life of a domestic artist

Quilt Fabric Giveaway

2011-08-19T08:17:00.000-07:00

Green Fairy Quilts is giving away some fun quilt fabric. Head on over here to enter to win.

Granola Bars

2011-05-29T16:43:00.000-07:00

4 cups rolled oats

2 cups whole wheat flour

1 cup raw sugar or brown sugar

1/2 cup wheat germ*

1/2 cup milled flax seed*

1 TBS cinnamon

1 1/2 tsp salt

1 1/2 cups dried fruit**

1 1/2 cups chopped nuts**

3 eggs, beaten

1 cup olive oil

1 cup honey

1 TBS real vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 350. Grease half sheet pan.

In a large bowl mix all dry ingredients. Make a well in the center pour in eggs, oil, honey, and extract. Mix until until combined. Pat tightly into pan (this is important to avoid super crumbly bars).

Bake 30-35 minutes until edges begin to brown. Cool 5 min. Cut into bars or use cookie cutters for fun shapes.***

Store cooled bars in an airtight container.

Notes:

This recipe is very forgiving. Have fun and experiment.

*Can use 1 cup wheat germ or 1 cup milled flax rather than half & half. If milling your own flax, put 1/4 cup whole flax into your blender or coffee grinder to yield 1/2 cup milled.

**This is the fun part. You can mix up your fruit and nuts as long as you are adding 3 cups total. My favorite combinations are:

~1 cup chopped almonds, 1 cup chopped dried pineapple, 1 cup coconut, +1 1/2 tsp coconut extract, no cinnamon

~1 cup chopped dried cherries, 1 cup chopped almonds, 1 cup chocolate chips (when using chocolate, I like no more than 1 cup, more feels like a candy bar)

***Cut bars while warm or they will be difficult to cut. If you use cookie cutters the leftover bits are delicious with yogurt or milk.

original recipe

a whole new world

2011-05-10T22:47:00.000-07:00

Hello world. I've been absent for awhile. I think I'm ready to come back. I feel alive again. My mind is spinning, full of new ideas and hope for the future. I am an intuitive faithful woman. I have respect and gratitude for people who put lots of energy into researching. I am not a thorough researcher. When I have a question, I ask around, do some reading and follow my heart. I know, I know, it sounds a crazy, and I'm a little surprised to be admitting it to all the world (which really translates into about 3 people who already knew). But, I'm working really hard on letting go of my weaknesses and focusing on my strengths. There's no reason to try to be someone I'm not. I have my own offerings. I'm not sure what all of them are, but I know what a lot of them are not. As I grow, the picture is clearing up and my understanding is coming into focus.

I've felt called to change the world for as long as I can remember. I'm certain that some day I will. I'm not sure what my contribution will be or if it will leave any trail back to me. Part of me believes that God knew I needed to feel important when He planted that seed deep within my soul and that my contribution will be as simple as that of a butterfly's wings. The grandness of my actions is unimportant. What is vital is that I live my life with meaning, remembering that I have a purpose and doing all that I can to find it and fulfill it.

This year I turned 29 and will celebrate my 10 year anniversary to the man of my dreams. We have 3 little ones and a mortgage. I drive a van. I thought that I'd have life all figured out by now. Childhood is full of illusions.

My life and efforts are full of shortcomings. I learned about the 1% Principle. Basically, if you concentrate on the right thing, it will help everything. I have decided to focus my efforts on my home-keeping skills. I am a bit of a pack-rat and a hoarder by nature. (There have been far too many times to count that I avoided taking pictures of my sweet children because I didn't want anyone to see what a cluttered mess my house was.) Which is not in line with my desire to live a simple life. Right now I'm focusing on eliminating excess from my life, allowing those possessions that have been owning me and filling me with guilt to move on, to find another mother who can give them the love they deserve. And hopefully blessing some people in the process. I'm winning. I can see my floor most days and I've been able to walk into my garage for weeks. A huge burden is being lifted and I'm so grateful. Every time I look through a box and find something else to move on down the line, I feel such a strange combination of exhilaration and exhaustion. It's still so painful for me, but I guess that's what sacrifice is all about. I'm giving up something I thought I wanted for something I want more. I want my children to grow up in a house of order and love. I'm making room for that. I'm working on establishing healthy habits to help our home run like a well oiled machine, after that we can focus our energy on discovering our life missions and living them. Maslow was a pretty smart guy. I'm building the foundation for not only myself, but my children also. Watch out world, I'm winning and on my way.

