Coconut Chicken Curry

This chicken curry dish has been added into our dinner rotation.

My hubby could eat Chinese every night and I could eat Indian every night. (Okay, for like three nights.)

Here's the link to the recipe that our whole family loves, gobbles up and asks for more.

I heart curry. 

This recipe could be converted into a slow cooker recipe, buuuuuuttt

not if you're in a hurry...

...for curry.  :)

processing wild game - tutorial

Moose!  It's what's for dinner...

So if you have wild game meat to process, here is one way to preserve it.

Bottle it!

Veggie noodles! Who knew?

So we are still eating low carb...
We haven't fallen off the wagon...

... yet.


Have you seen the Veggetti thingy at the stores in the "As Seen On T.V." section?

Well if YOU are on a low carb diet like WE are or are on a veggie based diet, or are on a eat-your-veggies-in-a-most-pleasing-way diet, you might want to give this a go.

Orrrrrrrrrrr are on a trick-your-kids-into-eating-their-veggies diet...

Ok, I'm done.

Anyway, no, I'm not being paid to promote this product. I suppose no one from their company will ever see my little blog, but for the few of you who read this, just know that if you've been wanting to try this...dooooooooo iiiiiiiiiiiiittt.

Of course it helps that we have a master chef on staff, but still

DIEt time

So we're trying something new at our house, It's called "watching what we eat."

Sucks, but the doc told the hubs to eat a low carb diet until he got blood test results back.

Kind of a perfect summer garden meal. Especially if you live in Mormon country and have mysterious zucchini show up on your door step, or in your car while you're at church... hahaha. No, but seriously...

Sunset, Sunrise

Idaho is having lots of fires and even though there aren't any really close to us, the smoke has made it's way over to our little valley. And it has settled in.

Makes for some beautiful sunsets and sunrises.

Not that Idaho needs smokey hazey air to have beautiful skies...

Vintage Treasure

So when we moved to our "ranch", there were a few vintage treasures here for us.

One of them is this ladder...

Finally, today I texted from the other room asked Braylan our ranch hand to go fetch it from the shed and after I broomed it off, vacuumed it off and hosed it off, it is ready to be part of our vintage inspired ranch decor.

The wall it is leaning on is still a work in progress, but everything right now really is.

Thankfully, there are two more ladders out there for any more decorating, and you know, in case we

need to climb up one.

  

beets bloggin' --homemade pickled beets

Gardening in Swan Valley is turning out to be more challenging than either me or the hubs thought. BUT, the beets are doing GREAT!

Meanwhile, back at the Ranch...

As we were reading scriptures as a family tonight I saw the most beautiful lighting of our view from the setting sun. I wanted to abandon scripture reading and go take photo's but didn't.

I withstood the temptation and figured that God would make it even more beautiful or I would capture something just as great another time.

magnetic storm

Ok, so in our new place, double wide haven--yes, I'm queen of my double wide trailer, we have a small kitchen. When I say small, I mean small. Really small.

So I've been all over the internet trying to come up with ideas to make it all work. I mean, we're kitchen people! Have you seen my blog?! I have canning equipment up the wazoo, Dutch Ovens and cast iron pans galore. Two slow cookers, an electric griddle and frying pan. Mixers and blenders and choppers oh my!  I have three boxes of spices people. And I'm talking full size boxes. Full size. Did I tell you that I have five (5) different kinds of choppers? Those are the ones I can think of off the top of my head! I might have more somewhere. In a box that hasn't been unpacked yet--BECAUSE THERE IS NO ROOM TO PUT THEM IN MY KITCHEN.

So. In my realization that I have five different kinds of choppers, I thought to myself, "ya know, all I really need is a knife and a cutting board." "I don't have the room for five different kinds of choppers." "Well, at least not four." "Downsizing is GOOD."

Enter, fridge knife magnet. Excellent idea! Free up counter space from my knife crock AND cupboard space from my three choppers!

Where does my mind go always? DIY. Do-it-yourself. Always.

*sigh*

Pretty good idea in theory, but in my naivete, this is what happened...

And then this happened...

tin can flowers

On a glorious Saturday in March, my BFF Jaeme and I went shopping and to lunch.

Now when I say BFF, let me assure you that many people claim her to be their BFF. She's possibly the best giver and event rememberer, romantic, tea party thrower, pink loving, proper (sorry about the word rememberer), smart, girly girl I've ever met.

