how to host a Rex Manning Day party

Ingredients for a successful Rex Manning Day party:

Hand-lettered costume party invites, photocopied (remember that Rex's lunch scene?), folded into junior high-style notes, and mailed in shiny silver envelopes

Empire Records on VHS

Swag bags filled with Bonne Bell Lip Smackers, movie-inspired renamed nail polishes, animal-print slap bracelets (to match the infamous couch, of course!), and mix CDs of tunes circa 1995 (each guest was asked to bring one for a swap)

A button-making station and supplies for weaving friendship bracelets while you watch the film

Contests for "best brownies" and "best impersonation" - with movie-themed prizes like this card and this bag

Sugar High punch, based on this recipe

A bunch of friends who love reminiscing about the 1990s and are great sports!

Happy Rex Manning Day! We're open 'til midnight!

the perfect cake for spring | lemon rhubarb ricotta pound cake

If I could have taken a picture of this whole cake, I would have. But I was too busy eating it to worry about pictures for a blog post. So, here you go:

Are the crumbs on the tablecloth the result of me eating the second-to-last piece two minutes before I took this? Yes, yes they are.

My mom recently made this unbelievably delicious lemon rhubarb ricotta pound cake for Phoebe's brit bat, and it is truly the perfect cake for this time of spring when rhubarb is plentiful and brunch opportunities abound. It's rich but not overly sweet or heavy - good for breakfast or dessert or 3pm when you just can't resist it anymore. You should definitely make this for your Mother's Day brunch this weekend - or demand that someone make it for you. Better yet, make two so you can keep one entirely for yourself, because you will want to eat the whole thing.

The original recipe is over at Heather Christo - my version is below.

Lemon Rhubarb Ricotta Pound Cake

1 1/2 sticks unsalted butter at room temperature
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
1 1/2 cups whole milk ricotta (don't use part-skim - it will be too watery; you may want to consider draining/straining the ricotta a bit before use but it's not usually necessary)
3 eggs
1 tsp lemon juice
1 tbsp grated lemon zest
1 1/2 cups unbleached flour
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp kosher salt
2 cups diced rhubarb

Preheat the oven to 350. Butter a standard 8x5 loaf pan and set aside.

In a large bowl, cream together the butter and sugar with an electric mixer. Add the ricotta and beat until well-mixed. Add the eggs one at a time, beating each one well. Add in the lemon juice and mix.

In a separate bowl, mix together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Add half a cup at a time to your other ingredients, stirring by hand (or, if you must, with your mixer).

Gently fold in the diced rhubarb and lemon zest. Pour your batter into the prepared pan and bake for approximately 45 minutes (Start checking your cake at 40, but it may take longer - my mom's oven needed a full hour for this to be ready! Don't overbake or you'll lose the lovely tenderness of this cake). Remove from the oven and place on a wire rack for 10 minutes. Remove the cake from your pan and let cool fully.

Once the cake has cooled, ice your cake with the rhubarb glaze (see below). Then try not to eat the whole thing in one sitting.


Rhubarb Glaze

2 tsp unsalted butter
1/4 cup diced rhubarb
1 cup confectioner's sugar
2 tbsp whole milk or whipping cream

Using a small pan over medium heat, melt your butter, then add the rhubarb and cook, stirring often, until softened (but not browned). Add the butter-rhubarb mixture along with the other ingredients to a food processor or blender, and puree until smooth.

the recipe that saved my morning // swiss oatmeal

Mornings are horrible at our house. I have always been a relatively early-riser, so throughout our marriage it's fallen on me to be the one to get up in the morning and get things ready for the day. (Jason holds up his end of the bargain after I go to sleep at night, since he's a night owl.) But with a toddler and a baby to deal with, there was no way I could get two kids up and ready, make a toddler breakfast, make adult breakfasts, and get myself showered and dressed before Jason has to head out the door. Guess what often goes by the wayside?

