NERVOUS MOMMY & GARDEN COMMENTS

Take 2… and ACTION! LOL Morning everyone! How are you doing this dark and damp morning? I am about the same but the good news is that the doctor’s office got me an appointment for tomorrow morning with one of the associates since my doctor is booked solid until the 23rd. I told them I didn’t care who I saw, just as long as I saw someone! OK so as you see today is your second chance to enter for the March Madness Gardening Contest by leaving your GARDEN COMMENTS. Check out the Feb. 26th post for all the rules. Even if it still looks like a white covered Thomas Kinkade painting where you live, you can start your seeds inside and by the time spring comes and your snow is gone, you will hopefully have lots of precious babies to take outside and nurture! Trust me, it WILL get you in the mood watching the little darlings bust through the dirt! I coo over my little sweet pea sprouts every time I go in the kitchen LOL… I’m gonna let them get a little bigger before I take them outside and set them free LOL! So I expect to hear from all of you.

I went to the Band parents meeting last night. Its where the director talks about the trip and gives you the itinerary and bus assignments, etc. This year their trip is to Orlando, FL. They will be going to Epcot, Magic Kingdom, Universal Studios, Hard Rock Café, and a few other places. They will be performing on Friday in Downtown Disney. Its gonna be a great time for them! As usual I had about 7-8 kids around me… remember I am the “cool mom” LOL! Well all this talk about the trip and planes and such makes me very nervous… I may be the “cool mom” but right now I am the nervous mommy too! I have never been on a plane, so hense neither has my daughter. She is scared of heights, so she is freaking out. AND she doesn’t like to leave me (she is a bit overprotective) so the next couple of days are gonna be interesting. I keep the good face and keep telling her she’ll have a great time, stop worrying, etc. but deep down inside I am petrified! Does that count as lying? Gee I hope not! They have to be at the school at 3:45am on Thursday morning to load up the luggage and buses to head to the airport, so its gonna be a long day for the both of us!

Alright… it’s crafting time! I have some more ideas for homemade decorations that I thought I would share today. They are fairly quick and easy and are most definitely cute!

Craft Ideas of the Day: Easter Decorations (part 2)



Easter Bunny Candy Dish

Make a cute Bunny candy dish for Easter: Spray Paint a terracotta clay pot and saucer white (any size you desire is acceptable). Sponge paint the interior of the saucer with a spring color if you desire (I suggest petunia pink, daffodil yellow, grass green, lovely lavender or a light turquoise).

Paint a bunny face (Use black sharpie for easy control and precision when drawing the face). Paint a heart shaped nose and lightly dab a bit of paint/blush on his cheeks using your middle finger.

Decorate a straw hat with leftover artificial blossoms, eggs or what have you. Curl 2 ears from foam and attach with glue. Place hat jauntily on bunny head, fill with your favorite candy (purchased on sale and with a coupon of course!) and enjoy.

Make these using miniature pots for teacher gifts. They are adorable!



Easter Egg Wreath

Using a recycled grapevine wreath from Christmas, I bought packages of different types of eggs from the Hobby Lobby when they were on Clearance and sales. I used my hot glue gun to place the eggs. It only took about 1 hour to do, and the cost was about $8 I think. You can make these as small or large as you want. The one pictured hangs on my front door and I always get tons of compliments. Good thing about it, is no matter rain or shine, it won’t hurt the eggs so it always looks great!



Easter Napkin Tie

This easy craft is an adorable way to get younger kids involved with family and Easter crafts. The napkin ties are simple to make, look cute, and children are free to make just one or an entire set! Four chenille stem petals make the flower, while the colorful egg creates the center.
Approximate Time: 15 minutes

Supplies

18 inch pink chenille stem, one
10 inches thin ribbon
Scissors
1 inch plastic egg
craft paint
paintbrush
glue

Instructions

Cut chenille stem into four even pieces. Have child make all four pieces shaped like loops, creating four petals. Using glue or string, have the child connect the petals into a simple flower. Have the child paint the plastic egg with their own design. Let dry. Glue egg, standing up, onto middle of flower. Make sure the egg is standing fat side down. Take ribbon and fold it in half evenly. At the fold, which marks the middle, have child glue back of flower on. Once dry, tie ribbon around napkins and enjoy the cute Easter flower. For older children, use more petals, or petals that they have to twist with pretty ribbon to make the craft more complicated.

OK, so you’ve been crafting all day and you hear that familiar rumble in your tumbly LOL! So what do you make for dinner that can cure your craving? Sticking with the easy theme, try this on for size…



Spanish Rice Bake

Ingredients

1 pound lean ground beef
1/2 cup finely chopped onion
1/4 cup chopped green bell pepper
1 (15 ounce) can canned tomatoes
1 cup water
3/4 cup uncooked long grain rice
1/4 cup chile sauce or salsa
1/4 cup tomato sauce
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1 pinch ground black pepper
1/2 cup shredded Cheddar cheese
2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro

Directions

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).

Brown the ground beef in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Drain excess fat and transfer beef to a large pot over medium low heat.. Stir in the onion, green bell pepper, tomatoes, water, rice, chile sauce, salt, brown sugar, cumin, Worcestershire sauce and ground black pepper.

Let this simmer for about 30 minutes, stirring occasionally, then transport this to a 2-quart casserole dish. Press down firmly and sprinkle with the shredded Cheddar cheese.

Bake at 375 degrees F (190 degrees C) for 10 to 15 minutes, or until cheese is melted and bubbly. Garnish with chopped fresh cilantro.

***TIP*** Do not stir the rice around too often while it is cooking. I did not lift the lid from the pan while it simmered to prevent the steam from escaping (which is what cooks the rice) and it came out perfectly. Do not touch the rice while it is cooking, or it will become “gluey”.

Ok folks, that’s all she wrote for today! I gotta get myself off of here and get motivated to get things done. It looks like I won’t have to water the garden again today cause we have black clouds hovering over our house… looks like a lot of rain today! FUN… anyway I’m outta here… See ya tomorrow! HUGS!