Feist on Sesame Street

This clip made my day. I love Feist and I love Sesame Street...and I love them even more together! I know this isn't about a craft, cocktail, or green living but it is awesome.

GUEST BLOGGER: Wendi Putzke

When I taught elementary school I used a chart or schedule for everything. Every day my students knew what happened and in what order. I found that it helped them feel more comfortable throughout the day and transition better between subjects and activities.

A few months ago I realized that I was doing way too much work and having far too much difficulty transitioning my kids through their bedtime routine. I realized I needed to do something to take myself out of the equation and put the power back in my kids' hands (yep, that's my parenting style- less work makes for a happy mom and independent kid!).

The "Ah Ha!" moment came when I thought about ways I used to transition 30+ exuberant 5th and 6th graders from reading to math or recess to SSR... "Oh yeah, I had a system!" So, I created a bedtime and morning chart with pictures and words that tell my kids what they need to do and in what order. They move their pointer (each one has their first initial on it) through the chart and take care of what they need. My 5 yr old does this with almost no assistance and I help my 2 yr old move from one step to the other.

Also, now that my 5 yr old is in Kindergarten I knew we needed something to keep track of which days he needs to return library books, wear tennis shoes for PE or make sure he wears "Art Friendly" clothes. Plus, I knew he would do better if he knew what was on his schedule for the day. So, I made yet another chart. This one hangs on our back door (the one through which we exit most days) and says which activity/class he has on what day. We move the pointer down to the correct day. Then, as we exit Evan makes sure he has the right things on or in his backpack.

Making the chart is easy. I used cardstock and Word to make a table. Use clipboard images (you could also take pictures of your kid with their library books, or brushing their teeth, etc.) and pasted them into the correct spot on the table. I used clear contact paper to "laminate" them, but you can also laminate them with your own machine or at your local copy place. Then, I punched a hole in the top and attached the extra large binder clip and hung it around the doorknob. For the morning and evening job charts, I simply hung it on a hook in the kids' bedroom. Or, you can skip all the laminating and just pop your chart into a page protector, slip the binder clip through the top hole on the left and hang it on your doorknob or on a hook.

Once it's up, walk your kids through the chart for a day or two... after that you can sit back, enjoy your morning coffee and paper while you gently remind your kid to "follow the chart." Well, mostly.

Here is where it all began!

My mother and father don't throw anything away. It's a blessing and a curse. We attempted to have a yard sale on Saturday but the tropical storm had other ideas. While digging through the items that have been in the attic for over 30 years, my mom came across my first craft project. Here is where it all began! The first picture is a "baby mobile" for my favorite doll. Very clever, eh? Using a hanger and attaching bangle 80's bracelets and the bottom picture is a doll I made for my doll. :) Now I can honestly say I've been crafting most of my life.

Eye Candy

I felt like I couldn't come up with anything crafty to make. When ever I feel this way I spend a few moments at the library and I just grab a bunch of books. "Filling the creative well", I'd call it with eye candy from books. I highly suggest it the next time you are feeling blah about crafting. I know some folks like to surf the net but there is something about sitting down with a book in your lap and being right there and allowing your mind to wonder. Instead of clicking, pop ads flashing at you, and finding yourself 20 websites from where you started. In my recent search I read a book about pot holders, yup there is an entire book about them. Well it got me thinking about potholders (duh!) and how we have the ugliest ones and I'm often thankful I never put food on the table for serving because they are so ugly. All that has changed. I went to work and created some super cute ones. Also the books sparked ideas of crafts to make as gifts for Christmas. Now I'm super excited to get to work and create!

Mini Recipe Book

My son, Logan, is on a GF/CF diet and because of that I make a lot of his food from scratch. I can honestly say it never varies, he will only eat a handful of things. So instead of pulling out a recipe book each time I need to make bread, pancakes or cookies I decided to make a mini version of a recipe book. All of the recipes we make on a weekly basis conveniently located in one easy to use book. It will also be easier for me to ask my hubby to take a turn making pancakes one morning and he can just grab the recipe cards and find it. Instead of asking me a million questions on where to find the recipe, which recipe is it again, what flour do I substitute for corn, do we have corn flour yet? Does this sound familiar?

I hand wrote each recipe on an index card. I only wrote out the ingredients and oven temperature, if applicable, because by now I know the cooking process of my recipes. Each index card I put on a piece of printed paper to add a bit of pizazz. I put a circle hole punch in the upper left hand corner and used a binder ring to hold it all together. Also the binder ring is great for hanging in your kitchen. If you find yourself using the same recipes each week, take 10 minutes and make an easy mini version of your recipe book. It will save you time in the long run.

