Five on Friday.....

I'm excited to be linking up with my friend Amy from Love Made My Home today!  My 5 are all centered around the home as we have been cooped up for the last month with February being bitterly cold in our neck of the woods.  The beans are all bouncing off the walls and this mama is ready to dig in the dirt!

 One~Baking

Each Monday I plan out meals for the week and write them on our chalkboard that sits in our kitchen.  I make my list for exactly what we need for that week and head to the grocery.  So come Sunday the fridge looks pretty bare.  The good part about this plan is that we don't waste much food.  If you must know, I always feel guilty when I see food go to waste.  I try to teach the beans the importance of where their food comes from and how lucky they are to have it.  So with black bananas staring me down, I decided to make a loaf of...

Cream Cheese Chocolate Chip Banana Bread

1/4 cup butter

8oz cream cheese

1 cup sugar

2 eggs

1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour

1 1/2 cups regular flour

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 cup buttermilk

1 1/2 cups ripe smashed bananas 

1/2 teaspoon vanilla

1 1/4 semi-sweet chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Beat the butter and cream cheese until creamy and slowly add the sugar until fluffy.  Then add the eggs one at a time.  In a separate bowl combine the flours, baking soda, powder, and salt.  Sift into the butter mixture alternating the flour mixture with the buttermilk.  Stir in bananas, chocolate chips and vanilla.  Pour into 2 buttered loaf pans.  Bake for about 60 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.  Let stand in the pan for 10 minutes before removing.  Once out let the loaves cool for 30 minutes.  YUMMY!

I also think a lot about where our food comes from.  Sure the beans eat processed foods but I try to limit it as much as possible.  Our new favorite snack is one that is not only easy to make but works well because it only requires 3 ingredients that we always have on hand.

Sun Butter Honey Oat Bites

We have a nut allergy in our home so I changed this recipe from peanut butter to sunbutter and I was thrilled at how delicious it tasted!   

{Inspired by the peanut butter version found on Pinterest}

1/2 cup of sunbutter

1/4 cup of honey

about 1 cup of oats 

(a little more of mixture seems to wet)

~Grease a 9 by 9 pan

~Heat sunbutter and honey in the microwave for 45 seconds and stir 

~Pour in oats and stir again

~Press into pan and put it in the fridge for a couple of minutes to let set

~Cut into squares

Two~Crafting with Beans {character board}

Did I mention that we've been cooped up?!!?  The perfect time to take a trip to Michaels to buy some bits for a new project.  I've had this old sign for a long time and kept it because I knew it would come in handy one day.  The beans and I decided to turn this into our character board.

We picked up wooden hearts and stars at the craft store.  As well as magnetic strips and letters.  I wanted them to have a hand in making the pieces for their board.  The beans painted the pieces and added their names to the newly sprayed sign.

When they make good choices, show good character, and do their chores I tell them to add a star or heart to their board.   It's been such a fantastic way to highlight their positive behaviors throughout the day and a great motivator as well.

Three~Decorating

I wish I could say that I finished my girls' room but I'm not quite there yet.  In the meantime, I've been adding some finishing touches to my little man's room.  My pop found a vintage airplane calendar for my son so I was able to use some of those photos in his new gallery wall.  

Four~Hearts

And because I still have a ton of fabric from my old curtains I hand sewed a few hearts that hung in the house during the month of February.  Thinking I will use them as ornaments for Christmas this year.

Five~Garden

Last on the list are  2 items I would like to purchase for our garden this year.  I have an infatuation with garden obelisks.  The problem is every obelisk that I like is only made and shipped within the UK.  You all sure know how to make them over there!   Wooden obelisks with round finials are my favorite.

via-Indulgy.com

So after a lot of searching I found this one here   The price is right though I will probably end up painting it and maybe just maybe adding my own round finial to the top!  

The last piece for the garden would be a potting bench.  I like the idea of having one for all my "stuff" as well as using it to create vignettes during the cold winter months here in Chicago.  This picture (a bit fuzzy) was from a Christmas walk I went on with my mom and sisters.

I found this simple straightforward version from here

And there you have it!

 I wanted to take a moment and thank you all for being so outstanding.  This journey has connected me with so many extraordinary folks from across the globe!  You inspire me daily!

Wishing you all a lovely weekend!  

*I've been informed that my comments have stopped reaching people's email inboxes.  I'm not sure why so if anyone has any advice on that please feel free to share.

on the table....vegetable chili

When it is negative 25 degrees outside (with the wind chill) it's a good day for chili!  I learned how to make this chili from my older sister.  She came to my house when I was pregnant with bean number one and we made a giant pot.  This chili freezes fantastically so there is always some in the freezer.

Veggie Chili...

