Team Moleta

How to Make Leaf Earwires

2010-07-16T10:12:00.000-07:00

Marking this awesome handmade earwire tutorial for future use!

Hot Hot Hot Jalapeno Cheese Bread!

2010-07-15T19:38:00.000-07:00

This is James' new favorite, it is gone the same evening I make it. I add lots and lots of jalapenos to suit his taste, so you might want to scale back a bit - you've been warned! :-)

Ingredients:

1/2 cup sour cream
1/4 cup water
1 egg
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 tablespoons sugar
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 cup grated sharp cheddar cheese
4 tablespoons seeded and chopped canned diced jalapeno peppers
1 1/2 teaspoons active dry yeast, for all bread machines

Set your machine to 1 lb. loaf, light crust. I also sprinkle some extra cheese on top during the last 10 minutes of baking. Enjoy!

Cinnamon Raisin Bread - Bread Machine

2010-07-15T10:18:00.000-07:00

I'm marking this great recipe on my blog, it seems to be the easiest place to store recipes these days while running around the kitchen with a baby in my arms!

For this recipe, I set the machine to Fruit and Nut, for a 1.5 lb loaf. Raisins were added at the beep (2.25 hours left). Delicious!

1 cup water
2 tablespoons margarine
3 cups flour
3 tablespoons sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
2 1/2 teaspoons yeast
1 cup raisins

Handmade Earwires

2010-07-13T15:58:00.000-07:00

From a great Etsian's blog...

Free Jewelry Making Tutorial #1: Handmade Earwires

I have been wanting to start making my own earwires for quite some time, but it's been one of those projects that just keeps falling to the bottom of the pile. I finally carved out some time to do it, and I was so pleased with the results that I thought I would put together this free tutorial. I'm hoping it will be the first of many jewelry making tutorials that I will post here, but we'll see how things go - I'm not making any promises.

You will need:
round-nosed pliers
flat-nosed pliers
wire cutters
20" of 20-gauge half-hard sterling silver wire (to make 10 earwires)
a Sharpie pen (fine point) or 1/2" wooden dowel
metal file (or a nail file will work) or deburring tool
silver polishing cloth
metal hammer and block (optional)

1. Cut a 20" length of wire from your spool.

2. Begin to wrap the wire around the Sharpie pen (or dowel), holding it tightly against the pen/dowel.

3. Continue wrapping until all of the wire is coiled, keeping coils neat and tight.

4. Remove coil from pen/dowel; it will spring open a bit (mine ended up being about 11/16" in diameter after I took them off the pen).

5. Using your wire cutters, snip off one end to get rid of any part that isn't perfectly round.

6. Continue snipping the coils, one at a time, to produce ten circles. (You may end up with one more or less, but 20" of wire produced 10 earwires for me.)

7. File both ends of each wire section to remove any rough edges.

8. Grasp one end of the circle with your round-nosed pliers, near the end of the wire.

9. Turn the pliers towards the inside of the earwire to form a small loop.

10. Grasp the other end of the circle with your flat-nosed pliers and bend slightly outward.

11. Polish and, if you wish, hammer the earwires. (Mine are un-hammered.)

Some people make these with the loop turned to the outside, but I like the clean look of this version best (at least today). Feel free to experiment and develop your own style!

These earwires are easy to make and comfortable to wear, and they give a more modern, distinctive look to your designs than commercially produced earwires. I hope you find this tutorial useful; if you have any questions or comments, please let me know!

Of course, if you would prefer to purchase some of these earwires from me, you can do so here.

Monday Weigh In!

2010-07-12T13:51:00.000-07:00

Hmph! Not happy, not happy at all. BUT, slow and steady wins the race I suppose. I lost 2 lbs. this week. I was hoping for more since I have given up ice cream and am on a temporary alcohol detox.