I know some people solve this problem by skipping breakfast or having a quick piece of toast, but that doesn't fly here. I need to have a seriously protein-packed meal when I first get up or I won't make it through the rest of the day - and Jason gets massive headaches without a hearty breakfast to get him going. We had relied on oatmeal (the real stuff - instant isn't as healthy or filling) as our go-to staple for as long as I can remember, but there's no time to make it. And muffins or breakfast cookies take a fair amount of prep that I don't have time for, either.

And then I discovered this.

I've had Swiss Oatmeal, or refrigerator oatmeal as it's sometimes called, at The Corner Bakery and on our cruise to Alaska a few years ago, but it never occurred to me to try it on my own until my brother and his wife recommended it. I searched for recipes online, tweaked some, and came up with one that works for us. Note: it's double the serving size that I usually found on Pinterest, so consider your own appetite and protein needs when making this for yourself.

Swiss Oatmeal
1 pint-sized mason jar (wide-mouth works best for getting ingredients in)
1/2 cup regular uncooked oats (not instant or steel-cut)
2/3 cup milk
1/2 cup plain Greek yogurt
1 tbsp chopped walnuts
sweetener (honey, agave, brown sugar, etc.) to taste
1/4 cup frozen berries

Dump them all in the jar. Put on the lid. Shake vigorously. Let it sit in your fridge overnight. In the morning, open, stir, and eat. Depending on the brand of yogurt you use, this can have anywhere from 15-25 grams of protein per jar. (Again, "normal" people might just want a half-sized version of this recipe. But we're hungry hungry hippos over here.)

Now, as soon as we get Lorelei off to bed, I whip up this recipe in less than 5 minutes and the stress of the next morning is instantly abated. An added bonus is that this oatmeal can keep for an extra day in the fridge - so I make enough for two days at once and only have to worry about breakfast 3 times a week now. It's the little things!

make a mess mondays | easy cake recipes for toddlers

It's been a while since I've posted one of our sensory play activities -- here's something we've been doing a lot around here lately: baking!

Lorelei is fascinated with making cakes -- when we see one in a book, she runs to the kitchen to point out her apron (actually one my grandmother made for me 30 years ago!). I had also forgotten how amazing it is to get to lick the batter off the spoon. Such pure delight every single time. So I've taken precautions to make sure we always bake cakes that are egg-free so my little taste-tester can sample as much as she wants.

I know in Bringing Up Bebe  (how do you do accent marks in Blogger? le sigh.) Pamela Druckerman talks about the classic French yogurt cake that even young toddlers can make, since it's all measured with a 6 oz. yogurt container (read one mom's experience here). I do something similar with Lorelei; during her nap, I get all the ingredients ready to go so she doesn't have to sit around waiting for me to use the can opener.

Easy Toddler Cake, Two Versions

version one:
one can pumpkin puree
one box Hodgson Mill Whole Wheat Gingerbread mix*
1/2 cup raisins, craisins, chopped cranberries, currants, etc.

version two:
one can pumpkin puree
one box Ghirardelli Double Chocolate Brownie mix*
1/2 cup chocolate chips

Preheat the oven to 350. Dump all of the ingredients into a large bowl and stir until everything is mixed in. Spread into a prepared 8x8 pan and bake according to box directions (note: the gingerbread doesn't seem to need to go quite as long as it says -- start checking at 20 min.).

That's it! Lorelei would like you to know that periodically turning on the oven light to check on your cake is half of the fun.

*technically, you could do this with any boxed mix; I recommend these two because they are both trans-fat free, which is hard to find in prepared mixes.

fiber-filled smoothies {snacktime saturday linkup}

Leah and Margaux are still doing their Snacktime Saturdays, so I thought I'd share a "recipe" for a popular snack around here: smoothies. I know it's not Saturday -- but I wish it were, so does that count?

Lorelei is a cheese addict, doesn't like to drink much of anything (even juice!), and tends to eschew fiber-filled foods like whole grain breads and beans, so she tends to get a little...plugged up, to put it politely. She looooves smoothies, though, so I've taken to packing hers with extra fiber and high-protein yogurt to help keep her regular and give her good brain-fuel, too.

