Reclaiming The Home

Happy Easter!!

I hope your Easter is filled with love and family and fun!! :)

The Best Christmas Present

I'm back after a long vacation while family was here. I'm sorry for the stall in posting, but I hope that you all had a wonderful holiday season and a fantastic start to 2010!!

I have a lot of catching up to do and that means a lot of posting. That said, I'm going to try to focus on the important things and will get to everything when I do!

First things first.

If you've been reading this blog for very long, you know about my gorgeous and amazing Abbi girl. She is a joy and shows me everything incredible and beautiful that I would miss were it not for her presence in my life. She keeps me in awe every single day and I know I am the luckiest mother in the world to have her and Anna.



Still, there are struggles, because of her Autism and developmental delays... struggles that have nothing to do with HER, but with the Autism/Sensory filter through which she has to experience the world around her. A lot gets lost in translation and that can make it tough.

She is mostly non-verbal. She had a huge language burst this last fall when she started using a communication device we had on loan (we are trying to get a permanent one for her). The growth was phenomenal for her. 30 words in so many days, both verbally, and on the device. That more than doubled her previous vocabulary. AMAZING!!

The words were mostly functional things like "this," "drink," "play," etc. It opened so many doors, but still kept one shut... relationships. Because of her Autism she likes to stay mostly in her own world, with precious brief visits into ours.



Sure we have our moments, where she looks in my eyes, or sits on my lap and and snuggles, like this beautiful experience she had with my mom when she was here.


I love her more than my own soul, and even though she can't tell me she loves me, we have silent conversations like this as often as she is able.

Still, most of the time there is a wall between us that keeps me from being able to build the kind of bond with her that mothers so often crave with their children where I know SHE knows that I love her and would do anything for her. I wonder sometimes if she craves the opportunity for more too. It can be hard sometimes wondering if your child views you more as a caregiver rather than the comforter, nurturer, and mommy that envelops that deep connection that goes beyond anything external. Some days I swear I do nothing but get snacks, change diapers, and fix things for her. Some days she just doesn't want interaction, and I have to respect that.

After 8 years I was really concerned I may never be able to have that with her, like I do with Anna, and it breaks my heart because it is something I so very much want to share with her.

But then... completely out of the blue on Christmas morning... she called me Mom.



She called *me* mom. Not anyone else. Its not just a "word" - it means something. I'm her mom. She knows it. She knows who I am to her and she called me by name.

She did it again and again, and now... anytime she wants me or needs me she calls "Moooom" just like any 8 year old should and I come running. I come running and hug her in a big squeeze, which she loves, and I soak it in. I can never get tired of hearing that.

And I can't think of ONE better Christmas gift than that.

We Made Christmas

We have had a really late start this year putting all of our decorations up. I don't know why it has been such a challenge, but we decided last night that it was time, and so we did. I am so so glad! It was just the lift to our spirits that we needed.

Anna seemed to especially love the process of decorating the tree. She kept asking after each ornament, "Can we open presents now?"


Our knitting group, the San Antonio Fiber Junkies, met on Saturday. We had an ornament exchange, and I think that was a big part of what inspired me to get everything set up. This cute pair of knitted mittens was given to me by Rachel from SAFJ. She made a pair for everyone! Aren't they adorable?


This gorgeous beaded angel was made by Kate, our hostess for the SAFJ knit-night. She's so tiny and beautiful. I love it.


When it came time for the ornament exchange, we all put the ornaments we brought into a big bag and Kate brought it around and let us draw out of the bag. I think I was one of the lucky ones, in that I got a gift-bag filled with these GORGEOUS hand-crocheted, and beaded, snowflakes.


I have received beautiful handmade ornaments from other people on the Reclaiming The Home message board in years past, and they have made it once again, to our tree. Thought I would share them as well!

This little guy was the inspiration for the knitted gnome I made and showed you all a few posts ago. :) Isn't he adorable? Anna kept saying that he was part of the gnome's family and should not be on the tree. I told her he was a Christmas gnome and this was his special home, and she seemed to like that idea.


This next ornament was actually part of a trade, if I am remembering things right. We accidentally cracked it when we were packing them up as gifts last year, so hubby glued it and we kept it for our own tree. I just love it!