Tastes like Take-Out Curry

America's Test Kitchen is one of my favorite TV cooking shows. If you've never seen this PBS cooking show, you are really missing out on some great information. In addition to demonstrating a variety of recipes in each episode, they review a kitchen tool or item, for example crock pots, and then review major food products, for example can crushed tomatoes.

I've been trying to make a decent curry for about 2 years now. The following recipe was demonstrated on a recent America's Test Kitchen episode. I decided to give it a try and was completely satisfied. My search for a good curry recipe is over.

Indian-Style Curry with Potatoes, Cauliflower, Peas, and Chickpeas

from the Episode: America's Test Kitchen's Indian Favorites, Simplified

This curry is moderately spicy when made with one chile. For more heat, use an additional half chile. For a mild curry, remove the chile's ribs and seeds before mincing. Onions can be pulsed in a food processor. You can substitute 2 teaspoons ground coriander, 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper, 1/4 teaspoon ground cardamom, and 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon for the garam masala. Serves 4 to 6 as a main course

2 tablespoons curry powder (sweet or mild)
1 1/2 teaspoons garam masala (see note above)
1/4 cup vegetable oil
2 medium onions , chopped fine (about 2 cups)
12 ounces Red Bliss potatoes , scrubbed and cut into 1/2-inch pieces
(about 2 cups)
3 medium cloves garlic , minced or pressed through a garlic press
(about 1 tablespoon)
1 tablespoon finely grated fresh ginger
1 - 1 1/2 serrano chiles , ribs, seeds, and flesh minced (see note above)
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1/2 medium head cauliflower , trimmed, cored, and cut into 1-inch
florets (about 4 cups)
1 can (14 1/2 ounces) diced tomatoes , pulsed in food processor
until nearly smooth with 1/4-inch pieces visible
1 1/4 cups water
1 (15 ounce) can chickpeas , drained and rinsed
Table salt
8 ounces frozen peas (about 1 1/2 cups)
1/4 cup heavy cream or coconut milk

1. Toast curry powder and garam masala in small skillet over medium-high heat, stirring constantly, until spices darken slightly and become fragrant, about 1 minute. Remove spices from skillet and set aside.

2. Heat 3 tablespoons oil in large Dutch oven over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add onions and potatoes and cook, stirring occasionally, until onions are caramelized and potatoes are golden brown on edges, about 10 minutes. (Reduce heat to medium if onions darken too quickly.)

3. Reduce heat to medium. Clear center of pan and add remaining tablespoon oil, garlic, ginger, chile, and tomato paste; cook, stirring constantly, until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add toasted spices and cook, stirring constantly, about 1 minute longer. Add cauliflower and
cook, stirring constantly, until spices coat florets, about 2 minutes longer.

4. Add tomatoes, water, chickpeas, and 1 teaspoon salt; increase heat to medium-high and bring mixture to boil, scraping bottom of pan with wooden spoon to loosen browned bits. Cover and reduce heat to medium. Simmer briskly, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are
tender, 10 to 15 minutes. Stir in peas and cream or coconut milk; continue to cook until heated through, about 2 minutes longer. Adjust seasoning with salt and serve immediately, passing condiments separately.

Pretty Pots and Pans

I'm Sold! My mom bought me this set of Rachel Ray pots and pans as a housewarming gift. And I have fallen in love with them. They make cooking easier, food cooks evenly in the pan, and more fun. Since our kitchen is small I didn't want to occupy an entire cabinet with pots and pans so I hung them on the wall, using rods from Ikea. They also add a nice punch of color.

I am an Iron Girl!

Well some of you may recall me mentioning months ago that I was going to compete in my 2nd triathlon. (previous post here)
Well I did it!
I am extremely proud of my time and my ability to finish the race. I didn't get as much training in as I would have liked but I showed up and did my best. First swam 1 mile in a lake and then rode 17 miles on bicycle and then ran 3.4 miles. And yes that .4 of a mile does matter! The experience was amazing. The energy is contagious and the sense of accomplishment in the end is worth the sore legs I had for 2 days after. I highly recommend it to any woman. No matter how old you are or what size you are. I met a woman racing that was 77 years old and I met another woman who had her first baby 8 weeks ago and while putting on my bike helmet, I spotted her putting nursing pads in her tri suit. "Do you think anyone else here is wearing nursing pads?", she asked me with laughter in her voice. "nope", I replied with a smile. And then a woman 6 months pregnant ran by us to start the bike. It takes all kinds and for that I am so grateful.

