dinner at eight :: a pretty picnic {and a challenge}

{Dinner at Eight is a special project I am doing with my friend Andi this year - planning date nights at home for our husbands every other week, putting the kids to bed early and being intentional about our marriages! Read more dinner at eight posts HERE!}

Andi and I thought that this Summer needed a little picnic date night at home something simple and pretty and easy to set up in our own backyard. And let me tell you guys this was SO simple - the only thing I was worried about was the weather holding and just after Mr. Gough came in the door the sunshine poked it's sweet face out and it made our backyard so beautiful and romantic. Our boys have vacation bible school this week at church so I told Chris to go drop them off and then hurry home because I had a surprise picnic dinner all ready for him.

I brought out a big toy basket to set some candles and dessert out and used a big vintage quilt that my grandmother made years ago. We kicked off our shoes and enjoyed each others company for awhile.

Little miss Josie joined us on the grass and got to partake in a little bit of everything but she was most excited about the striped straws that I put in the ice tea...can you blame her those straws are seriously so cool :)!

The menu was easy I bought a roasted chicken and made my favorite black bean and corn quinoa salad with french bread. We had strawberries and vegan chocolate chip cookies along with peach ice tea for dessert. I lit some candles in jars as per usual and also picked a handful of daisies from the yard for a little decoration.  

I had planned on us lingering outside to do some star gazing after the kids went to bed but both Chris and I are still sick (getting old) so we opted for a shorter date than usual. It was special nonetheless to be with my sweetheart for a few hours hearing about whats on his heart with work at UGM - ps. any of you local friends would you ever be up for serving with me at the Union Gospel Mission? Let me know I think we could organize something pretty awesome!

These date nights at home are always so much fun even if it is a little bit more of an effort the rewards are truly worth it when I think about how blessed I am to have intentional time as a couple!

So what about you? You guys ready to get involved too - Andi and I are excited to take the Dinner at Eight feature to the next level and challenge all of you to a little intentional date night once a month with your sweethearts too. It's going to be super simple our heart in the project is to really just encourage all of you who might feel tired and weary or not have the means to go out for a date on a regular basis. Dating our husbands at home is possible with a little bit of creativity and a willingness to laugh if it doesn't go perfectly. Each month we are going to come up with the theme for you and set up a linky on THIS PAGE (you can link from the heart on my navigation bar above) so that any time during the month you are welcome to plan a date night at home and then post about it on your blog, add the Dinner at Eight button to the post and then come back and link up so that we can all see and be inspired and encouraged.

For the rest of July the them is "a pretty picnic" we want to see how you guys would stage it. Inside, outside, a surprise, lots of pillows and a fire? The skies the limit and the only rule is you must link back to the Dinner at Eight page. Andi and I will choose a few favorite dates to feature on our blogs too!

 We hope that you all feel really encouraged and uplifted by this project and adding a bit of accountabilty really helps us we thought it might help you too. May you be blessed this month and have fun planning a sweet date night at home!

Read all about the project and get involved HERE!

make something monday :: whipped coconut cream

A few months ago now I mentioned that I was making a much stronger attempt at avoiding dairy and eggs and choosing to eat mostly vegan (minus the fact that I eat some lean meat) because of some really severe food sensitivities. But I have some pretty strong non negotiables on my food list that needed to get squared away before I could make a lasting change - things like my insane love of baking and eating sweets and treats. I have to admit that I have been so pleasantly surprised at some of the amazing alternatives I have found when forced to look. Coconut milk topping the list for sure. 

First of all if you are considering going dairy/egg free you must know about So Delicious - their coconut products especially the ice cream and the creamer will in fact change your life. It is SO GOOD and so readily available at almost all major grocery stores!! Another fun thing I have discovered about coconut milk is how easy it is to make whipped cream. All you need is a can of full fat coconut milk that has been stored in the fridge for several hours or overnight. 

After you have refrigerated the can and it is good and cold it will seperate naturally so don't shake it but instead crack it open and scoop off the top thick part of the milk and leave the water at the bottom for another use. Plop the thick stuff in a bowl and then get creative. 

