My Fruit Fly Trap That Works!

From time to time we get invaded by fruit flies. I could never find a homemade solution online that actually worked. Here's what I found does work to trap those pesky buggers.

Take a quart or gallon sized zipper bag and put fruit peels, cores, scraps, etc in the bag. Keep the top of the bag open only about an inch or so. Let it sit overnight. In the morning, before turning on many lights and making a lot of noise, very quickly close the bag and trap the flies before they have a chance to escape. Toss the bag in the trash.

You can see from the picture above that this trap was very successful. I caught almost all of our fruit flies in one night!

Lace Baby Cap

A few weeks ago I started caring for a 7 week old little girl during the day. It's been 2 years since I had a daycare baby so I was nervous the night before. Luckily I quickly got back into the swing of baby care while tending to a toddler and preschoolers. I also have the added bonus of having another baby to knit for. I love knitting for babies. I really wish I had been an avid knitter when Charlotte and Evan were tiny babies.

For this sweet girl, I knitted a Scalloped Lace Baby Cap. I was worried that the lace pattern would be hard to remember but it was surprisingly easy. The yarn is Deerfield Valley Yarns 80% Baby Alpaca 20%Silk. The color is Ballet Slipper.


Ballet Slipper is a great name for this delicate pink color. It's a super soft yarn perfect for a baby's head.

3 Hats for 3 Girls

Happy Thanksgiving! We're in Pennsylvania this year with Jon's family for the holiday. I'll blog about our Turkey Day once we're home. Until then, here are some knits I'd like to show you.

I had 2 lovely skeins of Lorna's Lace worsted weight yarn in a color called Child's Play. Perfect name isn't it? It's a super soft washable wool and the colors are so lively. I made 3 little hats to give to the 3 little girls I care for during the day. I'm sorry I don't have patterns to go with each hat. I've started doing to knitting patterns what I do with recipes... taking a little of this and a little of that and mashing it all together to get what I want. Makes for fun knitting but it's hard to replicate if it turns out great. I really need to start writing stuff down, don't I?

The hat above is an simple little ski cap perfect for the funny, feisty 2 year old.

I made a cute little beanie with ear flaps for the 1 year old that I care for part time.

And finally I made a sweet little beret with a touch of attitude for the 4 year old with a similar personality.

Wordless Wednesday - Tea Party Time

Nana and Charlotte

Apparently blond hair and blue eyes skips a generation.

Last Sunday, Nana took Charlotte to a local theatre to see Annie. Charlotte was so excited. She had such a great time and she's still singing "Tomorrow". She felt so grown up getting dressed up and going to the theatre. Nana even treated her to dinner and dessert out on the town. What a special night for my girl. Thanks Nana!

Thanksgiving Muffins

These muffins take all the wonderful spice and sweetness of Thanksgiving and put it all in one muffin. Pumpkin, cinnamon, cranberries, walnuts.... I'm sold! They were wonderful and moist. They stayed moist for several days at room temperature and they freeze very well too.


Thanksgiving Muffins (inspired by King Arthur.com)

1 cup pumpkin purée
2 large eggs
1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar, light or dark
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon molasses
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
1/2 tsp. ginger
1/2 cup milk (I used coconut milk)
1 cup dried cranberries
1 1/2 cups whole wheat pastry flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 cup chopped walnuts

Preheat the oven to 400*. Line your muffin pan with liners or spray with non-stick spray.

In a large bowl stir together the dry ingredients. In a small bowl stir together the wet ingredients. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and stir JUST until the batter comes together.

Evenly distribute the batter between the 12 muffin cups. Bake 18-21 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool on a rack.

Blue Ladder Lace Socks

When we went to Pigeon Forge this summer, my sister and I went to a yarn shop. I saw this brilliant blue sock yarn in a basket and knew it had to be mine. Blue is my favorite color and this was about as saturated as blue can get. The yarn is by Punta Yarns. It's their Merisock Handpainted Color HP62.


I didn't want to do a plain sock with such beautiful yarn. I decided on a simple rib lace pattern. I started a plain toe up sock and then when I got about 1 1/2" past the heel, I started the rib pattern and then finished with a bit of 2x2 ribbing.

Stockinette Ladder Lace pattern:
Row 1 *ssk, yo, yo, k2tog*

Row 2 *k, p, k, k*

I love this yarn and these socks!

Adventures In Sourdough

When I ordered my donut pans from King Arthur for my birthday, I also ordered some fresh sourdough starter. I've been wanting to try sourdough baking for a while and I was finally ready to get started. I read the instructions carefully and started the process of waking up my shipped starter.

