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Vegetable Beef Soup Recipe

February 7, 2017   By Becca Leave a Comment

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Let’s be honest.  There’s really no such thing as a pretty bowl of vegetable beef soup.  It just looks like mushy brown soup with over cooked vegetables.  But, I can’t even tell you how much my family loves vegetable beef soup.  I have been sick, non-stop, since Thanksgiving.  Please don’t feel sorry for me.  This is the story of my life.  I get every illness that walks into my kindergarten classroom and it’s been that way for my 22 years of teaching.  It’s just the way things go.  This vegetable beef soup recipe is my go-to when I need a little pick-me-up and feel like I need to eat ALL of the vegetables NOW.

My kids aren’t horribly picky eaters.  My son will eat anything you put in front of him.  My daughter usually tries new things but then falls back on chicken nuggets.  But, vegetable beef soup is the one thing they will gobble up and go back for seconds.  They LOVE this stuff!  Enjoy!

Vegetable Beef Soup
Print Recipe
  • CourseSoup
Vegetable Beef Soup
Print Recipe
  • CourseSoup
Ingredients
  • 1 Tbsp olive oil
  • 1 lb stew meat
  • 2 cloves garlic
  • 1/2 medium onion
  • 2 carrots
  • 2 stalks celery
  • 1 package frozen green beans
  • 2 medium tomatoes
  • 4 medium potatoes
  • 1/2 cup barley
  • 6 cups beef stock
Servings:
Instructions
  1. Heat the olive oil in the pan. Brown the beef and then add garlic and onion. Cook until onions are softened. Add the diced, celery, carrots, potatoes, and tomatoes. Add the bag of frozen green beans and beef stock. Let simmer for several hours. Add barley at the end of cooking and cook according to package directions. The brand I use says to add the barley during the last hour of cooking.
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Filed Under: Cooking Tagged With: Soup

Changes in the Living Room

February 4, 2017   By Becca Leave a Comment

We recently had new windows installed and had to move all of the furniture in our living room.  Once all of the furniture was moved, my kids and hubby decided they wanted to rearrange.  Honestly, I don’t think that has ever happened in the entire time we’ve lived in this house, so I was all for trying new things!  The main window in the living room has a pretty view of the mountains, so we didn’t want to hide it.

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I watched some videos from Yellow Prairie Academy and was even more inspired to try something new.  We decided to move the tv to the other wall, which meant that we had to float some furniture in the middle of the room to have a good place to watch tv.  Everybody requested that I leave the ottoman empty so they can easily put their feet up.

I feel like there is a big hole to the left of the tv, so I ordered a wall ladder from Etsy to hang fluffy cream blankets on.

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I really love antiques and the sofa table is the perfect place to display those.  I wasn’t planning to keep the sofa table but the Yellow Prairie Interiors video suggested that it can help anchor the space.  The more I look at it, the more I like it!

 

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I also put my canisters, from Decor Steals, on the table.  Galvanized is my favorite color.

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The tray holding the rocks and candle is one of my favorite antique store finds.  I picked this up in an antique store in Central Oregon.  It’s an old gold pan that was used when people would pan for gold.  The store had a ton of these pans, which I thought was really cool.  It’s not something you find in the Snohomish antique stores.

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As I look around the living room, I notice how much I love old stuff.  The buffet that the tv is on was purchased from Craigslist for $50 and painted black.  I got the chair from a friend who was getting out of the antique business.  I painted it and had Calico Corners help me decide on a few different fabrics for my living room.  The tall hutch, which holds all of the silver pieces I pick up at the Goodwill, is from my Mother-In-Law’s garage.

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I still love the fabrics that I used to make pillows and drapes.  I wanted to mix different patterns and the ladies at Calico Corners helped me figure out how to do that.

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This is the room that houses my old sewing machines and spools.

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So far, we’re loving the cozy new look.  I think “cozy” is the key word in my decorating style.  I want my home to feel like you just want to grab a blanket and snuggle up.

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Floating the chairs and ottoman in the middle of the room was hard for me because I love open spaces for my youngest to do cartwheels, but they all seem pretty happy with the change.