If you look close you can see some of my other favorite things. To the right is a beaded ornament my grandmother made for us. We have an entire collection of them on the tree. They are some of my favorite things.

On the bottom left, you'll see one of the bows from the tops of last year's presents. Simple as it is, it adds a nice shine to the tree, when its tucked into the branches, and its nice because it reminds us of the joyful act of giving this time of year.


This next one was a blank ornament from the same trade last year. Kevin used an opaque marker to write our names and the date for this year's special ornament!

On the top left you'll also see a silver pipe cleaner wrapped into a curly-Q. That is our kid-and-cat-safe version of tinsel. They're fun to put on the tree, and add a really special shimmer when the lights go on!


We did some other decorating around the house as well. Kevin put lights on all the windows downstairs and it gives such a beautiful, festive feel to the house. This is also a slightly better picture of the curtains and valences I made last year.


We also have a miniature wooden Christmas tree that keeps the kitchen and dining room festive as well. I love this thing. $5 at a garage sale. Can't beat that.


Finally... a picture of our tree, all decorated. Anna is of course putting on the finishing touches. :) We don't have a topper yet. We're going to make a star out of sticks we all collect on a nature walk next weekend.


Happy Holidays!

Kristin's Holiday Sweet Potatoes

12/2/09

These are my "famous" holiday sweet potatoes that have become a tradition in our house, since our very first Thanksgiving as a couple. We make them for any special "big-meal" occasion. I thought I'd share the recipe for any of you who would like to try them at your winter-holiday dinner this year (whether that is Christmas, Hanukkah, Yule, etc).

Ingredients:

* 4-6 Sweet potatoes, peeled
* About 1/2-1 cup margarine
* 1/3-1/2 cup brown sugar
* 2 bags mini marshmallows
* Salt & Pepper

Directions:

* First, preheat oven to 350*
* Then cube the peeled sweet potatoes into one-inch or smaller cubes.


* Next, fill the bottom of a large casserole dish with one layer of sweet potato cubes.
* Dot cubes with margarine, generously. You should use at least 2 Tbs of margarine per layer. Sprinkle 2+ Tbs. of brown sugar over the potatoes and margarine, and sprinkle a bit of salt and pepper as well (about 1/2 tsp each). Sprinkle a small handful of marshmallows (no more than 1/2 cup) over the bottom layer.
* Repeat layering until all the sweet potatoes are used up, and finish with a layer of marshmallows.


* Cover and cook at 350* for 1 hour, 20 minutes, removing from the oven every 20 minutes to stir and add more marshmallows. This step is vital to evenly cook the potatoes and to create the unique and delicious sauce that comes with this recipe.
* After it is done baking, and potatoes are easy to poke with a fork, give one final gentle stir and serve warm.


These sweet potatoes will win over even the pickiest eaters. Who knows? You might even find that it becomes one of your traditions as well.

Do you have any other holiday foods that are a tradition in your household?

Party Time!

11/9/09

Well, the Halloween Party was a smash. Thought I would share a few of my favorite bits and pieces!

This is just a simple basket filled with fake spider webs and Werther's Originals.


Hard to see it, but these are gloves (with bones printed on them) filled with popcorn, and candy for nails.


Here is our watermelon carved to look like brains. There were two of them, though this picture only shows one. The hand in the picture would move, and crawl toward people. Let me tell you, the brains were so gross looking when people carved into them! Sure did taste good, though!


This is just very simple, but I love how a basic orange tub can make bags of chips look all Halloweenie!


These adorable chocolate-covered pretzels were snatched up fast. The white chocolate was dyed with food coloring, and Halloween-themed sprinkles were shaken on while the chocolate was still wet.


These smores were a HUGE hit. Everyone loved them, and many people said they'd never had smores before! Of course these aren't your traditional smores, but it was a good gateway into the wonders of marshmallows, chocolate and graham crackers. YUM.


Loved this super-cute display of "dirt" cakes. They were basic chocolate cake, topped with chocolate icing and dusted with crushed oreos, with a gummy worm on top.


Of course, it wouldn't be Halloween without caramel apples! Some of them have Halloween sprinkles on them as well.


There were lots of other yummy foods too from potato salad to "bat wings" (chicken wings drenched in a dark bbq sauce) and mummy dogs (hot dogs wrapped in croissants to look like mummies). There was green punch with red hand-shaped ice. Everything was so delicious!