~2 cans of black beans

~2 cans of kidney beans

~1 bag of frozen corn

~2 red peppers

~2 green peppers

~3 green onions 

~1 small yellow onion

~2 jalapeños

~chili powder

~a pound and a half of ground turkey (or you can use beef)

~45 oz of caned diced tomatoes

~45 oz of canned tomato puree 

The first thing I do is pour all of the tomatoes in a big pot.  Next I slice up all the veggies (except the yellow onion) and heat the corn up in the microwave.  Make sure when you're chopping those jalapeños that you don't get any seeds in the mix!  Dump all the veggies in with your tomatoes and don't forget the beans.  Then slice up your yellow onion.  Add some olive oil to your pan and throw in your onions.  When the onions are looking a little colorful add your meat and season with chili powder.  Last pour your meat into the pot.  Cook your chili on low for 3-4 hours and there you have it!  

My sister, as some of you may know, is a photographer.  Her ability to capture the essence and beauty of the world around her is quite extraordinary.  

SCOUT PHOTOGRAPHY~Elizabeth Guzaldo

Can you tell I'm proud of her!?!  

And with the brutal cold outside today I reworked the mantle after taking all the Christmas decorations down.  I left the vintage candle sticks but added some jars of pinecones and some old books.

And then came a bit of lounging in the kitchen.  The beans love to cook with me so this a typical scene.

 End of the night fire with cookies and all is good. 

Stay warm friends and a happy week to you!  

a collection...around these parts

 School is winding down and summer break is upon us.  Kinda nice to have a loose schedule to look forward to.  Here is what has been making me smile as of late...

~My youngest getting the hang of the creek~

~The front garden is a work in progress but it is coming along a little further this year~

~An awesome scene at the arboretum~

~Found this bench to be perfectly magical tucked into a woodland garden on a stroll with the beans~

~My bean boy independent and free searching for tadpoles~

~My oldest touching the tadpoles~

~The children's garden where we spend many good days~

~Our go to dish that looks pretty with basil from the garden~

Sun Dried Tomato Pasta

A recipe adapted from the Barefoot Contessa...

Simply prepare the dressing and pour over warm pasta.  I add chunks of fresh mozzarella, cherry tomatoes from the garden, basil, and you can even cube chicken and add it if you like.

The dressing (which I always double)

~5 sun dried tomatoes in oil drained

~2 tablespoons red wine vinegar

~6 tablespoons good olive oil

~1 garlic clove, diced

~2 teaspoons kosher salt

~3/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

blend it in a food processor and pour over warm pasta

sprinkle with parmesan cheese before you dig in if you want to tone down the flavor

~Peonies are opening~

~A new tablecloth for spring~

~Along the dry creek bed is my new favorite woodland plant...Bowman's Root (part shade) paired with Lamium, Autumn Joy sedum, and geranium~

~A new throw for summer~

~Chocolates in town with the hubs on our date night~

Here is to the little things that make us smile!  

Happy making, baking, and growing!

good day sunshine

Hey folks!  We had the most glorious sunshine today!  Popsicles, sprinkler time, and good old dirt digging! Things are popping on through in the garden though we still have a bit that is delayed from the cold spring temps of April.  I have been working like a dog trying to get the start of the season up and running around here so I apologize if I have not been around for a visit.  That and a pretty nasty bug that I'm just getting over! 

herbs in

The beds are waking up!

containers are being made...Torenia Hybrid, Plectranthus, Millium "Flashlights" {annuals for shade}

color blocking with Coleus 

my tulips

more tulips...my favorite

Another construction area in the garden....a whole new vision...to be continued on this one!

nature adventures with the beans

And a while back I talked about trying new recipes from my Aunt Tina's cookbook.  Here is our latest one and it's another keeper!

Turkey-Stuffed Shells

~ 12 oz package jumbo shells
~ 1 lb ground turkey
~ a dash of olive oil for the pan
~ 1 10 oz package of frozen chopped spinach, thawed and drained
~ 2 medium size onions
~ 1 8 oz container of ricotta cheese or you can use cottage cheese
~ 3/4 cup of parmesan cheese
~ 4 tbsp. of butter
~ 3 tbsp. of flour
~ 2 1/4 cups of milk
~ 1/2 tsp. salt
~ 1/2 a cup of shredded mozzarella cheese


Boil your pasta shells.  Meanwhile, in a pan over medium-high heat, sprinkle in your olive oil.  Cook your onions for a few minutes and then add your turkey.  Stirring occasionally until the turkey is brown and the onions are tender.  Remove the pan from the heat and stir in....spinach, ricotta cheese, and parmesan cheese.

In a saucepan over low heat melt your butter and stir in flour until blended.  Cook 1 minute.  Gradually stir in milk and salt.  Cook, stirring constantly, until sauce boils and thickens.  (you may need to add a hint more flour if it is not thickening) Pour half of the sauce into a 13x9 inch baking dish.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  Drain your shells.  Fill the shells with your turkey mixture and arrange them on the sauce in the baking dish.  Pour remaining sauce over your shells and sprinkle with mozzarella cheese.  Bake for 30 minutes or until mixture is hot and bubbly.  Turn oven control to broil. Broil your stuffed shells for no longer than 5 minutes until the tops are brown.  And enjoy!

Happy Making, Baking, and Growing!