And today's procrastination...

...comes in the form of the most ridiculously adorable slippers...yikes. they come together quick. too quick. because it's all i want to do...and can justify saying, "oh, they come together so QUICKLY!!"

hehe.

here they are:

and here are the links: 

Slipper Tutorial (please note, the video demonstration makes slippers the size of doll shoes. if you adjust the numbers of stitches and then play with the number of rounds according to the size of the child's foot, you're get something that looks more like a kid slipper. to make slippers for a 2-year-old, about a size 5, i started with 16 stitches in the hdc foundation chain, made 3 increase rounds, two hdc in each stitch rounds, and then 3 decrease-the-toe rounds. the mary jane strap is just another hdc foundation chain with a 12 chain loop at the end to go around the flower)

Big Flower Tutorial

Tiny Flower Tutorial (this tutorial is done with UK crochet terms, but she translates them into US terms)

hooray for pinterest!! ok. now. i seriously have to go make a cake. 

hehe.

Today's Pinterest Adventure...

So...I followed this link...for a Salted Caramel Mocha. Hehe...umm, yes please. About twice a week, I indulge in coffee craziness...almost always when Philip is here on Thursdays, and often on Wednesdays when I don't keep the baby. I don't know what it is about not having that responsibility and feeling the need to splurge...but the recipe looked fantastic. All except one thing...well, three things...1) I am lactose intolerant. Butter and heavy cream and milk? Yikes. 2) I'm not big on mocha. And 3) I didn't have any heavy cream in the house. Now, if you're going to whip up heavy cream, you can't use a substitute, but...if you just need the heaviness of the cream, you can sometimes get away with it. So, instead of the 1/4 cup of heavy cream in the recipe for the caramel sauce, I used 1/4 c. of almond milk and an extra tablespoon of butter, melted and mixed with the almond milk prior to adding it to the sauce. To say that leaving out the cocoa powder (thus, turning it into a salted caramel...umm...cappuccino??), and substituting almond milk for the frothed milk and heavy cream resulted in the yummiest drink I've had...all month...might be an understatement.


Yum.


So, here are the pictures...and yes, I only made a single serving, where the picture in this person's blog shows what must be a double...I had to make sure it was yummy before I ruined perfectly good espresso. ;)

Espresso. Yes, I already poured it into the mug before I took this picture. The leftover will be consumed sans caramel. :)

Almond milk does indeed froth.

Yep, poured the unfrothed almond milk allllllll over the counter (most of it made it into the mug).

With a little extra caramel drizzled over the froth--I skipped the whipped cream...I usually do.

Here's the recipe... :) Have fun!

Salted Caramel Mocha

• 1 shot of espresso or 3/4 cup coffee
• 1 1/2 – 2 tablespoons caramel sauce (see recipe below)
• 1-2 tablespoons cocoa powder (the hot chocolate kind, not the unsweetened baking kind – I used Archer Farms dark chocolate cocoa and loved it)
• Pinch of sea salt
• 1/2 cup milk
• Whipped cream (optional)
• Extra caramel sauce and sea salt to drizzle/sprinkle on top

With an espresso maker:

Prepare espresso. Place caramel sauce, cocoa powder and sea salt in a mug and pour espresso over them. Froth milk and slowly pour into mug, stirring to combine everything. Taste and add more caramel, cocoa and/or salt to taste. Top with whipped cream, drizzle caramel sauce, and a tiny pinch of sea salt.

Without an espresso maker:

Prepare coffee. Place caramel sauce, cocoa powder and sea salt in a mug. Pour coffee into mug, stirring to combine everything. Heat milk in microwave or on the stove and add to mug, stirring everything to combine. Taste and add more caramel, cocoa and/or salt to taste.  Top with whipped cream, caramel sauce and a tiny pinch of sea salt.

Salted Caramel Syrup

Makes enough for around 3-4 salted caramel mocha or hot chocolate beverages

• 1/2 cup sugar
• 3 tablespoons salted butter, cubed
• 
1/4 cup heavy cream, at room temperature

In a medium saucepan, cook the sugar over medium heat, stirring occasionally with a spatula (if it becomes lumpy, reduce heat and refrain from stirring). When it turns a deep amber color*, add the butter and stir until it is melted. Add the heavy cream and whisk until the caramel is smooth (be careful, it will bubble up when you add the cream). Remove from heat and let cool. Refrigerate extra syrup.

(Mindy's note...*it can burn at this point--just a warning. burnt caramel isn't quite as yummy as non-burnt. be careful!!)