I found this great, non-air tight glass jar at Walmart for only $4.95. It makes a great starter container. Look how nice and bubbly my starter was when it was fed and ready to use.

The first thing I baked was a Whole Wheat Sandwich bread that I adapted from a King Arthur recipe. It's flexible since you can use fed or unfed starter. It has a very mild sourness from the sourdough and it made great toast.

Whole Wheat Sourdough Sandwich Bread (adapted from this recipe)

2/3 cup sourdough starter, fed or unfed (see tip at right)
2/3 cup lukewarm water
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon sugar
1 1/4 teaspoons salt
1 1/3 to 1 1/2 cups Whole Wheat Flour
1/2 cup instant potato flakes
1/2 cup All Purpose Flour
2 teaspoons instant yeast

1) Combine all of the ingredients — in a bowl, the bowl of an electric mixer, or the pan of your bread machine — and mix and knead to form a smooth dough. The dough may start out shaggy, then become stickier as you knead; if you use a stand mixer, by the end of a 7-minute knead it'll be sticking heavily to the sides of the bowl. That's OK; if you can scrape it off the sides of the bowl and it feels firm enough to hold its shape, and doesn't stick to your floured or oiled hands, it's fine.

2) Cover the dough, and allow it to rise for 1 1/2 to 2 hours; it'll become puffy, though it may not double in bulk.

3) Lightly grease an 8 1/2" x 4 1/2" bread pan. Gently deflate the risen dough, and shape it into a log. Place it in the pan, cover it lightly, and allow it to rise until it crests at least 1" over the rim of the pan, 1 1/2 to 2 hours. The bread doesn't have much oven-spring (i.e., it won't rise much once it's in the oven), so be sure to let it rise fully before baking. A loaf risen 1" over the rim of the pan will be denser and more close-grained; letting it rise higher will give you a "spongier," lighter bread. Towards the end of the rising time, preheat the oven to 350°F.

4) Bake the bread for 30 to 35 minutes, tenting it with foil after 20 minutes if it's as brown as you like it. When it's done, the bread will be golden brown, and will register 190°F on an instant-read thermometer inserted into the center.

5) Remove the bread from the oven, and turn it out of the pan onto a rack, to cool completely.
Yield: 1 loaf, 16 slices.

Fall Sunset From Our Back Window

Banana Pudding

The kids and I have recently discovered America's Test Kitchen and Cook's Country. They're great cooking shows on PBS. They work hard in their test kitchens perfecting recipes and teach you how to make the best version of a dish. The kids and I watch together at night before they go to bed.

The other night we watched the banana pudding episode of Cook's Country. I was interested in the recipe because they added roasted, pureed bananas to the custard to give it a more intense banana flavor. They also solved the problem of slimy, brown bananas in the pudding by tossing slightly under ripe bananas with lemon juice before layering them. We all decided we needed to make it the next day. Charlotte helped me make the custard. They all thought it was cool how the banana skins turned black while they roasted. Then both kids helped me layer in the pudding with the vanilla wafers and bananas.

The hard part was waiting overnight while the pudding set and the cookies got soft. The kids were thrilled when I decided we should all have banana pudding for breakfast the next morning. I figured it would be torture to wait all day to try it.

The verdict? Delicious. Of course my dairy-free modifications may have changed it a bit, I loved the banana flavor in the custard. The lemon juice did keep the bananas from browning and gave a light lemon flavor that I liked. I should have use regular vanilla wafers instead of the organic ones I picked up at Whole Foods while I was there. The organic ones broke down and got kinda grainy instead of cakey. Otherwise, this pudding was delicious!

Cook's Country Banana Pudding (Dairy-free modifications in blue)

Pudding

7 large bananas, slightly underripe
1 1/2 cups sugar
8 large egg yolks
6 tablespoons cornstarch
6 cups half-and-half (I used canned coconut milk)
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons unsalted butter (I skipped this)
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
3 tablespoon lemon juice
1 (12-ounce) box vanilla wafers

