they don't teach this in kindergarten

Winter is often a strange time for me.  Even though the weather has been awesome (60 degrees in December?!), I have still been a little bored and stir-crazy.  Usually, when the colder months come rolling in, I get my craft on.  I have been seeing a lot of people posting on Pinterest and other sites (here and here) about melted Crayon art.  I really like the way all of the colors blend together, and I knew I had to try it!  You simply use a hot glue gun to affix naked crayons onto a canvas and prop the canvas up at a little bit of an angle.  Then, use a hair dryer to melt the crayons into oblivion. 

I opted to paint the canvas black to add more contrast.  And I only picked out the colors I liked, instead of going for the rainbow effect.  The results?  I love it!  I just don't think this is what my Kindergarten teacher had in mind when we had "Crayon Time" in the classroom. 

Here are some helpful tips I found along the way:
1. Use a diffuser, otherwise the wax will splatter all over the place. 
2. Take your time!  You can have a little more control over the final product by directing the hairdryer in the direction you want the wax to run. 

Artsy Crafty Photographic Awesomeness

I love to create, whether it be food, clothes, knitted wonders, art, jewelry, music or what-have-you.  There is just something about combining the thoughts in your head and the hands you were born with to manifest something that was not previously there that is intriguing, mysterious, and fulfilling.  When it comes to gifts, it also adds a little "Bam!" that you can't buy in a store. 

For Matt's birthday last year, I wanted to give him something especially awesome.  Family is very important to him, and I came up with the greatest idea!  Off to Hobby Lobby I went and bought black resin letters that spell out our last name.  I set up my tripod and had each of us hold one of the letters in our hands and...Voila!!

One awesome picture!  The floating frame works great for this display, but you could use individual frames or a sectioned frame as well! 

Don’t get drywall dust in your eye, and other lessons.

Progress on the house is finally being made!  The tile will be installed by the end of November, and then the carpet will follow soon after that.  The only thing left to do will be to finish the kitchen (cabinets, countertops, appliances, etc.  You know, the important stuff). 

What follows is a list of various things I have learned so far through this looooong project:

1. Dream big, but plan realistically. 

2. Drywall dust turns into drywall mud once it hits your eye, so always wear protective eyewear.

3. All of the blue painter’s tapes are liars.  They will pull off paint, no matter what they say.

4. Sometimes items do come with extra pieces.  I swear. 

5. Paint thinner will eat through plastic Solo cups and turn the whole thing into a gooey, sludgy mess on the floor.  Good thing the tile had not been installed yet. 

6. There is no “standard size” to anything, be it vent covers, light switches, outlet covers, dryer vents, trim, windows, and the list goes on.  Please note number 7. 

7.  The employees at any hardware store are unable to help you in the following situation: You come into the store looking for an item.  They ask how big said item needs to be.  You respond by holding your hands out and saying, “About that big by that big.” 

8. Flat-head screws and screwdrivers are worthless.

 

I’m sure I will learn many more tidbits along the way!

The weather has changed, and that means that my garden has gone into hibernation.  It seems like just yesterday I was placing my little seedlings in the ground and waiting with anticipation.  Where does the time go?  Autumn is definitely a bittersweet time.  While I love the little bit of chill in the air and changing leaves, it’s definitely sad to look out at the garden that is now just a dirt rectangle.  The idea of the “circle of life” is driven home. 

After pulling out the tomato cages, I pulled out all of the plants.  Some of them went into the compost bin, but the rest of them were mowed over and have been worked back into the soil.  Next year’s harvest will be strengthened by this year’s remains. 

Even though I will not be harvesting anything, does not mean that I am not still benefitting from the garden.  The garlic and onions that were picked in August will last in my basement for months, and the jars of stuff I canned will surely be eaten soon!  There is nothing like a little taste of Summer in the dead of Winter. 

Now to begin planning for next year…

Lesson 2 in Canning: Peach Jelly

One of my favorite fruits of summer is the peach.  I hit the jack-pot when I bought my house because there is a peach tree in the back yard.  Last summer, I had more peaches than I knew what to do with.  We had a lot of peach cobbler last summer and fall, but I also turned a lot of the peaches into juice and froze it.  I am glad I did that!  This summer was terrible (perhaps due to the crazy plague of locusts), and my tree did not have a single peach on it. 

Since my sister has been demanding peach jelly from me for a year, I thawed out some juice and got to work.  Jelly is an awesome way to preserve the sweetness of summer fruits to enjoy all year long.  One swipe of this jelly on a piece of toast in the dead of winter will bring all the thoughts of summer and sun right back. 