Frozen Yogurt

2010-03-28T13:04:00.000-07:00

4 cups yogurt strained overnight (see Notes)

1 cup yogurt

1/2 cup sugar

1 TB vanilla

Stir together until smooth. Freeze in an ice cream maker. Makes approximately 3.5 cups.

Notes:

To strain yogurt: Line a strainer with clean cheesecloth or muslin place over a dish small enough that there is room between the bottom of the strainer and the bowl. The bowl must be big enough that it can collect the whey that will drip from the yogurt. You will probably have about 1/2 as much whey by volume as the yogurt you start with.

This turned out thick and creamy, I was pleased with my first attempt at frozen yogurt. You could probably get away with less vanilla, but I'm a junkie and less sweetener (I chose sugar this time rather than honey as I will probably share with my 11 month old.)

Baby Spring Fling

2010-02-18T23:36:00.000-08:00

I am a co-leader of a local chapter of BirthNetwork. We believe that birth can profoundly effect a woman and that she should know her options. Did you know that most people spend more time researching a computer or a cell phone than they do their birth options? We are planning our first annual Baby Spring Fling, a baby fair open to the public. In Idaho Falls on, 10 April 2010 from 10 a.m. until 5 p.m., we are bringing together people with information, products, and services for pregnancy, babies and beyond. There will be door prizes too. It's going to be the baby event of the year. For more information or to be involved email birthnetwork (at) gmail (dot) com.

Hummus

2010-02-18T23:09:00.000-08:00

Last week my best friend and I had a fabulous Valentine's Day party with some of our favorite people. We had a nice spread of food with some of my favorite things to eat. I love serving guests build-able food that can easily cater to different tastes. Hummus is one of my favorite dips. It's full of flavor and nutritious. It wasn't part of the initial menu, but I decided to add it on a whim. Hummus goes well with Taziki. I keep my Taziki simple.

Foolproof Hummus

2 TB sesame seeds

2 TB creamy peanut butter

2 TB olive oil

2 TB liquid aminos (Bragg's)

2 TB lemon or lime juice

1 TB minced fresh garlic

1 TB paprika

4 cups of cooked garbanzo beans drained (1 quart or 2 14 oz cans)

Put sesame seeds in blender and blend until fine meal. Add everything else and blend until smooth. You will need to stop and push the beans from the top down into the blender a couple of times.

Note: It is a bit easier to blend everything in a food processor. The processor will not make a very good seed meal though and I don't like to dirty extra dishes. A coffee grinder will make a great seed meal. This is a large recipe and can easily be cut in half.

Taziki

6 oz plain yogurt

1/2 head of FRESH garlic minced

1/3 cucumber peeled, seeded and minced

Mix everything together then put in tea towel and allow to drain over a bowl for at least 2 hours in the fridge. I like to put mine in an old sour cream container with the lid on to secure the towel from dropping down to low.

Layered Greek Bean Dip

1/2 hummus recipe from above

1 batch of Taziki

3-4 oz crumbled feta cheese

2 small diced tomatoes

1/2 cup chopped Kalamata olives

Layer ingredients hummus first in an 8x8 in pan. Best served at room temperature, though delicious cold too. Serve with crackers or cucumber slices.

Breakfast in a Cup

2010-02-03T09:52:00.000-08:00

These are tasty and simple. I like to make extra and freeze them to be reheated later for a quick snack/breakfast. In the microwave they reheat in just 1 min.

