To Do:

mail my fingerprints to colorado bureau of investigation

mail my transcripts from Washburn and WSU to Colorado Dept of Education

submit application to Colorado dept of education

return books to library

brush up on US history – especially from 1945-present

find good social studies teacher blogs/magazines to subscribe to

subscribe to the instrumentalist

practice clarinet – saturday and sundays

arrange music for band

finish composing music for the clarinet quartet

find out about colorado music educators association

I want to make these.

Posted at simplymodernmom.com

Whoopie Pies with Pumpkin Buttercream 

Ingredients:

Cookies

• 1 stick unsalted butter, room temperature
• 1 ¼ cups granulated sugar
• 1 large egg
• 1 cup buttermilk, at room temperature
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1 ¾ cups all-purpose flour
• ¾ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1 ½ teaspoons baking soda
• ½ teaspoon baking powder
• pinch of Kosher salt

Pumpkin Buttercream

1. 1 stick of unsalted butter at room temp
2. 1-2 tablespoons milk
3. 1/4 cup pumpkin puree
4. 1 teaspoon cinnamon
5. 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
6. 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
7. 2 pounds confectioner’s sugar (more or less)
8. Preheat oven to 400 degrees and prepare a baking sheet with parchment paper.

1. Make the cookies: Beat together the butter and granulated sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in the egg, buttermilk, and vanilla. In a separate bowl, mix together the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Slowly mix the wet and dry ingredients together until just combined.
2. Drop the cookie batter, about 2 tablespoons each, onto the prepared baking sheet. I like to use an ice cream scooper to measure the batter so that each cookie is consistent. Space the batter three inches apart.
3. Bake the cookies until the edges are set but the middle is still soft (approximately 8 minutes). Remove the baking sheet from the oven and set aside. Leave the cookies on the hot baking sheet for 2 minutes and then remove and allow to cool on a wire rack.
4. Make the filling: Mix together all of the ingredients listed for the pumpkin buttercream until smooth. Add enough confectioners’ sugar to reach your desired consistency.
5. Assemble the whoopie pies: Spread a tablespoonful of the pumpkin buttercream on the flat side of a cookie and sandwich with another cookie. Repeat with remaining cookies.

*The cookie portion of the recipe was adapted from the October 2011 issue of Food Network Magazine.

Dot Mobile in Parents Magazine

So I don’t have to cut the instructions out, I thought I’d post it here for my records.

Dot Mobile

What you’ll need: 9 pieces of 12″ x 12″ cardstock. 2″ circle punch, small hole punch, 8mm jump rings, needle-nose pliers, hot-glue gun, 2 embroidery hoops (8″ and 6″), fishing line, screw hook.

Make it:

1. Cut circles with 2″ punch.

2. Punch holes about 1/8″ from top and bottom of each circle, and string 9 circles together using jump rings. For the top and bottom circle, only punch one hole. Make 12 strands.

3. Hot-glue top of circle of each strand to 8″ embroidery hoop; space them about 1/4″ apart.

4. Make 9 more strands and repeat with 6″ hoop.

5. Glue fishing line to three equidistant spots on inside of each hoop. Hang from hook, with 6″ hoop about 5″ lower than 8″ hoop.

What do stay-at-home moms do?

Since my husband would like me to stay home, and I wouldn’t mind that myself, I need to do something productive during the day, besides taking care of baby Anastasia.

So I’m making a list of things that I need to do.

Daily

Exercise

Dishes

Read

Water flowers

 

Weekly

Menu Planning

Vacuum & Mop Floor

Grocery Shopping

 

Monthly

Vacuum sofas

 

Maybe I’ll start small to not get overwhelmed

Food choices

Italian

Lasagna, spaghetti, fettuccini alfredo

 

Asian

stir fry vegetables

 

Mexican

bean burritos, black bean tacos

 

American

soy burgers, fries

 

Shellfish

shrimp

A start at meal planning

Monday: Italian

Spaghetti & garlic bread, with salad

Tuesday: Asian

Stir fry vegetables

Wednesday: Shellfish

Popcorn shrimp, baked potato, vegetable

Thursday: Mexican

Burritos

Friday: American

Soy burgers, baked beans, chips

Saturday: Mediterranean

felafel gyros

Sunday: Italian

Lasagna with garlic bread

New Skirt

I made this today.  It required hand-sewing… which I am not very inclined to do, but it’s nice.  I got the pattern from this book.  I checked it out from the library, but I would love to have my own copy.  There are some pretty darned cool things in it.

And I finished this prayer rope that I’d been working on for a while.

Summer Lists

To Do:

Find an apartment
Finish Clarinet Quartet piece
practice guitar
practice trombone
make clothes
alter clothes
make purses
finish knitting projects
Organize music
Computerize pep band music

Read:

The Brothers Karamazov
The Sacrament of Love
The Perfect Wrong Note
Soprano on Her Head

Prayer of the Optina Elders

Grant unto me, O Lord, that with peace of mind I may face all that this new day is to bring.

Grant unto me to dedicate myself completely to Thy Holy Will.

For every hour of this day, instruct and support me in all things.

Whatsoever tidings I may receive during the day, do Thou teach me to accept tranquilly, in the firm conviction that all eventualities fulfill Thy Holy Will.

Govern Thou my thoughts and feelings in all I do and say.

When things unforeseen occur , let me not forget that all cometh down from Thee.

Teach me to behave sincerely and rationally toward every member of my family, that I may bring confusion and sorrow to none.

Bestow upon me, my Lord, strength to endure the fatigue of the day, and to bear my part in all its passing events.

Guide Thou my will and teach me to pray, to believe, to hope, to suffer, to forgive, and to love.

Amen

Jade

I have been wanting to repot this jade plant that I received from a couple I used to go to church with in Topeka.  It started out very small and got very large.  The original plant is in the bottom right photo.  When I first got it, it was about the size of the top right photo.  All of these plants have been on one pot for the past year kind of growing on top of each other.  I’ve wanted to separate them for some time, and today I got the motivation and time to do it.

You’ll also notice in the top left of the bottom right photo is another jade plant that I took as a transplant from the rest of the plants earlier.  It’s amazing that sometimes even new plants can grow from just one leaf!  I’m trying that with another pot as well.  The plant has been laying on its side for a while, which is why, you’ll notice, all the leaves are pointing sideways instead of up.

Anybody want one?