The "OMG This Is So Good" bread recipe

2010-07-12T13:12:00.000-07:00

This is in my Breadman baking away right now and WOW my house smells amazing! I've tried a version of this before, but decided it needed more apples and more spice, so here's my OMGTISG bread :)

Cinnamon Apple Raisin Bread

* 2 large Eggs lightly beaten
* 0.25 cup Milk
* 1.5 cups All purpose flour
* 3 teaspoons Baking powder
* 1/3 cup Butter melted
* 1/3 cup Sugar
* 1/4 teaspoon Salt
* 2 teaspoons Cinnamon
* 1 teaspoon Vanilla extract
* 1 tablespoon light brown sugar

When beep sounds, add:

* 1 small Apple peeled and roughly chopped
* 0.25 cup Raisins
* 0.25 cup Walnuts chopped

Preparation:

Add ingredients in the order recommended by your machine, although I mixed all the wet ingredients together, and all the dry together. I then put the wet at the bottom, and the dry on top, and that worked well.

Bake in the machine, using the cake or light crust cycle, for a 1.5 pound loaf.

I also recommend adding 1 tablespoon of flour to the apple, raisin, nut mixture, to keep them from clumping together, and to absorb some of the moisture from the apple.

So I went crazy the other night

2010-03-23T11:24:00.000-07:00

...crazy with the lucite that arrived from Beads4all...LOVE them. She included a free gift with my order and I just couldn't stop pairing various textures and colors together. I think in the end I produced a pretty good lot of earrings, and next up: necklaces. The photos of them turned out nicely; getting used to my Nikon D40 and jewelry close-ups.

3 in a row

2010-01-31T18:42:00.000-08:00

Rarely do I get a chance to capture the rugrats together, free of tears or blurred faces!

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Weight Loss After Baby: Version 3.0

2010-01-31T18:12:00.000-08:00

Now that our family is a party of 5, and we're through the baby-making years, it's time to stop being clinically overweight! My high school friend Beth invited me to join her little weight loss challenge, consisting of members from all over the country, friends of hers old and new. Money is at stake, and that would be nice to take the pool, but really my motivation is in pictures. We had to submit our 'before' pictures, as well as pictures of our scale and the harsh reality it read! So far, since joining in on the "fun" (3 weeks ago), I've lost almost 8 pounds!!! I managed to lose all the baby weight and then some after each boy by following the Weight Watchers Core program, but I've now switched to ttp://www.sparkpeople.com/. Hey folks, free beats $17/month any day! The SP website is very comprehensive, full of the same tools that WW offers and more in my opinion. That, along with the encouragement of the challenge folks is incredible.

Weigh-in's are each Monday....stay tuned! Here is the before pic I submitted and although I think it's a great picture of me and James, there is room for change.

2010-01-08T11:26:00.000-08:00

What a better way to celebrate a snow day than with fantastic aromas coming from our kitchen! Today I'm making this, from CheapHealthyGood's Blog:

Slow Cooker Chops, Apples, and Sweet Potatoes
Serves 3 or 4
Adapted from Alton Brown and All Recipes.

For the brine
1 cup low-sodium vegetable broth
3 tablespoons cup kosher salt
3 tablespoons light brown sugar, lightly packed
2 teaspoons black peppercorns, slightly crushed
1/2 pound ice
4 (1 to 1 1/2-inch thick) boneless center cut pork chops (4-oz each)

For the slow cooker
1 tablespoon olive oil
3 tablespoons brown sugar
2 Golden Delicious apples, cored and sliced into 1/2-inch wedges (DO NOT PEEL)
2 medium large sweet potatoes, peeled and diced into 1/2-inch cubes
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 large red onion, sliced into 1/4-inch rings

Optional
Cinnamon or nutmeg
Dried cranberries

NOTE: To save some cash, buy bone-in center cut pork chops and debone them yourself. Once you remove all the visible fat, each piece of meat should come to a little over 4 ounces.

1) Mix the broth, 3 tablespoons kosher salt, 3 tablespoons brown sugar, and peppercorns in a medium pan. Heat over medium-high and cook until the sugar and salt is dissolved, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat, add ice, and stir until ice is melted. Place pork chops in a gallon bag or 1-quart dish, add the brine, and refrigerate overnight (but not too much longer).

2) Remove pork from brine. (Discard brine.) Rinse the chops and pat them as dry as possible. Set aside. In a medium-large pan, heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil over medium-high. When oil is hot, brown chops, about 5 or 6 minutes on each side.

3) While pork is cooking, combine brown sugar in a bowl with apples, and stir until apples are coated. (There will be sugar left over, but we’ll use that later.)

