Flower Quiche

(image courtesy of Gourmet Mom on the Go)

I LOVE this idea! How cute and fun! My daughter is at that age where she is starting to really appreciate fun and creative food serving ideas, so this is perfect for her.

Breakfast for Dinner

We've finally gotten rid of the stomach flu around our house, and it was time to celebrate with a huge meal. We all got our appetites back around the same time, and we were hungry!

When I was growing up we had breakfast for dinner every now and then. I hadn't actually done that with my own family yet, so we indulged. Oh my goodness, was it ever fun and delicious. My normally light-eating daughter ate her weight in breakfast food and slept very well for the first time in weeks. It was a huge success, and I'd highly recommend it for a tummy-pleasing, heart-warming evening.

I made: scrambled eggs, hashbrowns, decaf coffee, turkey sausage patties, and these delicious Cinnamon Bun Pancakes with Maple Icing. I'd suggest making these the very first opportunity you have. Delicious!

Thankful Table Runner

(image courtesy of PurlBee)

The reason I started this blog was for a place to store ideas, recipes, and inspiration all in one place. It's an online resource for me that I refer to all the time myself.


So when I saw a Thanksgiving idea this afternoon, I had to sit down to store it here so I can make it sometime before this next Thanksgiving. Basically you make any table runner that suits you, but make sure the center is a blank canvas. Each year ask your children to draw a picture of what they are most thankful for, and attach it to your runner along with the year. You could embroider them, have them draw with fabric pens right on the runner (if you're brave!), scan the pictures and print them onto iron-on transfer paper, etc.


I can't wait to get started on this way to make a lasting memory each year!

Winter Activity Idea

I never would have thought I'd actually have to come up with an indoor winter activity here in Texas, but last week we wound up with record snowfalls. With over a foot of snow in one day, we were left searching for something to do. We spent the entire day Thursday outside playing, but this pooped pregnant mama couldn't do it Friday. Instead I ran across an idea on a blog that I loved, and it was a huge hit. Instead of freezing outside in the snow, we brought a big bucket inside to the kitchen sink. My almost 2-year-old had a blast and played at the sink for at least an hour.

Great Craft Website

I tend to handmake just about every gift I give these days. But little boys are really hard to craft for in my humble opinion. It just seems like all crafty things are geared toward little girls. Anyway, I have started reading this craft blog which I'd highly recommend. She featured a blog that has dedicated the entire month of February to crafts for boys. It is amazing! Here's the link in case you're interested.

Twin Quilt Top Finished!!

We're plugging away on my almost 2-year-old's big girl room making preparations in the nursery for all things blue. I've been hard at work making my very first bed-sized quilt. I LOVED this pattern. It's so easy. And I'm finally finished with the top. Next comes quilting and binding. Then it will be ready for my big girl to cuddle under. Such fun!

Slow-cooked Oatmeal

My sister made this oatmeal for the first time awhile back and RAVED about it. She gave me the basic recipe, and we added our own likes. We gobbled this up in 2 days. I will give you a word of caution - if you make this, instant oats will never be good enough for you again. Delicious!

Slow-Cooked Steel Cut Oats

1 cup steel cut oats (I bought these by the pound at Sprouts)

2 cups milk (you can use any type - cow's milk of any fat content or soy)

2 cups water

tsp salt

dash of cinnamon

splash of vanilla

Okay, the trick to these oats is that they are steamed in the crockpot. You'll want to find an oven-safe bowl that will fit into your crockpot with enough room around it to fill the crockpot bowl with water. My small oval Corningware dish worked perfectly.

In a bowl, combine all of the ingredients and stir to combine. Put your oven-safe bowl into the crockpot, and pour the oats mixture inside. Now pour enough water around the bowl to fill up to the fill level inside the bowl. I should have taken a picture of this step. But, basically you're creating a water bath.

Now, set your crockpot to low, and cook overnight (for 8 hours maximum) or for at least 4 hours. Fluff with a spoon, and serve warm. You can refrigerate the oats for up to a week. To reheat, scoop some oats into a microwave-safe dish, and pour milk over the top. Heat in the microwave 1-2 minutes, and stir.

You can add literally anything at all to this oatmeal. Add nuts, berries, sugar, butter, etc. For the batch pictured, I added a handful of dried cranberries before cooking. Then to serve, I drizzled agave nectar over the top to sweeten. I cannot sing the praises of this oatmeal enough. You'll love it!