Goodbye, loyal friend

On Thursday, October 25, we had to euthanize this beautiful dog.  This is Timmy, our lab-shepherd mix.  This dog was well loved by my family, and he loved us well.  He was kind, loyal, loving, and well behaved.  look at those eyes, you can just see how sweet he is.  He loved to play in the snow, eat grass, and have his tummy rubbed.  He did not love being bathed or brushed!  He was a smart, little guy.  If he saw you even look like you might possibly pick up the brush, he took off and pressed himself as tightly as possible into a corner.  That way, even if you did brush him, you could only reach one side.  He was our baby for 10 years, the runt of the litter, he grew a lot!   

He would not walk on Thursday and had an obvious problem.  We took him to the vet and found that he had a tumor that had ruptured and was causing him to bleed internally.  The vet said he only had a 50/50 chance of surviving the surgery and then could have a long, painful recovery....After agonizing over the decision for hours, we finally decided not to go with the surgery.  This was a hard decision to make and I think it will always make me sad.

I mourn my loss and my children's loss.  I sure did love this dog!

  

Lemon thyme olive oil cupcakes with balsamic frosting

I found this recipe online and was intrigued by the idea, so I tried making them.  http://www.cupcakeproject.com/2008/05/olive-oil-cupcakes-with-lemon-thyme-and.htmlThis picture is my version.  The cake is actually a type of poundcake and very dense.  There are a lot of interesting flavors going on in this cupcake that are an explosion in your mouth.  The first time I made these, I didn't follow the instructions and used cheap olive oil.  BAD IDEA!  Be sure to use a good quality olive oil, it lent a fruitiness that even my finicky husband enjoyed.  The frosting is fabulous.  If nothing else, try it.  

The 10 most terrifying movies for Halloween viewing

Who doesn't love to sit down and watch a scary movie for Halloween?  This list is according to my family.  Feel free to comment and mention others you think we missed.  We prefer movies that put fear in your mind, not go out for grossing you out with gore.

10: JAWS (1975)  This movie is old and the effects are not as scary as we have become accustomed to, but wow, a killer shark?  I bet you think twice before swimming in the ocean.  I was reminded of how terrifying this was when my 11 year old watched it for the first time this summer.   She crawled onto my lap for most of it!

9: Children of the Corn (1984)  Maybe because we all grew up on farms surrounded by corn fields...He who walks behind the rows scared the beegeezus out of me!  I still get a little creeped out when the wind blows just right through some corn!

8: Carrie (1976) Steven King, you are a master.  Some of your books translated into wonderfully chilling movies; this is one of them.  Poor, mistreated girl gets back at the school.  When her hand comes out of the grave...terrifying.

7. Saw (2004) Oh Cary Elwes, how do you go from lovable Wesley to Dr. Gordon?  From "as you wish" to diabolical mad man?

6. The Signs (2002) Aliens trying to kill a family?  Scary.  That whole baby monitor scene, sends shivers down your spine.  eerie.

5. Rosemary's baby (1968) Giving birth to Satan's child; truly terrifying!

4. Psycho (1960)  Norman Bates, you are one messed up boy.  Never stay in a creepy motel in the middle of nowhere.

3. The Exorcist (1973) I had to sleep on my parent's bedroom floor after watching this!  I was terrified.

2.The Sixth Sense (1999) You know you jumped when the lady in the bathrobe walked through the hallway.  And, everyone gasped "He's dead!"  at the end.  Superb twist.  Incredibly scary.

1.The Shining (1980) Jack Nicholson at his best.  Could he look more scary?  This movie is proof that you never, ever want to be caretaker at some deserted resort.  No matter what the pay, don't do it!

