Magic Moms

Upside Down Gardening

2010-05-26T19:51:00.000-07:00

Today is dedicated to our homemade upside down tomato planters!

When we started, back in April... I put these pics up. Now there has been an article in Times about upside down gardening, and everyone wants to try it! Of course, Magic moms are way ahead of the game!

They are only a few days old and they are doing great!

An upside down milk jug, with wire hangars (the plastic one didn't work), and a 2 wk old plant... voila! We also added tops to the top, and painted them with dark colors. The plants are extra-prolific cherry tomatoes on a vine...

UPDATE PIC 4/22/10

Topsy Turvy is the WAY TO GO! These plants are 3x bigger then the same ones right side up... and are flowering!! We should have tomatoes in DAYS... amazing. Pretty soon I will have more tomatoes then I know what to do with. I will post on the great things you can do with extra tomatoes (Dried Tomatoes, Salsa, mmm) maybe next month :)

We have finally mastered the planter (Milk Jug, 6 inches of Pipe, Wire) and are now turning everything upside-down and hanging it around the house! Bell Peppers, Hot Peppers, Cucumbers, Big Tom Tomatoes, Strawberries... This is a great and easy way to grow your own garden with almost no space needed, just a sunny window! No weeding, bugs... I have to say I love it. But I would never pay $20 a piece for them... These are cheap and easy, and work great!

UPDATE 5/25/10

WOW- these things are great. We have around 15 tomatoes and 10 cucumbers starting already! These have outgrown the garden's right-side-up plants by a long shot. We are hanging most of our garden this year... in the greenhouse! Keeping off the pests, animals, and weeds this easily has spoiled us :) We still have a large traditional garden, but we have planted almost as much in containers this year.

Next time I will let you know how it goes with the new FOOD DEHYDRATOR I have just gotten... a new toy!

Hope you enjoy!

Easter Eggs... Dragon Style

2010-04-05T16:23:00.000-07:00

This Easter, My kids are HUGELY into How to Tame Your Dragon... so when we got ready for Easter Egg decorating, we tried something a little different. By using coffee filters, vinegar and food coloring, we decorated the eggs with "flame of the dragon" colors :)

The girls love them and showed them off all day, but be warned it certainly WILL STAIN! fingers and clothes... be prepared!

THE RECIPE:

One egg, dipped in vinegar, and then wrapped in a coffee filter.

(All vinegar = very bright colors, half water makes more pastel colors)

Carefully drip single drops of food coloring onto the filter

Wait 10 - 30 seconds and unwrap... Display with pride!

. Two colors make a nice mix, blue/green (see Natalie's, above)

or red/yellow for Dragon Flames...

As Bella did here!

Hope you all had a great Easter...

Enjoy!

Gratitude Goes Global

2010-03-15T16:43:00.000-07:00

I am a HUGE fan of GRATITUDE as a way of life... and today I found an amazing site. This gives gratitude it's own symbol - one that shows up EVERYWHERE, (funnily enough it even shows up in my banner :) reminding you constantly to be thankful! Check this out, and try taking 10 seconds to be truly thankful for something every time you happen to see the symbol in your daily life. This can be a LIFE CHANGING exercise... be warned! Great things will start happening almost immediately! Feel free to share your stories here :)

http://www.gogratitude.com/masterkey

Hope you enjoy!
TF

Rainy Day Crafts, and Topsy Turvy Tomatoes!

2010-03-15T16:24:00.001-07:00

It has been rainy here for several days now, and other then a trip to the roller skating rink, the girls are getting cabin fever. So this is the fun stuff we've been doing!

First, we made Great Magnets with Sculpey Clay! Easy as 123 - we chose an underwater theme and made the appropriate creatures, baking them at 270* for 10 mins...

Then we added Magnets to the back with hot glue and played "Sponge Bob and Patrick go jellyfishing and catch a grumpy sting ray..."

Great fun! Instantly attracts every kid that comes into the kitchen! These are the other things we came up with that day... tic tac toe games were a big hit :)

The other thing we did was painted homemade upside down tomato planters! They are only a few days old and they are doing great!

UPDATE PIC 4/22/10

We have finally mastered the planter (Milk Jug, Pipe, Wire) and are now turning everything upside-down and hanging it around the house! This is a great and easy way to grow your own garden with almost no space needed, just a sunny window! No weeding, bugs... I have to say I love it. But I would never pay $20 a peice for them... These are cheap and easy, and work great!

Also where we live, up on a mountain, we have had hail and sleet and snow for the last few days, so I will have ACTUAL tomatoes before I can even plant my tomato plants outside!

