Doll Giveaway!

I stumbled across this awesome giveaway for this beautiful doll, JO. JO is a handmade with the best materials by Unique Fiber Arts! Here is what the website says about JO . . .

She is wearing a red dress with happy dots and has coordinating red panties. Her eyes are huge and brown. Her arms and legs are sewn on making her perfect for ages 4 and up. She is made with European and American natural and organic materials. She is stuffed with wonderful, warm sheeps wool that holds body heat and actually warms your child (or you) as she is slept with! What a comfort!

You can see JO and enter to win her at Waldorf Inspired Dolls and Toys: FREE Waldorf Doll Giveaway for Valentines Day!

Good Luck!

Chicken Stew

An Arctic cold front has blown in and the temps have dipped below zero, and that doesn't include the win chill. So by the end of the day everyone is ready for a toasty warm dinner. And tonight chicken stew was just that.

Ingredients:

• 3 Tbsp butter
• 1 onion, diced
• 1/3 cup flour
• 1 quart chicken stock (homemade is best)
• sea salt to taste
• 1 1/2 by leaves
• 2-3 cups of cooked chicken, cut in bite size pieces or shredded
• 4 carrots, sliced thickly
• 4 celery stalks, 3/4" pieces
• 2-3 potatoes, large cubes
• freshly ground pepper to taste

In a large dutch oven, melt the butter. Add the diced onion and cook until translucent. Next add the flour and stir until it just begins to brown and has a lightly toasted aroma.

Whisk in the stock and bring to a simmer. Next add the salt, bay leaves, chicken, carrots, celery, and potato. Simmer until carrot and potato are cooked, about 1 hour. Taste and add salt and pepper to your liking.

I served this with choux dumplings. And boy did it hit the spot. Everyone was warm and toasty eating stew infront of the wood stove.

Skates for Boo

Rebekah knew just where to go when she decided she wanted skates like her sisters. She called gramma as soon as we got home from skating last week. She knew the older girls had gotten their skates from gramma and was sure gamma must have her skates. Well in true gramma form a package arrived today for Rebekah from gramma. And you guessed it . . .

Skates! Pink skates! And just the right size!

This picture says it all.


Rebekah tried them out on the carpet in the kitchen. She actually stood and walked pretty well in them.

It was too cold to head to the rink today. But you can be sure that as soon as it gets a little warmer all of the girls will be using their new skates.

For the Birds

We woke this morning to single digit temps and gusting winds. The girls were concerned about all our feathered friends in the woods, so we decided to make them a treat. Peanut butter and pine cone feeders are nothing new, but they are fun and sticky to make.

Each child had their own sheet pan, bowl of peanut butter, ramekin of seed, pine cone and knife. The sheet pan greatly reduces the mess and helps keep it contained.

Rebekah had never made these and was very excited. In her usual style she was focused and precise. The peanut butter layer had to be just so.

And as for sprinkling the seeds, every inch of peanut butter had to be covered with all the different types of seed.

Hannah was a pro having done this before and finished her feeder before the rest of us had the peanut butter on.

The rolling technique worked well.


A quick run outside was all we could take. The mercury had only climbed to 9 degrees. But now we have some beautiful feeders on the tree across the drive. And we can watch our feathered friends from the window as we cuddle by the wood stove.

You can see more of our pine cone feeders over at Sarah's blog. And stop by The Magic Onions to see what others are doing to explore nature this time of year.

You Got Peanut Butter in My Chocolate - Sandwich Cookies

Anyone who has ever visited knows that there is always some homemade sweet treat just waiting to be munched on. So I am always on the look out for new recipes. This is the latest.

Peanut Butter Chocolate Sandwich Cookies

• 10 oz milk chocolate chips
• 3/4 cup butter, softened
• 1/4 cup smooth peanut butter
• 1 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 2 eggs
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 3 cups flour

Melt chocolate chips in a microwave safe bowl for about a minute on 50% power, stir and continue until completely melted. Set aside.