We had all kinds of carnival games from bean bag toss games to fish-for-your prize games. There were potato sack races, a moon bounce, a cake walk, and more. My personal favorite was bobbing for doughnuts. All the kids had to try to eat their doughnut off of the string without using their hands, or letting it fall. We had a few that were masters at it easily, and others who eventually gave up and just grabbed it to dig in.

Here's a picture of our "snow princess," Anna, bobbing for doughnuts!



Abbi looked beautiful as a witch-without-her-hat. :)

Smores on a Stick

10/31/01

I've been busy prepping for the Halloween party and that means that I have been cooking and doing some kitchen prep. One of my favorite Halloween party foods is Smores on a Stick. Ready? Here we go!

Ingredient List:

* Big Marshmallows
* Sticks
* Chocolate Chips
* Graham Crackers

The first thing you'll do is stick two big marshmallows on to a stick. You can do one, or three... but I like two. Two is my lucky number. Two it is.


Go ahead and make them all. I used 3 bags of marshmallows, but you don't have to use that much. You want to do this assembly line style so this is key. Go ahead... admire. And maybe snag one. Why is it anything on a stick looks more appealing??


Next, absolutely pulverize the graham crackers. Start with just one package of crackers. You don't want to pulverize them all if you aren't going to need them! I used my food processor ot make crumbs. (psst... its okay to snack on the bigger chunks nom nom nom)


Next, set up your double-boiler. I don't have a double boiler, so I did it old school, and just filled the bottom pot half way with water and put the chocolate in the pot on top of it. I put in about 1 to 1 + 1/2 cups, but bear in mind you may have to add more as you go. Go ahead and turn the heat on med to med-hi. You want the water to just reach boiling, and then turn it down to a simmer on medium or med-lo.


Here is what your assembly line should look like. You don't have to have gorgeous flowers on your counter like I do... I'm just cool like that. It should go marshmallow sticks, chocolate with spatula, graham crackers, pan with wax paper.

Okay so by now you should have things set up and your double-boiler should be heating up. As it does, stir your chocolate. When it looks like this, I add about 1/4 cup milk just to help it melt better. For our purposes, it doesn't affect the chocolate at all, and will still harden just as well.


Here is the consistency it should be before you begin. Try not to drool in the chocolate. If you do, I won't tell anyone. It will be our secret.


Using your spatula, put chocolate onto the top and sides of your marshmallows. It does not have to be perfect in any way, just try to cover the area you need to cover, and consider yourself good. If you have goopy chocolate on one side, will anybody really be all that disappointed? If so, you can give their smores to me. Now, note the decadent imperfection below:


While it is still all melty-goodness, roll in the graham cracker crumbs until it is well coated. You would think this would make the little tray of crumbs all chocolatey, but sadly no. I had great visions of having to "somehow dispose of" all those little nuggets of chocolate-graham-cracker carnage but alas, there was no need. Just wanted to prepare you.


Just keep going with this until you have a vast array of smore-y goodness. I am sad to say that several of these beauties suffered casualties so severe that they could not make it to the halloween party. I'm not at all sorry.


Let them harden while on the sheet, and then store them in an air-tight container. I just shoved them in baggies since they are going to be handed out at a buffet on an open tray. If you want them individually wrapped, check your party supply store for candy or treat bags.

Sit back and enjoy the "MMMMM"s and "OOOOOOOOH"s and tell them that you slaved all day over the stove, even though in all reality it will take less than 2 hours to do 3 bags worth.

Happy Halloween!

Carving a New Tradition

10/30/09

Before I get into the fun Halloween talk, I thought I'd give you all a quick update on how things are going with us since I've been gone for so long taking care of general lifey things.

* The portraits at the Autism school went better than I could have imagined. I have such a passion for my job and especially in this venue, I feel like I've found my place. I couldn't be more inspired or encouraged, and the feedback so far from administration and parents has all been exceedingly positive.

* Abbi is doing AMAZINGLY well with her communication device! It is looking like the powers that be are feeling the same way and are ready to sign off on her receiving her own, for free. We have until Nov. 16th to use this one (during the 1 month trial) and hopefully hers will be on order very very soon.