Hope you enjoy!

Orange Julius... Delicious, Nutritious and full of Memories!

2010-02-04T15:38:00.000-08:00

Remember walking through the mall and stopping for a smooth, delicious Orange Julius?
Well, today I stumbled upon a recipe! We tried it after dinner and the kids give it two thumbs up :) However, the vote was one to one on orange vs banana: Natalie says banana is better, Bella likes the original. So here are the recipes for both!

6 oz. frozen orange juice concentrate
1 cup milk (yogurt is good too)
1 cup water
1/2 cup sugar (powdered sugar works well too)
1 tsp. vanilla extract
ice cubes

1. Combine all ingredients except ice cubes in blender.
2. Blend for about 1-2 minutes, adding ice cubes slowly.

For a Banana Julius, use the recipe above with an added 2 bananas (as well as orange juice)
Cut sugar in half if desired for Banana.

Enjoy with the family!

Natalie's Castle Cake

2010-01-07T13:17:00.000-08:00

Here are some pics of Natalie's Castle Cake for her 5th birthday. Much easier then I expected, to make! Ice cream cones make super easy turrets, and icing, marshmallows and candies make it easy to decorate. I added her name and some flags, not pictured, and she loves it!

If you look really close to the second pic, you will see the tiny birthday princess I made out of sculpey!

Great recipes - Quick and Easy

2010-01-01T10:29:00.000-08:00

If you occasionally need some inspiration for a quick and easy meal, look no further!
These tried and true family recipes are life savers and family favorites! I make sure I am never without Cream of (Something) Soup, and Sour Cream (low fat)- these are always great for sauces.

My Criteria: limited ingredients, healthy, kid-friendly, and FAST!

Pork Chop Bake

1 can Cream of Mushroom Soup
small container Sour Cream
Peas
Mushrooms (optional)
Pork Chops
Stuffing

Mix Soup, Sour Cream. Peas and Mushrooms in glass baking pan
Place Chops in and cover with mixture
Make stuffing as directed and spread in an even layer over mixture
Cover with foil
Bake at 350* for 25 mins or until Chops are cooked through. .
(Thicker chops slightly longer, thinner slightly less)
Remove foil for last 5-8 mins

Enjoy!

Beef Stroganoff
Beef Strips, Gr Beef, Gr Turkey or Meatballs
Cream Of Mushroom Soup
Sour Cream (Low fat okay) or Milk
Onions/Mushrooms
Dash Steak Sauce
Cooked Rice/Pasta/Bread

Brown Beef and veggies. Drain well.
Add Soup, Sour Cream, Steak Sauce, and salt & pepper.
Cook on Med/ Med-Lo for 5-7 mins and serve over Rice.

Enjoy!

Fried Cauliflower

Cauliflower
Egg (beaten)
Oil, Salt

Dip Cauliflower in egg, and fry in 1/2 inch of cooking oil over med heat for 3-5 mins, or until Cauliflower is soft throughout. Dry on paper towels and salt immediately. Serve Hot and watch them dissappear!

Chicken Pot Pie

Meat (Chicken/Beef/Pork)
Veggies (choice: potatoes (cut small or pre-cooked), carrots, peas, corn, green beans, onions)
Cream of Chicken Soup, Gravy, or broth
Pie Crust (Bisquick, Your favorite biscuit recipe or see below)

Cook Meat and onions, add veggies and Soup/Gravy, cover with pie crust!
Bake at 350* until brown on top and bubbly inside.

Enjoy!

More to come!
Enjoy!

More Christmas Crafts: Pillow Pet from OLD COAT!

2009-12-12T13:25:00.000-08:00

THIS.... is Bella's new beloved PILLOW PET, made entirely out of her OLD COAT!

She had a favorite furry white coat that she wore for two years, which she called her snow queen coat. Finally, the zipper broke, and she was very upset. I hid it away and bought a new one.

FOR CHRISTMAS, I made a Pillow Pet! (with help from Gramma :)

By taking the coat, cutting off arms, sewing all the way around, and sewing up the zipper, I made the body. I then sewed up the hood, after making a head shape: holding the point that sits at the top back of the head, I pushed that point in slightly (2-3 inches)and sewed a flat line across. Then I added ears, made from the extra arm material, two eyes and a nose, stuffed the whole thing and VIOLA! A Pillow Pet that is LARGER then the TV ones :)

And it's made out of an old furry coat!

I also plan to try one out of an old fuzzy sweatshirt or a soft fleece hoodie... I will keep you posted!

