This is kinda a big deal, because Obsidian (the big one) hasn't really liked Voodoo until recently...and even then, today is the first day they've SHARED anything! And as soon as she realized she had a new playmate who would play with the rope anytime (unlike us), Obi has been very gentle--she could just trample Voodoo and take it away if she really wanted. :) I'm one happy "mama" this evening!
Now that they've got this figured out, they haven't really stopped playing this all night...at least, not for long. :) Happy Sabbath, friends!
Sunday, June 26, 2011
Sunday Thoughts
Today in primary Paul taught a lesson about the unmerciful servant and the importance of forgiving others completely and wholly. I have to admit, I'm the kind of girl that can hold a grudge. I don't really worry about anything you say or do until we're really close, but once we are, once you have my trust, boy, you'd better not betray that or we will have some issues! I've been feeling really strongly lately that some of my anger/frustration/depression issues are related to this fact, and I've been working really hard on forgiving a handful of people who have hurt me deeply in the past...starting with the easier ones, of course, and working my way up to the harder ones.
Then, in sharing time, we talked about the Holy Ghost, or the Spirit of God, and what it does for us. Something I've always loved about the Spirit is that it does pretty much every good thing--it has many, MANY roles. Sometimes it comforts us, and sometimes it chastens us. Sometimes it helps us learn something new, and sometimes it helps us remember what we've already learned. Sometimes it lets us know what the Lord wants, and sometimes it just works us through what we want and helps us discern the options available. Sometimes it is a warm, fuzzy feeling, and sometimes it is an inspired thought, and sometimes it is excitement. Sometimes it warns us, and sometimes it cleanses us. Sometimes it is a whisper, and sometimes it's a 2x4--so clear and powerful it's practically a voice. All our spiritual gifts come by the Spirit. Really, everything in this life comes down to the Spirit.
I remember one time for a BYD our bishop had a bunch of words written on index cards--some said things like candy, money, or entertainment, some had basic needs like food and shelter. Most had gospel-related words, like prophets, scriptures, testimony, etc....and one had the spirit. One by one we had to eliminate a card until we had the single most important thing...and, you guessed it, after much difficult deliberation and debate, we finally picked the Spirit. It turns out we were right--just read 3 Nephi 19:9, or Mosiah 4:2-3. It's THAT important. :)
When we were asked to share personal experiences with the Spirit, though, I sort of drew a blank. It's not that I haven't had them! I just couldn't remember. So I need to record those things and think about them often--and especially work towards having more RECENT promptings. Most of my stories come from 6 or more years ago!
Then, in sharing time, we talked about the Holy Ghost, or the Spirit of God, and what it does for us. Something I've always loved about the Spirit is that it does pretty much every good thing--it has many, MANY roles. Sometimes it comforts us, and sometimes it chastens us. Sometimes it helps us learn something new, and sometimes it helps us remember what we've already learned. Sometimes it lets us know what the Lord wants, and sometimes it just works us through what we want and helps us discern the options available. Sometimes it is a warm, fuzzy feeling, and sometimes it is an inspired thought, and sometimes it is excitement. Sometimes it warns us, and sometimes it cleanses us. Sometimes it is a whisper, and sometimes it's a 2x4--so clear and powerful it's practically a voice. All our spiritual gifts come by the Spirit. Really, everything in this life comes down to the Spirit.
I remember one time for a BYD our bishop had a bunch of words written on index cards--some said things like candy, money, or entertainment, some had basic needs like food and shelter. Most had gospel-related words, like prophets, scriptures, testimony, etc....and one had the spirit. One by one we had to eliminate a card until we had the single most important thing...and, you guessed it, after much difficult deliberation and debate, we finally picked the Spirit. It turns out we were right--just read 3 Nephi 19:9, or Mosiah 4:2-3. It's THAT important. :)
When we were asked to share personal experiences with the Spirit, though, I sort of drew a blank. It's not that I haven't had them! I just couldn't remember. So I need to record those things and think about them often--and especially work towards having more RECENT promptings. Most of my stories come from 6 or more years ago!
Saturday, June 25, 2011
Focus and Days of the Week
This is not a craft blog, or a recipe blog, or a family blog, but a CELESTE blog. It is all the parts of me rolled up into one. Sometimes I feel like I should apologize for that, but, why? Yes, you get an ecclectic compilation of foods, crafts, spiritual impressions, and family pictures, but we ALL have many interests, and that's okay.