* The Halloween party is fully planned and is in the process of being executed. Be watching for some really fun recipes I will share in the next 24 hours for really delicious themed foods!

Other than that, we have been busy celebrating birthdays, snuggling under covers, going for long drives, and otherwise living our busy lives. I've had trainings and classes, and Kevin has been working a lot as usual.

Of course, the big thing on our mind this weekend is Halloween. Anna seems to really "get" a lot of things this year about holidays, and one thing we really wanted to institute as a tradition is carving pumpkins. I picked up two beautiful ones at the market the other day and Kevin took her out back so that they could do it together. Abbi had no interest at all, but thinks the finished product is pretty amazing and likes to look at the light!


Anna got to draw on her pumpkin, while daddy carved the other one. I will be working with her tonight to carve out the little faces she drew on her pumpkin. :)

Here they both are together, so proud of their creation! There's nothing like messy, creative fun.


And of course, I had to throw in a gratuitous "glowing pumpkin face" picture. I love the exchange between the two of them in this shot.


Kevin celebrated his 29th birthday. Here's to a wonderful, happy year ahead of us!

Chocolate Cake for Two and a Valentines Giveaway

Valentines Day is upon us and do I have a special gift of love for you all!  My lovely friend Rachel over at Simply Abundant has offered to send these gorgeous vintage valentines to the winner of a drawing here at Reclaiming The Home!

Aren't they absolutely gorgeous?? 

If you're interested in joining in on the fun, and entering your name for the drawing, leave a comment on this post and I will announce a winner 24 hours from now (1pm CST on Valentines Day)! 

For our own valentines celebrations, I have been playing with different ideas for yummy cakes and goodies.  This is one that I whipped up last night, thanks to some prodding and motivation by one very hungry little girl with cake mix in hand.

To make this super-decadent chocolate cake for two I prepared the cake mix as described on the package, and then poured into 4 mini bundt cake pans (it probably could have made 6, no problem).  If you dont have mini bundt cake pans,  cupcake pans will work also for single servings - just fill them halfway with mix so that they dont form a big cusp at the top).  When the cakes were finished baking according to package directions, I flipped them upside down onto dessert plates.  Then I used a little bit of whipped cream in the can, and made a small whipped cream border, and filling in the center cavity.  Then I sprinkled semi-sweet chocolate chunks on the whipped cream and called it done. 

For variations you could drizzle melted chocolate, crushed nuts, cherry pie filling, or melted frosting over the top.  You could also top with one marachino cherry or a slice of fresh strawberry for a tasty and colorful touch without much added work.

Enjoy!  And dont forget to comment to be entered for the drawing! :)

New Look, New Crafts, New Kits!

Reclaiming the home is partially about the ways we bring joy and beauty into our homes with our own two hands.  In celebration of this act of love, I have redecorated the blog!  The color scheme and banner are both based upon our first Reclaiming The Club Kit! 

The kit will give you enough fabric to make a mini or doll sized quilt in the pattern of your choosing.  It will include 18 strips of fabric 9x2", backing fabric, quilt binding, and batting!  The only thing you will need to provide is a needle, thread, and a quiet corner to sit and stitch. 

I decided to go with a very simple patchwork design using this month's kit, but you could use any number of patterns, or even just create something totally unique and your own!  I will include instructions on how to create a patchwork quilt like this one with the kit!  Also with the pattern instructions, I will include tips for those who may be new to quilting and want to try it out.  A mini quilt is a great starter project, and also so much fun for those with more experience!

The kit will be available in The Shop within the week, so be watching for an announcement!  A surprise contest will also be posted that day for those who receive Reclaiming Club Kit, so there will be lots of fun ahead!

Drop a line sometime, and leave a comment if you like!  I always love to hear what you all think, and will be happy to answer any questions you may have too! :)

Mutt Muffins and Crayon Cookies

The holidays are upon us and the gift making rush is a big part of that for me (and a part that I love, I might add).  Our family is coming to stay with us this Christmas, and they have two lovely little doggies they're bringing with them as well.  I say little, but one of them weighs more than my husband!  Anyhow, all this means that we will have four dogs, one cat, four adults and two kids here for Christmas!  My goals are to do something handmade for everyone!  I'm going to share what I've been doing for the doggies and the kiddos since they are slightly less likely to read the blog!