Laundry basket dresser

I have a daughter who does not like to put her clothes away.  They are usually thrown on her bedroom floor, which makes me very unhappy.  So, I have been trying to figure out how to solve the problem since punishment does not seem to be working out.
I found this on pinterest http://pinterest.com/pin/227150374925439864/  And thought, that may work.  Of coarse, this woman wanted to organize her laundry room, but I don't feel like a laundry room is for entertaining, it is for laundry.  Therefore, I am not concerned with a beautiful laundry room.  (Mine is in the basement anyway.)
I decided that I would build a version of this for my daughter's room.  That way, if she doesn't want to put the clothes away, she can at least put the baskets together on these shelves and I won't have to see the mess.
So, I went to Lowes and picked out the wood.  I only bought paint grade pine because I am not looking to build an heirloom quality piece here, I just want the bedroom clean!
The pieces I had to buy were:
3 pieces of 36x16 inch 1inch thick boards. (paint grade pine)
2 pieces of 36x24 inch plywood for the back and bottom
1 piece of 2x2 cut in to 6; 23 1/2 inch lenghts.
I just found a nice employee and asked them to cut it for me.
wood glue
wood screws
quart of paint.
3 cheap, rectangle laundry baskets

I left the top piece longer than needed because we had a set of Rubbermaid drawers that I wanted to fit under it.  If you don't want to do that, just cut the piece for the top to 25 inches.
1. Paint the color of your choice.  Both sides!
2. Measure where you want the 2x2 rails to be.  I used the laundry baskets here just to make sure everything would fit.  The first was 2 inches below the top.  since the baskets were 10 inches deep, I went down 11 inches for the next set, and measured up 11 inches from the bottom for the last.
3. Drill holes where you want the rails to be.  Add a bead of wood glue and screw in those rails.
4. Drill holes for the top.  Add a bead of wood glue and screw the top onto the sides.
5. add a bead of wood glue and nail the bottom and back onto the sides.
6. Touch up any needed paint.
7. Insert your laundry baskets!
8. Cross your fingers and hope your child uses it as intended!

I also put some hooks on the long side to hang the outfit planned for school each morning.  To pretty up the Rubbermaid drawers, I just covered the fronts with scrapbook paper and packing tape.
This project only took me 2 hours with painting; thanks to my wonderful step-dad who owns an air compressor and power tools!

It's good to be alive!

What a beautiful day today!  the air was crisp, the sky blue, the trees are in blazing color, today was a marvelous gift from God.  as I left work, I heard my current favorite song "It's Good to be Alive."  I just love the lyrics...

"Hold on, is this really the life I am living?

Cause I don't feel like I deserve it.

Every day that I wake,

Every breath that I take, 

You've given.

So, right here, right now

While the sun is shining down;

I want to live like there's no tomorrow,

Love like I'm on borrowed time, 

It's good to be alive.

I won't take it for granted

I won't waste another second

All i want is to give you

A life well lived,

To say thank you."

This song always makes me smile and makes me think of all of the things I have to be thankful for.  Some of those are; My mom came home from the nursing home today and is doing great, Julia got an A on a spelling test, Caitlin is having a good week at school, I am having a fabulous week at work, everyone is healthy, what more can I ask for?

Do you ever just sit back and think Wow, I am a lucky person?  I do.  Do you think about all of the people and things in your life that God has placed there just because he loves you?  Check out my 365 days of grateful page if you are interested in seeing my list.  I am trying to document a year of thankfulness.

Everything is beautiful

Life is good here in the Feasby house.  Julia turned in all of her homework today AND got a B+ on a science test.  If you know my family, you know that is almost a miracle.  I had a marvelous day at work today, and my mom is going home tomorrow.  I will be going to her house each afternoon to help her out, and am looking forward to spending the time with her.

The weather is gorgeous today, Julia says her shoulder feels a lot better, and Caitlin is doing great on her mid terms.  I worked out again after work today and am doing pretty well cutting out the sugar and white flour. I would call today a great day.  

I made this delicious quiche a few weeks ago.  It is full of everything I love, cheese, eggs, pie crust, and vegetables.  Maybe you have never tries quiche, you should, it is pretty fabulous; creamy, cheesy, and melts in your mouth.  The crust is flaky and delicious.  

Bacon and vegetable quiche

Pie crust:

1 1/4 cups flour, sifted.

1/4 tsp salt

1/2 cup cold shortening

1 tsp white vinegar

2 1/2 TBS ice cold water

 Mix all ingredients with a pastry blender.  Add more water, 1 drop at a time, if needed until dough comes together and forms a ball.  I wrap mine in saran wrap and put in the refrigeration for a few minutes.