I have been adding about 1teaspoon of vanilla and a few tablespoons of powdered sugar and sometimes a dash of cinnamon. My friend Kim created her favorite using vanilla, cinnamon, honey and some orange zest which sounds a-mazing and it is on my list to try. I might also give amaretto a try because I am a huge almond lover. It's really super easy to experiment here and seriously the skies the limit. After you have added in all of your extras give it a good whirl with a wisk and you will be amazed and how soft and fluffy it gets. My favorite way to partake is a big blob on top of coffee or a vegan brownie but it's good right out of the bowl.

I think this must be one of the best kept secrets of vegans it is a must try even if you aren't avoiding dairy it is so light and easy - make it you will love it!

Happy Monday friends I will be back soon with more fun stuff to share but I couldn't help but pop in with this simple idea this evening hope you had a wonderful day!

vegan rhubarb oat bars

 My Mother in law shared a recipe with me a few years ago that has become a major favorite. I make it whenever possible while rhubarb is in season I think I love that it is easier than a pie and more of a cookie than a crumble you would serve with ice cream. It has evolved over the years and I have added and subtracted things that suite my taste. 

Most recently though I have made a new commitment to eat vegan (I am using that term loosely) as much as possible simply because I am very allergic to dairy and eggs (also wheat but I am still working on this one). I try to eat plant based but I totally will enjoy chicken and fish often too and even some beef. But the dairy and eggs I am realizing have such a negative impact on my energy level and mood and in an effort to feel better in 2011 (never mind the four rounds of antibiotics and steroids followed by strep throat - geesh) A month ago I bit the bullet and have been so diligent with my diet and it is helping. I suppose this could be a whole separate post in itself but I know you know what I am talking about if you truly have bad food allergies. After about five days of elimination a "fog" lifted and I started seeing clearer. My blood feels lighter, I am not so grumpy. Still working on it but life is always a work in progress.

Back to the rhubarb bars. Something that has deterred me in the past from sticking to my no dairy and eggs diet was my LOVE of baking. I just love it, I bake at least three or four times a week for fun I like treats and sweets and the gratification that comes from baking. So instead of pout and complain I have a new goal of remaking my favorite baked goods into vegan versions (and hopefully gluten free too down the road but still getting my feet wet here). I have made a few yummy things and these bars turned out super yummy too. This was an easy one to do because it already didn't need any eggs so I only had to replace the butter but nonetheless I sent Chris to work with a few this morning to share with a vegan co-worker who also has allergies and he was excited about that and I can feel good knowing that eating a little treat is not going to make me a total mood swing Mama!

These would be perfect for a picnic or BBQ this weekend. We are finally going to have our "Daddy's Day" celebration since last weekend I was too sick to spoil my sweetie...and I might be baking him his favorite NOT vegan breakfast treats but what Daddy wants Daddy gets this time! Have a good one friends enjoying the first official weekend of Summer!

Vegan Rhubarb Oat Bars: slightly adapted from my Mother-in-laws delicious recipe!

1-1/2 cups of quick cooking rolled oats

1 cup of all purpose flour

3/4 cup packed brown sugar

3/4 cup of vegan butter (I like Earth Balance)

1/4 cup of granulated sugar

2 Tbsp. all purpose flour

1/2 tsp. ground ginger

2 cups of sliced rhubarb fresh or frozen (this is key don't overload with fruit 2 cups is just right!)

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and line an 8X8 with foil extending over the edges of the pan. In a large bowl combine the oats, flour (1 cup) and brown sugar and cut the butter in until the mixture looks like crumbs. Set aside about a cup of the mixture and then press the rest into the bottom of the pan and bake for 25 min. 

While the crust in baking combine the white sugar and 2 tablespoons of flour and ground ginger with the rhubarb and toss it all to coat the fruit. When the crust is done add the fruit to the top of the hot crust and then sprinkle the remaining oat mixture on top pressing it all down a bit. Bake for another 30-35 min until golden brown. 