Breakfast in a Cup

recipe adapted from Kids Cooking ISBN 1-4127-2469-4

3 cups cooked quinoa (or rice)

4 oz (1 cup) shredded cheddar cheese, divided

1 can diced green chilies

1/3 cup milk

3 eggs, beaten (2 also work, but I prefer 3)

1/2 t ground cumin

1/2 t salt

1/2 t black pepper

Combine 1/2 the cheese with everything else in a bowl. Evenly divide mixture into 12 greased muffin cups. (Can use paper muffin cups, but make sure to spray with cooking spray when using chilies.) Sprinkle with remaining cheese. Bake 400 for 15 min. or until set.

Variation: Leave out chilies, cumin, salt and pepper and add 1 cup crumbled, cooked breakfast sausage.

Note: Quinoa has the highest protein values of any grain. It has a bit of a nutty taste and is delicious. You can use it as a substitute for rice in many recipes. It cooks quickly. You cook it like rice; 1 part grain - 2 parts water. Soak your quinoa for 12 hours before cooking. (Start it in water before bed if you are cooking ti in the morning, start in the morning if you are going to cook at dinner.) It will sprout the grain and all of the nutrients will sky rock. The protein levels even go up.

Hello Breakfast

2010-01-18T14:55:00.000-08:00

I am a big fan of mixes that cut down on prep time in the kitchen. I however do not want to give up on deliciousness or nutrition. I also value REAL food. Here are 2 of my favorite mixes:

Wheat Germ Buttermilk Waffles

3/4 cup wheat germ

1 TB milled flax

4 1/2 TB buttermilk powder

2 t baking powder

1 t baking soda

1/2 t salt

1 cup whole wheat flour

Beat 3 eggs, add 1 cube melted butter and 1 1/2 cup water. Cook waffles in hot greased waffle iron.

Variation: Leave out the buttermilk powder and the water and add 1 1/2 cups buttermilk.

Note: I like to fill up several bags at the same time and shake them a bit to combine. The buttermilk powder can lump if you don't mix it in well. This mix also looks lovely in a pint jar as a gift. (If you do, make sure to include the instructions to wisk the dry ingredients together BEFORE adding the liquids.)

Whole Grain Pancake Mix

(inspired by Great Harvest pancakes)

1 1/2 cup dry milk

4 cup whole wheat flour

2 cup rolled oats

1/4 cup brown sugar

4 t baking powder

1 t salt

3/4 cup milled flax (optional)

Mix together and store in an airtight container. Measure out 1 1/2 cup dry mix and add it to 1 beaten egg, 1 cup water and 1 T oil. Cook on med/high heat buttered skillet. I love these so much that I eat the cold leftovers plain.

VARIATION:
Banana Pancakes
1 egg (lightly beaten)
1 cup water
1 banana mashed
2 cups mix

Mix 1st 3 ingredients, then gently mix in the pancake mix just until combined. Cook on med/hot heated buttered skillet.

Pencil Roll Tutorial

2009-10-27T22:21:00.000-07:00

My dear friend Tracy's been called to bless some dear Ugandan children by making Colored Pencil Rolls. Her goal is 500 by November 30. You can find out more wetoatmealkisses.com .

You will need: 1 large button, 1 thin no damage elastic (ponytail holder), 2 pieces of cotton fabric 18" x 12", and a piece of flannel (or interfacing) 13.5" x 12".
Measure 9" up the side to place elastic. You can put a pin through all the layers of fabric in the space between the elastic (the "hole"). If you click on the next picture, you might be able to see the elastic sticking out of the side. When you sew around the outside with 1/2 in seam allowance, you will catch the elastic. You might need to hold it as you feed it through the machine. If you'd like, you can backstitch it for added strength, though I don't know that it's necessary as you stitch it once more when you topstitch.
Pin right side of outside fabric to right side of inside fabric, then the flannel on top of the outside fabric.
Measure in 1.25" and down 5", cut from point to point. Then stitch around the with 1/2 inch seam allowance, pivoting at corners and leaving a 3-4 inch opening to turn.