 Quiche:
4 eggs
1/2 cup half and half
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1/4 tsp nutmeg
Mix all of these ingredients well.

Choose the cheese of your choice and saute' the vegetables of your choice.  You will need 1/2 cup.  I used onions, diced tomato, and bacon.  Mix in a few snipped chives for color.

Roll out pie crust and place into a deep dish pie pan.  Brush crust with egg white.  Sprinkle crust with cheese, use a little more if you'd like.  Sprinkle with vegetables, pour egg mixture into crust.  The crust will be very full.

Bake at 350 for 40-45 minutes until it looks golden brown like the picture.  The center should jiggle slightly.  If you notice the crust getting too dark, cover the edges with foil.  Allow the quiche to sit a few minutes to set up before cutting.

happy eating!

Healthy-we can do it!

I have really been trying to cut back on the carbs, but it is oh, so hard.  I love pasta, bread, and sugar in general.  Right now, I am simultaneously planning my holiday baking and trying to loose 20 pounds.  Way to make it harder on myself.  I have been working out every day after work, so that is a plus!

On the home front, there are lots of things going on.  My mom is still in the nursing home recovering from her back surgery last week.  She has had a rough couple of days and her attitude is not great.  Please, pray for her, she needs it.  Julia broke her collar bone the rest of the way and now needs to be in a brace for another 4-6 weeks.  So, now she is failing phys ed due to being unable to participate in class.  I feel this should not be the case since she has turned in 3 doctor's excuses so far.  I have also been getting calls from teachers that this same daughter has not been turning in her homework.  That is equally frustrating!

Even with all of this going on, I have to get dinner on the table, so for tonight we have fish.  Our family loves fish, I chose tilapia for this because it is so flat.  Any white fish will work though.

Parmesan crusted White fish

4 whitefish fillets of your choice
1 tsp red pepper flakes
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese
1/2 cup panko bread crumbs
2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1 egg, beaten with 1 TBS water

Preheat oven to 350.  Spray a baking sheet generously with pan spray.
mix egg and water with 1/2 tsp pepper and 1 tsp salt in a bowl.
Mix cheese, bread crumbs, 1 tsp salt, and red pepper flakes in a shallow dish.
Dip fish in egg mixture, then coat in crumb mixture.
Bake for 12-15 minutes until fish springs back when pressed.  Don't overbake-fish will become dry.
garnish with some chopped, roasted red pepper if desired.

Cha-cha-cha-changes

Fall is upon us now, the temperature has been hanging around 60 degrees, and the leaves are changing.  We have been enjoying our fire pit at night for some great family time.  My daughter was home for the weekend and we really enjoyed seeing her.  The youngest has broken her collar bone even more and is now in a brace.  This looks like the end of ballet for this year.  My Mom had back surgery earlier in the week and has been transferred to a nursing home today for rehab, she seems to be in good spirits.  

A few weeks ago, I was watching Giada make a lemon cake with raspberry/balsamic sauce and thought that sounded mighty delicious.  So, I decided to try something of my own inspired by her recipe.  These had a nice sweet, complex flavor.  I will be trying variations on the balsamic reduction for awhile.  I used muffin mix to make it quick and easy.  If you are looking for something a little more exciting, try these.  The glaze is delicious.

Strawberry balsamic muffins

1 package muffin mix or the amount to make 12 muffins according to package.

1 cup frozen strawberries, thawed

1/2 cup balsamic vinegar

1/2 cup maple syrup

Puree the strawberries in a blender.

Mix the balsamic vinegar and maple syrup, simmer on medium-low until it becomes a thick glaze.

Combine muffin mix, strawberry puree, and 1 TBS of glaze.  Add just enough water to get the correct batter consistency.  Batter should be thick, but not lumpy.  Scoop 1/2 cup of mix into 12 muffin liners.

Bake at 350 for 20-25 minutes.

Allow to cool slightly, place remaining drizzle in a ziploc bag, cut the corner off, and drizzle lines onto muffin.

garnish with a fresh strawberry if desired.