While the bars are cooling I usually mix up a little powdered sugar and orange juice or  soy milk and another sprinkle of ground ginger so that it is a drizzle consistency pour over the hot bars. When cooled lift them from the pan, cut into squares and enjoy!

make something monday :: butterfly snack bags

project originally from BakedBree - thanks Bree for saving my hide today!

Were a little bit crazy over here today. I am teaching a jewelry class this evening at Fusion Beads and truthfully I am a tad unprepared. This morning I knew I would need to take my crew to the office supply store for some printer ink so that I could finish printing up the instructions for tonight and on our way out the door by the grace of God I remembered that tomorrow Levi is on snack duty for preschool. Those of you who have preschoolers know that snack duty is kind of a big deal - at our kids school you get to be *host with the most* for the day and treat everyone. I usually try to get the kids engaged in the snacks somehow but knowing I would be home really late I was sort of freaking out in my mind. I only wanted to stop for the ink (and maybe the drive thru for a venti americano - I have been up since 5am folks don't judge me) and I remembered that we had plenty of goldfish and raisins at home. I then thought of the cute little butterfly snack bags I have seen via BakedBree a few times lately. This week the kids are studying insects and bugs...hm could be perfect but I still needed snack size ziplocs (everything else was waiting at home) as luck would have it on our way into Staples there was a huge display of summer supplies including snack sized ziplocs - yes!

These are pretty self explanatory - we just filled the baggies with snacks and then I set up a little craft table for the boys to paint the clothes pins.

I rolled the antenna around a crochet hook while they painted

We clipped them to a plate and allowed them to dry and then added the eyes using a white and black sharpie. The googly eyes Bree used were even better but we were not going out again for those maybe next time.

Once they were all dry the boys added some stickers and we clipped the bags together. Levi was beaming with pride and decided which child in his class will get which butterfly.

And Simon made me promise that we would make these for his class next time he is host with the most he was pretty bummed that it wasn't his turn tomorrow! Wouldn't these be cute with skittles or conversation hearts as party favors??

Fun project - I love finding great ideas around the web to use in a pinch. Anything good you've seen lately? Hope you all are having a great Monday I am off to finish getting ready for what should be a fun evening making jewelry!!

make something monday :: strawberry honey butter

Last week on my ten on ten set I posted a photo of some yummy waffles Chris made for breakfast. A few of you guys asked about the pink stuff on top so I thought today I would share the recipe with you for strawberry honey butter. It's super yummy on waffles, toast, muffins - anything really and would look so pretty on display with scones at a shower or tea. Truthfully I got the idea for strawberry honey butter via the kitchen sink blog. I mean who can resist pink strawberry flavored butter? I did alter her recipe quite a bit to accomodate my sweet tooth so feel free to change it up depending on your taste buds. Here is what I did:

You will need:

2 pints of strawberries hulled, processed and pushed through a fine sieve

6 tablespoons of honey

2 tablespoons of sugar

4 teaspoons of lemon juice

a pinch of salt

Bring this to a boil and simmered for fifteen to twenty minutes until thickened.

After strawberry mixture cools to room temp beat with three sticks of butter for five to ten minutes in kitchen aid mixer. Store in airtight container in fridge

Serve it up on waffles or toast.  I packaged some of the extra up in little jars to give as gifts!

Enjoy happy monday everyone!!

Grandmas Pie

This past weekend I spent the most amazing afternoon with one of the sweetest souls in the whole world. Great Grandma Velma allowed me into her tiny kitchen for a few hours of pie making and some lessons on legacy for my young Mother's heart. I went there to learn the secrets of her famous apple pie but what I came away with was so much deeper than that.

I think practically the first time I ever stepped foot into my husbands family home for an event I can remember Grandmas pie, it is always there. The gorgeous golden crust sprinkled with sugar, the perfect compliment to any meal I have enjoyed it so many times that I've come to expect it's presence and it never disappoints.