But sometimes I worry that I'm focusing too much on one part or another...or that in putting up what I DO almost every day, I'm still not putting enough out there of who I AM. And since the purpose of this blog is a journal of sorts, what future generations will want to know about is ME, every bit.
So, to add a little focus and a little balance (and to save you from days and days of endless craft and recipe ideas), I'm dividing up the days of the week. My new posts will be:
Spiritual Sundays (impressions, spiritual recollections, peaceful thoughts and quotes and inspiration)
Mmmm...Mondays (recipes)
10 Things Tuesdays (mostly recycled craft ideas, but maybe once in a while I'll just throw in ten random things instead!)
Why I Believe Wednesdays (for that mid-week spiritual recharge)
Thankful Thursdays (posts of things I'm grateful for, especially that week, however small or great...because gratitude is something I need to work on)
Family Fridays (summaries of FHE, family gatherings, date nights, pictures of family events, etc.)
Show Off Saturdays (where I get to show off pictures, crafts I've done, things I've written, accomplishments of the week I'm most proud of, or whatever else I may need to feel good about myself again after a long, hard week.)
Hopefully this will help me put a little more of ME into these ramblings, and still provide a creative outlet and motivation for all my free time.
But sometimes I worry that I'm focusing too much on one part or another...or that in putting up what I DO almost every day, I'm still not putting enough out there of who I AM. And since the purpose of this blog is a journal of sorts, what future generations will want to know about is ME, every bit.
So, to add a little focus and a little balance (and to save you from days and days of endless craft and recipe ideas), I'm dividing up the days of the week. My new posts will be:
Spiritual Sundays (impressions, spiritual recollections, peaceful thoughts and quotes and inspiration)
Mmmm...Mondays (recipes)
10 Things Tuesdays (mostly recycled craft ideas, but maybe once in a while I'll just throw in ten random things instead!)
Why I Believe Wednesdays (for that mid-week spiritual recharge)
Thankful Thursdays (posts of things I'm grateful for, especially that week, however small or great...because gratitude is something I need to work on)
Family Fridays (summaries of FHE, family gatherings, date nights, pictures of family events, etc.)
Show Off Saturdays (where I get to show off pictures, crafts I've done, things I've written, accomplishments of the week I'm most proud of, or whatever else I may need to feel good about myself again after a long, hard week.)
Hopefully this will help me put a little more of ME into these ramblings, and still provide a creative outlet and motivation for all my free time.
Friday, June 24, 2011
Fruit Pops!
I have been in a popsicle mood all summer long so far...probably because it's been so stinkin' hot! But as we've been making our way through the ice pops FROM OUR WEDDING, I wasn't feeling too hot about basically drinking kool-aid all day...if I'm going to be consuming large quantities of white sugar, there had better be chocolate involved! When we were little, we used to make orange juice and grape juice pops. That was a step in the right direction. But when my friend told me you could use the whole fruit, well, I've been hooked ever since...and I get to put our popsicle molds to use, guilt-free! (Not to mention, desserting on fruit is sooooo nice, and gets our diet a little healthier!)
All you need for these little wonders are fresh or frozen fruit (thawed), peeled. You CAN use canned fruit, but (a) make sure you really drain the liquids from it first or you'll have a weird separation in your popsicle, and (b) you'll sacrifice a bit of flavor. Mash/puree them in a blender or food processor until it's like a babyfood texture. Then pour them in your popsicle molds and freeze for a few hours, and enjoy! I've found that the easiest way to get them out of the molds is to turn the molds upside down and run hot water all over the bottom for about 20-30 seconds--then just gently pull the stick down and it should pop right out!
I have to admit, with the berries I add a spoonful of sugar, because they are super tart. Otherwise, though, these are plenty sweet on their own. We've tried a few of our favorite fruits so far--strawberries, strawberry-banana, mango, mango-banana, peach, and watermelon...I'm hoping to make a kiwi blend sometime soon, and blueberry pommegranate, as well as figure something magical out for plums. The bananas really stick out and make the whole thing more...smoothie-textured, so just add a few slices (I had one banana for two large mangoes). AND, if you want to make more of a smoothie FLAVOR, you can add vanilla yogurt to the blender before freezing...I'm thinking a natural orange creamsicle flavor would be DELISH.
YUMMY, healthy, and cheap dessert that will keep you cool all summer long! I think it's our new summer tradition!
Linking up HERE!