Trim all 6 corners.
Turn. Making sure to pull out the corners to make nice points. Press. Topstitch close to the edge around the whole thing sewing over your beginning stitches 1/2-1" (this is called trace stitching and is prettier than backstitching.)

Fold down angled edge 5 inches. Press and topstitch close to edge (1/8 in) to define the flap.

Fold bottom up 4 inches. Press. Pin matching edges. Topstitch (over your previous topstitching) the sides to create a pocket. Mark the middle. Then mark every 7/8" either way, to divid into 12 pockets. Stitch the marked lines, making sure to backstitch at each end.

Place the pencils in the roll and roll it up to mark the button placement, and sew on the button.

Feel free to ask any questions, and I will do my best to answer them.

Business of Being Born

2008-09-14T21:04:00.000-07:00

The Business of Being Born is a moving documentary about maternity care in the United States.
watch the trailer

"Should most births be viewed as a natural life process or should every delivery be treated as a potential medical emergency?" ~Caroline Torem Craig

Come and decide for yourself.

Public Viewing
September 16, 2008
6:30 pm
Eastern Idaho Technical College
Health Care building room 6164
brought to you by BirthNetwork of Idaho Falls
birthnetwork.if@gmail.com

door prizes, raffle and refreshments
donations welcome

to reserve FREE tickets call
Katherine 390-7465 or Katy 251-4189

What Princess Are You?

2008-06-12T07:07:00.001-07:00

lentils

2008-06-11T20:48:00.000-07:00

this is one of my favorites. it's super inexpensive, usually everything is on hand, healthy (if you don't fry the tortillas ; ) ) and good enough to entertain with.

lentils

1 onion chopped (if you have time to saute on the stove first, it's worth it)
1 lb bag aprox. 2 1/2 cups lentils (ideally sorted and rinsed, but usually I don't)
5 cups water
2 t cumin
1 t garlic salt
1/2 t pepper
mix together in crockpot. cook at least 7 hrs, 9 is GREAT on low (3-4 hrs on high).

1/2 hour-1 hour before eating, (if you add these too soon, the lentils will take ages to soften) add:
1 14.5 oz can diced tomatoes
1 4 oz can green chilies

right before eating stir in
1 bunch cilantro chopped

serve on tortillas (freshly fried are yum, but also totally unnecessary)
with
fresh limes (a must)
sour cream (optional)
grated monterey or colby jack cheese (optional)
salsa (optional)

recycling in IF

2008-06-05T11:19:00.000-07:00

There are recycling bins scattered around town. (They are this style, but blue.) Bins that accept aluminum cans, metal cans, newspaper and plastics (that's ALL plastics with the little recycle triangle numbers 1-7 not just milk jugs). More info: http://www.ifearthday.com/HHW/Resources.htm Yeah for recycling!