In the bowl of an electric mixer, combine the butter and peanut butter. Add sugar, soda, baking powder and salt. Beat to combine. Add eggs, milk, vanilla, and melted chocolate; beat until combine. Add cocoa powder and flour and combine. Drop by rounded teaspoon onto a parchment line baking sheet. Bake for 9 minutes in an oven preheated to 350 degrees. Cool slightly and then remove to a wire rack to cool completely.

Filling

• 1 cup butter, softened
• 1 cup smooth peanut butter
• 1 cup fluff
• 1 3/4 cup powdered sugar

Mix with an electric mixer until well combined. You can beat in a little milk to get it to a spreadable consistency if needed.

To assemble cookies, spread filling on the flat side of a cookie and top with another cookie.

Enjoy!

I'm a Big Girl Now!

It was both a sad and happy moment as I packed up all the cloth diapers. Yes Rebekah is a big girl now using the potty! I am happy to see the diaper stage gone . . . again, but a little sad that my baby is getting so big.

The cloth diapers are now on their way to another home. I will miss seeing them on the laundry line this spring.

If you have never considered cloth, you really should for so many reasons. They are so much more economical. We spent just over $200.00 from new born to potty trained, and that includes quite a few expensive Fuzzy Bunz that you could do without. Cloth diapers are so much better for the environment. A quick search of the web will give you tons of information about the benefits of cloth diapering.

Solitude Saturday

A toasty fire, a warm cup of coffee, and a new knitting project. Who could ask for more?

Little Hands

Even though Rebekah is now three and is a "big girl" she is my little girl. Her little hands are always busy. This week was no exception. I had fun watching her touch, feel, press and pinch a wide variety of things.

She loves to play with dough of all sorts. Above she helps make flour tortillas for lunch. I don't think her tortilla ever made it to the pan. she just kept rolling and flipping and poking it.

The play dough Hannah made her for Christmas has been a big hit. She loves to fill cookie cutters with lots of little pieces.

And then there was pizza night. She did it just like dad! First forming the crust . . .

. . . and then a sprinkle of cheese.

I just love those little hands, especially when they are inside mine.

Skating Update

The girls had so much fun skating last week that we thought we would check out some of the thrift stores and see if we could find them some skates. There are a few good thrift stores near Gramma's house so we were telling her our plan. Big mistake, because you know how grammas are. The girls went out with her and came home with brand new skates! Thanks Gramma!



Here is a short video of the girls skating on the little rink in the center of town. They are doing pretty well if you ask me. Rebekah couldn't miss out on the action so she is skating on her boots. Now she wants skates too. Watch out Gramma!

Ice Skating

Believe it or not this was the girls' first time on skates! I know bad mama. Sarah wasn't that impressed, but Hannah was a natural. She was on the ice for over two hours. She and her friends Chase and James had a blast racing across the pond. we are now on the look out for skates for Hannah.

Look Who's Three!

I can't believe it was three years ago today that God blessed us with such a beautiful little girl. The time has gone by so quickly and Rebekah has become such a lively and precious little girl.

Wonderful friends of ours hosted a sledding and skating party for a few families. What a perfect way to celebrate a birthday. And they were gracious enough to let me bring decorations to their house. Yes there is the Happy Birthday banner. Many of you guessed right! It fit perfectly in their house. I wish the picture was better.

I think the thrill of Rebekah's day was holding Peter Rabbit! She is our animal lover. Peter was so good, I almost might consider a rabbit as a family pet.


Of course there were presents and cards many of which were handmade. Thank you to all! Rebekah loved each and every one of them.

The day wouldn't have been complete with out a birthday crown and cupcake. I just love this three year old face! Thank you RaRa! for the delicious cupcakes!

