Sunday, August 31, 2008

Recipe- Cinnamon Raisin Walnut Oatmeal

I made a bunch of these for John to take to school with him last week. Secret ingredient? A Mother's love.
(He rolls his eyes every time I say that.)


Cinnamon Raisin Walnut Oatmeal Packets


For each serving:

1/2 cup Old Fashioned Oats
1/4 cup Raisins
1/4 cup chopped Walnuts
1 teaspoon brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

Empty bag into a glass bowl.
Add water until just covered.
Microwave for 3 1/2 minutes.
Stir and serve with milk.





Heavy Rotation

This song has been played a lot around here lately-





You can follow this link to a live version.


We are building up a new world.
Do not sit idly by.
Do not remain neutral.
Do not rely on this broadcast alone.
We are only as strong as our signal.
There is a war going on for your mind.
If you are thinking, you are winning.


The Flobots

Wednesday, August 20, 2008

Carrot top and Carrot Cake

Alternate post titles-
  • Pimp your Carrot Cake
  • When bad hair happens to good people
  • Oh. My. Hell.

Well I dyed my hair the other day- I hereby vow to always read the box throughly and not just grab the cheapest one. To pay more attention to the clock when I am of dying my hair. And to never take beauty advice from Pamela Anderson again. The worst part is that it didn't even cover the gray.



So to celebrate my splotchy orange hair I made a carrot cake today. And some sugar free carrot-pineapple muffins for Tim.



Pimp my Carrot Cake
Add to a boxed carrot cake mix-
grated carrots
half can of crushed pineapple, undrained
chopped walnuts
extra spices- nutmeg, cinnamon, ground cloves
4 eggs
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup oil
Bake as directed



Recipe-
Sugar Free Cream Cheese Frosting

8 oz brick cream cheese, room temperature
4 tablespoons room temp butter
1/3 cup splenda
1 teaspoon vanilla
Whip together above ingredients
Will frost 12 muffins, generously

Sunday, August 17, 2008

Very. Exciting. News.






Schmap Bristol Fifth Edition: Photo Inclusion

Hi owlmoonstudio,

I am delighted to let you know that your submitted photo has been selected for inclusion in the newly released fifth edition of our Schmap Bristol Guide:

Cabot Tower
www.schmap.com/bristol/sights_clifton/p=99258/i=99258_22.jpg

If you use an iPhone or iPod touch, then this same link will take you directly to your photo in the iPhone version of our guide. On a desktop computer, you can still see exactly how your photo is displayed and credited in the iPhone version of our guide at:

Cabot Tower
www.schmap.com/?m=iphone#uid=bristol&sid=sights_clifton&p=99258&i=99258_22

Finally, if you have a blog, you might also like to check out the customizable widgetized version of our Schmap Bristol Guide, complete with your published photo:

www.schmap.com/guidewidgets/p=11757131N02/c=SH101327

Thanks so much for letting us include your photo - please enjoy the guide!

Best regards,

Emma Williams,
Managing Editor, Schmap Guides

Saturday, August 16, 2008

Shopping Spree

Saturday morning garage sales- the best. I've been checking Craig's List for some time now looking for a gas clothes dryer. Well we hit pay dirt today- a three year old dryer from a house that was only used on the weekends- $100!

Will I miss this in my kitchen?..........


Not likely- but it didn't bother me as much as some people seemed to think it should have.

We also purchased a few things for John to take with him to his rental house- a flip chair-$10 , a desk- $15 (but he hates it), a bed frame-$10, a set of dishes- $10, a new bike-$5 (his was just stolen right out of our yard). I got a few more X-mas ornaments-$1 each (and just what I needed), a brand new pair of Reebok sneakers-$15, a couple pairs of shorts, a few other things. Griffin and Riley are out now with Tim picking up their big garage sale buy- a full drum set and a Fender Strat electric guitar!!! Both for $200! It's gonna be a little noisy around here for a bit. Tomorrow morning we're going to go pick up two new mattress/box spring sets from a Craig's list ad-$25 each. And then I think we might be done with our shopping spree!

Thursday, August 14, 2008

A meme

.

1. What is your occupation right now?
Homemaker, housekeeper, driver, appointment maker, homeschool teacher, photographer, family historian, cook, dishwasher, laundress, etc. etc- I wear many hats.