Peach Jelly Recipe

Ingredients:

3 cups peach juice (about 3 pounds of ripe peaches and 1/2 cup water)

5 cups of sugar

1/2 cup bottled lemon juice

1 box powdered pectin

Directions:

To Prepare Juice: Wash and slice or chop fully ripe peaches.  Do not pit or peel.  Crush fruit.  Place crushed fruit and 1/2 cup water in saucepan.  Cover, bring to a boil, and simmer 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.  Extract juice (I usually squish the peaches through a mesh strainer for this).

To Make Jelly: Measure sugar and set aside.  Measure prepared juice, powdered pectin, and lemon juice into a large sauce pan.  Bring to a full boil over high heat, stirring occasionally.  At once, stir in sugar.  Bring to a full rolling boil that cannot be stirred down.  Boil for one minute, stirring constantly.  Remove from heat, quickly skim off foam.  Pour jelly immediately into hot, sterile canning jars, leaving less than one inch space from rim.  Wipe jar rims and adjust lids.  Process for 10 minutes in a boiling water bath. 

And be sure to send a jar of it to your sister!

The Awesome Girl's Guide to Easy Canning

While fresh food from the garden is delicious and great, it unfortunately does not last forever.  Thankfully, someone in the 1800's put his brain to use and discovered canning!  Even though food preservation has been around for years and years (just ask your grandma), many younger people are showing an interest in it.  This might be tied into the organic trend or because it is simply awesome! 

The canning process is relatively easy and uniform with just a few tweaks depending on what you are actually preserving.  So get yourself a big ol' pot and can something by using the steps below!

1. No matter what you are canning, you will need some basic supplies.  Large stock pot, glass mason jars, lids and rings, tongs, and a glass of wine (to sip while you wait for the water to boil).  Also, a sweet polka dot apron might come in handy.
2. Fill the stock pot with water and get it on the burner.  While you are waiting for the water to boil, prepare your food (tomatoes, apples, or what have you).  Because you are dealing with food, you will need to sterilize your jars and lids.  I usually put them in the boiling water for about five minutes.  Putting the lids in the boiling water will also help to make the rubber portion a little tacky, which helps the lid to seal onto the jar.
3. Take the jars out and put in your food.  You want to get a good seal between the jar and lid, so be sure to wipe off the rim of the jar.  Set the lid on the jar and screw on a ring. 
4. Some stock pots come with a metal rack that is used to lower the filled jars into the boiling water.  Don't fret if you don't have this.  You can use tongs!  Either way, lower the jars into the boiling water.  Be sure that there is at least one inch of water covering the jars. 
5. Now, sit back with your glass of wine for about ten minutes while the water boils.  Depending on what you are canning, this time may be different.  Once the time is up, remove the jars from the water and set them on a counter at room temperature.  The urge will be there to touch them, but leave the jars alone! 
6. The best part is yet to come.  As the jars and their contents cool, the change in temperature creates a vacuum, which pulls the center of the lid in, sealing the jar.  If you listen, you can hear a distinct "POP!" when the lid indents.  This tells you that the jar has sealed and is safe to move to it's storage location.  If you press on the center of the lid and it presses in, the jar has not sealed and you will need to boil it again. 

Look for more posts on canning specific foods! 

Tomatotopia

I might be deconstructing my house little by little, but the garden lives on!  The zucchini production has slowed down, but I am still harvesting one or two a week and just as many yellow squash.  Unfortunately, squash bugs invaded, and only a few brave plants were able to withstand their attacks. 

Tomatoes, however, are another story.  For approximately three weeks, the tomato plants were only producing one tomato a week.  I was certain that I had done something wrong, and that they were a lost cause.  I did not factor in that it was very early for tomatoes to even begin to ripen.  And then it happened...Tomatotopia.  I quickly realized that my wimpy mixing bowl was not going to suffice.  I went back into the house, picked up a laundry basket, and went back out to the garden.  Keep in mind that my neighbors are already not particularly fond of me and my garden endeavors, but on this occassion, they seemed especially confused and concerned. 

I started harvesting tomatoes, and by the time I was done, I had picked 68.  In one day!  Over the course of the next week, I went out to the garden four more times and ended up with a grand total of 236 tomatoes in a one week period.  Instantly, a new rule was instituted in my house: Everyone must eat at least one tomato at every meal. 

Right now, when I open my refrigerator, all I see are tomatoes.  I have been slowly working on turning some of them into sauce and other various creations, but I think that this coming weekend will be full of canning tomatoes!  Keep an eye out for more posts on that...and perhaps even a video if you're lucky.