Calorimetry

Even if I haven't posted about it. There has been quite a bit of knitting going on. This warm and cozy headband was knit from some left over yarn. It is really for me, but I can't seem to take a decent picture of myself so Hannah modeled it. I love this pattern as the headband buttons for a perfect fit. And better yet the button holes are a result of the pattern. This one came out a bit wide so I think next time I will decrease the number of rows, but other than that it is a winner.

Oh and a note about the name. From the designer . . .

"Calorimetry is a scientific term describing the measurement of heat lost or gained.

Knit hats are a wonderful way to block out the cold, but when you have long hair it usually requires wearing it down, not often the most comfortable option on a blustery day. This headscarf allows you to wear your hair up while keeping your ears warm and preventing heat from escaping from the top of your head."

The pattern is a freebie on Ravelry. You can find it here. A word of caution - if you have never visited the ravelry site be warned - you could be swallowed up for quite a few hours. It is a wonderful place to track your own projects, yarn stash, needles and more as well as search for pattern, tips and meet other knitters. If you do stop by you can see what I have been working on - just search for heartfelthome!

Winter Nature Table

Our Winter Nature Table is really a Nature Cubby. We have been trying to find a place for our nature table for a while now. Sarah came up with this cubby idea. I think it will work great. The cubby is in the kitchen by the door, so it will be easy for the kids to deposit their treasures. Plus everyone who visits is sure to see it.

Winter here in New Hampshire is white, white and more white, with a dab of brown, on occasion some blue, but mostly grey. I think the girls collection perfectly represents this peaceful and quite time of the year.

The girls had a wonderful time with some Stockmar Modelling Beeswax. Sarah sculpted the birds we have been seeing at the feeder. While Hannah made this adorable sledding snowman.

Check out some other fabulous nature tables, crafts, pictures and more at The Magic Onions' Friday's Nature Table.

Some Surprise Crafting

The Christmas holidays are over, but the celebrating doesn't end for our family. We have two birthdays in January so you now that means a little more crafting, sewing, knitting and baking.

Here is a little peak at some of the projects in the works. After the celebrations I'll be back to show you what we created.

Spinach Quiche

This was one of those dinners where I was trying to clean out the fridge and I really wasn't sure how it was going to turn out. I found a recipe on line to use as a jumping off point, but didn't have all the ingredients it called for, so I was sort of one my own. The result? One of the best quiches I have ever had! Everyone loved it, even the picky one in the middle.

Ingredients:

3Tbsp butter

3 cloves garlic, chopped

1 small onion, chopped

10 oz fresh baby spinach (could use frozen, thawed and drained)

1 can mushrooms, drained ( could use fresh)

1tsp each of basil, oregano, and parsley (use the herbs your family likes)

8 oz shredded sharp cheddar cheese

salt and pepper to taste

4 eggs, beaten

1 cup milk

9 in unbaked deep dish pie crust

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

In a medium fry pan, melt the butter and saute the garlic and onion until lightly browned. Add the spinach and wilt. Add mushrooms, herbs and half of the cheddar cheese. Stir until heated through and the cheese had melted. Season with slat and pepper and spoon into the pie crust.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the eggs and milk. Season with salt and pepper. Pour into the pie shell. Let it sit for a minute to make sure that the egg mixture has soaked through the spinach layer.

Bake in a preheated oven for 15 minutes. Sprinkle with the remaining cheddar cheese and bake for an additional 35 to 40 minutes. Allow to stand for 10 minutes before serving.

I served this with sausage patties and biscuits. This quiche was filling enough and rich enough that we could have done without the sausage. Next time I will serve it with fruit salad. It would also be awesome with shrimp!

A Sweater for Rosie

Rebekah wanted some clothes for her doll Rosie. So for her birthday I decided to knit her this sweater. The pattern is free and can be found here just scroll down, it's on the right hand side.

Rebekah loves Rosie's sweater and now wants some more clothes. So I am in search of Waldorf doll clothes patterns. If you have any suggestions please let me know. Thanks!