My Handyman

Sean has been busy in the garage.  He made me a king size bed frame and headboard.  Now we're just waiting for our new humungous mattress to fit in it.  I have a feeling my life is about to change.  Hello sprawling out at bedtime!

Welcome Spring!

I made these goodies for William's preschool snack.  Trust me, they taste as good as they are cute!  Here's a bonus recipe for you:


1 cup sugar
1 cup light corn syrup

Bring the sugar and syrup to a boil while stirring constantly.  Take it off the heat and add

1 tsp vanilla
2 cups peanut butter (I used almond butter due to allergies at William's school)
1/2 cup chocolate chips


Stir until all melted together then add in about 5-6 cups of chow mein noodles.

Form into nest shapes on a Silpat or waxed paper.  Then add 3 egg shaped candies to each one.  I used Cadbury's Robin Eggs but M&M's will work too.  Let them cool completely then devour these sweet and salty treats!  You'll probably need a big glass of milk to go with them.  Yum!  Here's to you, Spring!

Baby Spanx

I'm thinking Charlotte might need this. . .

Nicknames

It occurred to me that although Sean and I just refer to each other by our names, we have nicknamed our kids several times over.  Here's what we've come up with.

William:
Turkey
Turk
Turkey Bird
Bird
Birdlet
Prince William (when he was particularly whiny)
Sweetheart
Big Guy

Charlotte:
Charlotte-y
Char-lot-a
Charlie
Bug
Buglet
Chubs
Chub-a-Lubba
Chunky Monkey
Hippolina
Charlie-phant
Charlie-potamus (whose tummy has no bottomus!)

Butterfly Chandelier

Pottery Barn

Here's my latest Pottery-Barn-Knock-Off craft.  I saw this butterfly chandelier in PB Kids while in Annapolis and coveted it right away.  Upon a closer look I saw that it was just paper butterflies strung onto fishing line.  How easy is that?!  Well, I got all excited and got to work.  It didn't take that long (thank you Cricut. . . . .again!) and I LOVE it.  Of course I added a few extra touches like ribbon and making the butterflies different shades of pink, and I need to trim it.  Although, I kind of like the free flowing "mass of butterflies" look.  Now, I just need to put a hook in the ceiling to hang it up.

My Version

Close Up

March

Another month, another list:

Likes

Easter is coming!  The chocolate from Valentines Day is gone and the Cadbury's and chocolate bunnies step in just in time to fill the gap.  Oh, speaking of Cadbury's, I LOVE the Cadbury Bunny commercial with the animals trying to go "bok bok bok."  My favorite is the cat going "Bok-meow! Bok-meow!"  It still makes me laugh after all these years.

Spring is official!  At the end of this month it's officially springtime.  I LOVE the spring!  After months of cold and snow and dry air, it's finally warm enough to go to the park, ride bikes and other outdoor stuff.  

Fresh air!  We can finally open the windows and let out the stuffy heater air we've been breathing all winter.

Dislikes

The relentless TEASING from the weather.  Two days of 60 degree weather then a week of 40 degrees and rain.  Just get here, Spring, already!

A whole month without a federal holiday.  I know, most people don't get days off for MLK, Presidents, Columbus, etc.  But when you've been getting them off for years, they become something you really look forward to.

My favorite shows go back to reruns.  Boo empty DVR!

Recipe of the Month

Seafood Pie (AKA Seafood Quiche)

This is a family favorite.  I have to call it a "pie" because Sean hates quiche.  He loves this one, though.  Also, it's one of the few things I make that William will request seconds on.  In fact, I double the recipe and make 2 pies just so we can have some leftovers.  I know my mom will be ashamed of me but I use the store bought pie crusts to save time.  Sorry mom!  I know you have shown me a zillion times how to make perfect pie crust and I've failed to carry on that legacy.  Okay, enough of that, now on to the recipe!  Preheat the oven to 350 and start the mixing.  You'll need:

2 eggs
1/2 cup mayo
2 Tbs flour
1/2 cup milk

Mix all these together in a large bowl.  No need for a mixer.  Just a spatula and a little elbow grease should do it.  Then add the rest of the ingredients.

1 (6 oz) can crabmeat, drained (you can use real lump, but I do it on the cheap)
1 (6 oz) can tiny shrimp, drained
1/3 cup chopped green onions
1 Tbs dill weed
2 cups shredded Swiss cheese

Mix it all together and spoon it into an unbaked pie crust.  Bake at 350 for 50 minutes or until golden brown.  Yum!