My Girls Are Building a Dog House

Literally!

Broccoli Cheese Soup

-1 head of fresh broccoli, chopped
-2 cups of milk
-1 Tbsp of flour
-1 Tbsp butter
-1-2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
-1/2 - 1 cup sour cream
-black pepper
-shallot salt (Penzey's)

Steam broccoli, set aside and puree'. Then melt butter in soup pot and whisk in flour. Gradually add in milk, whisking. Bring to a boil for about 1 minute to thicken. Add in puree'd broccoli and cheese and sour cream. Season to taste.

Tropical Waterfalls

Fire In The Sky!

Kids and Their Crafts

Fairy Art

Angel Art

This Video is dedicated to my adorable great nephew!

And for the record, I'm really not old enough to be a GREAT Aunt:)

We Left The Tropics to Enter a Blizzard!

We were in desperate need of some color and tropical breezes; so we headed over to the Mitchell Park Conservatory today. One dome is a tropical dome (my favorite because of the waterfall sounds and the warm tropical air, and the COLORS; though it was so steamy, the lens on my camera kept fogging up:); the next dome was the desert---pretty, but chilly--and not enough color for me (I'd never make it in AZ:); and the most fun dome was the Show Dome, flowers and choo choo trains--I'd love to have a train garden someday! I wanted to hang out more, but it is near downtown Milwaukee, and I wasn't in the mood for heavy rush hour traffic (it was heavy traffic getting there) along with the low visibility--we left the tropical dome only to find it was snowing fairly heavily. I'd like to go back sometime for music in The Domes--it's held at night and lit up beautifully, accompanied by various musical groups (and Julie thought blog baking was contagious--HA!). http://www.county.milwaukee.gov/MitchellParkConserva10116.htm

Taco Noodle Dish

-2 cups uncooked wide egg noodles
-2 cans of chili beans
-1 (8oz) can tomato sauce
-1/2 cup of water
-1 envelope of taco seasoning
-1 tsp. onion powder
-1 tsp. chili powder
-1/2 tsp. garlic powder
-1 cup shredded cheddar cheese or taco cheese
-2 cups shredded lettuce
-1 cup diced tomatoes
-1 can of sliced black olives, drained
-taco sauce
-sour cream
-broken up tortilla chips

---Cook noodles according to pacagage directions; drain, return to casserole dish and stir in tomato sauce, water, taco seasoning, onion powder, chili powder and garlic powder; bring to a boil. Reduce heat and add in chili beans; simmer uncovered for about 5 minutes. Sprinkle with cheese and bake uncovered at 350 degrees for about 10-15 minutes. Serve and top with lettuce, tomatoes, olives, taco sauce and tortilla chips.
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Winter Frosting

Fairy Fun

Tomato and Asparagus Frittata

-6 large eggs
-2 T milk
-1/2 tsp salt
-1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
-1 tsp olive oil
-1Tbsp. butter
-12 oz asparagus, trimmed and cut into 1/2 inch pieces
-1 tomato, seeded and diced
-3 oz. fontina cheese, cubed

In a medium bowl, whisk eggs, milk, salt and pepper to blend. Set aside. In a 9.5 inch diameter nonstick (I use cast iron) skillet, heat oil and butter. Add asparagus and saute' til crisp-tender, about two minutes. Add the tomato and saute' two minutes longer. Pour the egg mixture over the asparagus mixture and sprinkle cheese over. Cover and cook over medium -low heat until the frittata is almost set but the top is still runny (about two minutes). Place the skillet under the broiler until the top is set and golden brown, about 4 minutes.

Option, top with fresh parsley.

We Miss You Buddy

We Love You Buddy!!!!!

http://ourpathoflearning.blogspot.com/2009/03/buddy-forever-our-angel-hes-such.html

Bedroom Update--Before and After

J. HAD to have the log beds. After he put together the girls' log beds, he was literally drooling (like I would with some fine Swiss Chocolate!). He asked about ordering, and I told him, let's just hold off on that til we move (no, nothing's in the works yet)--but, I just felt this was just one more large and HEAVY item to transport, plus our bedroom is small, and the bed does add a lot of weight to it. Well, he really wanted this, it meant a lot to him, so what can I say:) And I have to say, I love it---and along with the new bed, J got rid of our carpet, and the hardwood was in really good shape, so the room looks really nice now---a whole new room!

Southwest Seitan and Black Bean Skillet

Seitan (or chicken)
corn
black beans
salsa (to taste)
pepper
onion
cumin
chili powder

In skillet (I used cast iron), sautee sliced seitan til brown; season with cumin and chili powder. Add peppers and onions and sautee'. Add in one can of black beans (rinsed and drained), corn, and salsa til heated through.

Sisters and BFFs

I've Got Sunshine!

I found this neat sun-hanging today, along with some beautiful, large windchimes. Yes, I'm visualizing warmer days are indeed ahead:) I also picture this sun hanging as a part of our outdoor living space on our lush wooded lot after we finally escape! In the meantime, my little girls, who love to make up their own songs---brought their new little fairy dolls (soon to be posted:) over to the sun singing their own beautiful fairy-inspired songs!


And to go along with the whimsical wall-hanging, the sun itself said its goodnight in the most brilliant of colors this evening!

Winter Beauty

Historic Downtown St. Augustine

Scrapbook Pages