I don't have a set recipe, but here's what I always try to have on hand:

plain Greek yogurt (double the protein of the regular stuff!)
frozen organic blueberries and raspberries*
organic apples
shredded wheat squares

*buying organic all the time is expensive, but berries tend to have very high levels of pesticides. I try to keep bags of the frozen stuff around all the time because it's cheaper than the fresh berries and you don't have to worry about them going moldy before you get around to using them!

I soak 6-7 shredded wheat squares in milk to soften them, microwave 1/3 cup of berries to defrost them a bit, chop/dice a quarter of an apple (with skin on for added nutrients), and then put it all into a blender or food processor with a 1/2 cup of yogurt and a splash of no-sugar-added juice or milk to make it a bit less thick. Sometimes I'll even add a bit of a baby food jar of prunes -- or you could try another fiber-filled fruit like apricots. Puree everything until it'll flow easily through a straw. The shredded wheat, berries, and apple pack in a powerful fiber punch, and blended together it tastes sweet and rich without any added sugars.

Note: I do not use any banana! It's a pretty common smoothie base, but it's a food that tends to be binding, which of course defeats the purpose of these "magic" smoothies.

Check out the other great recipes from the Snacktime Saturday linkup too!

makin' it.

As I already mentioned this week, I've been cooking, baking, and crafting up a storm lately. I don't know if it's the whole back-to-school thing, or the chill in the air that makes me want to crank up the oven, or just a general need to get my hands dirty, but every spare minute has been spent creating something new. Here's what I've been working on:

I got the idea to make a necklace version of my book bracelets -- this is my first attempt. I'm still trying to figure out what kind of chain works best to hang these beads from, but for now I'm excited about what I came up with!

I used two tutorials I found on Pinterest to make a baby shower gift for a friend who just had a beautiful home birth this past week: a book page canvas and burp cloths. I'm most excited about the canvas and wish I had pictures to show you, but I made it during my no-camera period: it's green and the book pages I used were from the sorting hat chapter of the first Harry Potter. Perfect for a new baby's room, right?

And for that same friend, tonight I'm whipping up some vegan chili, an apple pie cake, and this delicious dip (maybe with some olive oil crackers if I have time) because I remember all too well how hard it is to find time to cook in those first crazy weeks.

What have you created lately?

pumpkin head.

I have pumpkin EVERYTHING on the brain at the moment, thanks mostly to Pinterest. And also our weekend outing to the pumpkin patch:

So far, my Starbucks Pumpkin Spice Latte count is at 2. I've made pumpkin muffins, pumpkin cookies, and currently have 3 cans of pumpkin in the pantry taunting me. My very favorite pumpkin recipe (besides pumpkin pie!) is below. If you've got a yummy one to share, please let me know!

 PUMPKIN CRANBERRY WALNUT BREAD

(this is the original recipe, with my additions/changes noted throughout)

Ingredients

2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

1 tablespoon pumpkin pie spice (I prefer to use a a VERY full tsp of cinnamon, 1/4 tsp of ginger, and 1/8 tsp of cloves)

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 eggs

2 cups white sugar (I think 1 1/2 cups is plenty -- depends on how sweet you like your bread)

1 (15 ounce) can pumpkin puree

1/2 cup vegetable oil

1 cup dried cranberries (I use half a bag of fresh cranberries and chop them in half before adding)

1 cup chopped walnuts

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees; grease and flour 2 9x5 inch loaf pans (or 4 mini loaf pans)

In a mixing bowl, combine flour, pumpkin pie spice, baking powder and salt.

Combine eggs, sugar, pumpkin and oil in small mixing bowl, beat until just blended.

Stir the wet mixture into the dry with a wooden spoon until batter is just moistened.

Fold the cranberries and walnuts into the batter.

Spoon the batter into the prepared loaf pans.

Bake in preheated oven for 50 to 60 minutes. (If using mini loaf pans, begin checking bread after 25 minutes.)