Here is the caroler set I made for Christmas... Sculpey Clay is the greatest! Check out the nativity set as well! A few little people, some with cmas hats, and a little black
dog around a simple Christmas tree... aren't they cute! And all about 2 inches tall...

This and the nativity set will be fun to put out every year!

I am excited about having a house to start all these great traditions :) and memories!

Happy Holidays to all!

Christmas Crafts!

2009-12-05T09:11:00.000-08:00

With Christmas coming, and being on a rather strict budget, Handmade gifts are in order. I have discovered Sculpey Clay, and I can hardly wait to show you the wonderful, handmade treasures I have made! Easy to make, Easy to bake, and as much fun as play-do, this clay is really addicting... Here's what I have made so far! The top picture (above) is my first Nativity Set... 20 pieces and all the size of my pinkie! I have since made 3 more, and they are getting cuter and more detailed every time. I also made necklaces... great christmas gifts for teachers! Beads made by the student (my 6 yr old daughter) and letters (MRS F) made by me... and voila! a Christmas necklace!

We then made some that say Joy, Noel, and Love as well... I will use those for more gifts! as modeled by Bella :)

We have also made picture frames (for grandparents), ornaments (for extended family) and candy canes (for fun!)

Well that is all the pics I have for now... Remember the Nativity Sets are on sale at my store: www.shophandmade.com/store/bunkhousebuddies

Happy Holidays!
T

Water or Wine?

2009-11-25T10:21:00.000-08:00

To paraphrase W.C. Fields, "I don't drink water, because fish screw in it."

To my friends who enjoy a glass of wine: (and those who don't)

I thought you might enjoy this little bit of humor...

As Ben Franklin said:
In wine there is wisdom,

in beer there is freedom,

in water there is bacteria.

In a number of carefully controlled trials,
scientists have demonstrated that if we drink
1 liter of water each day, at the end of the year we would have absorbed more than 1 kilo of Escherichia coli (E. coli) - bacteria found in feces.

In other words, we are consuming 1 kilo of poop.

However, we do NOT run that risk when drinking wine & beer, or tequila, rum, whiskey or other liquor, because alcohol has to go through a purification process of boiling, filtering and/or fermenting.

Remember:
Water = Poop, Wine = Health.

Therefore, it's better to drink wine and talk stupid,

than to drink water and be full of crap.

Enjoy a glass of wine today!

Inspired

2009-10-10T19:45:00.000-07:00

Recently my sister has decided to start the P90X Workout Routine. This is a serious commitment (that I probably shouldn't make fun of). If you've never heard of it, it's HARDCORE. INSANITY. Not to mention WAY over MY level. :)
So when she emailed me to complain about the agony she was experiencing, (on day three, I believe!) I sent her this email in reply:

Dear Mel,
Sorry to hear you are having such a hard time. (snicker)
Hope you don't hurt yourself. (too badly...)

By the way, you've inspired me, with your P90X crap.
So I have started my own vigorous work out program today.
I might market it. It goes like this:
(Don't try this at home. Or at Work. Or in a public restroom.)

Week One:
Day One: watch work-out routine video. You need to familiarize yourself with it.
(this may take longer, even three or four days, as needed)

Day Two: watch again, and while watching, try to imagine and visualize yourself exercising and sweating and jumping around, just like those idiots. Have a Snickers bar to help the imagination process.

Day Three: attempt first seven minutes of video, aka the WARMUP. Call 911. Follow paramedic instructions.

Day Four: attach oxygen hose to nostrils and watch routine video while doing the deep breathing exercises the paramedic showed you. Follow by drinking a large glass of wine, for your heart.

Days Five and Six: These are important recovery days. Stretch at least once a day, SLOWLY. Don't forget the oxygen hose, and double the wine. Watch the video as well; laughter is the best medicine, after all.

Day Seven: This is a day of rest. That is according to GOD, not me. Do NOT argue with God.

After That: Stick to days one and two for next 30 days, or until cleared by a physician.

It's not the P90X, but I think even I can stick to this one!

TF

Only Your Eyes... a poem

2009-09-21T15:56:00.000-07:00

Only your eyes...

Only your eyes have the power...
to stop the world around me
to dissolve the chains that bound me
to flood the joy that drowns me

Only your eyes have the power...
to heal the wounds that break me
to reach across and take me
to see enough to shake me

Only your eyes have the power...
with just a glance to freeze me
to drink me in and breathe me
to say you’ll never leave me

Only your eyes have the power...
to start a fire inside me
to keep me safe and hide me
to always stay beside me

Only your eyes have the power...

TFabrizio
for MEF

Angel's Song - a poem

2009-09-19T19:44:00.000-07:00

Occasionally I am inspired to write poetry... usually to my husband and family. I'll be posting some of my favorites, in no particular order. Feel free to comment and add your original love poems!