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Now, if the rain would stop and the sun would come out, I’d have a beautiful view of the mountains outside of my window!

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Happy decorating!

Be sure to check out Yellow Prairie Interiors if you are interested in learning about decorating your living room.  I really loved this webinar series!

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Filed Under: Miscellaneous

Christmas Cookies

January 7, 2017   By Becca Leave a Comment

I know the holiday season is over and we’re all trying NOT to eat the yummy baked treats anymore, but I never got around to sharing my Christmas cookie tray.  It’s so pretty, that I just couldn’t resist posting.

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This year, I made gingerbread cookies, snowflake shaped sugar cookies, spritz, spreads, peanut-butter cup-ish cookie bars, and peanut butter cookies with Hershey kisses.

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If you are interested in any of these recipes, just type the name of the cookie into the search bar on the blog and they should pop up.

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Ok, now I’m really hungry for cookies.  I guess I’ll go chop some veggies for my snack instead.  Boy, I miss the Holidays!

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Filed Under: Baking Tagged With: baking, Christmas, cookies

New Garage Doors

December 1, 2016   By Becca Leave a Comment

They’re here! They’re here!  My new garage doors are here!

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The old doors were in pretty sorry shape.  They were chipped and cracking beyond repair.  They corners of the garage doors had funny angles that made the house look very 90’s too.  The picture below doesn’t look too horrible, but that’s because it was taken in the Summer and everything looks pretty with hanging baskets and flowers.  Trust me, the garage doors were past their prime.

Our House 2016

The new doors were done by Premium Garage Doors and I couldn’t be happier.  We had the funny notches on the house cut out so the door corners are now at 90 degree angles.

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Fun hardware was on my “must have” list.  I love it!  They had the option of magnetic hardware, so you didn’t have to put it permanently on the doors.  I opted for the permanent version because I was afraid my family would mess with me and change the hardware around, just to bug me.

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We still need to paint the trim on the house, but the exterior is looking pretty good!

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It’s garage door happiness, Friends!

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Filed Under: Miscellaneous Tagged With: Garage, garage doors, outdoors

Super Soft Gingerbread Cookie Recipe

November 22, 2016   By Becca Leave a Comment

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The invention of the gingerbread cookie is right up there with the invention chocolate chips, in my book. This is one of those recipes that has been part of the Holidays for as long as I can remember. My mom says the recipe came from a newspaper many, many years ago.  The original recipe calls these cookies Molasses Cookie Cutouts.

My mom had awesome cookie cutters when I was little.  I loved her Halloween cookie cutters.  They were orange plastic owl, witch, cat, and pumpkins.  The gingerbread man was my favorite.

I found these pictures of cookie cutters for sale on Ebay.  I think they are just like my mom’s.

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A couple of years ago my sister-in-law and I decided to find them on Ebay.  We were able to replace her broken gingerbread man and I bought one for myself too.  These must have been really popular, back in the day, because they weren’t too hard to find.

 

I’m always asked what my recipe is for the frosting I use on my cookies.  I just use powdered sugar and milk.  I put powdered sugar in a bowl and add a tiny bit of milk.  I stir that until I get the consistency that I want.  The kids love to frost their own cookies and they are finally getting pretty good at it. They always ask me how my cookies look so neatly frosted and I remind them that I have had about 35 years of practice.  I have been frosting cookies with my mom since the time I needed a stool to reach the counters.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Enjoy! Happy baking and Happy Thanksgiving!

Super Soft Gingerbread Cookie Recipe
Print Recipe
  • CuisineCookies
Super Soft Gingerbread Cookie Recipe
Print Recipe
  • CuisineCookies
Ingredients
  • 1 cup butter softened
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 1/2 cup molasses
  • 1 egg
  • 3 3/4 cups flour
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 2 Tbsp cocoa powder
  • 1 Tbsp cinnamon
  • 2 tsp ground ginger
  • 2 tsp ground cloves
Servings:
Instructions
  1. Mix butter and sugar. Add Molasses and egg. Add dry ingredients. Chill for 3 hours.
  2. Roll dough to 1/4 in thickness on a floured board. Cut into shapes Bake at 350 degrees for 7 minutes.
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Filed Under: Uncategorized

Farm Girl Vintage Quilt

October 23, 2016   By Becca Leave a Comment

I don’t consider myself to be very artistic, but I do follow directions well.  I think that may be why I love quilting so much.  I really want to be an artistic person, but I just don’t have that gene.  My sister got that one.  Once I discovered quilting, I found that I could follow the directions for a pattern, add my own twist by choosing fabrics, and as long as I stuck with a particular fabric line it was a no fail piece of artwork.  Plus, as a bonus, I could curl up with the finished product at the end of the day.