[this never makes quite as much as the recipe says it will, at least in my kitchen -- I can usually get one 9X5 and one mini-loaf pan out of each batch, just FYI]

adventures in motherhood: healthy eating

Big news: we drove to Trader Joe's this week! That might not seem like a big deal, but I haven't been inside one since before Lorelei was born -- the closest one to us is a 45 minute drive one way, and when you have a baby toddler who screams bloody murder most of the time she's in the car and also refuses to nap on the go, long car trips don't happen very often. But we went, she screamed, and we got some really yummy food (and cheap beer -- you're welcome, Daddy).

(what Lorelei wishes I served for lunch every day!)

I've never been a big fan of lunch. Breakfast food is something I could eat three meals a day, and I love experimenting with recipes at dinner and planning out just the right side dishes to balance out a main course. But lunch? Meh. I don't like sandwiches and I generally just feel uninspired by the typical lunchtime fare. I feel like meat eaters have it easier at lunch, too, to be honest. Mostly, I make bean + cheese nachos or heat up an Amy's spinach/feta wrap and call it a day.

And when it comes to creating interesting lunches for Lorelei, I admit total defeat. She gets hummus sandwiches, avocado sandwiches, cheese sandwiches, or some combination of the above most days of the week. I usually round it out with some chopped up fruit or a smoothie or maybe an Ella's Kitchen pouch (p.s. is "swede" another name for rutabaga?). String cheese, black beans, and peas often show up on her tray, too. So it's not surprising that she turns up her nose at what I offer on a fairly regular basis and that she gets really excited on days when I make something like Annie's macaroni and cheese.

So besides my struggle with being an uninspired lunch chef, I have food on the brain at the moment because several bloggers I know have been posting about toddler snacks and meals lately. Michelle has been writing all about her successes with finding healthy meals for her son, Jennifer posts regularly about what Chloe is eating, and now Margaux and Leah have started a link-up for snack ideas. Check them out -- and I hope you share some of your healthy meal and snack ideas for your tots, too!

two-bite recipes

Are any of you going to an Independence Day potluck today? I love trying out new recipes for these sorts of occasions -- and lately I've been really into bite-sized treats because I find myself eating on the go (or standing up, or while doing a million other things) lately. Tiny things are so cute, aren't they?

Here are two two-bite recipes I've made in the past week. The first is a great way to use up all the zucchini you're bound to have taking over your garden (if you have anything of a green thumb, that is -- unlike me! I just thank my lucky stars I have great neighbors), and the second is sure to satisfy your dark chocolate cravings.

Zucchini Bites

two eggs
one large zucchini, grated and pressed between towels to remove excess liquid
half a yellow onion, diced
1/2 cup cornmeal
3 oz your favorite cheese, grated
1 tbsp dried parsley or 1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped
freshly ground sea salt and pepper to taste

Preheat your oven to 400 and prepare a mini muffin tin. Beat the eggs in a large bowl. Add the rest of the ingredients and stir to combine. Spoon the zucchini mixture into the cups, filling to the top. Fill any empty muffin cups with a small amount of water. Bake for 15-18 minutes. Makes around two dozen.

(Side note: my daughter loves these!)


My Favorite Things Cookies (peanut butter, oat, and dark chocolate cookies)

1 cup unbleached flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup Earth Balance [or butter, softened]
1/2 cup creamy peanut butter [I like Parker's or Old Home]
1/3 cup light brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 tsp vanilla
1 egg
1/2 cup oats
1 cup dark chocolate morsels [I used Ghirardelli]

Preheat your oven to 350. Whisk together the flour, baking soda, and salt in a small bowl. With a hand mixer, cream together the Earth Balance, peanut butter, sugars, and vanilla. Add the egg; beat well. Add the flour slowly and mix by hand to combine. Stir in the oats and dark chocolate.

With a melon baller, scoop out the dough onto a prepared cookie sheet. Bake for 9-11 minutes -- they will look slightly underdone when you remove them from the oven, but will cool to doneness. Makes about 50 mini-cookies.

(The peanut butter gooiness is best when these are eaten warm -- just sayin'!)