Great Host Gift

Last weekend and this weekend my friend Stuart is staying with us in Boulder. He was in Denver all week for the Democratic National Convention because he is the Communications Director for Representative Yarmuth of Kentucky. He brought Greg and I a thoughtful and unique "Host Gift" complete with photos of the gifts creation.

The gifts are miniature Louisville Slugger baseball bats made directly in the Louisville Slugger Factory in Louisville, Kentucky. I liked them on many levels but primarily because of the idea of bringing a host gift that is unique from where he was visiting me from.

The next time I go to stay with someone I am going to try to remember to bring a unique Colorado gift as my host gift.

Another Great Street Find

Here in Boulder, and I'm betting all College towns, August is a goldmine of street finds. My latest is this adorable table that I intend to use as a vanity.

My vision is to refurbish the table top with a ceramic mosaic. However, tomorrow is my first day back to school so I'm not sure when I will get to that project. Which is actually a good thing as I have not mosaic-ed anything ever before.

If any loyal blog readers have experience with mosaic techniques, please drop me a line. Gretchen and I would love to post the information in a guest blog column.

Logan is 5! Thank you Card

Since I posted Zane's thank you cards I had to share what I came up with for Logan.
I wanted to feature a picture that shows Logan's fun, wacky side since not many people really get to see that side of him. Some folks only see "serious" Logan. Which is how he looks in large family gatherings. Also this is Logan's latest facial pose when I point the camera in his direction. He is such a hoot! As you can see I kept it very simple, yellow card stock and a metal rimmed tag from the office supply store attached with a ribbon that says "boys will be boys!". On the back is the thank you message.

Microwave Vs Oven: Which is cheaper to run?

The ladies in my knitting group and I were talking about our electric bills, we all live in the same neighborhood in townhouses. Though the actual materials used to build the townhouses vary. For example I live in what is called a "frame" (made of wood) and my friend Leah lives in a brick. So one of the women said how much she pays in electricity and she has the AC running all the time during the summer. Leah and I were stunned that her bill was only 25 bucks more than ours. And we both very rarely run the AC and I feel as though we are very energy conscious around here. Not to mention it saves us money. So why am I only paying 25 bucks less? The only thing Leah & I could come up is that we are both big cookers, mainly using the stove and oven (and note that we both have ovens that are less than 4 years old). So do you think a microwave oven would be more energy efficient and save me money off my electric bill???

CU Boulder 2nd Greenest School in Nation

Sierra Magazine named The University of Boulder the second Greenest school in the nation. You can read more about how they keep it green here. And though there were several East Coast schools that made the list (mostly small liberal arts schools), it made me realize one of the best things about the city I now call home - Boulder is completely Eco Conscious!





When I first moved here everyone was always asking me, "Do you miss NYC?" My response was often I don't know yet...I know I miss quick and cheap drop-off launderymats! Now, after being here for a year, I am aware that there are things I miss about the East (mostly my friends and family), but I also know the things I LOVE about my new home which is the detail given by nearly everyone to keep and protect our shared environment.

Toys R Us Birthday Club

If you sign up each of your kids' for Toys R Us birthday Club the child will receive a birthday card in the mail and a gift card for $3 off any purchase over 3 bucks. Of course they want you to come in and buy an expensive toy, but you don't have to. My kids' think the gift card is only for coloring books. It also helps that they can't read. So I shell out a buck including taxes, for their almost free, exciting new coloring book! Also along with the gift card is a postcard to bring to the customer service counter for a "special surprise". Every year it's the same thing - a balloon. And every year the balloon tends to get more attention than the coloring book...well at least for the first day.

Hallmark Introduces Gay Marriage Card

Now that gay marriage is legal in two states, as well as entire countries (3 cheers for Canada), Hallmark has come out with a line of Gay Marriage Cards. The Associated Press Story reports that the the messages inside will be of a neutral tone which will allow them to appropriate for a legal union, civil unions, and commitment ceremonies.

And though the best cards to receive are handmade cards, I have to admit that it makes me very happy for all my gay friends to have one more, albeit minor, victory in homophobic corporate America.

Yes, in the end Hallmark is just trying to make a profit but I'm sure they will take some heat in certain areas of this country. Cut to some random Hallmark store getting protested just because they carry cards with two men in tuxedos as the image on the front. When interviewed on the news the protester will say something profound like "I don't want my kids to see these cards and start asking questions." Ah, yes every one knows that kids asking questions about Hallmark Cards will make them gay.