But when I was with Grandma Velma and she showed me how she peels each granny smith apple in one long continuous strip (a contest that her late husband Grandpa Hayes Evans challenged her with over sixty years ago) and how she starts her crust the night before to get just the right flaky texture I realized that her pie is infused with the kind of love and legacy that takes a lifetime to perfect.

Over the course of the afternoon I took in the scent of apples and cinnamon and learned the art of rolling out the dough to the perfect thickness with a special technique of using layers of wax paper and flour. Grandma let me do an entire pie by myself as she watched and gently guided me to make sure the edges were just right.

But something else was there in our midst. So much more than the ingredients on her counter or the way she labored intensely over her craft. I sensed her deep love and satisfaction in serving her family in this way. Making amazing pie is a way that Grandma shows her love. I tried to figure how many pies she has made over the past sixty years and into the thousands is what I came up with.

"I made thirteen for Bryan and Rachel's wedding that was the most I ever did at one time"

It's the sacrifice she makes to create this gorgeous gift. The pies are so linked to family time spent together that having the pie at weddings and holidays and birthday parties evokes such a sense of security and love  it would be a shame if it wasn't there it wouldn't feel complete. This whole experience was truly amazing to me. I long to be a woman, a mother with a legacy. To serve my family for so many years that it becomes common place and simple. God has called us to use our gifts in this way not for our own glory but for the glory of His kingdom. If I could make my family feel safe and loved with the single bite of pie just as Grandma does than I would die a happy woman.

Proverbs 31 talks about this woman working with her hands in delight, getting up early to gather the food, serving the poor and needy. This is Great Grandmas legacy. I know of many times members of her church without any family will call her and ask her to make a pie or cake for their birthday and she does it every time with gratitude for the ability to serve in this way. I was so struck by her life it's beauty and simplicity and deep wisdom. By her gifts of prayer and quiet service. Grandma Velma is a woman I long to emulate a Mother with many many more children than the ones she birthed herself.  In fact most folks that know her know her as simply Grandma. It was such an honor and blessing to my heart to have the chance to spend time in her home doing something as simple as making pie for the family. It was in this time that God deeply encouraged me I am blessed to be counted as one of Grandmas and I long to not let her legacy be forgotten.

I love you Grandma Velma.

Grandma's famous pie crust recipe in honor of Mother's day:

4 cups of flour
2 cups of shortening mixed and placed in the fridge overnight

in the morning mix together with a flour cutter and then add your moisture

1 tablespoon of apple cider vinegar
5 tablespoons of water
1 egg
pinch of salt

Beat together and then slowly add to the flour/shortening mixture. when it comes together split into four equal parts. Enough crust for two pies. Roll out bottom crust and place in pie dish fill with your favorite filling and top with second crust.

Cover edges with foil and bake for 15 minutes at 425 degrees then lower the temp to 400 degrees and continue baking another 45 minutes or until golden brown.

Sprinkle with sugar and enjoy!

 May your heart be full and blessed this weekend - Happy Mother's Day!

chocolate peanut butter banana bread

I don't know why I hadn't ever thought of this before but when I saw the way over ripe bananas sitting on the counter yesterday begging me to do something with them before the fruit flies noticed I suddenly realized that the bag of peanut butter eggs I stashed after Easter in the freezer would be the perfect compliment for some indulgent dessert. It didn't take long to throw it all together and was a yummy addition to a rousing game of connect four after we ate last night. It really was the easiest thing ever but I thought you guys might like the recipe just in case you have loads of extra Easter candy hanging around your place like we do.

Chocolate Peanut Butter Banana Bread: adapted from my first cook book Better Homes

1 1/2 cups flour

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon cinnamon 

1/8 teaspoon salt

1 egg

3 ripe bananas

3/4 cup sugar 

 1/4 cup cooking oil

ten frozen chocolate peanut butter eggs chopped

Grease the bottom of an 8x4x2-inch loaf pan; set aside. In a medium mixing bowl combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt. Make a well in the center of the dry mixture and set aside.