New Endeavors

Yesterday, I posted here, and hope to be involved once a week or so in different ways...I will write as the "Health and Fitness Author" while Ruth, the real health and fitness girl has her baby and adjusts to life with her first littlie. I would love if you would stop by and check it out...more because the blog speaks to me every time I read it than because I'm writing there. Whether the article is about family, marriage, faith, decorating, style, or whatever it speaks about...it speaks to me. This month, the focus was on friendship...in marriage, in life, with God. Next month, we focus on thankfulness, and the book One Thousand Gifts, by Anne Voskamp...I'm about 3 chapters into it and I'm loving it. Definitely worth the time. It has opened my eyes...to gifts I have ignored. I'd love to know what you think.

So stop by...and check it out. :)   FancyLittleThings.com

The Homeschool Mother's Journal

I know I do these things all the time...but...I keep reminding myself that I write this blog more as a reminder of what I have done in a week (a month), what I have done with my kids...not necessarily to be inspiring or brilliant or...well, anything remotely like that. Hehe...because I aim to be those things, but then reality strikes. :) So, my friend Kendra has been including this in her blog lately...and I love it. 

In my life this week...A new devotional, thanks to my son, who knew I wanted something new and got it for me for my birthday. Grace for the Moment, by Max Lucado. The Morning and Evening edition. Also, I'll be writing on another blog starting this week...I'm terrified and excited all at the same time. This week's entry is pretty tame...kind of set up like this post, actually.

In our homeschool this week...We started talking about slavery. Which...I don't think has really hit my kids yet. But when we start the read aloud--Amos Fortune, Free Man...I think it will.

I am inspired by...my son's enthusiasm to build and create. My daughter's excitement about acting and organizing plays with her cousins. Reasa's love for helping.

Places we're going and people we're seeing...we're going to Bath to do Karate. :) All of the cousins and aunts and uncles will be at my parents' on Sunday for our annual pumpkin carving photo shoot. On Monday, we're headed to the zoo, to claim Reasa's reward points for her chore chart. 

One of my favorite things...How planning for our Halloween costumes has become all about research and learning about the characters. Not exactly school, but...fun.

What's working/not working for us...Trying to get all of our chores done before school begins is not working. I need to be more diligent about setting a timer, and starting schoolwork when I say we will start. This method drags the day out too much, and we wind up doing Math at a time when the kids don't function well.

Questions/thoughts I have...It amazes me how different my children are in the work that they do. I know they are different...I know they work differently...gosh we've been doing this for 9 years...but the differences still blow my mind. And sometimes frustrate me to no end. ARGH!

Things I'm working on...diligence. Consistency. Being intentional. Keeping the kids on task. Helping them become more independent with their work.

I'm cooking...black bean soup. Sausage and shells. Zuppa Toscana. Baking a wedding cake for a friend I've known since she was born. Crazy.

I'm reading...One Thousand Gifts by Ann Voskamp. The first chapter tore me up. I have to re-read it. 

I'm grateful for...enough.

I'm praying for...inner peace. I know that sounds trite. I'm dead serious.

A photo to share...

Reasa...helping me. Homeschool happens in lots of ways.

 

Click on the graphic at the beginning of this post to see more posts by homeschool moms.

 

A couple I forgot about...

It's not straight...or lined up...or perfect...but I loved it.

Just a simple little bag with a ruffle and a flower added. Laine claimed it the moment she saw it...

The link for that one... :) 

It's a little scary around here. Don't even get me started on the cakes...or the crochet ideas...

And the madness continues...

Just did this...hehe...

Shrug!

The shirt I started with was a men's xl long-sleeved v-neck from Old Navy...only...I got it for $1.50 at the Thrift Store last week...Next time, I'll start with something maybe a size larger than what I would normally wear...and it would work equally well with a women's shirt--probably better. I had to mess with the lines on this one a bit too much so the shoulders don't fall quite in the right place--had to take the side seams in about 3 inches so they would fall right, and the sleeves came in an inch and a half or so. In all? 15 minutes, friends. :) I'm going to get a ribbon that matches better...the actual color is kind of an olive-y brown...super comfy...I kind of love it.

Here's the shrug link.

More Pinterest...

...from a few days ago. Because, you know. I have nothing better to do.

Actually this has become my favorite method of procrastination.

There are worse things, right?

A quote I found...it is on the wall in my bedroom now.

Scrap fabric and fun patterns make my day.

Matching tiny clutch...

Here are the links I happily found on pinterest...

Audrey Hepburn quote

Plaid Purse (with free pattern)

Tiny Clutch--was just a picture, actually, from the linked blog...I kind of drew it up and threw it together...but it was inspired by pinterest!! ;)