4) Place sweet potatoes in bottom of slow cooker, and sprinkle lightly with salt and pepper. Then, layer as follows: ½ the onion, ½ the apples, pork, the remaining onion, the remaining apples. Sprinkle with leftover brown sugar and cook on HIGH for 4-1/2 hours. Stir gently before serving, and be sure to spoon some of the sauce on top of each dish.

Approximate Calories, Fat, Fiber, and Price Per Serving
Three servings: 515 calories, 10.2 g fat, 7.7 g fiber, $2.73
Four servings: 387 calories, 7.7 g fat, 5.8 g fiber, $2.05

It's Brunch Time!

2010-01-06T08:02:00.001-08:00

Mmmm....

Apple Barley Pilaf

2 Tbsp. margarine
1/4 tsp. dried thyme
1/4 cup finely chopped onion
2 large Fuji apples, cored and finely chopped
1/2 cup uncooked barley
1 cup low sodium chicken broth
2 Tbsp. chopped fresh parsley
1/4 cup golden raisins

In large skillet with tight-fitting lid, melt margarine over medium heat. Add onion and barley; cook, stirring until golden. Add broth, raisins and thyme to barley mixture. Heat to boil; reduce heat to simmer, cover and cook 40 to 45 minutes or until barley is tender and liquid is absorbed. Fold apples and parsley into barley mixture; cook 5 minutes and serve. Makes 4 servings.

Nutritional Analysis Per Serving: Calories, 241; Fat, 7 g; Cholesterol, 0 mg; Fiber, 6 g; Sodium, 87 mg; Percent calories from Fat, 25%.
_________________________________________________

Alton Brown's Frittatta (YUM!!!, my personal substitutions in parentheses)

Ingredients
6 eggs, beaten (egg substitute)
1-ounce Parmesan, grated (soy parm)
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
Pinch salt
1 teaspoon butter (evoo or margarine)
1/2 cup chopped roasted asparagus
1/2 cup chopped country ham (canadian bacon)
1 tablespoon chopped parsley leaves

Directions
Preheat oven to broil setting.

In medium size bowl, using a fork, blend together eggs, Parmesan, pepper, and salt. Heat 12-inch non-stick, oven safe saute pan over medium high heat. Add butter to pan and melt. Add asparagus and ham to pan and saute for 2 to 3 minutes. Pour egg mixture into pan and stir with rubber spatula. Cook for 4 to 5 minutes or until the egg mixture has set on the bottom and begins to set up on top. Sprinkle with parsley.

Place pan into oven and broil for 3 to 4 minutes, until lightly browned and fluffy. Remove from pan and cut into 6 servings. Serve immediately.

Praying for Holly

2010-01-04T18:12:00.000-08:00

James and I received the news today that our friend, Holly Rasmovich, has been diagnosed with signet cell adenocarcinoma, a rare and difficult to treat form of cancer. Since Thanksgiving, she has been diagnosed and has already undergone surgery to remove half of her colon, and is facing aggressive chemo. She is our age, she and her husband Jeffrey have 2 adorable children, and are in shock of this news. I ask that you please include her in your prayers as she faces the upcoming challenges. We love you, Holly.

Flax Bread

2009-09-23T12:16:00.000-07:00

I've got this in the oven and will post a pic when done, the kitchen smells amazing and it's healthy! Go flax go!

Flax Bread
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes

Ingredients:
•2 cups flax seed meal
•1 Tablespoon baking powder
•1 teaspoon salt
•1-2 Tablespoons sweetening power from artificial sweetener
•5 beaten eggs
•1/2 cup water
•1/3 cup oil

Preparation:
Preheat oven to 350 F. Prepare pan (a 10X15 pan with sides works best) with oiled parchment paper or a silicone mat.

1) Mix dry ingredients well -- a whisk works well.
2) Add wet to dry, and combine well. Make sure there aren't obvious strings of egg white hanging out in the batter.
3) Let batter set for 2 to 3 minutes to thicken up some (leave it too long and it gets past the point where it's easy to spread.)
4) Pour batter onto pan. Because it's going to tend to mound in the middle, you'll get a more even thickness if you spread it away from the center somewhat, in roughly a rectangle an inch or two from the sides of the pan (you can go all the way to the edge, but it will be thinner).
5) Bake for about 20 minutes, until it springs back when you touch the top and/or is visibly browning even more than flax already is.
6) Cool and cut into whatever size slices you want. You don't need a sharp knife; I usually just cut it with a spatula.