Best memory is one time shopping with Jaeme we walked through the store (probably the mall) and picked out what we just knew the other would love and said, "This reminds me of you, if I had the money, I'd buy it for you." This told us that we knew each other so well that we knew what the other loved and we'd say "awe, THANK you, I do love that" and has been a staple of our friendship ever since.

So when we were shopping in March, we both picked up a few things "we couldn't live without" and of course left much there that we wanted, but didn't need.  One of those things was a brightly painted pink and purple tin can flower.  Jaeme ran her hand over it and said how much she liked it, but left it there.

In my mind, like so many other millions of times, I thought, I can make that!

And so for my BFF, here are your flowers. They don't look exactly like the one at the store, but it's my take on it with a little Mary Englebreit thrown in.

And for all the rest of you who want to give it a go, here's a picture tutorial.

  So what you're gonna do is...(name that movie)

1. empty green bean can from dinner, wash and remove paper
2. glove up
3. take can and start cutting with Tin Snips as even as you can--(get it?) strips down to the center. Cut them as close or far or squiggly as you want.
4. Pull petals flat.

dining room built in

 Our dining room makeover posed some challenges as I talked about in my last post, but one of the biggest challenges was this "Built In".

I have an idea why they call it a Built In.  I think they put those glass shelves up and then built the rest around it.  When I tried to take out those glass shelves to paint the inside of the hutch, I found that they weren't removable.  Nope, no way, no how.  I tried every way and angle possible and without breaking something those shelves were NOT coming out.

dining room before and after

So the home on our property is a 1976 Mobile Home.  In the spirit of "Come what may and LOVE it", we are putting up our plastic pink flamingos and flying our trailer park flag high! Loud and proud baby! Loud. And. Proud.

Party At Our House

So this mom was feeling stressed. 

Was.

 My snookums suggested we have a party tonight and who doesn't love a good party?

With so many activities going on this week none of us has gotten much unpacked. So we're having a party tonight.

A box party.

Oh, I hear some of the guests arriving for the party now. ;)

Dis'l Dew Ranch

My hubby and I want to name our place. DeAna of Green Gables is out ( I DON'T know why!) and Green Acres might make people think we have lots of money *snort*, so one of  my hubby's ideas is Dis'l Dew Ranch.

I think it fits. We'll see...

Bus Stop In the Mist

Walking my boy to the bus the other morning this is what I got to see...

moving day

So we bought a place.

A five acre spread.

With a pond...

It's great, but if there is a wrong way to move, I've found it!!!

Going 15 mph on the highway...

I thought to myself, "Self, you're only moving 2 miles down the road, you can just take one load down, put it away and go back and get another load."

Sorry to break it to myself, but that plan pretty much, well

cake plate love

When the kids are away, the mommy will play...

While the kids were spring breaking, I was getting into spring (and trying not to break anything...)

I "made" this Cake Plate Set.  Upcycled, DIY'ed you know, not made, made, but made...
Anyway, it was fun me time.

Manly Bag

 I pack my hubby lunch most days.

But, apparently he doesn't love the purple and green bag he totes to work.  

Aw, come on!  Why not?  What's wrong with that?

Well, today, I thought I'd craft a simple manly lunch bag for him.

I added buckles and snaps and would have attached elk ivory, deer antlers and porcupine quills  somehow if I had them.

Next bag I guess...

Charity

 Happy Birthday (Yesterday) Relief Society!

This is part of the Inspirational Message I'm giving tonight at our Ward's R.S. B-day Party.

“I consider charity—or ‘the pure love of Christ’—to be the opposite of criticism and judging.” Thomas S. Monson

"Charity manifests itself when we are tolerant of others and lenient toward their actions, the kind of charity that forgives, the kind of charity that is patient.  Charity impels us to be sympathetic, compassionate, and merciful, not only in times of sickness and affliction and distress but also in times of weakness or error on the part of other. True Charity is love in action. The need for charity is everywhere.”    Thomas S. Monson

"Charity is having patience with someone who has let us down.  It is resisting the impulse to become offended easily.  It is accepting weaknesses and shortcomings.  It is accepting people as they truly are.  It is looking beyond physical appearances to attributes that will not dim through time.  It is resisting the impulse to categorize others.” Thomas S. Monson

I took my inspiration from Daughters In My Kingdom: The History of the Relief Society Chapter 6 A Worldwide Circle of Sisterhood.

Happy birthday Relief Society.  Thanks for everything everywhere. 