Angel’s Song

Once in a lifetime, love comes along
and plays for you an angel's song
You cannot hear the music play
when listening in the usual way

The silent song is strong and clear
only to a lover's ear
When in his eyes you see his heart
you'll feel the dance of ages start

The beat within your partner's soul
will play the tune that makes you whole
The sparkle dancing in his eyes
will make you laugh and not know why

To know his touch against your skin
is the brushing of an angels wing
To feel his hands, his sweet caress
will still your heart and steal your breath

The silent song plays on and on
with every sunrise growing strong
The starlit sky looks down each night
to see your lover hold you tight

Now time weaves on, a tapestry
of me and you, you and me
With love to guide, you came along
and played for me your angel's song...

TFabrizio
10-18-99
for mef

Homemade Bread Today

2009-08-17T12:33:00.000-07:00

Today I made homemade bread. (Twice, haha). The recipe is from my Amish neighbor, Maddie. This one is a delicious and easy bread to make! She makes them by the dozens and sells them in a bakery stand on the side of the road. My other neighbor, also Amish, does the same with baked goods, so this is a great place for inspiration - if I go outside it makes me hungry!

The first batch I made did not go well. It didn't rise, hardly at all, and the crust, when baked anyway, came out like a brick! Even Sara, my (part Pit) dog, who crunches through rib bones without a second thought, wouldn't risk her teeth on it. My chickens thought it was a rock I threw at them, and the puppy tried to drown it in the pond. So I guess it was completely inedible. Finally, my kind Amish neighbor took pity on me and gave me her tried and true recipe - and complete instructions - to try again. Most important is apparently the temperature of the yeast, which I got too hot the first time around.

These Amish women around here ( I live in a rural PA community with many Amish neighbors)make me feel so lazy. They were out mowing their yards with old fashioned mowers (that is my husband's job at our house, with a brand new riding mower), weeding their gardens for hours, in full dresses and bonnets, (it's 90 degrees outside) and baking bread - on a wood stove - at the same time.

It's all I can do to keep my garden semi-weeded... I have to keep laying by the pool, haha. I finally decided it's amazing what you have time to do when you have no computer, no facebook, no tv, no radio, no twitter, no inturruptions! I honestly cannot imagine living without electricity, and neither can my two small daughters, who keep wanting to save the poor amish children from a life without video games. I have a wood stove for winter heat, and I am still getting used to the work that goes along with heating a house with it after three years! Turning on a thermostat seems so easy now...

Well, here is the Bread recipe, and I will post a picture of the (second try) bread asap :) If you make some, let me know how it turns out!

INGREDIENTS (Nutrition)
2 cups warm water (110 degrees F)
2/3 cup white sugar
1.5 tablespoons active dry yeast
1.5 teaspoons salt
1/4 cup veg oil
6 cups flour

DIRECTIONS
In a large bowl, dissolve the sugar in warm water, and then stir in yeast. Allow to proof.

Mix salt and oil. Mix in flour one cup at a time. Knead dough on a lightly floured surface until smooth. Place in a well oiled bowl, and turn dough to coat.

Cover with cloth. Allow to rise until doubled in size, about 1 hour.
Punch dough down. Knead for a few minutes, and divide in half. Shape into loaves, and place into two well oiled 9x5 inch loaf pans.

Allow to rise for 30 minutes, or until dough has risen 1 inch above pans.
Bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for 30 minutes.

Enjoy!

The Funniest Short Story I've Ever Read

2009-08-06T19:09:00.000-07:00

I just came across this hard-to-find 1991 science fiction short story by Terry Bison. If you haven't already read it, then it's time you did :)