Nutritional Information: Each of 12 servings has less than a gram of effective carbohydrate (.7 grams to be exact) plus 5 grams fiber, 6 grams protein, and 185 calories.

Menu for Thursday, 9/24

2009-09-23T11:00:00.000-07:00

Breakfast:
Pumpkin Banana Oatmeal
(photo and recipe courtesy Brandi from Core Board)

1/2 cup old fashioned oatmeal
1/2 sliced banana
little over a cup of water
pinch of salt

Cook in microwave. Then heat up about 1/3 – 1/2 cup pumpkin and stir in with some cinnamon. Topped with some Trader Joe’s trail mix.

back to it!

2009-09-09T09:39:00.000-07:00

Tonight's menu serves 3 purposes: fast, healthy, and sure to impress James after he arrives home from the school retreat. It also marks the night that my house gets back to Core (which WeightWatchers thoughtfully changed the name to Simply Filling...sigh...) I've weaned the baby and now can begin my Slimming Down Routine Version 3.0!

I've done it before, I'll do it again.

Truly Easy Tilapia Night
Frozen Mediterranean-style tilapia filets
Whole wheat couscous
1 cup diced tomatoes
3 green onions
Fat free feta, crumbled
2 cups chopped fresh spinach

Zesty Tomato Dressing
5 sun-dried tomatoes in oil, drained
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
6 tablespoons good olive oil
1 garlic clove, diced
1 teaspoon capers, drained
1 teaspoon kosher salt
3/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Thaw and cook tilapia according to package directions. Cook couscous according to package directions. Combine all ingredients for dressing in food processor, serve over couscous and fish atop bed of spinach.

Thought for the day...

2009-07-23T12:40:00.000-07:00

On taking your time...

'No great thing is created suddenly.' Epictetus

It takes time to build a relationship, a career, a house. If we try to speed the process up, we're likely to become frustrated. Worse, we may build something that is less than what we had hoped for. As you put together the pieces of your life, recognize that you cannot -- and should not -- hurry the important things. Whatever you build should be sturdy and long-lasting.

Biggest Bro and Baby

2009-07-13T19:11:00.001-07:00

Jacob loves to hold his sister, and gives us some of the biggest smiles we've ever seen while doing so! Maggie is 6 weeks old already, we've moved at a warp speed through the first month.

What a cool gadget!

2009-05-25T19:50:00.000-07:00

Aunt Allison and "Mr. James", her boyfriend, gifted us with a baby food maker, the Beaba Babycook. Mommy tested it out today and made applesauce for the kids...what a huge hit! We used fuji apples and water, that was it, and the end result was warm, delish & fresh applesauce without the typical jarred food aftertaste. The machine itself is quite small and we were able to steam and puree 3 apples at once, not bad! We steamed the pre-cut apples, kept the steaming liquid with the yummy nutrients intact and then pureed the juice back with the apples. Mommy can adjust the consistency of the applesauce for younger vs. older baby, how nice! The cleanup was simple, just a few small items to hand wash and we were done. Baby Maggie will certainly have some yummy foods when table feeding begins, and the best part is that she'll be able to eat what the rest of us are eating at the same time, no more "this for us, now what for the baby?" game we always used to play. We recommend this product to all Moms, and consider this a great hand-me-down for future cousins....hmm....Allison planned it all along!

Ryan turns 2!

2009-05-10T19:36:00.001-07:00

Our little Ryan turned 2 on Friday and we celebrated in a big way on Saturday with a party in the park! Good friends and family came and fun was had by all. We're so blessed to have such great people in our lives to share in these special moments with us!

35 Weeks

2009-05-02T14:26:00.000-07:00

I certainly may not look bigger than last week, but I feel it! Just a few more to go. This picture was taken on my way out the door to a bridal shower for a friend, I hadn't dressed up like this in weeks and needed to mark the occasion with a photograph. Thank you, Lucille!

