Accidents happen

I was trying to make some crayons in cool shapes. You know how your kids coloring box ends up with bits of broken and too small crayons? Well you can melt them down and reuse them. Brilliant way to recycle and make cool shapes with them.

Well, I've done this before. Melted them down into cute little rainbow colored heart shaped crayons. So I wanted to try it again this time not in the rainbow theme...the kids didn't seem to like the muddy looking crayon and rarely colored with them. plus they didn't really color in rainbow more like blah. Just so you know. Keeping the colors separate is a better way to go.

So I had my sister pick up some "ice cube trays" from Ikea, $2 each. And the kids and I went to work. We peeled all the crayons. Put them in little piles according to color. Kept Samuel from turning them into trains and then guns and getting them all mixed up. Then having to color with them again because those purples and blues are hard to tell the difference when their paper is off!! So we organized them again and I asked Jocelyn, the one more interested in this activity, to divide them into the little trays with me.

Next, pre-heated the oven to my lowest setting, which is 170 and waited and watched. Then I wanted to make sure I was making these right (the last time they worked, popped out of the mold okay...the only complaint was that they stained the mold so I wouldn't be able to use it again for ice or for other colors bcse I figure they would ware off onto the next set). I checked out one of my favorite blogs called "One Charming Party" Here is a link to part of her eco-friendly kids artist party where she made the coolest party favors. So I should turn the oven heat up to 350, bcse according to the molds she used that is what you do. After about 5 minutes of turning up the heat I could see smoke coming out of the vent and it smelling worse.

And guess what? I opened up the oven to a mini-FIRE! I freaked out. The trays were misshapen and melted crayon was dripping everywhere! My little molds were dieing and all that work was just melting away before my eyes! I quickly grabbed the baking soda and tried to salvage the trays before they were completely ruined while throwing the baking soda on the flame.

I got the fire out but I could not save the trays......or the oven's mess. I grabbed the empty pizza box from the night before to catch the spill of the crayons as I took them out, but that only helped a little bit. Melted crayon still drizzled and dropped all over the oven bottom and door.

The reusable crayons are no more. Just a "carpet" on the bottom of my oven. Drat.

But what's another mess to clean up in the scheme of things? Luckily Crayola is smart and has a link on their website as to how to get rid of messes like this. Go Crayola! I love you! WD-40 was the answer along with some elbow grease and then a long (and terribly fumistic) oven cleaning was the trick!

I still had some peeled crayons left over that I am determined to use again. Next time I will
a). not use ICE cube trays in the oven
b) use a drip pan and
c) try to find a cheap cool shaped silicone pan to make more crayons! Because they are eco-friendly and just too darn cute!




Have you ever tried making reusable crayons? Were you successful?



But this is sort of artistic in itself. I love how the colors came together on this little corner. I wish that would have been a crayon!

Recipe of the Week

This is one of the favorite breakfasts in our home. Anytime we have a little cream to get rid of we make this. It's incredibly quick and easy to make. Just prep the night before and pop it in the oven the next morning or for a rich dessert. It's great even using older (dried) bread and slightly old cream. And it's dangerously rich and delicious. It's also a perfect brunch or baby shower dish. You'll certainly impress with this one!

Here are a couple updated photos. 

Overnight Caramel French Toast
Ingredients:

French Baguette, better if it's one day old
--you may use French Bread but it is not as effective bcse it absorbs more of the egg mixture


Egg Topping:
2 Eggs
1/3 C milk
1 tsp vanilla
1/4 tsp salt

Caramel Sauce:
1 C brown sugar
6 Tbsp butter
1/3 C whipping or heavy cream
1 Tbsp corn syrup

Directions:
1. Slice bread into 1-1/4" pieces.
2. On medium heat, heat all caramel sauce ingredients just until the butter melts. Do not boil.
3. Pour into 9x13" glass dish.
4. Combine all egg ingredients into a shallow dish. Dip bread slices and coat both sides.
5. Place in 9x13"dish.
6. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight.
7. Bake in oven at 400 degrees for 20-25 minutes.
8. It will be hot! Serve and scrape up some the caramel and drizzle even more on. Then when everyone is finished go and lick the plate. Not your plate, the casserole dish. I am not kidding.

Recipe of the Week

BBQ Chicken Sandwich

BBQ Chicken Sandwich



Bobby Flay's lime-cumin coleslaw recipe

We didn't have the pepper or red onion and it was still good...though I'd recommend following the recipe. It make a ton!


BBQ Chicken in a slow-cooker
**I halved the recipe for 2 large chicken breasts--enough for 4 sandwiches.
--I love this recipe bcse it's easy and you can use frozen chicken!!! I cooked it on low, reviews suggested cooking on high made it too dry. If you find that during cooking it's ready to shred, then shred, cook about 1 hour more, and turn to serve/warm so it doesn't overcook.
--I did not have Italian dressing so I just added about 1/4 cup olive oil, couple tablespoons red-wine vinegar, some Mrs. Dash, 1/8 tsp smoked paprika, salt, and some garlic powder.

Serve on Ciabatta bread. And if you buy them from Costco use the leftover rolls to make the overnight French toast!

New in shop

This is the newest item in the shop.

Pink and purple pennant bunting. I LOVE these two fabrics by Jennifer Paganelli. So much so that I requested they be the main fabric selection for my babies quilt.