 

In another bowl combine egg, mashed bananas, sugar, cooking oil.  Add egg mixture all at once to dry mixture. Stir just until moistened (batter should be lumpy). Fold in frozen chocolate pieces

Spoon batter into the prepared pan. Bake in a 350 degree oven 50-55 minutes or till a wooden toothpick inserted near center comes out clean. Cool in pan on a wire rack for 10 minutes. Remove loaf from pan and cool on rack.

For some reason baking yesterday evening while dinner was simmering on the stove and loud play time filled our toy room I was reminded of the earlier years of my marriage. I thought about the first dinner party I hosted in our tiny run down apartment. Stacy was there and I baked a cheese cake from scratch. It was SO overwhelming and *adult* and at the ripe old age of twenty three I wanted it all to be so perfect. I thought about how many bad casseroles I've served my husband and the times I've slaved over his favorite chicken pot pie wanting it all to taste just like the feelings I am pouring in. For some reason yesterday it was the way that I noticed the feeling of ease when I thought of throwing together some easy banana bread and experimenting with it in a way I hadn't before.

I think I realized that I have grown a bit. I have certainly not arrived - not even close - but I guess it hit me in a fresh way that after eight years of marriage, three kids, two houses, five years of diapers, hundreds of loads of laundry, tears and sweat and extreme exhaustion. I realized that - yeah I have grown. I can now make banana bread with one hand while fixing dinner and settling a disagreement over some silly toy all while bouncing a baby on my hip and not get totally stressed out that its going to be a failure and that somehow that would mean that I was a failure.

Seems like a lot to realize while making banana bread but I guess this is my process right now. So here's to throwing caution to the wind today and recognizing the little changes. So often we put our heads down and work so hard sometimes it is a good idea to look up and realize you've come along a little and I am fine to do that one chocolate peanut butter banana bread bite at a time. xo

dinner at eight :: breakfast for dinner

{Dinner at Eight is a special project I am doing with my friend Andi this year - planning date nights at home for our husbands every other week, putting the kids to bed early and being intentional about our marriages! Read more dinner at eight posts HERE!}

 It has been another sick week for me so when I started thinking about planning our little date night I felt the perfect solution to go with our theme of breakfast for dinner was to serve it up in bed! This was my favorite theme so far for sure. I didn't have to do much but light a ton of candles and string some twinkle lights. I made our absolute favorite homemade cinnabon cinnamon rolls (top secret recipe). I usually only make these once or twice a year so it felt very special. Simple eggs, potatoes and bacon to round out the menu and some serving trays all set up for a relaxing night together!

 It was fun but by the time we crawled in bed to eat and enjoy both Chris and I were totally pooped. I had rented Breakfast at Tiffany's to watch together but we ended up skipping it. It turns out eating in bed makes you want to pass out - and maybe heavy antibiotics and steroids mix with our favorite creamsicle cocktails - ha!  (don't worry I only drank about two sips, I am not totally crazy)

And just in case you guys were tempted to think that while I was preparing for our romantic little date my children were quietly reading in the other room I thought I would share a few out takes:

Bath time, laundry, crazy wild kids and all. After we put the kids to bed last night we could hear the boys talking in their room.

"your ruining our date night Levi"

"no I am NOT"

"come here we are reading"

This morning Simon came in and immediately went under the bed and plugged in the twinkle lights and announced that we were having another date in bed for breakfast. I had to indulge him. He also told me all about his date with Levi. It was a reading date in bed with books and yummy food. So cute It's fun to see how our intentional dates at home effect the kids!

I pray that when they are older they might see the importance of dating their spouses and I want to be a good example of a wife to my man so that they will be able to spot a good spouse for themselves one day!

It was a another sweet date night at home the sickies and all!! xo


check out how Andi spent her breakfast for dinner date night with her man it will be up later today!

*ruffle duvet urban outfitters*

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PS. You guys my Mexican fiesta dinner at eight party bunting from a few weeks ago was chosen as a finalist in the great party DIY challenge with Bliss and Urban Scarlet!! Check it out HERE and consider leaving a comment in support - wink*!!! I hope you all have a fabulous weekend I am excited about next week I have a lot of fun stuff planned around here!!