  the next generation.  you probably watched the original degrassi when you were a kid.  or, if you are young enough, you watched it as part of health class in school, as one of my coworkers did!  she said she didn't even know it was a "real show!"  lol!  but when i discovered the new show a few years ago, on the n (now called teen nick), i was hooked!  not only was it nostalgic-- i did watch the original!-- but it showcases great moral messages for kids, without being boring!  sure, the acting could be better, but the show did actually spawn a few breakout stars:  click here to learn more!

rhonda :)

30-day challenge: day two

a picture of you and the person you have been closest with the longest

this one was a little tough, since the person i am closest to is my husband rob.  but i also have two beautiful best friends, pictured above, whom i've been friends with for over 24 years, and we are pretty close.  we used to be even closer, but as our families grow and change, as our careers develop, and as our creative passions evolve, we continue to move in different directions.  one of my goals this year is to reconnect with both of them, so i can feel that sense of sisterhood that i once felt.  not having a sister of my own, that's what jennifer and tameka are to me...

rhonda :)

30-day challenge: day one

a picture of yourself with 10 facts

ten things you should know about me

(in no particular order)

1.  i love doing arts & crafts, hanging out with 4-year-olds, and reading children's books.

2.  my 4 favorite food groups:  mexican food, pasta, deep-fried anything, and chocolate!

3.  i have a master's degree in reading, but i'd really love to be an art teacher.

4.  i have quite a large collection of giraffes, of various sizes, from various places.

5.  i love shopping, but i don't like to spend a lot of money.

6.  i clean when i'm bored, stressed, angry, anxious... but i hate doing laundry!!!

7.  i love to take pictures and someday i'll take a photography course.

8.  i started making beaded jewelry during naptime at work, and now i can't stop--
thanks to suzie for the inspiration!

9.  my ultimate goals in life:
* to be debt-free
* to be totally organized
* to be just rich enough to vacation 2 or 3 times a year

10.  my favorite color is yellow, i wear a lot of green, and i absolutely can't stand red!

okay, so i hid some extra things in there, but it's so super hard to just say 10 things!  there are actually at least 10 more things i want to include...

rhonda :)

the 30-day challenge in pictures

i saw this on a friend's facebook page and thought it was an awesome idea, so i snagged it!  for the next 30 days i will be posting these pics.  it actually doesn't look too challenging till you get a ways down the list and realize how creative you have to be to get a picture of "something you wish you could forget" or "something you wish you were better at"!  this should be fun...

rhonda :)

Day 01 - A picture of yourself with ten facts
Day 02 - A picture of you and the person you have been closest with the longest
Day 03 - A picture of the cast from your favorite show
Day 04 - A picture of your favorite night
Day 05 - A picture of your favorite memory
Day 06 - A picture of a person you'd love to trade places with for a day
Day 07 - A picture of your most treasured item
Day 08 - A picture that makes you laugh
Day 09 - A picture of the person who has gotten you through the most
Day 10 - A picture of the person you do things with the most
Day 11 - A picture of something you hate
Day 12 - A picture of something you love
Day 13 - A picture of your favorite band or artist
Day 14 - A picture of someone you could never imagine your life without
Day 15 - A picture of something you want to do before you die
Day 16 - A picture of someone who inspires you
Day 17 - A picture of something that has made a huge impact on your life recently
Day 18 - A picture of your biggest insecurity
Day 19 - A picture and a letter
Day 20 - A picture of somewhere you'd love to travel
Day 21 - A picture of something you wish you could forget
Day 22 - A picture of something you wish you were better at
Day 23 - A picture of your favorite book
Day 24 - A picture of something you wish you could change
Day 25 - A picture of your favorite day
Day 26 - A picture of something that means a lot to you
Day 27 - A picture of yourself and a family member
Day 28 - A picture of something you're afraid of
Day 29 - A picture that can always make you smile
Day 30 - A picture of someone you miss

happy valentine's day!

last night was rough!  wait, let me backtrack:

i hate store-bought valentines!  you know the ones-- you rip them apart, fold them, fill out the "to" and "from", and stick them in a ziplock baggie in your kid's backpack.  and these days, most teachers prefer them to be left blank, so they can just shove them in each kid's bag in a couple minutes and call it a day!  this practice is soooo impersonal it kills me!

i thought the point of valentine's day was to celebrate love and friendship!!  years ago, kids would sit with construction paper and doilies and glue and ric-rack and make special, one-of-a-kind valentines for each of their closest friends.  and now, we chuck unlabeled cartoon character cards in bags, making sure we have "one for everyone in the class!!", with absolutely no sentiment!

6 years ago, my son, who is now 8, began celebrating valentine's day in preschool, and i refused to go the store-bought route.  so what did i do?  i gave him watercolor paints, brushes, and doily hearts, and i helped him paint one for each of his valentines.  and they were beautiful!  and he loved handing them out to each of his friends and his teachers too!  and all was right with the world!

over the years, i've had another child, and both my children have more and more classmates as the years go by... and of course it's gotten much more difficult to make 20 or 30 valentines from scratch for each of them!  so we started baking cookies...

cut to last night:

one kid played video games, the other one (tired w/a cold) went to bed early, and i was left alone, for over 2 hours, to bake over 5 dozen heart-shaped, colored sugar- and non-pareil-sprinkled cookies-- mixing, rolling, cutting, dusting, baking, cooling, bagging, labeling...

i'm absolutely exhausted!!!  and i often wonder if i'm just putting in way too much effort!

that being said, i love valentine's day!  i love seeing everyone in their red and pink, girls in their prettiest dresses, bows in their hair, boys in collared shirts!  i love opening up heart-shaped boxes, collecting handmade cards (i did receive one or two), and eating pink cupcakes!  and i especially love hearing how wonderful it was that i brought some of my cookies in to share with my coworkers!

happy valentine's day!

rhonda :)