Happy Fourth!

more milk, naturally: healthy mamas, happy babies {giveaway}

As you know, I'm a big fan of Megan from The Boho Mama, and I was delighted when she sent me a pre-release copy of her new e-book, More Milk, Naturally to review!

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Megan's 37-page booklet is a from-one-mom-to-another guide to boosting your milk supply and getting yourself started on the path towards eating healthy, nutritious foods that will sustain both you and your baby through your breastfeeding relationship. Even though I'm wrapping up my own journey as a nursing mama, I found the book to be really helpful and informative. When it comes to mothering resources, I always look for guides that are heavy on the scientific footnotes and provide a lot of straight-from-the-trenches ideas, and Megan's e-book provides both. Almost 10% of the book is spent on providing you with at-your-fingertips links and references to find out more about everything from breastfeeding twins to dehydrating your own nuts and seeds. And there are ten pages of easy-to-follow recipe ideas to get you started!

I'm excited that Megan has agreed to offer one copy of her More Milk, Naturally e-book to one lucky (she always loved) larking reader! Wouldn't this be a great gift for a new mom? (If you're like me, you know about a bazillion people having a baby in the next few months!) To enter Megan's giveaway, all you have to do is leave a comment below answering one of the following questions: what's your favorite "mother food" or what's your go-to milk-making recipe?  For bonus entries, share this giveaway on FB or Twitter (and please leave a comment to say you did so!).

This giveaway ends next Monday night (7/9) at 10pm CDT. The winner will be announced the following morning right here on the blog. But if you can't wait that long to find out if you've won, Megan is generously offering 20% off the price of her e-book for any (she always loved) larking readers! Use discount code LARKING when you place your order.

Friday faves round up.

A few things I'm into this week:

Lorelei's adorably chubby legs. I will be so, so sad when she's walking and these slim down!

These cupcakes over at bonbon mini -- can't wait to try them.
I have this problem and am so excited to have a solution, finally!
Scroll down to the bottom of this post to see the sweetest daddy-daughter picture ever.
PJ's new blog design -- and awesome giveaway!
And speaking of giveaways, don't forget to leave a comment on yesterday's post for your chance to win one of our favorite bedtime stories!

Happy weekend :)

good morning muffins + happy birthday cupcakes

I've been wanting to make some baby-friendly muffins for a while, because I've been looking for new breakfast foods for my soon-to-be toddler. With the in-laws in town this week, I suddenly had some baking time -- and since they wanted to do a little pre-birthday celebrating, I multipurposed them into some healthy cupcakes, too.

Without the frosting, these can be vegan, depending on how you choose your muffin ingredients!

Good Morning Muffins - makes about 36 mini-muffins
(I made 24 mini muffins and five regular sized ones)

1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup whole wheat flour
pinch of salt
3 tsp baking powder
1/3 cup sugar*
2 tablespoons neutral oil (butter, canola, Earth Balance spread, etc.)
2/3 cup baby food -- fruit flavor of choice (I used a spinach, mango, and pear mix that tastes sweet and gives a little leafy-green boost without making the muffins green too)
2/3 cup "milk" (breastmilk, formula, cow's milk, soy milk, etc.)*

Preheat oven to 400. Mix together the dry ingredients in a large bowl. In a separate bowl, whisk together the oil, baby food, and milk. Pour into the center of the dry ingredients and stir quickly just until all ingredients are blended -- don't overmix. If you're not using muffin cups, prepare your muffin tin with nonstick spray before filling each about 2/3rds full. Bake for 10-12 minutes, just until muffins are set and starting to turn golden and spring back when touched. Cool and serve.

To turn these into Happy Birthday Cupcakes, I mixed together a half cup of cream cheese with powdered sugar added by the tablespoon just until I had enough to turn it into frosting and to avoid making it overly sweet.

* NOTE: if you choose, you can leave out the sugar completely or use molasses, agave nectar, or other sweetener. If you use a liquid-based sweetener, you may need to adjust the amount of milk so the batter doesn't get too runny.

holy weekend, batman!