They're Made out of Meat
by Terry Bisson

"They're made out of meat."
"Meat?"
"Meat. They're made out of meat."
"Meat?"
"There's no doubt about it. We picked several from different parts of the planet, took them aboard our recon vessels, probed them all the way through. They're completely meat."
"That's impossible. What about the radio signals? The messages to the stars."
"They use the radio waves to talk, but the signals don't come from them. The signals come from machines."
"So who made the machines? That's who we want to contact."
"They made the machines. That's what I'm trying to tell you. Meat made the machines."
"That's ridiculous. How can meat make a machine? You're asking me to believe in sentient meat."
"I'm not asking you, I'm telling you. These creatures are the only sentient race in the sector and they're made out of meat."
"Maybe they're like the Orfolei. You know, a carbon-based intelligence that goes through a meat stage."
"Nope. They're born meat and they die meat. We studied them for several of their life spans, which didn't take too long. Do you have any idea the life span of meat?"
"Spare me. Okay, maybe they're only part meat. You know, like the Weddilei. A meat head with an electron plasma brain inside."
"Nope. We thought of that, since they do have meat heads like the Weddilei. But I told you, we probed them. They're meat all the way through."
"No brain?"
"Oh, there is a brain all right. It's just that the brain is made out of meat!"
"So... what does the thinking?"
"You're not understanding, are you? The brain does the thinking. The meat."
"Thinking meat! You're asking me to believe in thinking meat!"
"Yes, thinking meat! Conscious meat! Loving meat. Dreaming meat. The meat is the whole deal! Are you getting the picture?"
"Omigod. You're serious then. They're made out of meat."
"Finally, Yes. They are indeed made out meat. And they've been trying to get in touch with us for almost a hundred of their years."
"So what does the meat have in mind?"
"First it wants to talk to us. Then I imagine it wants to explore the universe, contact other sentients, swap ideas and information. The usual."
"We're supposed to talk to meat?"
"That's the idea. That's the message they're sending out by radio. 'Hello. Anyone out there? Anyone home?' That sort of thing."
"They actually do talk, then. They use words, ideas, concepts?"
"Oh, yes. Except they do it with meat."
"I thought you just told me they used radio."
"They do, but what do you think is on the radio? Meat sounds. You know how when you slap or flap meat it makes a noise? They talk by flapping their meat at each other. They can even sing by squirting air through their meat."
"Omigod. Singing meat. This is altogether too much. So what do you advise?"
"Officially or unofficially?"
"Both."
"Officially, we are required to contact, welcome, and log in any and all sentient races or multibeings in the quadrant, without prejudice, fear, or favor. Unofficially, I advise that we erase the records and forget the whole thing."
"I was hoping you would say that."
"It seems harsh, but there is a limit. Do we really want to make contact with meat?"
"I agree one hundred percent. What's there to say?" `Hello, meat. How's it going?' But will this work? How many planets are we dealing with here?"
"Just one. They can travel to other planets in special meat containers, but they can't live on them. And being meat, they only travel through C space. Which limits them to the speed of light and makes the possibility of their ever making contact pretty slim. Infinitesimal, in fact."
"So we just pretend there's no one home in the universe."
"That's it."
"Cruel. But you said it yourself, who wants to meet meat? And the ones who have been aboard our vessels, the ones you have probed? You're sure they won't remember?"
"They'll be considered crackpots if they do. We went into their heads and smoothed out their meat so that we're just a dream to them."
"A dream to meat! How strangely appropriate, that we should be meat's dream."
"And we can mark this sector unoccupied."
"Good. Agreed, officially and unofficially. Case closed. Any others? Anyone interesting on that side of the galaxy?"
"Yes, a rather shy but sweet hydrogen core cluster intelligence in a class nine star in G445 zone. Was in contact two galactic rotations ago, wants to be friendly again."
"They always come around."
"And why not? Imagine how unbearably, how unutterably cold the universe would be if one were all alone."

Editor's note: This story is © Copyright by Terry Bisson and is reproduced here by kind permission of the author. If you like the story, please visit Terry Bisson's Website and check out his books.

My favorite sites for Personal Development

2009-08-05T19:49:00.000-07:00

These are the three sites that I feel are the most valuable for someone who is looking to open their mind to new possibilities in order to grow as a person. I am sure that you will find something in each one of these sites that will speak to you; I do every time I visit.

Steve Pavlina: My Favorite - Self Development for Smart People - filled with great articles on everything that interests me :) A perfect place to start.

Dr Wayne Dyer: the man that started it all for me - his work is guaranteed to cause a shift in your thinking - so much more is possible then you would ever believe!!

The American Monk: full of valuable insights and information from an 80+ year old man who has studied extensively... look into his quantum jumping theory!

Thoughts of Emergence: An extensive collection of great reading that will keep you coming back for hours

Enjoy!

Welcome to my world

2009-08-02T16:45:00.000-07:00

Welcome to our little slice of the web! Here is where we get together to share recipes, stories, crafts, and other great ideas to share the magic of motherhood!

I am a mom of four great kids, two teens and two younger girls. I will share a lot of their favorite crafts, usually involving sculpey clay, their favorite sites, and their cute quotables :)

There is also our favorite recipes, and I am always open to submissions! If you'd like to submit a craft or recipe, please let me know! Anything easy, quick and nutritious is from me.... anything elaborate and fancy is probably from my italian in-laws :) (Secret family recipes, so don't tell!)

I hope you enjoy your visit!