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| Our strawberry banana pops...sorry, the color is so weird! |
All you need for these little wonders are fresh or frozen fruit (thawed), peeled. You CAN use canned fruit, but (a) make sure you really drain the liquids from it first or you'll have a weird separation in your popsicle, and (b) you'll sacrifice a bit of flavor. Mash/puree them in a blender or food processor until it's like a babyfood texture. Then pour them in your popsicle molds and freeze for a few hours, and enjoy! I've found that the easiest way to get them out of the molds is to turn the molds upside down and run hot water all over the bottom for about 20-30 seconds--then just gently pull the stick down and it should pop right out!
I have to admit, with the berries I add a spoonful of sugar, because they are super tart. Otherwise, though, these are plenty sweet on their own. We've tried a few of our favorite fruits so far--strawberries, strawberry-banana, mango, mango-banana, peach, and watermelon...I'm hoping to make a kiwi blend sometime soon, and blueberry pommegranate, as well as figure something magical out for plums. The bananas really stick out and make the whole thing more...smoothie-textured, so just add a few slices (I had one banana for two large mangoes). AND, if you want to make more of a smoothie FLAVOR, you can add vanilla yogurt to the blender before freezing...I'm thinking a natural orange creamsicle flavor would be DELISH.
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| Mango Banana pops! |
YUMMY, healthy, and cheap dessert that will keep you cool all summer long! I think it's our new summer tradition!
Linking up HERE!
Thursday, June 23, 2011
Mint Melon Salad
Mint Melon Salad
Ingredients:
1 seedless watermelon (average size...about twice that of the other melons)
1 honeydew melon
1 cantaloupe
***
1/4 c. lemon juice (or lime juice)
1/4 c. honey
2 Tbsp. olive oil
1/4 c. Vidalia onion, chopped finely
2 Tbsp. fresh mint, chopped finely
Directions:
1. Cut in cubes or ball with a melon baller half of the watermelon and the whole honeydew and cantaloupe. (I like to put the watermelon in a bowl, then scrape out the extra fruit so I can use the melon as a bowl...put half in the melon and half of the other melons in the bowl, and the other halves in the melon rind...this will make mixing easier later.)
2. Whisk together lemon/lime juice, honey, and olive oil until the honey dissolves.
3. Add it the chopped sweet onion and fresh mint, stirring well.
4. Pour lemon-honey vinaigrette over the melons and stir well.
5. Refrigerate a few hours before serving.
You can save the other half of the watermelon for eating, or make some fresh fruit pops or another mint melon salad in a few days! Enjoy!
Linking up HERE!
Tuesday, June 21, 2011
Crocheted Basketweave Placemat
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| Check out that texture! |
Note: for this post, you will need to know how to do a basic basketweave stitch, or at least front and back post double crochets.
These were made using a size H hook, with 4-ply acrylic yarn (makes them extra sturdy).
ch: chain
st: stitch
sc: single crochet
dc: double crochet
hdc: half double crochet
fpdc/bpdc: front post/back post double crochets
Chain 60.
Row 1: In third ch from hook, dc across. (58) Chain 2, turn.
Row 2-4: *4 fpdc, 4bpdc* Repeat across. (56) At the end of the row, do a half double crochet into the end post. Chain 2, turn.
Rows 5-7: *4 bpdc, 4 fpdc* Repeat across. (56) At the end of the row, do a half double crochet itno the end post. Chain 2, turn.
Continue on this way, with 3 rows of one (what I call a block) and then 3 rows of the alternate, until it's as high as you want (mine were 8 blocks high, through row 25).
Final Row: SC across (58). Finish off and weave in ends.
That's it! Make as many as you need, in whatever colors you choose...and don't forget to make matching napkin rings with your leftover yarn! :) Enjoy!
Simple Crocheted Button-Up Napkin Rings
Coming up with a simple button-up napkin ring pattern was easy, and I love it most of all because I can adapt it to any color scheme and any theme with fun buttons! Also, if you need it to be longer or wider, you can do that easily...here are a few pictures to get you excited!
Simple Napkin Rings
Chain 16, turn.
Row 1: In second ch from hook, sc across row. (15) Chain three, turn.
Row 2: Depending on the size of your buttons, double, triple, or quadruple crochet (etc.) across. I did triple crochets. (15) Chain 1, turn.
Row 3: Single crochet across. (15) Fasten off and weave in ends.
Sew a button on the second post in (in row 2) from one end, on the right side. You can then button it in between any two posts from row 2 to secure.
Et voila! I told you it was easy!
Chain 16, turn.
Row 1: In second ch from hook, sc across row. (15) Chain three, turn.
Row 2: Depending on the size of your buttons, double, triple, or quadruple crochet (etc.) across. I did triple crochets. (15) Chain 1, turn.
