Cinnamon Roll Pancakes

I try not to duplicate posts from my various blogs but after my previous Pinterest Fail, I was anxious to post my latest success everywhere possible.

These Cinnamon Roll Pancakes were seriously the bomb!

I made them last Saturday morning and they were indeed fabulous. Next time (and there will DEFINITELY be a "next time") I think that I will make the glaze and swirl mixture the night before to save prep time in the morning.

Warning: They are quite filling. Even my teenage son couldn't finish a second pancake.

Wassail for a Snowy Day

A cold snowy afternoon deserves a pot of hot wassail. Here's is my great aunt's recipe, a personal favorite.

Sliced Ginger Root

Wrap in tulle netting:
12 whole cloves
4 sticks of cinnamon
8 allspice berries
1 medium piece of ginger root, sliced

Boil together for 10 minutes:
2 1/4 cups of sugar
1 quart water
Spices (from above)

Cinnamon Sticks

Add the following ingredients and simmer together:
3 cups orange juice
2 cups lemon juice
2 quarts apple cider

Serve hot. Can be stored in the fridge for several days and simply reheated by the cupful in the microwave.

I use a tea ball for the cloves and allspice berries and just boil the ginger root and cinnamon sticks in the mixture directly. I leave the spices in the mixture and the cider becomes stronger as it sits. If desired, you can remove the spices before storing in the refrigerator.

Cookie Plates

I saw this cute idea on Pinterest a couple of months ago and decided to try it out. I purchased a few glass plates in varying sizes and a couple of  small glass vases and candlestick holders. (All from the thrift store, of course.) I carefully glued the vases and candlestick holders to the underside of each plate. Because I used graduated sizes, I can also stack them on top of each other.

Here's how they turned out:

I have used them on several occasions and have received compliments each time. I have found that using a wider based vase or candlestick gives the cookie plate more stability.

My only complaint is that using the E6000 glue means that the plates smell for a while. I suggest leaving them outside for a few days until the majority of the smell dissipates.

Homemade Halloween 2012

We were in a hurry to go trick or treating so I didn't get great shots of this year's costumes. The kids were just patient enough for me to snap a couple of shots each of them.

Being the baby of the family means you get to wear your older brother's previous Halloween costume. I don't think either of my boys have actually seen the show Blue's Clues but we have a few story books with the character.

To make Link from Legend of Zelda, I used a green wool poncho we found at the thrift store. There was just enough fabric for the tunic and a matching hat. It ended up being cheaper than new fabric. The shield was a dollar store find that we painted with craft paint.

The leather trench coat for my oldest son's Loki costume was a thrift store score a couple of weeks ago. I do wish I had gotten a better picture of the boot covers. I was pleased with how well they turned out. I also wish I had taken a picture of the back of his hair. We let him grow it out for Halloween but he is getting a haircut this weekend!

Snow White took quite a bit of sewing time but was a lot of fun. I just had  regular dress pattern to work with and I had a bit of trouble getting the velvet top to fit properly but in the end it turned out pretty. My daughter made her own shoes (again, we missed the photo op for those as well) and they are darling gold shoes with bows on the toes.

Reading Buddies- Stuffed Friends

Today I'm sharing one of the fun reading activities we do at our house: Reading Buddies.

I don't always have time to listen to each child read aloud as often as I would like so I have paired favorite books with a matching stuffed animal. My sons select a stuffed friend and read the book out loud to the animal. When they are finished with the book, they must return both to the display. Even my 14 year old occasionally grabs one of the books :-). It's a fabulous way to encourage a reluctant reader and reading out loud improves fluency, whereas silent reading does not.

Here are the animals out for display this week:

Several of the stuffed animals in our collection were gifts but most were purchased for under a dollar at the local thrift store and washed in the washing machine. (I always dry them on fluff/no heat to keep the fur looking nice.) On my iPhone, I have a list of animals I want to keep an eye out for during my frequent thrift shop escapades. (Currently my list has a giraffe, a hippo and a brown mouse, among others.) Nearly all of our books were Christmas or birthday gifts or were purchased for 50 cents at the thrift store.

It's also an easy way to rotate books off our shelves that are passed over. Sometimes, the boys even ask if the stuffed friends can join us when I am reading out loud. I currently only have picture books in the rotation but have considered doing the same thing with chapter books and novels. Look for a future post with an update on that....

Raisins

My house smells absolutely glorious today. I have rosemary, mint and parsley drying in the oven and trays of grapes changing to raisins on the counter. I breathe deeply and reflect on how blessed my life is.

My three year old helped pick the grapes yesterday (four different varieties in all) and he spent the entire time with his mouth full of those juicy grapes. We have eaten our fill of fresh grapes and have plans for jelly and juice.I can't help but sneak a few of the earliest raisins and I am grateful for these simple pleasures of life.

Poppies and Irises

I have neglected my gardens for several years but for the past week, I have spent a short time each day getting my hands dirty. I had forgotten how important that connection to the earth is for me and I have recommitted myself to spending more time outside in the sun, wind and rain. Today is a beautiful Sunday morning and my late spring poppies and irises are blooming.

(I also planted tomatoes, yellow squash, lettuce, sunflowers, basil and cilantro this week.)