I have been really trying to find a good doggy treat recipe that both of my boys love.  I tried a new recipe the other day, called Mutt Muffins.   As usual, I made a few changes based on what I had on hand.  Instead of honey, I used sweetened cinnamon applesauce in place of plain to make up for the sugar. This also substituted the spices since the applesauce was already spiced!  They turned out wonderfully, and I wound up with about 4 dozen small Mutt Muffins. 

I would recommend using only one heaping tablespoon per muffin cup, like I did with these.  Even with these smaller muffins my Golden Retriever, Buddy found them to be a bit chewy (which he liked) and quite the mouth full!   We got two-paws-up from Buddy, though Jack (our Terrier) was not nearly as impressed with my baking today!

I have also been working hard on some unique gifts for the kidlets!  I have really been looking forward to making them each a set of Crayon Cookies (called such not because they are edible, but because of their shape and size)!

Many of you know that my oldest daughter has developmental delays and Autism.  She has a hard time with her fine motor skills so its hard for her to hold a crayon correctly.  These will hopefully help that, as they are bigger and easier to get a grip on!  Here is how you make them!

STEP 1: Find yourself a lot of crayons!!  I got my bag at Good Will for $2.99.  There are enough in there to make at least a dozen crayon cookies!  Probably a few more.  What you see here is what is left after making one batch of 6 crayon cookies.  The crayons do not have to be new, and actually, it is usually better if they are not, since I love to look at this as a way of recycling and reusing as well!

STEP 2: Peel the paper!  To do this you will have to follow two steps.  One might ask, "What is so hard about peeling crayon paper?"  Let me tell you - after the fourth or fifth one, I could tell you exactly what was so hard about it!  Some of the crayons were very tightly wrapped, others seemed almost glued on (most likely from heat melting the wax of the crayons to their papers).  I have also learned that Crayola crayons are the most difficult to unwrap.  I still managed however, and its okay if there is a little bit of residue.  It does not have to be perfect.  The easiest way to get past this is to A) Cut down the side of the crayon, very carefully with a knife or pair of scissors (adults only please - no kiddo injuries!).  B) Peel away the paper from the slit that you cut down the side of the crayon.

STEP 3: Put It In the Pan!   BUT! Before you put the crayons in the pan, you will want to spray your muffin tin with non-stick spray.  It is also important to choose a pan that you don't mind using solely for crafts.  I chose one that I have been using for crafts for a long time (and looks pretty pathetic, so please excuse its condition - it works for this purpose LOL!).

Then you will need to decide how you want your crayon cookies to look.  Do you want them to be a big jumbled bunch of colors, showing every color in the box?  Would you like them to be sorted by color exclusively?  Do you want a few hints of like colors together?  (i personally chose to put like colors together.  So for example, my yellow crayon cookie has some orange and some green in it.  my blue crayon cookie has some purple and some green in it.  My red crayon cookie has some purple and some orange in it, and so on!)

(again i'm sorry about the ugly pan!  believe it or not, i'd washed it just before this picture... its mostly stuck on glue or paint or ink... its not gross, i promise!

STEP 4: Bake it Baby!  Set your oven to 400* and immediately put the crayon cookies in (do not preheat).  Let it bake for 10 minutes and remove immediately.  It is totally fine if they don't melt completely.  Let cool until they are no longer runny.  Here are what mine looked like as they cooled:

STEP 5: Freeze It!  Put the entire pan in the freezer.  DO NOT TRY TO REMOVE THEM WHILE WARM!  I made the mistake of trying to remove the crayon cookies while they were warm, thinking they would be easier to get out.  FALSE!  They fell apart.  I put the remaining 3 in the freezer and went back to them 2 hours later.  They popped out VERY easily, by just tipping the pan upside down.  If you DO get some that break, don't fret!  spray your pan again with non-stick spray, and re-bake them to melt together once again in the proper shape, and freeze. 

Here are some photos of what they look like in their finished sizes!  Notice how they nest in one another and stack so well!  Imagine the wrapping possibilities!  You could also probably store them in a reclaimed and decorated Pringles container!

Have fun reclaiming, and do let me know if you try either of these crafts! :)