Recipe of the Week

Ultimate Double Chocolate Chip Cookies

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees

Ingredients:
1 cup butter, softened--almost melted
1 1/2 cups white sugar
2 eggs
2 tsp vanilla
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
2 cups flour
2/3 cup cocoa
1/2 cup milk-chocolate chips
1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
3/4 cup peanut butter chips
1/4 cup toffee chips

Directions:
Cream softened butter and sugar w/wooden spoon (a hand mixer or standing mixer works well too, I just like to use the spoon, seems to make a better texture). Add eggs. Mix in salt, vanilla and baking soda. Mix in flour. Mix in cocoa. Fold in chips.

Bake for 8-9 minutes. Cool on pan for 5 minutes before removing, they will continue cooking on the hot sheet without burning up in the oven. This keeps them nice and gooey for days. Store in airtight container. Enjoy!

How to thin an Apricot Tree

I am not professing to be a pro at this at all. I just thought a visual aid might be helpful for some people out there who need/want to thin their Apricot tree.

You see, I am living in the detached house of my only living grandparent which is a huge blessing. Being close to family is wonderful. And the home is just the right size for our growing family. And one of the best things is the yard. We've been able to garden and spruce up the wildly grown place a bit. It's a bit heaven here. I sit and write this and I can feel the cool breeze of the night and hear the wind gently caressing the leaves of the trees. Another of the greatest features of the yard are these mature trees. Everyday I hear a thud on our roof. I've finally learned that it's falling pine cones hitting the rooftop and sometimes rolling off. But I digress.

There is an apricot tree. Perfect for eating, drying and jam making. Yum! But the better fruit will come from a better tended tree. I called over an experienced neighbor to give me a tutorial and his wisdom on the subject was most helpful.

And today I thinned a tree for the first time ever. Yes, I'm a novice. I'm pretty sure you can find a better lesson on thinning an apricot tree than this one. But they probably won't have cute kids, robins eggs or shady pictures.


Here are the basic steps as how to thin an apricot tree.

First preparatory steps.

Gather the troops!

Don't they all just look thrilled?


Beware of mother Robins and nesting residences. There may also be a few resident spiders as well.


Now for the dirty work.

Apricot trees need infrequent but long periods of watering. The grass around the base takes the moisture before it can really get to the tree so I dug it up a bit and then sprayed it with Round Up to kill it. Because the irrigation does not reach this tree I dug trenches, on either side.

They are about 5 apricots deep. These are used to pool with water. Turn the hose to a flow heavier than a trickle for several hours at a time, in each trench. This need only be one 1-2 times a week, max. The water needs to seep in slowly and really get to the roots. This makes the tree happy.



Now for the thinning part, and consequently the longest.
You have to pick the fruit off. I felt like I was murdering these poor little fruits but it must be done! Get the vengeance out! You have to thin trees in order to let the remaining fruit have space to grow. I read somewhere that although you get fewer fruits they weigh as much as you would if you had a bunch of tiny ones. Plus, who likes to eat a pit with a bit of fruit attached anyhow?

So thin the thing. Take the fruit in between about every 3 inches, see my finger length? Make sure there is a fruit every finger length and then discard everything in between. Just chuck them on the ground below. Try not to hit your kids in the head in the process.

See how the fruit in the middle is gone now! Do this along each branch from top to bottom.


Then enlist your helpers. Boys especially like to pick and chuck things, don't they?

I had to carefully show Samuel which fruits to pick so he wasn't just picking every single one off! It made things go a bit slower but he loved to pull and throw.

Your ground will look like this after a while, several hours for me. Then bribe, pay or force your kids (or yourself :) ) to pick all of them up! If I would have known there would be so many I would have laid down a tarp before thinning to catch all the fruit. The clean up would have been less time consuming and laborious.

Oh, and be sure not to disturb any residences. Mother Robin was just as scared of me as I was of her flying out.

Now wait about a month and watch for growth! Yay!

Recipe of the Week

These recipes were passed on by my Aunt and Uncle M. over the Memorial Day weekend. We tried their recipe again this weekend and were just as pleased to eat them as the first time around. 

Pecan Oatmeal Pancakes topped with Bananas and Buttermilk Caramel Syrup

Pecan Oatmeal Pancakes

Yield: about 20 pancakes

4 C buttermilk

3 C quick oats

1⁄2 C white flour
1/2 C wheat flour

2 t baking soda

1 t salt

4 lg eggs

2 T powdered sugar

1 C pecans chopped (try them toasted)

Mix dry ingredients then add eggs and buttermilk. Let oats soak for 5 minutes. The batter will seem runny. Stir before pouring onto hot griddle. 

BEST served with buttermilk syrup (caramel version) AND topped with sliced bananas. 

Buttermilk Syrup

(serves 6-8)

1/2 C butter

1/2 C buttermilk

1 C sugar

1 T karo syrup

Add

1T vanilla

1/2 t baking soda

In a medium heavy bottom saucepan add first 4 ingredients. Mix. Then add vainlla and baking soda.  Cook on medium-low. Stirring constantly, to avoid burning and foaming over, for 5-10 minutes until it thickens and reaches a deep caramel color and the foam subsides.  If you like a thick caramel flavored sauce, boil and stir for longer.  If you like a bit thinner syrup, add a little bit more buttermilk. 

Stir until foam decreases and serve on pancakes.

**If you increase this recipe do so with all the ingredients except do NOT double the amount of soda.