Strawberry Crisp

For the two of you who wanted the recipe to this delicious Strawberry Crisp, I give you--- 

Fruit Crisp:

Cedar Chest Makeover--Chapter 6

So do you know when something is just not working, but you have an idea in your head and even though your kids poo poo the whole thing you just know hope and pray it's gonna turn out like you see it in your mind?

yeah, me too...

Cedar Chest Makeover Chapter 5 (technically)-attaching the legs

Gentlemen, we can rebuild it. We have the technology.

We can make it better than it was before.

It's the six dollar (a leg)....

Bionic Cedar Chest!

*cue bionic sounds*

Cedar Chest Makeover-Chapter...What chapter am I on?

I know I've stated before on this little blog how "frugal" I am.  Well, I hate to spend money unless it's necessary.  I was thinking about it the other day and realized that even if I had loads of the green stuff, ya know, like a money tree growing out back, I still would only spend as little as I had to and give the rest to OURRESCUE or some worthwhile non-profit like that.  (Seriously. If I had a million dollars...)

ANYway...

I found the legs I wanted for the chest makeover back when I started it and they were six dollars and some change EACH and so I just put them in the "shopping cart" and kept searching, well when I realized that they were the only legs that would do, I went back to my shopping cart and I was notified that the price jumped up to $11 and change EACH!  So I said nay nay nay nay never mind, I'm not going to spend more on the legs than I did on the chest initially. So I kept on looking.

*cue hold music*

Well, a few days ago, I found them again for the six and change price and I ordered them! Phew! And the little brackets too. Which I'm still waiting on. But look at these beautiful curvy legs...

Yes, they are painted a dark brown, yes I am going to have to make some changes and no I'm not sure exactly how to proceed, but I'm sure going to have fun figuring it out!

Camera Showdown

It's a camera showdown.

My LG Flex 13 mpxl camera vs. Nikon D3200 24.2 mpxl (new expensive) camera...

Can you tell which is which?

Flowers courtesy of my hubby courtesy of my terrible, horrible, very bad day three days ago.

Is it live, or is it Memorex?

Art and Creativity

ART WOUNDS

“Unused creativity is dangerous.  It changes into things.”

“There is nothing that will bring grown people to their tears like a box of crayons.”

“85% of the men and women I’ve interviewed over 13 years remember something so shaming that happened in school that it changed how they thought of themselves as learners. 50% of those wounds were around art and creativity.”

“Stop grading art in school.”

Brene Brown

Still watching Brene Brown on youtube and the words coming out of her mouth are going straight to my heart.

One of the reasons I bake bread, and cook food for my family from scratch and make diaper bags and patch jeans and buy dishes and live on Pinterest is because I love the creative process.  

We as women by nature create.  So do men.  My hubby is one of the most creative people I know.  My dad can fix anything and make something from nothing.  My older brother is an amazing drafter and artist and his best friend Chris and his dad Tony were and are amazing artists too.  My SIL reports that her hubby, my baby brother can make something from nothing just like our dad.  My son loves to cook and create too, but is frustrated that he isn't as good of an artist as his older sister who can see something and draw it (and who can also hear a song like twice and know it).  

I love art.  My secret desire is to have an easel, tubes of paint, brushes and just create masterpieces. I love art in all ways.  Food, sunsets, drawing, dancing, singing, playing music... etc. 

Here's my new vehicle for art in our home...

I'ts a camera if you didn't figure that out.

I haven't taken it out of the box(es) yet.

I'm still wrestling with myself about whether or not I "need" it.  

Need vs. Want

I do have a need to create though so I guess I'm done wrestling.

*tap out*

Vulnerability TED!

Brene Brown

 has studied shame and vulnerability for years. I love her insight...

cardboard container up-do

So I'm deep into another project and no I have not finished the Cedar Chest Makeover project thank you for asking.

It's a sewing cabinet up-cycle project thing that I'll blog about later (when if I finish it).  Part of this sewing up -cycle thingy-ma-jiggy requires lot's of storage.  So I have been collecting marked down (waaaaaay down) baskets galore and re-using old storage containers and scouring the thrift store (i.e. D.I.) to find suitable (cheap) storage solutions.

Enter Exhibit A

Frontier Chic Table

Okay, so yesterday I was going to whip out a peg board.

Have pegs, have board aaaaaaaaaaand thanks to my mad skillz, I now have a new project...

Stinging Nettle Discover-ment

I have been holding my own controlled experiment. Another "discover-ment" of sorts.

So the other day my hubby read something online about Nettle. Otherwise known as Stinging Nettle. You know the kind that you get stung by whilst retrieving the birdie from the brush when playing badminton at your uncle's house as a kid? Yeah, that kind.

