Arrr!!zzzz......

Abi and Eli had a blast trick-or-treating tonight. Dread Pirate Abi wore her costume to school on Friday, to the dance, all day (from about 6:58am on) today, and even fell asleep in it! The kids were so wiped out when we got back, they didn't feel like posing for pictures, unfortunately.

Halloween Countdown...

Why is it that Halloween decorations seem like such a great idea, especially just a few hours before that witching hour of trick-or-treaters arrival? Shaun has gone to the hardware store for a couple bottles of spray paint. I am here making tombstones.

Ah, what fiendish mischief can be accomplished with some cardboard and a little painters' tape!  Muahah!

Abi the Pirate

Abi is making her own costume this year for Halloween. She chose a pattern for a pirate outfit and even picked out the material at JoAnn's with me. Tonight she is laying out the first part of the pattern - the shirt - and cutting and pinning.

Cabinet Redux.... Done!

The last step was varnishing. I used a sponge brush to put varnish on it. This meant that the varnish went on really thin, but fairly smoothly and evenly. It also meant that I had to put on about 5 coats. Now finally - after about 15 hours total work - the cabinet is ready to use!

Give me a place to stand and a lever long enough...

... and I could move a barn!

Well, all we actually needed was a handfull of people and a few pipes and fencepoles. Uncle Bear and Michael and Shaun finished getting the concrete slabs moved into place with the tractor just as the barn was ready to move into position. It was all done in just under 2 hours, with plenty of time for calling in our reservation for Winter Weekend! Huzzah!

Apple Butter Cookies

So there was an aweful lot of muffin mix left over after the mini-cupcakes.

So I mixed what was left (just less than 3 cups) with 1 1/2 cups apple butter and 4 eggs (beaten). I glopped the batter onto greased cookie sheets to make really big cookies - only about18 total. Then I baked them at 375F for 14 minutes.

After they sat 6 or 7 minutes, I mixed up lemon juice and powdered sugar to make a thin icing and painted the cookies with it before removing them to the rack to cool.

They are so yummy! And they taste very similar to the Grandessa/Contessa cookies we love from World Market. All that is needed is to add orange zest and ginger in the batter, and drizzle them with chocolate once they are cool!

WOOOOOHOOOOOO!

Finally! I called this afternoon to get an update on my license, and got the news that they JUST granted it! Now I have to wait for the email confirmation, print it and report to the district office! YESSSSSSSS! I am officially an SLP in California!

Cabinet Redux, part 2

Now I'm staining the cabinet. Wow, you can really see all the places where I didn't *quite* get all that paint off unfortunately. I think I will call this look "MidWest Distressed" ... It looks an aweful lot like my dad's antique furniture!

Trick or Treat!

By request... Halloween Mini Cupcakes!

Muffin Mix (adapted from Gluten Free Gourmet cookbook)

2 1/4 cups white rice flour
1/2 cup corn starch or potato starch
1/2 cup tapioca flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
4 tsp baking powder
1+ tsp xanthan (or guar) gum

...mix thoroughly.

Preheat oven to 375F. Combine 1 cup of this mixture with two eggs (beaten), 1/2 cup apple butter, and 1 tsp vanilla. These turn out much fluffier if allowed to rest a good 10 minutes before spooning into muffin cups.

If you are baking regular-sized cupcakes, this is only enough for 6. Otherwise, it makes 24 mini-cupcakes. Bake for 10 minutes (minis) or 14-16 (regular sized). Frost with powdered sugar icing colored as desired.

Cabinet Redux, Part 1

In our search for pieces for the kitchen and living room, I found this little cabinet at GoodWill. It started out as what Martha Stewart might call a 'charming Aracuna egg green.' But I decided to refinish it an make it a nice warm pecan instead. Refinishing cabinetry is no easy task!

3 hours later...

 
Day two of the project (5 hours)...

Day three (7 hours)...

Day 4 (10 hours, another can of paint stripper and 5 wire brushes later)...

After sanding everything down (total 12 hours now), we are finally ready for staining!!!