WHIPPED TOPPING (I used redi whip for the kids and Jon, I just did without the topping)
1 cup heavy cream, chilled
1 tablespoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Instructions
1. ROAST BANANAS Adjust oven rack to upper-middle position and heat oven to 325 degrees. Place 3 unpeeled bananas on baking sheet and bake until skins are completely black, about 20 minutes. Let cool 5 minutes.
2. MAKE PUDDING Meanwhile, whisk 1⁄2 cup sugar, egg yolks, and cornstarch in medium bowl until smooth. Bring half-and-half, remaining sugar, and salt to simmer over medium heat in large saucepan. Whisk 1⁄2 cup simmering half- and-half mixture into egg yolk mixture. Slowly whisk tempered yolk mixture into saucepan. Cook, whisking constantly, until mixture is thick and large bubbles appear at surface, about 2 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in butter and vanilla.
3. PROCESS PUDDING Transfer pudding to food processor. Add warm peeled roasted bananas and 2 tablespoons lemon juice and process until smooth. Scrape into large bowl and place plastic wrap directly on surface of pudding. Refrigerate until slightly cool, about 45 minutes.
4. ASSEMBLE AND CHILL Cut remaining bananas into 1⁄4-inch slices and toss in bowl with remaining lemon juice. Spoon one-quarter of pudding into 3-quart trifle dish and top with layer of cookies, layer of sliced bananas, and another layer of cookies. Repeat twice, ending with pudding. Place plastic wrap directly on surface of pudding and refrigerate until wafers have softened, at least 8 hours or up to 2 days.
5. TOP AND SERVE With electric mixer on medium speed, beat cream, sugar, and vanilla until stiff peaks form, about 2 minutes. (Whipped cream can be refrigerated for 4 hours.) Top banana pudding with whipped cream. Serve.

Chore Charts = Easier Mornings and Evenings

The kids have a few things they're responsible for doing each morning and each evening. Evan's are all still things he does to get himself ready in the morning and ready for bed at night. Charlotte's list includes those things plus animal care.
Our mornings used to be much more stressful for me because I had to constantly remind them of what they should be doing and checking to be sure they had done what I had just asked them to do. My mornings are already busy enough getting Charlotte's lunch packed and making breakfast for up to 5 kids (daycare included).
I made quick chore charts using my birthday card program and covered them in clear contact paper. I taped the to the fridge with a washable marker. Now the kids can check off the box after they've done their chore. I wish I had thought of this long before now. They think it's fun to check of their list and I don't have to nag them to get everything done. Win - Win

A Happy Breakfast

Homemade Whole Wheat Baked Donuts

For my birthday, my mom helped buy a set of donut pans from King Arthur flour that I've been wanting for a long time. Want to hear something sad? I haven't eaten a donut in over 2 years. Store bought donuts have lots of dairy ingredients and since I'm allergic, I have to stay away. Well, now I can have my cake donut and eat it too!!!

Sure, these aren't fried so technically they're not real donuts but I don't want the mess and hassle of frying. These tender cake donuts tasted just like real cake donuts and they were very fast to make. The donut pans worked like a charm. I used white whole wheat flour with these donuts and you couldn't even tell that they were whole wheat. They were tender and delicate and whole grain too!

The kids helped me top the mini and regular sized donuts with different toppings so we could decide which ones we liked best. I think we all decided that we liked them all! Below I have the recipe and then the toppings that we used.

Whole Wheat Baked Cake Donuts

1 1/2 cups white whole wheat flour

1/2 cups unrefined sugar

2 tsp. baking powder

1/4 tsp. salt

1/4 tsp. nutmeg

1 large egg

1/2 cup coconut milk

1/3 cup oil (I used light olive oil)

1 tsp. vanilla

Preheat oven to 350*. Lightly grease donut pans with cooking spray.

Mix the dry ingredients together in a bowl. Mix the wet ingredients together in a separate bowl. Pour the wet ingredients into the bowl with the dry ingredients. Mix only until combined. Don't over mix or it will make the donuts tough.

Fill donut pans halfway with batter. Bake for 6-10 minutes depending on size of donut. Bake only until they're set and a toothpick comes out clean. Transfer onto a cooling rack. Makes about 2 dozen mini donuts or 1 dozen regular donuts.

Toppings:

Cinnamon sugar - Brush the donuts with melted butter substitute and roll in cinnamon sugar.

Powdered sugar - Brush the donuts with melted butter substitute and roll in powdered sugar.

Icing and sprinkles - Mix together a quick frosting of powdered sugar, pinch of salt, a bit of vanilla, and just enough coconut milk to make a thick frosting. Spread it on cooled donuts and top with sprinkles.

Fall Harvest

I've been harvesting lettuce, carrots, and a few snow peas the past few weeks. I harvested the last of the lettuce this weekend since it was going to get down to 32* at night and I didn't want to lose any of it. I still have lots and lots of carrots to harvest but I think I'll pull them up a bit at a time since we still have time before our ground freezes... if it does at all.

I also harvested the first rutabagas. I've never eaten them before but I've been excited to try them.

I peeled them, chopped them up, tossed them with a bit of olive oil, salt and pepper, and roasted them at 400* for about 30 minutes. They were great! They were sweet at first with a cabbage-like finish. Jon loved them too. The kids... not so much.

This post is linked up with Simple Lives Thursday.