New Beginnings--Garden Planning Time

In my Church's Young Women program they have something called New Beginnings.  The Leaders have a special program for those new "Beehives" to welcome them in and help them feel loved and valued.

The Theme for this years New Beginnings Meeting is a Garden Party.  How appropriate.  Spring and therefore gardens signal new beginnings.

This is a perfect time to start planning the garden.  Here in Swan Valley, the growing season is very short.  Most, who are serious about gardening here have a green house.  That is on the docket for us, but even with a green house, starting some plants indoors is the way to go.

Wheat Grinder Life Hack

Taking a break from the Cedar Chest Makeover because, well, I have to.  I don't have the hardware to press on so I'm baking bread today.

Because I'm a good 30 minutes--in good driving conditions--away from a grocery store and 45 minutes away from a decently priced grocery store, I decided to make bread.  Not a foreign thing for me to do, I mean, I've posted it on here how many times?  But this time I am grinding my own wheat.  Have wheat, don't have whole wheat (WW) flour.  Have white, not WW.  Also what I don't have is a room that I want covered in a fine dusting of flour.

So I had an idea.  I don't know if this qualifies as a "life hack", but it sure made my life easier.

I put a XL Space Bag over my grinder and let it roar.  I left the zip lock open partially because it needs air to work, but it worked like a charm.  A clean-kitchen-after-grinding-wheat charm.

Now you must know that I LOVE my wheat grinder and it is quiet for a grinder and it is clean for a grinder, but it still spews some fine flour dust in a two feet radius and today I just didn't want to deal with it.  My creative side of my brain has been working on ideas how to create a "space" where I can grind and not leave a Mt. St. Helen's kinda mess* because my lazy side of my brain didn't want to deal with the mess anymore...


Voila!

Hope Chest Makeover-Chapter 3.5

I took to the paint in an effort to not spend any more money on this cedar chest makeover.

Really I haven't spent any money but the original $40 it cost (5 years ago) and the cost of the stain. I'm going to have to cough up some cash for drawer pulls and new spindly legs, but that is where I want the spending to end.

 Put ME in charge of the deficit! ha!

Hope Chest Makeover-Chapter 3 Stenciling

The idea is to take this old once upon a blonde bombshell and make her a curvy brunette that echoes the look of my Antique Cupboard.

Hope Chest Makeover-Chapter 2

I got a really good arm workout yesterday. I sanded this old blonde girl making her ready for her new color.

I totally got a good workout and honestly had a Mr. Miagi moment. Actually, that would have been a Danielson moment, because I (!) did all that sanding.

By hand.

Here's what I've done so far...

Hope Chest Makeover-Chapter 1--Drawer

It's Saturday and I am just starting the Lane Hope Chest Makeover.

It's been several days years of thinking about, researching, thinking, wondering and more thinking about this makeover.

Originally I was going to paint it, but the more I thought about it, I liked the idea of staining it dark instead.

It's time.

I'm ready.

First. Clean the inside of the drawer.

How nasty is this?  I'm pretty sure this was stored in a barn or some sort of out building because there were mice here and some sort of straw like material.

Probably straw.

So after a non-successful search in the world wide web

Brian's cookies--homemade chocolate chip cookies

The term "chocolate chip" cookie doesn't quite do this cookie justice.

They're more like "everything but the kitchen sink" cookies.

But that's just the way we like 'em!

Now if you're the kind of person who likes to throw everything into a mixer then this is not the cookie for you. But if you're the kind of person who loves a delicious cookie then you'll need to get your hands dirty.

 But BONUS you can lick them. But don't tell the kids.  I won't let them "because of the eggs..."

I didn't believe the hubby when he said you need to mix the dough with your hands and I tried a batch in my mixer a while back. I don't know the science behind it, but they did not turn out. "SO Yeah", I mix them "by hand" now.

If you're "jones'n" for a "kitchen sink" kinda cookie, then roll up your sleeves.

Brian's Cookies

2 1/4 Cups (all purpose) flour
2 Sticks (1 cup) butter (softened)
1 tsp salt
1 tsp baking soda
3/4 cup white sugar
3/4 cup Brown sugar
2 eggs
1 cup chopped nuts
1/2 bag (11.5 oz bag) butterscotch chips
1/2 bag (11.5 oz bag) chocolate chips (semi-sweet)
2 cups oatmeal

tupperware--organizing my pantry

Okay, so I have to start out by saying that years ago, I sold Tupperware.  Not for very long and kind of against my will, but I did.  I was approached by a Tupperware Director at a little fair and she bought the necklace I made, right off my neck.  She then asked (or so I thought) if I wanted to have a TW party and hey, I was game.

