Thinking Spring

While the windchill might feel like -4 out right now, I'm doing my best to incorporate spring inside of our home.  Let me tell you though, I'm ready for winter to leave already.  Last year at this time I had been using herbs from my garden for about a month, my tulips were flowering, and the boys had played outside without jackets!  I will not be bitter though.  Or, I'll try my hardest to not be.

Happy Tuesday to you.  I'm sending warm thoughts and sunshine your way! Let's hope the weather cooperates soon, after all, spring does begin tomorrow.

Buttermilk Pancakes

Hi!

Before we talk about the buttermilk pancakes that will knock your socks off, I'd like to apologize for not showing up here very often in the past few weeks.  Family comes first, and I would like to thank you all for understanding that!

Now, let's get on to the purpose of this post.  I'm not a big pancake person, but my boys are.  I'm more of an eggs, bacon, and toast lady.  These pancakes though?  These are my favorite because they're not overly sweet and have a great texture.  We've tried other types of recipes:  chocolate chip, blueberry, and ordinary pancake recipes that call for special sauces made from strawberries or bananas.  It doesn't matter.  This is the recipe I always come back to because it tastes the best.  Jason got the recipe from his host family when he was a student teacher years ago.  We love these pancakes so much that I make them in the morning every year on our anniversary.  They're especially delicious with strawberries and champagne!  I hope you try them.  More importantly, I hope you love them!

Mr. T's Buttermilk Pancakes
(no, not that Mr. T.  I pity the fool)

Beat 2 eggs
Add:
2 cups buttermilk
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
2 1/2 tsp sugar
1 tsp baking powder

Mix the above ingredients well.  Whisk in 1 1/2 cups flour, leaving the mixture lumpy.  Fry with Crisco or butter.  This recipe yields about 20 small pancakes.

Do you have a favorite pancake recipe?  Please, let me know!  I'm always looking to try a new favorite family recipe!

*****

I'll be back tomorrow with some signs of spring in our home!  See you then!

You're Not So Bad, Monday

Things were looking up today, on a Monday nonetheless!  The sun was shining and it was a balmy 40 degrees.  The stomach bug half of us endured this weekend has passed (oh, I pray it has).  Things were getting crossed off my to do list and it was a glorious thing indeed.

Ollie and I spent the morning baking my Grandma Evelyn's rolls and three loaves of her banana bread.  We topped our baking spree off with a batch of chocolate chip banana muffins.   We dined on soup and rolls for dinner tonight with muffins for dessert.

After lunch Ollie and I headed outside to refill our bird feeder and found that the snow was melting just enough to make some tiny snowmen.  After we bored of that, we played in puddles of melting snow and searched for signs of spring.  Our tulips are starting to show some lovely green colors in contrast to the white snow and it is a welcome sight.  We never did get around to filling that bird feeder.

Sometimes Mondays get a bad rap.  This one was pretty nice.

Valentine's Day

My Valentine's Day was filled with a few simple decorations, some tasty treats, and my three sweet boys.  It doesn't get much better than that!  I hope yours was just as lovely!

Have a wonderful weekend, friends!  xo

Wood You Be Mine? An Easy Wooden Valentine

Here's a cute little Valentine for all of the wood and faux bois lovers in your life.  Why yes, I did use the word lover intentionally.  It is February, you know.

To make this Valentine, you will need:

some thinly cut wood (I used birch branches from my parents' tree)
a wood burning tool (if you don't own one, a brown Sharpie or some paint would do)
a pencil

To begin, simply draw or write something lovey-dovey onto your wood with your pencil.  Carefully trace over the pencil with the wood burning tool.  Be careful, as the wood burning tool gets very hot.

Place the finished Valentine in some pretty packaging and give to someone you love.  xoxo

Making the Most of Winter

I'll be the first to admit that winter can get long.  The snow and cold can be overwhelming.  Also, not much can wear out a momma more than getting kids bundled up in all of those layers.  

However, winter has some perks.  Here are some ways we've been making the most of these cold, snowy days.

We've been enjoying the fluffiest, biggest snowflakes every day for about five days now.  They're beautiful and if you look closely, the tiny details on them are breathtaking.

Jason loves having little boys who ask to go out and shovel those big, fluffy flakes.

Winter calls for a variety of beverages that warm you from the inside out.  Aside from coffee and tea, our favorites have been cappuccinos and espressos and the occasional Hot Toddy or hot buttered rum.

Sledding is a blast with two little boys.  It is also terrifying.  Any mom to boys can tell you that to them, the more dangerous an activity is, the more exciting it is.  They have no fear!

How do you beat those late winter blues? 

Our Current State of Affairs...

We are no longer living with the ugly green color on the walls or the orange wood trim color in our master bedroom.  Instead, we are again spending the weekend in our room, updating it.  So far we've sanded, painted, caulked, primed, and installed crown moulding.

Currently, most of our bedroom furniture is in our living room and dining room.  It has been that way for about three weeks now.  I just may be going insane.  This may be due to paint fumes, or the fact that I've worn the same paint clothes for going on nine days now without washing them, or the fact that I haven't thoroughly cleaned the majority of our home for a long time now...  No one knows.  Who really cares when you are constantly cutting wood and sanding it?

Here's to hoping we can finish the painting and crown moulding in our room this weekend!  Goodness knows my paint clothes could use a good wash.

Happy weekend to you!