Monday, June 18, 2007

Chef Ben Continued...

Here are just a few more pics from the
Chef Ben Collection...

A good chef really gets into his recipes.

The PAMPERed Chef

projects & quotes

I have two recent projects that I really love how they turned out and wanted to share. Both of these projects are based around quotes that I really liked. I am often inspired by quotes. The top photo is a Father's Day card that I made for my Dad. And below is a photo of a frame that I have in my house. If you can't read the quote it says: Each time you look up to the sky or see snowflakes drifting by or hear the wind or see a tree, I t' s all G o d w h i s p e r i n g , this is me. (helen steiner rice)

Ben the Chef

What's Ben got Cookin? Well, there was no doubt that I eventually would subject Ben to the Baby Chef in a Pot pictures that I did with Isabelle when she was a baby. There were lots of fun pics. Here are some of my favorites.
You say Tomato, I say: ba ba
Isabelle was a great help during the photo shoot,
but of course she had to get in on the fun too! Sugar & Spice


Tuesday, June 12, 2007

Art & Literature

Project: Friends Board Book. Isabelle LOVES her friends so much and talks about them all the time...I thought of an idea to put her friends pictures in a special book just for her. I took an old board book and sanded it down, I adhered patterned paper to the cover and all the pages. We gathered up a bunch of photos, markers, stickers and stamps. The book was so fun and easy for us to make together. The best part of all is that Isabelle absoultely loves it. She keeps saying how beautiful that it is and telling me thank you thank you thank you. She goes through each page and names her friends and smiles. The biggest challenge of course will be keeping it away from Ben. Above and Below: Snowmen Drawings by Isabelle Claire

I just finished reading: Water For Elephants. I would probably rate it somewhere between worth telling a friend and toast of the town. It was entertaining and interesting to learn about depression era circus life. The story was good, but I must admit there were some parts that I got somewhat bored and skipped ahead a little. Next I will read: The Memory Keepers Daughter by Kim Edwards. I heard that it is a good tale. I am excited to start.

My Fish



Friday, June 01, 2007

Rain & Yuk Salad

Above: Red, White & Ben
Below: Raindrops falling on Isabelle's head.

Misc Musings: Sibling rivalry has officially started: Mom, Ben is pulling my hair! Mom, Ben is eating my book! Mom, my brother took my Cinderella! Mom, Benny took my bandaid off! Isabelle fell out of her bed last night. I heard a crash and she was crying. This is like the 3rd time in a month. She never fell out of her bed before this. I guess Ill just throw a bunch of pillows on the floor before she goes to sleep every night. This past weekend my sister in law made a very good fruit salad that included, mango, blue berries, grapes, mint, lemon zest, ginger root, honey and I think cinnamon...Isabelle didn't like the salad so she referred to it as Yuk Salad. The garden has produced it's first offical vegetable (besides asparagus that just comes up on its own)...it is Radishs. I am not fond of that particular vegetable, but others seem to like it. When Isabelle sings you are my sunshine, she actually sings " don't take my Unshine away. The other day I was cutting a tomatoe and Isabelle asked me why Mato's have boogers? I am reading a book called Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen. I am not very far in this book but so far I like it much. It is interesting. It is about depression-era circus life. Speaking of the circus, there is one coming to town next week I think, I would love to take the kids. Hope it works out. I lost my sunglasses in the park the other day...total bummer. I really wish I had an ipod...maybe some day. I don't now how or where Ben finds the things that he puts in his mouth, but I just pulled a half of crayon out of his mouth. Earlier I pulled out some my little pony hair out of his mouth and some plastic. When we at the park the other day he ate a big wood chip...I couldn't get it out of his mouth, he swallowed it. I swear, I cannot open a door, cabinet or a fridge in this house with out Ben quickly wedged within the opening. The other day I opened the garbage can, and he shoved his fingers in there and I pulled them out to close the door quick and I closed them on his little pudgy baby thigh! How he got his leg stuck in there I don't know. Speaking of his thighs...they are so cute...hehe... Isabelle never had baby chunk like he does...and his feet remind me of little flintstone feet. Ben has started standing in his highchair, so now I have to strap him in! I started making some of his baby food. So far, zucchini and sweet potatoes. Isabelle's doll of choice these days is the spiderman plush doll I let her get from the dollar store. She sleeps with it and pushes it in the stroller. She tells me that peter parker is under the costume and that maryjane really likes him. I will end this post with a wonderful super easy recipe that I made the other day that I would like to share. You won't be disappointed if you make this. It is called: Slow-cooker Salsa Chicken and it goes like this:

Ingredients
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts 1 cup salsa 1 package taco seasoning 1 can cream of mushroom soup (I used cream of chicken since mushrooms are evil) 1/2 cup sour cream

Directions
Add chicken to slow cooker. Sprinkle taco seasoning over chicken.Pour salsa and soup over chicken.Cook on low for 6 to 8 hours.Remove from heat and stir in sour cream. Serve with rice.