thoughts on a drizzly day

This rainy, gloomy Monday isn't gonna get me down. Today is a good day to finish finishing the laundry, etc....

We have lots to be thankful for here at the Fitz farm, including the tuff stuff that teaches us to "get right" and softens the hard spots in our hearts.

I still need SO MUCH WORK!

Father of Heaven, don't give up on me, I beg!

P. B. & J Granola Recipe

My friend made some of this granola at sukkot this year. It is so good! Her recipe is slightly altered here because I didn't have a couple of the things it called for (ie. wheat germ, peanuts, or pecans) so instead I upped the amount of oats a wee bit. It turned out great anyway!

You'll need:

4 c. oats (I used 2 cups steel cut and 2 cups old fashioned)
1 and 1/4 t. salt
1 t. ground ginger
1/2 t. cinnamon
1/2 c. sugar
1/2 c. honey
1 c. peanut butter
1 and 1/2 t. vanilla
1/2 c. extra light, extra virgin olive oil (I used coconut oil- did not have extra light EVOO)
1 c. raisins
1/2 c. dried cranberries (or just put in extra raisins)
*Optional* chopped or whole peanuts and/or pecans

In a large bowl combine oats, cinnamon, ginger, and salt (and optional nuts). Mix well.

In a sauce pan mix honey and sugar over med-high heat until bubbly. Remove from heat and stir in peanut butter and vanilla.

Pour peanut butter mixture over oat mixture and mix well. Pour oil over all and coat well.

Spread evenly on cookie sheet and bake at 300 for 30 minutes- stirring well every 10 minutes.

Cool and return to large bowl. Mix in raisins and cranberries. Store in air tight container.

*The original recipe called for baking at 325 for 35 to 40 mins. (stirring every 15 mins.), but this caused my first batch to be overly done. It depends on your oven. In my case, reducing the heat and bake time resulted in toasted and crunchy, yet not burnt tasting granola.

I think it would be very tasty with the nuts. Maybe next batch I'll throw some in.

On a High

Okay, it could be from the cleaning supply fumes, but this girl is so high- floating on a cloud today! ALL of the laundry is done and our problem areas are clean and purged. More purging is in progress and I am feeling ready for the remaining fall feast days; Yom haKippurim and SUKKOT! It's the most wonderful time of the year, y'all!!!

My boys

Oh, how they love each other!

Clinging to Bubba

Chillin on a lovely Shabbat afternoonGood morning!
the brother he always wanted

May they love each other this way for all of their lives.

Psalm 133:1 Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brothers to dwell together in unity!

Yom Teruah! Leviticus 23:24-25

Warming up dad's shofar for the Feast of Trumpets or Yom Teruah 2011.

Micah's turn

Sunny's turn

"Give it to me, Sissy. I'm GOOD!"......
Eliana's turn
(Wow! She IS good!!! :-D)

The Story of The Perfect Baby Bib (if I do say so myself)

Once upon a time a young mother was browsing at her favorite local thrift store when she found the perfect baby bib. But, alas, as the years went by, the baby bib became worn out from overuse and was cast into the trash. Lamenting her foolishness for not making a pattern from the perfect baby bib before tossing it out, she began searching in all the land to see if such a pattern existed. Many years passed and the sought after pattern eluded the now, not-so-young mother. And then, one day, there it was! A free tutorial for the "Bapron" (also known as the perfect baby bib) flashed upon her computer screen, ending her search and filling her heart with glee.

The End

http://www.craftinessisnotoptional.com/2011/05/bapron-tutorial.html

But wait! There's more...
While mind planning this sewing project I had a genius moment: Why not make the bib adjustable (not to mention easier to sew), by making a casing at the shoulder for the ties to slide into? And furthermore, why not line it with the same fabric (or some cute coordinating fabric), making it reversible, thereby eliminating the worry of stains ruining your masterpiece!! HA! By jingo, I think I've got it- the PERFECT baby bib!!

Ta-Da!! This was my prototype made with *blushing, hanging head, and mumbling* store bought bias tape. Future bibs will be made with totally adorable and custom made bias tape. Hopefully.

*in Barry White voice* Awwwww, yeahhhh. Reversible in case of staining. Perfect.

Ties slide into casing, making the "pbb" fully adjustible for any size baby or toddler (or preschooler)

Making Stuff

Ever since I can remember creativity has been in me. The best thing, when I was a little kid, was a blank sheet of paper on which to draw and a pen. The back of junk mail, bank envelopes, the inside cover of coloring books, and even the inside of gum wrappers were my canvases. Art was my favorite class in school, by far. All my life I have loved to draw and make stuff.

But for the last couple of years that creativity has been all bottled up. Being a mom has kept me very busy and even overwhelmed at times. The best I have been able to manage is an occasional, little sewing project here and there.

Apparently all that craftiness and creativity could be contained no more and has bubbled over, because I have been making stuff and working on projects left and right lately. It is good to be back at it and making things again.

If you have a creative bone in your body, an itch to make something, paint something, sew something, draw something....Do it! Make time to create.

Here is a small sampling:

Favorite sewing project- my new cute apron

Painted for my girl's room at a painting class I took with my friend. What fun!

Eliana's Weather Window