One of my most recent projects is called Farm Girl Vintage.  I has blocks filled with everything I love. There are traditional blocks mixed with canning jars, mixing bowls, red barns, and fall leaves.  Quilters always say that their favorite quilt is the one they are currently working on, but this time I really think it’s true.

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Farm Girl Vintage Quilt

I bought the book several months ago after seeing some adorable blocks on Instagram.

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Farm Girl Vintage Book

Then I started collecting vintage fabrics.  Specialty quilt shops are my favorite places to go for quilting fabric.  When I first started sewing, I couldn’t understand why anyone would pay the price at a quilt store, rather than the local Jo-Ann.  I finally get it.  The quality of the material is so much better and the fabric lines are coordinated to go together.  It’s a no-fail way to select fabric you know will go together.

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Vintage fabrics

Today I finished my pumpkin block.

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Pumpkin Block

Last week I whipped out a maple leaf block.

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Maple Leaf Block

The Baking Day block was the reason I bought the book in the first place.  I fell in love with this adorable block and knew I had to make the quilt.

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Baking Day Block

One by one, the blocks are getting done.  It’s going to be a big project and take a lot of time to complete.  I’ve never tried a Sampler Quilt before, so it will be an artistic adventure.

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Churn Dash Block

It’s hard to decide which block I like the best!

If you are interested in the book, you can find it at local quilt shops or on Amazon (although it’s not available in Prime).  I’d say this is a more advanced quilt, but if you can follow directions and sew a straight line, you can do it!

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Canning Season Block

Happy Sewing.

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Filed Under: Miscellaneous Tagged With: Farm Girl Vintage Quilt, quilting

Farm Girl Vintage Quilt Project

September 15, 2016   By Becca 1 Comment

I’ve decided I just need more hours in the day.  I know everyone probably feels like that, but I need time to spend on my hobbies.  Crafty projects make me feel like a whole person, plus when I finish a project I get to add the cuteness to my house.

I found the Farm Girl Vintage book on Instagram, after I saw the adorable Baking Day block.  I fell in love and HAD to have the pattern.  This was the first block I completed in this awesome sampler.

Baking Day Block

The Canning Season block was just too cute to pass up.  I finished this one second.

 

Canning Season Block

The blocks were very simple to make.  I wouldn’t call it a beginning quilt, but it’s a good project for an intermediate quilter.
There are so many blocks to choose from.  The barn block is another favorite and it’s been on my “to do” list for quite a long time.
I think it’s time to start cutting into the vintage fabrics and get sewing!
I’m promising myself some quality time with my sewing machine this weekend!

 

Happy sewing!

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Filed Under: Sewing Tagged With: Farm Girl Vintage Quilt

Welcome to Our House

August 9, 2016   By Becca Leave a Comment

I have often said that the inside of my house is a Fall house.  It has the colors and coziness of a crisp Fall day and the smell of warm cookies and hot apple cider.  The outside of my house is another story.  It is, most certainly, a 4th of July house.

Our House 2016

I live by my watering a fertilizing schedule in the Summer and I love my hanging baskets and window boxes.  I fill my baskets with red and white flowers and tuck little flags in everywhere.

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Geraniums line the stairs on my tiny porch and more flags are there to greet people.

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I may have a slight obsession with using flags as decor and it might be time to take the 4th of July decor down and store it for next year.

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I bought a new variety of hydrangea for the front of my house.  This a brand new variety from Monrovia, called Bobo.  It’s a compact hydrangea, so I’m hoping it will stay nice and short.  I also planted some Blue Star Creeper, which will fill in nicely as a ground cover.