A Great Way To Spend A Birthday

Saturday was my 33rd birthday. I love my birthday. I love the time of year, the football games, the crisp air, presents, and CAKE!!

As a teenager my birthday usually fell on a band practice or competition date. My mom started a tradition of surprising me with cupcakes... for me and the other 60 some band kids! I remember asking her who the cupcakes were for one year and she said they were for my brother's fall festival at school. I fell for it hook, line, and sinker.

This picture was taken as I was being surprised with cupcakes for my 17th birthday (I'm in the white shirt). Mom's on the far right and all my band friends were singing to me. Did I mention that I love my birthday?

So, this year I looked at the calendar and noticed that Jon had not one but two band competitions on my birthday. I called my mom and asked her if she and Grandpa were up to keeping the kids for me that day so I could go with Jon and the band. I knew it would be too long of a day for the kids. She not only kept them on Saturday but offered to keep them all weekend! The kids were thrilled and so was I. A whole weekend to spend with Jon and the band.

Guess what I decided to bake....

Cupcakes for the band!!!

I baked 4 batches of cupcakes. King Arthur's Tender White Cake is great, by the way. Using cake flour is important.

Friday night I went with Jon and the few band members who showed up to the optional football game. Well, optional for the band members. The temperatures hovered in the low 40's and there was a cold wind and mist most of the evening. Let me tell you, I picked the wrong football game to go to.

After going to bed in a flannel night gown, 3 pairs of socks, and clutching a hot water bottle, the next morning I was ready to go with Jon to the competitions.

The kids loved the cupcakes! I think I made quite a few friends with that move, right there.

Jon found this "Assistant Director" coat in the uniform room. He said it's mine now. It's huge but it was so warm. The sun was out but the wind was constant and cold.

I love that man. I loved spending the day with him.

We had a lot of down time at the first competition so while we waited in the stands for the competition to start, some of the band and dance kids started a dance line. Is that what it's called? I'm so uncool and definitely not a dancer so I don't know these things. Those girls were so cute and such good dancers. Some of the boys jumped in there for a while. Jon's got the best band kids. They're sweet, funny, and respectful. Teenagers are nothing to be afraid of. This gives me hope for parenting our two in about 6 years.

Time to go warm up.

This is how the drum line gets ready for the competition. I think there was some prayer, some grunting, and some dancing involved.

Can you see the band in the tuba? Well, not in the tuba.

Jon pumping them up before they take the field. Before every performance, Jon goes to each band member, shakes their hand and thanks them for working hard and wishes them luck. He said he learned that from former Steelers coach, Bill Cowher.

Move out of the way, judge! I'm trying to take a picture of the band. See the dancer being lifted up in the back? Lots of talented kids.

Such a great performance! And guess what. They won first place! They also won best music and general effect. That is a huge deal since Jon wrote the music and the drill for the show.

The second competition was at Wake Forest at the new BB&T Field. It was beautiful and a lot bigger stadium then the kids were used to. They were a bit nervous but luckily they got to warm up for a while on the field.

How exciting to see your school and name on the big screen (even if Jon's name was misspelled).

Hopefully you'll be able to click on the picture to enlarge it. They face the back of the field in their opening set.

This young man had just finished his solo written specifically for him by Jon. He's a very talented young man who did a fantastic job with the solo.

It was such an exciting performance. You could feel the energy from the kids in their performance. They did a great job and earned a very respectable 80 points!

It was a great day!

Sausage Broccoli Pasta- 3 Ingredient Dinner!

Last week I threw together a quick dinner and it turned out so delicious that I thought I'd share it. I had dinner on the table in about 20 minutes.

Ready for the long, complicated ingredient list and difficult instructions?

- 1 lb. breakfast sausage (local, pastured pork preferred since you're using the pork fat with this meal... the fat from animals raised on pasture and without antibiotics is much healthier for you)

- broccoli, trimmed into bite size pieces

- a box of pasta

That's it. I sauteed the crumbled breakfast sausage until it was cooked through. While that was cooking, I got a big pot of water boiling. I first cooked the broccoli for about 4 minutes, scooped them out into a bowl, and then cooked the pasta until tender. Once the pasta is done, drain it well and put it back into the big pot. Add the broccoli and the sausage (including the drippings) to the big pot and give it a good stir. Taste for seasonings. I find that our sausage is salty enough that I don't have to add extra salt. If your sausage is very lean, you can always add a bit of olive oil to coat the pasta.

The kids are huge fans of this meal. We've had it twice in the past 2 weeks and I never have the dreaded "how many bites do I have to take" when I serve this meal. I tell ya, that makes a meal so much more enjoyable.

This recipe has been linked up with Simple Lives Thursday and Fresh Bites Friday.