And a very Good Friday to you -- literally. We've got a busy weekend in store, since Passover starts tonight, tomorrow is my husband's birthday, and I've got to sing in my church choir for Easter service on Sunday. That's what we get for living in such an ecumenical household!

Why is this night different from all other nights? Well, we're heading in to Chicago to break matzoh with my husband's extended family and will attempt, for the first time, to put our non-sleeping daughter to bed in one place and then transfer her (via an hour-long car ride) back to her own crib later in the night. Are we crazy? Yes, yes we are.

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A few holiday-minded links for you this Friday:

My two favorite flourless chocolate cake recipes, since The Professor's birthday is during Passover 40% of the time which eliminates a lot of choices: this one has a caramel sauce, and this one has espresso and raspberries.

From earlier in the week, my mom's Easter cookie tradition.

Always wondered how and why Passover and Easter move around the calendar? Here's your answer -- and an explanation for why they are usually, but not always, at about the same time.

A baby-friendly seder plate!

The amazing piece my choir sang for Good Friday services last year; if you're short on time, skip to 4:44 to have your socks knocked off (no, this is not a recording of us -- I wish!).

Ridiculously delicious Easter eggs.

Happy Easter! Happy Pesach! Happy Spring!

birds' nest cookies

My mom was here this weekend -- hooray for extra help around the house! -- and in between all of our baby-related activities we had to fit in some springtime cookie making. It's a long-established tradition that my mom makes these darling little birds' nests for us around Easter time, and since they're chametz, we have to gobble them up before Passover starts on Friday night. (Won't be a problem -- they're delicious!)

Here's the recipe, which makes around 3 dozen cookies:

one package semisweet chocolate chips
1/2 cup peanut butter (crunchy is best)
one package chow mein noodles (you probably won't use quite the whole bag)
two cups small, egg-like candies (we use Whoppers mini robin eggs, but jelly beans would be cute too)

Combine the chocolate chips and peanut butter in a large microwave-safe bowl. Heat in 30 second intervals, pausing to stir, until melted. (Alternately, melt in a saucepan over the stove.) Slowly add the chow mein noodles, tossing with two forks/spoons like you would a salad. Once the noodles are sufficiently coated (you don't want it to be too goopy, so keep adding noodles until it seems right), drop golfball-sized "nests" onto a cookie tray lined with waxed paper (or into individual muffin cups works too). Press two candies into the center of each one. When all the cookies are assembled, pop the tray into the fridge or freezer to set.

You could probably tweak this recipe in lots of ways (leave out the peanut butter, try butterscotch chips, etc.) If you have a different version, please share -- I'd love to hear about it!

Friday round up.

Five things you should definitely take a look at this Friday:

1. I've had chalkboard paint on the brain lately because I'm thinking it'd be fun to have in our kitchen. Robyn must have read my mind (like she did the day she pinned this recipe on her Pinterest board), because she just posted this awesome tutorial, plus a giveaway from her amazingly cool shop.

2. Suzanne shared this website I'd never seen before -- new obsession.

3. L got a million compliments on her new suit at swimming lessons this week! It was a lot easier to get her ready for class by putting the top on her at home and just changing into the bottoms (plus swim diaper) at the pool -- I'm a convert.

4. Once the outdoor pool is open for the season, I'll be making use of this list of safe(r) sunscreens for babies.

5. These complaints written in the margins of medieval manuscripts are too funny, and remind me of my favorite Billy Collins poem! (Thanks, Megan.)

Our peanut is 10 months tomorrow -- I can barely believe it. Hoping she'll celebrate by deciding to sleep more than an hour at a time during the night, but if this past week is any indication, I shouldn't hold my breath.

Happy weekend, all!

midnight snack.

I don't know about you, but I get ravenous at night. Especially at 2am when a certain someone wakes me up because she's hungry, too. I usually keep a cookie tin full so I can grab a quick snack before heading back to bed, but I got inspired by something I saw on Pinterest and decided to experiment with making something that I can at least pretend is healthy (unlike the brownie cookies I just bought at Jewel).