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Here’s my Bobo

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I finally got rid of my old benches in the front of the house, and we bought some pretty Adirondak chairs from World Market.  We also dug up all of the overgrown hydrangeas and moved them to the back yard, replacing them with Bobos as well.

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I planted a pretty little basket for the front of the house to add a little color to the white chairs.

 

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I did save two Annabelle hydrangeas, because who can live without Annabelles?

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I can’t wait until my flowers fill in!  They will grow up to be so pretty!

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It’s almost time to start figuring out how to turn my 4th of July house into a Fall house.  Until then, I’m just going to hold on to Summer.  Welcome to our house!

Our House 2016

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Filed Under: Decorating, Garden, Outdoor

Tomato and Basil Planter Box

July 22, 2016   By Becca Leave a Comment

Here’s a great surprise.  I bought a friend a tomato plant for his birthday. (We have a common love of tomatoes and he and his family just moved to a new house with plenty of room for growing tomatoes.) My friend decided to build himself a planter box  and then built one for ME too!

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I have this planter box on my deck, right up against the wall so it would get lots of afternoon sunshine.

My basil loves the heat and the controlled amount of water.  I started the tomatoes inside, with my Miracle Grow Aero Garden and then moved them outside to my new planter.

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I’m not sure what it is with my big garden this year, but the tomatoes and basil aren’t looking too great.  They look kind of scraggly, so I’m happy to have my new planter.  I now have tomatoes and basil to cook with!

Thanks for my planter, Kenny!

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Filed Under: Garden Tagged With: Garden

New Outdoor Furniture

July 20, 2016   By Becca Leave a Comment

I have some new outdoor furniture on the deck and I’m loving it!

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We had a set of outdoor furniture that I really loved, but we’ve had it for 9 years and it was beginning to show signs of many parties, a fire pit that was too close to the chairs, and too much lounging on warm summer days.  The cushions had seen better days.  I started shopping for outdoor fabric, assuming that I would recover everything.  Once I started adding up the cost of outdoor fabric and the foam I needed to replace, I started thinking that it would be cheaper to just buy new cushions.  Ummm…. Have you ever looked at the cost of new outdoor cushions? Oh. My. Goodness.  It was going to be almost $600 to replace just the cushions and they weren’t even a perfect fit.  I was going to have to do some reconstruction.  The fabric and foam was nearly the same cost, so it was looking like that wasn’t going to happen either.

At that point my hubby and I started shopping for a new outdoor set altogether.  We checked around in a few stores, but everything was getting sold out.  Hello, it was only the end of June so, of course, it was time for the stores to start bringing out Christmas decorations.  We ended up finding our new set on Wayfair.

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It had a couch, two chairs, two huge ottomans, and a side table.  We found the fire table on Amazon. I added a few quilts to cozy it up and bought some outdoor pillows, on clearance, from Pier 1 Imports.  I am in love with our outdoor space.

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Our old furniture is still on the deck and I’m kind of hoping to keep it for times when we have bigger parties.  I just pushed it off to the side, hoping my hubby is just ignoring the fact that I’m hoarding furniture.

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I had a little table on the deck, but it was really out of place.  I moved that to the corner and put a bunch of herbs on it.  It’s the perfect mini kitchen garden.

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It’s also a great place to display my new treasures that we dug up while on vacation in Central Oregon.  (I’m kind of a rock-nerd.)

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I’m loving my view from the deck.  The flowers are blooming and it’s a perfect place to sit and relax.

 

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Another little perk to having new furniture is that I have a great little table for the lower area of our backyard.  This is the old firepit.

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I guess I’m proof that Wayfair has just what I need.  I’m sure you can guess that shipping was free! (Sorry to put the song from the commercial into your brain!)

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Happy decorating!

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Filed Under: Miscellaneous Tagged With: Outdoor Spaces, outdoors

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Welcome

Hello, Friends. I'm Becca. I'm a teacher, and when I'm not in the classroom, I'm doing everything I can to create a happy home. I love to cook, bake, garden, sew, quilt, teach, and simply spend time with my family. I don't consider myself to be an artist, but I strive to find the art in the everyday things I do to make our house a home. Join me as I quilt you up some comfort or warm you with some cookies!

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