Kids Bathroom!

This is a copy post from our family blog, but I am so proud of myself I double posted.

The people who we bought our house from loved colored rooms.  Our front room is a different shade of green or tan on each wall, the girls room is four different shades of purple, Beckett's room is white on the top half, a wide stripe of navy blue, and then orange on the bottom.  Our room has one red wall with a tree painted on.  One small wall in the kitchen was their measuring wall, and the kids bathroom was painted blue with their kids handprints and footprints made into fish.  

We decided we could live with all but the measuring wall and the bathroom.  We should have just painted before we moved in, but I was anxious to get in.  We kept planning on doing it, and even had the paint, but wanted to do it right before we headed out so the kids wouldn't be touching.  Anyway, 6 months later it still wasn't done.  I got back from 3 weeks in Idaho, and hoped that Rory would surprise me and paint while I was gone, but he didn't.  He headed out on a high adventure with the scouts the day after I got back.

One day my friend Bonnie came over and said "We are painting that wall!"  So with 5 kids plus Rory's grandma I take care of a couple days a week, we went to work.  

Here is the kitchen wall before.  I haven't taken an after, but it's just boring white right now.

Here is the main wall of the bathroom before.  I didn't remember to take a picture until after I painted a little sample to see if I liked the paint.

Here is the kids bathroom.  I found a shower curtain I liked, and it just happened that Bonnie had the perfect paint colors for it.  She had some light turquoise she picked up on the clearance rack that I love.  Once we got it up she liked it so much she decided to do her boys bathroom in it too, so I passed on my boring white paint that was waiting to be tinted to her.

Sorry the pictures aren't very good, I can't find my camera cord and my card reader isn't working either.  My phone doesn't catch the colors very well.

 I was going to make a pennant banner, but the morning before I did it I was on Rory's cousins quilting blog and came across a prairie point garland that I liked better.  I was able to use the fabric I had and it ended up perfect.  (http://frozenknickers.blogspot.com/2012/07/diy-prairie-point-garland.html)

The owl signs are kind of a mix of several ideas from pinterest.

 

This art project started out from this http://www.scrapbooksetc.com/crafts/home-decor/home-decorating-ideas/ and http://www.etsy.com/listing/62668088/love-hoo.  

 The finished bathroom!  Rory was sure surprised when he got home.  I love it!  I've noticed I work harder at keeping it clean now it is decorated.  Maybe I need to finally decorate the rest of the house!

French Bread

When I was about 10 my aunt and uncle had my cousin Ruth and I come to their house for a week to learn how to sew and bake bread. This was one of the recipes we made while we were there.

I made it whole wheat because I rarely use white flour and often don't have more than a little in the house. I made the mistake of tasting it when it came out of the oven and by the time the girls and Great-grandma Gibbons had some half of the loaf was gone. I'm glad I doubled the batch. I could eat a whole loaf myself, it is that good!

Makes 1 loaf.

2 tsp. yeast

1 1/3 c. warm water

1 T. sugar

Mix these and let sit about 10 minutes.

Add :

1 T. dough conditioner

2 T. oil

1 t. garlic salt (you can't really taste this. You could still eat jam on the bread and it would be good.

3 C. flour ( I'm not sure what happened, but I used double this. I'm not sure if it was because it was fresh ground wheat or what).

Knead together and make into a loaf. Put on cookie sheet and slit top. Sprinkle top with herbs (I didn't do this). Let rise about 30 minutes. Bake at 350 for 30 minutes with a pan of water in the oven to make the crust yummy.

Lentils and Rice with Chapati Bread

Lentils and Rice (adapted from allrecipes)

• 1 cup brown lentils
• 3 cups water
• 1 1/2 teaspoons olive oil
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 1 cup long grain white rice
• 4 1/2 teaspoons chicken bouillon granules
• 1 teaspoon curry powder
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 2 tablespoons dried parsley flakes
• 2 1/2 cups water
• black pepper to taste

1. Combine lentils with 3 cups of water in a large saucepan and bring to a boil. Once boiling, reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer uncovered for 10 minutes. Meanwhile, heat the olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Stir in the onion, and cook until the onion has softened and turned translucent, about 5 minutes.
2. Once the lentils have simmered for 10 minutes, stir in the cooked onion along with the rice, chicken bouillon, curry powder, cumin, parsley flakes, and 2 1/2 cups of water. Return to a boil over high heat, boil 10 minutes, then remove from the heat, cover, and let stand for 20 minutes. Do not remove the lid during this time. After 20 minutes, remove the lid and stir before serving.

Chapati Flatbread

I don't love these. They are okay, but Rory and the girls like them. I need to find a better recipe.

4 c. whole wheat flour

3/4 c. water

salt

1/4 cup oil

Mix first 3 ingredients, then add oil and mix. Let rest. Make into golf ball sized balls (Makes 16). Roll out to 1/6" thick. Cook on a hot pan like a tortilla. They are best when they bubble up.

Grilled Potatoes

These are really good!!

Savory Grilled Potatoes from allrecipes

Orange Creme Cupcakes

Real quick before I forget this. I did these for Alexa's birthday. She wanted an orange castle cake. I made these cupcakes and stacked them to look like a castle with frosted cones as the towers.

Orange Cupcakes

White cake mix using orange juice instead of water, also added some orange zest.

Filled with orange curd and whipped cream. The orange curd was gross plain, the cream made it okay. Probably won't bother filling them next time.

Frosting

Marshmallow Frosting

1 big jar (I think it was 13 oz) marshmallow creme

3/4 c. butter, softened

1 1/4 c powdered sugar

Orange zest

Food coloring

Orange juice and more powdered sugar to get desired consistancy

Cream marshmallow creme and butter together. Add powdered sugar and orange juice and zest.

Chocolate Mousse

Sorry it's half gone, I didn't think about a picture until it was too late.

Chocolate Mousse

I have been on the look out for a good chocolate mousse recipe that doesn't call for all sorts of ingredients I don't have. I just discovered the perfect one! I found it and wanted to try it, but only had chocolate chips and didn't think they were good enough quality. I was thinking and thinking if I had hidden one somewhere, and realized that on Sunday the cub master had given me a symphony bar as a thank you for doing pack meeting for him because he had to work. Oh my it is to die for.

Ingredients:

1 - 4.25 Ounce plain symphony bar (finely chopped)

1/4 c. water (this is what I did, the recipe called for more.

Yep, that's it.

This recipe takes lots of quickness. Have a bowl ready in an ice bath and a hand mixer ready to go (or you can whisk by hand, but mine was seriously cramping so I had to switch).

Over the stove on low heat melt the chocolate with the water. Whisk constantly. As soon as it is melted, pour into the bowl in the ice cubes and mix/whisk until it is the right consistency. That's it, super simple, super tasty!

Recipe adapted from http://cafefernando.com/the-best-chocolate-mousse-of-your-life-under-5-minutes/ (They used much more water.)

Chocolate Lava Cakes

My favorite recipe for these:

http://ghirardelli.com/bake/recipe.aspx?id=1085