Bonus: this recipe is easily vegan-ized, for those of you who are in the market for just such a thing :)

I am no food photographer -- but here goes.

CHOCOLATE, OAT, AND NUT ENERGY BITES

3 Tbsp. chocolate or carob chips
4 Tbsp. nut butter (I used cashew butter)
3 Tbsp. milk, any kind (soy, almond, cow, etc.)
1 tsp vanilla
1 cup oats
2 Tbsp. walnuts
2 Tbsp. dried fruit (raisins, dried cranberries, etc.)

Put the first three ingredients in a microwave-safe bowl. Microwave for 30-second intervals until melted, then stir to combine. Add the vanilla and stir.

Slowly add in the oats, walnuts, and fruit, stirring to combine. The mixture should be fairly dry -- add more oats, one tablespoon at a time, as needed.

Drop the mixture by spoonful into a recycled egg carton, ice cube tray, or other divided container. Press firmly -- it should be packed in. Cover with plastic wrap and place in the freezer for 10-15 minutes to set.

Makes 12 bite-sized snacks.

Next time, I might add some flax seeds or protein powder to give it even more of a nutritional boost.

Got a tip for a quick and easy snack recipe? Share it in the comments!

DIY: sugar and spice body scrub

So I had intended to try a new body scrub recipe this week as a quick-and-easy holiday gift for friends, but I ended up falling back on a tried-and-true favorite instead: my Sugar and Spice Body Scrub.

The recipe originally came from an old issue of Country Living, but I seem to have lost all traces of it (I'm thinking in the Great Basement Flood Disaster of 2011). I found some versions online that seem close to what I remember, but I tweaked them a little and came up with this! (The nice thing about this project is that you can pretty much find all of the ingredients at your local grocery store except for the essential oil -- but you might even be able to find that if you live near a Whole Foods! Oh, to be so lucky...)

Combine two cups of white sugar, two cups of brown sugar, 1.5 tablespoons of ginger, 1.5 tablespoons of nutmeg, 1.5 tablespoons of cinnamon, and 1 teaspoon of cloves in a large bowl.

Add in 10 ounces (about a cup and a quarter) of almond oil and stir, stir, stir with a fork or whisk until everything is mixed evenly. You might need to get in there with your fingers to break up any large chunks of sugar.

Here's the only tough part, because it requires you to concentrate: add in 100 drops of cardamom essential oil (when purchasing, a 1 ounce vial should be plenty). After each set of 10 drops, blend carefully before adding any more. Be ready for your kitchen to smell like you are making some amazing cookies -- and slap your husband's fingers if he tries to sample any (really, 'cause it's not edible despite all the yummy ingredients).

Once everything is mixed together, you can start packaging! If you want to be earth friendly, upcycle some old jelly jars (especially those Bonne Maman ones!) or empty cosmetic tubs. I bought 4-ounce, double-walled containers (though next time I'm going to plan ahead and save jars instead!). If I really packed them full, I would have used 8, but I ended up with 9 -- the size of your jar will obviously determine the number you make. I also got some cute labels so they would look a little less plain. Be sure to include a little note telling your recipients that this is not intended for facial use and that they should use it within 6 months.

(Yes, my kitchen wall is covered with maps. Loooooong story for another post.)

All told, it probably took me an hour from start to finish once I had all of the supplies, which was the perfect project for L's naptime :) If you used old containers and made your own labels, the total cost for this project would be somewhere around $25 -- in other words, $3-per-person gifts. Score!

Have a happy weekend -- I'll be doing some at-home spa treatments with my new scrub :)

walking the walk.

As I mentioned on Facebook the other day, I have been pinning so many things on Pinterest with nothing to show for it that I feel like someone on a virtual version of Hoarders. So I decided to put my money time where my mouth pins are and actually MAKE STUFF.

Here's what I've been working on so far this week, plus my reviews of the tutorials or recipes (all photos below are from the websites I've linked to -- click to see the original sources!):

This soup. It turned out pretty great. It's not an exact copy of beef-broth-based French onion soup taste-wise, but it is pretty close and a great vegetarian substitute. A little time-consuming, just as a warning -- it took me pretty much all of the Packers game to complete it!