The next thing I knew, I was signed up to sell the stuff.

I enjoyed it, but soon found that it wasn't my thing mainly because, well, I hate plastic.  I always look for the BPA free stuff if I do buy it and I stick with Ceramic, Glass or Metal for dishes, containers and so on and I never reheat anything in plastic in the microwave.

I've had a set of storage containers now for years that I've only half used and then gave up on them entirely because I keep my sugars, flours and salt in big glass containers, but living as far away from a store as we do, I've found myself at the "bulk" section more times than not when I'm at the grocery store.

I even tried to sell this set online with no success which may or may not be a factor as to why I'm not selling TW anymore...*ahem*

anywaaaayyy...

Buying in bulk has it's advantages and disadvantages

homemade knobs--Chapter one

So I'm itching to get going on a new project.

I'm re-doing a vintage Lane Cedar Chest.

I found it at a Thrift Store over 5 years ago, but I just haven't known exactly how to re-do it.  And since I'm committing to my projects... ahem...

Anyway, so last night I was browsing the world wide web looking for vintage drawer pulls and the amber crystal knobs caught my eye and I couldn't shake it. So this morning I'm wondering how exactly would amber look on dark walnut.  Well the world wide web doesn't seem to have any help on this subject.  Does no one combine the two?  Or at least not post it on the internet?  How am I to know if it will actually work?  I don't want to spend money and wait for the man in brown to deliver them only to not like it and delay (snort) this project any longer so it gets me to thinking...

How can I make them myself?...

The answer to that question usually ends in "Oh, I have some glue..."

And a washer...

candlestick cake plate

It's crystal clear that I have a problem.

I'm addicted to treasure hunting...

Addicted, Collector, Treasure Hunter. The titles all apply.

I may or may not have like a half dozen candlesticks waiting for tops to be glued to them...

I can feel my Hubby rolling his eyes right now...

homemade liquid hand soap and homemade soap dispenser

I have wanted to try a "discover-ment" as my 6 year old calls it.  I've been wanting to make my own shampoo.  But since we are out of liquid hand soap, (and not out of shampoo) I settled for 'trying my hand' at hand soap.

And BONUS, I tried my hand at videography too. 

Lucky you. :)

So like the many recipes out there, I used 8 cups of water, one Kirk's Castile Soap Bar, grated, 1-2 Tablespoons Coconut Oil and one Upcycled Oversized Pickle Jar. (and some spray paint)

bag lady (leather edition)--homemade leather tote

Remember the other day when I was using a gift bag for a purse?   Not anymore baby!  I built myself a purse.

I have had this leather since my 9 year old boy was a baby and just haven't dared use it.  This is the year of no fear for me.  I'm committing to my projects. I'm just gonna DO IT!

So I did...

*wiping brow*

popcorn trees--winter in Swan Valley

The winter is so beautiful here in Swan Valley Idaho.  It really helps keep those winter blues at bay.

Every time I go out my front door

After The Fog Lift-eth

Here comes the fog again...

So this is what happens after the fog.

I'm sure there is a wonderful metaphor in this somewhere...

It was a dark and stormy night sunless and foggy evening.  The weather advisory was issued for "freezing fog".

???

You too?  What is that?

You'll see...

Just keep scrolling...

Photo Op

So my hubby calls me on his way to work to tell me of the gorgeous photo op in the valley right before going up to the Palisades dam. 

He tells me of snow covered pasture with horses in it, fog settling all around and sunlight breaking through.

So, of course I want to capture it (with my trusty camera phone) so I pull on my snow boots, throw a scarf around my neck, grab my gift bag makeshift purse (that's another post) and head out the door to go snag some bodacious scenes.

And then this...

After the rain (!) the other day that's ice. Not soft snow...

I didn't want to miss the "light show" hacking at the ice to get in the car.

So I took these...

Yogi Tea

It's cold and flu season here.

We've been trying to cut out sugar and eat more healthy to combat all the yummy treats that were had over the Christmas season.

We've also been downing the Echinacea tea.

We love it at this house.  Well, the littlest will only take a few obligatory sips, but the rest of us really enjoy it.  We've tried other brands of Echinacea tea and they don't even compare.

I love the uplifting notes on the tea bag tag and the yoga hints on the side of the box.