I So Want One

2009-04-30T18:12:00.001-07:00

I stumbled onto Yarnmonster's blog and immediately fell in love with their drawstring bag, it looks so simple to make, and the possibilities with fabrics and size are endless. I would like to convert the bag into a water resistant wet bag for the diaper bag and the laundry room, every dirty diaper deserves a pretty bag to put it in, right? Maybe it's the fact that I'm having a girl and the crafty hormones are at their peak, but I can't wait for my Mom to give me a sewing lesson with this pattern.

90 Degrees in April

2009-04-25T14:28:00.000-07:00

James' grade school celebrated its 50th anniversary with a fabulous carnival this weekend. The only problem was that the heat didn't bode well for such a pregnant Momma. We braved it for 2 hours though, long enough for Jacob to wear himself out on the various inflatable houses and for Ryan to work up a sufficient sweat. I was just happy to capture a nice picture of them together, which is rare considering that they move at hummingbird speeds these days.

Maggie's Room - feeling crafty!

2009-04-22T17:16:00.000-07:00

It is almost ready for baby! Here are some photos of the nursery, just waiting for Maggie to arrive. Her brothers are very interested in the baby gear we've pulled out of the attic. Ryan's testing out the bouncy seat every 5 minutes, I'm waiting for the 32 lb. toddler to break it....

I stenciled the flowers onto an old lamp shade, and the bug tiles were a gift from a Wesleyan Mom. The wall letters are simply pre-cut letters from Hobby Lobby with scrapbook paper pasted on and sealed, so easy and budget friendly. My friend Tracy got me hooked on making hairbows, these are my first attempts:

34 weeks

2009-04-22T08:27:00.000-07:00

I am quickly approaching maximum capacity with this baby girl. I haven't posted belly shots thus far since they frighten me, but so many people have asked. Here you go!

The Fuzzi Bunz have arrived!

2009-04-15T13:22:00.000-07:00

I'm so excited! Arrived home today to a UPS package on the doorstep - our first order of cloth diapers. I have spent weeks chatting with friends, reading website reviews, etc. to find the best type of CD (that's Cloth Diaper in Cloth Diaper Lingo, ha) for our family. You might ask, "Why the heck would lazy James and Abbie want to tackle cd'ing?" Well, money and reducing trash were the main reasons. We're trying to save where we can, and the prices of disposables are shocking to me lately. Good quality, well taken care of used cloth diapers have a decent resale value as well. I wanted some that didn't require me to buy new sizes as Maggie grew, so we went with an adjustable one size. I also didn't want to deal with pins and velcro that might curl in the wash, so we did a pocket diaper with snap closures. These things are so stinking cute, pardon the poop pun. I've washed them all and have them in pretty rows waiting for Maggie's cute bum...

UPDATE! We are trying out the cloth diapers on chunky monkey Ryan and they're working! Swishing poop diapers in the potty isn't fun, but I'm on the lookout for a deal on a mini shower that connects to the toilet, making cleaning the diapers much easier. The best advantage I've seen after only a few days is that Ryan's everlasting rash is GONE. I love this. By the way, yes, Ryan is wearing pink and purple diapers until we can purchase more manly colors!

Thought of the Day

2009-04-08T15:00:00.001-07:00

A Day in the Dirt

2009-04-08T12:39:00.000-07:00

Last Saturday I took the boys to my parents' future homesite in Dawsonville. James was on chaperone duty at Six Flags with the middle school band so I needed a reason to get out of the house! Little boys get tired of being indoors with pregnant Mommy very fast. SO, off we went, fresh faced and eager to start the day. I'm not sure why I felt the need to bathe the kids before we left the house...

Here is Jacob and his dump truck moments after jumping out of the car. He pushed his truck around collecting rocks for about an hour...intense focus on the task at hand!

Ryan wasn't so sure about his frog boots. After 3.5 minutes he was back in tennis shoes, and boy are those dirty! He pretty much stayed close to the Kubota, his safe haven from the dump truck monster. He was an observer on this day, not a do-er.

As Jacob grew tired of the dump truck, his eyes were diverted to a convenient mud puddle and the rest was history.

Let me just say that Mary Poole rocks with the Oxy Clean! I will spare you the details on the rest of our day, such as the car battery dying, etc. but we had a wonderful time and J & R slept VERY well that night.