These cookies. I substituted 1/2 cup of whole wheat flour instead of using all unbleached white, dropped the butter down to 1 1/2 sticks, and lowered the brown sugar to 3/4 of a cup. We had orange-flavored cranberries from a bog in Wisconsin, which gave the cookies an extra kick of flavor. Amazing! I might try them with walnuts next time.

Pendant necklaces like this one (mine aren't nearly so fancy, though -- isn't this beautiful?). So far, these aren't working out perfectly -- I'm having issues with the copper of my pendant trays turning the text I'm using blue, which is sort of cool but totally unintentional. I was hoping to be able to use these in my etsy shop (if I ever get it up and running...), but so far these aren't really sell-able.

Holiday wrapping that looks like this. I scored some great red ribbon and striped red and white wrapping paper at the dollar store, and I had some kraft paper leftover from a long-ago project. I think this will be my go-to wrapping scheme forever!

And later this week, I'm hoping to make this

and this...

and this!

The local moms group I joined is having a craft night on Friday, so I should have plenty to keep myself busy. I'll report back with my progress (to keep myself honest, of course!).

Any last minute holiday crafts or recipes you've got your eye on?

Friday roundup.

Roundup time! Here's what I've been into this week:

This website -- you could spend hours here.

This blog challenge, which I'm totally doing starting this month. Stay tuned!

These boots. (How great is a shoe company called Naughty Monkey?)

These two treasuries over at etsy.

Being shameless. (thanks, Sara, for telling me about this one!)

Homemade pop tarts? Yes, please.

The brilliant ideas in this book.

This poem, thanks to Miss Quick.

This potentially time-sucking new project I'm super inspired to try.

Have a beautiful weekend, all!

(image -- and more beautiful photos in her shop, too.)

fall harvest dinner.

A few weeks ago, my aunt and uncle (who have green thumbs like no other) brought me two sweet dumpling squashes from their beautiful garden. I guess last year they didn't get any -- and this year they have dozens and dozens and don't know what to do with them! I was incredibly grateful, as my garden mostly consists of creeping charlie.

They are similar in size and shape to acorn squash, and you can cook them in a similar way, too. I got super inspired to whip up something fall-ish and L decided to take a long enough nap that I actually got to complete it. :)

sweet dumpling squash with wild rice and apple stuffing

what you'll need:
2 sweet dumpling squashes
1/2 cup wild rice (I used one 4 oz. box of Reese's)
1 shallot
1 large apple (pick one that is firm and has a good crunch to it -- if they're on the small side, you'll need 1 1/2 and you will just have to eat the rest of it while you're cooking!)
1/8th cup (large handful) sliced almonds, toasted
2 tbsp butter
2 tbsp honey, plus more to taste
cinnamon
finely ground sea salt
pepper
evoo
lemon juice

Cook the wild rice according to package directions -- it will take 40-60 minutes or so.

Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 350. Cut the squash in half (vertically) and scoop out the seeds. Pierce the flesh with a fork in a few places. Divide the butter between all 4 squash halves. Drizzle each with the honey, and then sprinkle with cinnamon.

Cover each squash half with foil, put them on a baking pan, and pop them in the oven for 30 minutes.

While the squash is cooking, chop up the shallot and saute it in evoo until it starts to brown, then set aside. Roughly dice the apple, then squirt with a little lemon juice to keep it fresh. When the wild rice is done cooking, add the apple and shallot, almonds, sea salt and pepper to taste, and a generous drizzle of both the evoo and honey and toss to combine.

Take your baking pan out of the oven (leave it on) and remove the foil from the squash. Scoop the wild rice mixture into each half. Lightly spray the top of the filled squash halves with cooking spray, then return to the oven for 15 minutes uncovered.

This will serve 4 as a side dish or 2 as a vegetarian main course. We ate it with garlicky green beans and crusty rosemary bread. Yum!

Happy weekend -- hope you have great food and great company in your plans!