2. What color are your socks right now?
I'm barefoot- as usual. Earlier today I took a walk and wore white socks.

3. What are you listening to right now?
The thunder and the rain, mostly. In the background, Tim and the boys are watching Mythbusters and the clock just cuckooed.

4. What was the last thing that you ate?
A bowlful of this pasta egg veggie salad that I made followed by a handful of Honey-Nut Cheerios.

5. Can you drive a stick shift?
Yes but I haven't in about ten years.

6. Last person you spoke to on the phone?
Alejandro- a friend of Griffin and Riley.

7. Do you like the person who sent this to you?
No one sent this to me- I found it on a blog I enjoy reading.

8. How old are you today?
I'm 43-but my birthday is in 15 days!

9. What is your favorite sport to watch?
I don't often watch sports- but I guess I like watching my boys watch the Giants football team.

10. What is your favorite drink?
Hot tea, ice water, or something sweet depending on my mood.

11. Favorite food?
Sweets, ice cream, choc covered strawberries, cake, pie, I could go on and on.

12. What is the last movie you watched?
This one- last night with Tim and Griffin.

13. Favorite day of the year?
I like Halloween- as long as it doesn't rain. Nothing sucks more than rain on Halloween.

14. How do you vent anger?
I don't vent anger, I swallow it and then brood for weeks (maybe years).

15. What was your favorite toy as a child?
I had a doll named Dorothy (after my Nana H) and my books and record albums.

16. What is your favorite season?
It used to be fall, but lately I'm loving the Springtime best.

17. Cherries or Blueberries?
My blueberry pie is the bomb- but if it's just the plain fruit, I'd have to say cherries.

18. Do you want your friends to add this meme to their blogs?
Sure if they feel like it.

19. Who is the most likely to respond?
Probably no one.

20. Who is least likely to respond?
People who don't read my blog, I suppose.

21. Living arrangements?
I live with my husband and our three sons in a green house with red trim.

22. When was the last time you cried?
I don't remember- maybe two weeks ago. My oldest is leaving for his last year of college next week AND taking his furniture with him so I expect to cry on Wednesday.

23. What is on the floor of your closet?
A box of clothes that are too small for me.

24. Who is the friend you have had the longest relationship with that you are sending this to?
I'm not sending this to anyone but the person who will read it that I've known the longest is my Dad (Hi Dad!).

25. What did you do last night?
Made bbq chicken pizza, G and R had a friend over for dinner, took a walk with Tim and watched a movie.


26. What inspires you?
Imagination.

27. What are you most afraid of?
Something bad happening to one of my children.

28. Plain, cheese or spicy hamburgers?
Cheeseburgers with onions- yum.

29. Favorite dog breed?
We have two chihuahuas- named Piddle and Nip. They are incredibly high strung and also invisible. I guess I'd have to say I'm more of a cat person.


30. Favorite day of the week?
Maybe Tuesdays.


31. How many states have you lived in?
Just one.

31. Biggest Life lesson?
Hmm, Life is not the movies.

Saturday, August 9, 2008

Sunday, August 3, 2008

Friday, August 1, 2008

Week in Review.....

A very fun, busy week- it was crawesome (crazy + awesome)! Griffin has been making up some new words lately. We went to a couple of concerts, the beach, a summerfest with fireworks, had a sleepover- but first we celebrated a birthday...




Now, I'm not saying this boy is special or anything- but the sun just doesn't bother to shine until John wakes up. We had a nice birthday dinner a day early. Just our family and John's good friend Mike. John didn't want us to sing to him (we did anyway) but he was ok about receiving gifts. As his present we had his pictures from his Europe adventure developed- all 900+ of them! He said I can see them as soon as he takes out some of the pics from Amsterdam. I'm not sure why he thinks I would be offended by pictures of canals, tulips and windmills but whatever.



The reason John's birthday was celebrated early- we were given tickets to see Sheryl Crow! A great concert- James Blunt opened up and he was so fun and energetic. Not what I expected. I like many of Sheryl's songs but this one is a favorite- the one that got us up and dancing! And I love the lyrics. Thanks to Pam and her dh Ray for giving us the tickets.



Wednesday- the perfect beach day. Finally the water was warm enough for me to go in. We had a nice picnic lunch, rode the SkyRide one way then walked back down the boardwalk. Some of the best people watching can be done on the Seaside Heights boardwalk.


Home movies-

James Blunt

Hot Rocks - a Rolling Stones cover band

and fireworks.