Row 3: Single crochet across. (15) Fasten off and weave in ends.
Sew a button on the second post in (in row 2) from one end, on the right side. You can then button it in between any two posts from row 2 to secure.
Et voila! I told you it was easy!
Father's Day
We're not really parents, but sometimes our dog(s) feel like kids! And since I firmly believe that parenthood is a doctrine, and that all women are mothers of children, it only makes sense that Paul is a father of children. So while I didn't really go all out, there were a few little surprises for him. :)
A small, surprise message:
A card:
And a special treat:
When we're really parents, I'll get him a gift, too. :)
Charissa, Paul, and our friend Dan and I got to make a few cookies and bring them over to Dad's and chat with the family for a while. When we got back, I made a late dinner--Black Bean Salsa Pasta, one of our new favorite recipes. It was a nice, laid back Sunday!
A small, surprise message:
A card:
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| Getting their pawprints was NOT easy! |
And a special treat:
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| Homemade mango-banana pops! (His two favorite fruits!) |
When we're really parents, I'll get him a gift, too. :)
Charissa, Paul, and our friend Dan and I got to make a few cookies and bring them over to Dad's and chat with the family for a while. When we got back, I made a late dinner--Black Bean Salsa Pasta, one of our new favorite recipes. It was a nice, laid back Sunday!
Pay It Forward Gift #4 and Final!
I finished my final pay it forward gifts last night! Here's the complete table set for Lindsey...I just need to go buy a few white daisies to put in the vase, and voila! Instant springtime any day of the year! I'm kinda proud, so I'll just let the pictures and the beautiful, bright colors do all the talking, and post the patterns for the napkin rings and placemats in a different post. :) (They're HERE! I now have the napkin ring pattern and the placemat pattern up for you to use, free of charge!) Enjoy this feast for the eyes!
I sure do love Lindsey, and I hope she feels the love every time she sits down to eat. :) Linking up HERE!
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| My daisy-buttoned napkin rings! |
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| A close-up of one of them. |
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| The small hurricane vase and vase cozy that will soon hold white daisies and tie everything in together! |
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| The basketweave placemats, with her favorite color ever on top! |
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| Pile of napkin rings and vase cozy. |
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| The whole set, minus the daisies that will be in there TONIGHT! |
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| Another view |
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| Another view |
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| Another view, with MY daisies (that were my inspiration, colorwise) in the background! |
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| Add the daisies, and voila! Finished! |
Saturday, June 18, 2011
Things we'll miss about Lafayette--Triple XXX!
I know Chicago has more than its fair share of diners, drive-ins, and dives, and anything else we may leave behind, but Paul and I are going to miss some things--like Triple XXX! It was featured on the Food Network show I just linked to...it's THAT awesome. Although, we have yet to taste the Triple XXX brand rootbeer after which the diner was named...but, Paul always gets the Duane Purvis, a burger with the works and a large glob of melty peanut butter! I tend to stick with a BLT or something like it. And, of course, the ultra thick milkshakes made right in a kitchen blender like mom used to make. (Still does. :)
(These are pictures I did NOT take.)
Anyway, a 24-hour diner with barstools snaking around the entirety of a small room, kitchen right in the middle, that accepts cash only...we've had many Triple XXX runs in the middle of the night in our marriage when we've stayed up just a little too late talking and needed a midnight (or 1:00, or 2:30) snack. Until we find the equivalent in Chicago, I'm going to miss this place--Indiana's first drive-in, still the finest! :) Here are some (phone) pictures of last night's final jaunt to Triple XXX:
(These are pictures I did NOT take.)
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| Old School Triple XXX---used to just be a root beer stand back in the 20s. |
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| How it looks today...pretty easy to distinguish, even in the dark of night. :) |
Anyway, a 24-hour diner with barstools snaking around the entirety of a small room, kitchen right in the middle, that accepts cash only...we've had many Triple XXX runs in the middle of the night in our marriage when we've stayed up just a little too late talking and needed a midnight (or 1:00, or 2:30) snack. Until we find the equivalent in Chicago, I'm going to miss this place--Indiana's first drive-in, still the finest! :) Here are some (phone) pictures of last night's final jaunt to Triple XXX:
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| Looking down the counter we sat... |
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| The easy-to-recognize menus. |
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| Me and one of my favorite things...milkshakes! Good thing I live so far away from Triple XXX and Steak n Shake... |
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| Hubba hubba! My cute, cute husband drinking a milkshake (after downing a magic pill, of course!). |
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