Tag

2008-02-20T07:19:00.000-08:00

20 years ago... Feb 1988 I was five. Probably getting excited to turn 6. I had 2 little brothers, 4 and 10 months old. I thought that I was the greatest. I said, "Mom aren't you glad I'm so beautiful?"
10 years ago...1998 I was a junior. Chad had just left on his mission and even though he didn't know it, I'd decided to wait for him. I was the design editor for our high school yearbook and I poured my all into it. I won some competitions. I think junior year I took best of show. Some days I still miss good ol' yearbook.
5 years ago: 2003 I'd been married a year and a half. My full bodied fear of becoming a mother was starting to wear off. We were living on campus at BYU-Idaho and loving it. Sometimes we refer to our years in the dorms as the glory days. Our neighborhood and ward were so super! Chad was studying geology and I was studying fashion.
3 years ago: 2005 I had a beautiful little boy, 7 months old. I was growing into motherhood. I still had a few classes to wrap up my BA in university studies.
1 year ago... 2007 We were living in my grandmother's house anxious for April when we were planning to buy our first house, which we did. We'd also welcomed a beautiful little girl in November. She sure is a little princess. Trey was very protective of her from the beginning. :)
So far this year...2008 Chad bought me a car, my first car ever. It's so fun to be a 2 car family. I took a breastfeeding peer counselor training, amazing. And then got hired by the health department as a BF peer counselor. I get the opportunity to help moms and babies BF successfully. I've gotten really involved with La Leche League. It's blessed my family and I've made the best friends ever. I've been teaching other women to make cloth diapers (pockets). And this week I'm starting a doula training program.
Yesterday I... went to Rigby to visit a great friend and get more familiar with her home and son. She's asked me to come and be with her son while she labors and delivers her new baby. She's planning a home birth. It will the first birth I've attended aside from my own and I'm absolutely thrilled to be part of such a special time for her family!
Today I... have an enrichment planning meeting and then a friend is coming over to finish a couple of diapers with snaps and then cut some more out.
Later tonight... I've got to make dinner and get everything ready for tomorrow, lunches for Chad and I and make sure I've got everything together for my kids to be at grandma's all day (thanks Mom!).
Tomorrow... I start my doula training. I'm really excited.
This year I hope to.... finish my doula training; plant, harvest, and process an amazing garden; get more organized, and become a better wife and mother.
I tag.... Bita, Chelsea, Jessica, Alica, Katy, Sara

Go Boobs!

2008-02-16T09:46:00.000-08:00

I got the job as a breastfeeding peer counselor with the health department. It's about 8 hours a week. Most of it I can do from home: sending letters and making phone calls. I also get to teach some of the WIC education classes and do some home visits to help moms and babies have a good breastfeeding experience. I'm really excited to be able to do something I feel strongly about and get paid. I'm nervous too. I haven't had a real job in 4+ years and I'm not really willing to give up much time with my family. I hope that we can make it work. Today I'm supposed to shadow my first home visit. Yeah.

Breast is Best

2008-02-02T08:16:00.000-08:00

I just finished a week long training to be a breastfeeding peer counselor with WIC. It was an incredible learning opportunity for me. They only have 3 opening right now. I'll find out
on Wednesday if I get hired. Whether I do or not isn't really important to me. I feel like I gained so much this week and now I have the skills to help more mothers and babies have a positive breastfeeding experience. I feel so blessed.

Just an FYI

2008-01-29T17:51:00.001-08:00

For those of you that didn't know AND that care, I have 2 blogs. This one if to help fulfill my life as a domestic artist. The other is more about our little family and such. http://chadandkat.blogspot.com/

Sweet Taco Meat

2008-01-29T17:26:00.000-08:00

1 chuck roast (3-4 lbs)
1 yellow onion
5 cloves of garlic
1 tsp oregano
1 tsp thyme
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1 liter Dr. Pepper
1/4 cup orange juice concentrate

place chuck in crock pot and then everything else. chuck should be mostly covered with liquid. cook on low (preferably) for 6-8 hours or on high for 4-5 hrs. take meat out and cut into bite size chunks. eat on tacos with pico di gallo, refried beans, and grated cheese.

this is another family favorite. it's my spin on Mayan tacos

Easy Fish Tacos

2008-01-27T07:59:00.000-08:00

I'm going to start sharing great recipes. This is one of our favorites. It's super yummy, and super easy.

Fish Tacos
Sauce:
1/2 cup sour cream
1/2 cup mayo
1 T lime juice
1/2 t oregano
1/2 t cumin
1/2 t dill weed
1/4 t cayenne

frozen breaded fish fillets
chopped tomatoes
shredded lettuce or cabbage
shredded cheese
tortillas (we like fresh corn tortillas from the local tortillaria)

Mix sauce and chill while fish is cooking. Cut fish into strips and pile everything up in a tortilla.

