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?