Google Reader

2008-01-18T18:49:00.000-08:00

Google Reader is just great! You plug in the blogs that you want to watch and it shows you when they've been updated. It's super easy to use, especially if you use Gmail.

2008-01-18T18:29:00.000-08:00

Well I did it. After 7 years of wanting to donate my hair to locks of love I cut off 12 inches, 14.5 at the longest. Crazy, I know. I did it last Friday and I'm still not used to it.

Before

After

Great Milestone

2008-01-03T19:24:00.000-08:00

Yesterday, I had someone refer to our family as their "hippie friends". I know that it's silly, but it made me feel so great.

Grandma's Fabric

2008-01-03T19:14:00.000-08:00

This is the mei tai I made with some fabric that my sweet grandmother gave me. My mom thinks that it was leftover from the curtains she made for her bedroom growing up. Such history in it's fibers. Wearing my baby in fabric that came from my mother line feels so great! Thanks Grandma!

Eagle Rock Food Coop

2007-12-16T20:57:00.001-08:00

I am SO excited! Idaho Falls is getting a food coop. It should be opening this winter. Yeah for eating local, naturally-raised, organic, fair trade!

Christmas is coming

2007-12-16T20:37:00.000-08:00

Chad had yesterday off. The first Saturday since he started his new job. It's amazing the things that you take for granted until you don't have them. He was so precious to me to be able to spend a whole weekend with him! He's just the greatest. We spent most of the day shopping. We still have a lot to do before Christmas. I can't believe that it's so close. I'm so excited!!! Christmas is just the greatest. This year my whole family will be together at my parents, even my brother's girlfriend. I don't know when it will happen again. Yeah! I super duper heart her. :) I am so glad that my brothers have such great taste! My baby brother has been talking about going on a mission. I hope that he decides to go. His best friend's suicide really shook him and he's wavered more. He's such a great man, but I don't think he's so sure about that. Christmas Eve we're having a big dinner at Mom and Dad's. We're eating prime rib with all the fixin's and then we'll have cupcakes with candles so that we can sing "Happy Birthday" to Jesus. That's one of my favorite family traditions. My dad gets so excited at Christmas. He reminds me a lot of the real Santa Claus. We helped him put together huge fruit baskets for his co-workers after dinner tonight. It's so much fun to help him with his Christmas projects! He's so generous! I love being around him at Christmas. He has this look in his eyes; it's a mixture of hope and childlike innocence. It's like the good all rises up and somehow he can't see the rest. My dad is just the greatest!

broken heart

2007-12-04T21:29:00.000-08:00

The world is a sadder place today. Yesterday my baby brother's friend, Mike passed away. He took his own life. Died to young, too soon. It's come as a shock. He was always so full of positive energy. He loved children. My son nicknamed him "he plays" because he played with him tirelessly. All of the adults would be talking or playing a board game in one room and Mike would be in another with my little munchkins down on the floor building some great tower or helping the cow find his food. He was scheduled to leave on a church mission next week. So many mysteries. Most of them trapped inside souls that don't know how to let them out.

like the cool kids

2007-12-04T07:29:00.000-08:00

Well, it seems like all the "cool kids" have blogs so I decided to jump on the band wagon. Okay, that's not the real reason. I'm a big believer in synchronicity. God has a real sense of humor and he lets us in on it by giving us meaningful condenses in our lives. Within 24 hours, I had 2 good friends from different aspects of my life start blogs and tell me that I should start too. So here I am.

My husband started a new job last Monday. We really feel like it's where we're supposed to be. It's a lot more money than his previous job. It's also more demanding in every way. He's away twice as much. 6 10's plus travel time. Once he gets home, we only have 2 hours until he needs to be asleep. Thankfully he has Sundays off. We don't know how long the long hours will last, hopefully not too long. For now, I sure feel like a single mom alot. (I know that my life doesn't hold a candle to the life of a real single mom. I salute all single moms. You do so much!)