Photo 30: Basil

I'm having a love affair with basil right now. So much deliciousness on a tiny leaf.
I had read that picking the leaves helps it to keep producing throughout the summer so I a couple weeks ago I found out from a friend a great way to freeze basil (front right) is to chop and put in ice cube trays and pour olive oil in. After it froze up I popped them out and put them in a ziploc bag! Basil in the winter now.
Today I rediscovered the joys of pesto again! I looked up the recipe that was in Artisan Pizza and Flatbread in Five Minutes a Day. I made some adjustments based on what i had on hand.


you need:
 2 cups basil
1/2 cup olive oil
1/4 cup almonds
2 cloves garlic

• put all ingredients in a food processor
• blend! 

we put it on pizza and topped with mozzarella. It was so very tasty.

Photo 29: popsicles

a good way to survive the 105+ weather we are having!

Photo 28: T-shirt

I spent a couple days and countless stores trying to find a matching fabric so I could make a bow tie--Alex is the ring bearer in my brother's wedding. As I was walking out of the last store ready to give up I found a T-shirt that coordinated with the color swatch! yay!

Thanks to a quiet afternoon while Will and Alex were out watching Italy defeat Germany in the Euro Cup semi finals, I was able to get the bow tie and some other projects complete!

The first and most important project was the bow tie. I found a tutorial here. I finished it just after half time.
Then I made some flowers for my nieces to possibly use because they will be some precious flower girls! The tutorial for that was found here. That took maybe 20 minutes to make two.
Both those projects only took the front of the shirt, but the boys were back home and I needed to get dinner on the table (it was a crockpot meal thank goodness!)
Using the back of the shirt I made a t-shirt necklace. I know i am behind the times, but what else was I going to do with it! :) There are pictures all over pinterest, so I took a couple ideas I liked. Mine is a little shorter because it was only half the shirt, but it stretches so still fits over my head okay. I also made a couple more flowers for fun! I think they are my favorite fabric flowers.

Recipe 27: New Recipe

This was a 15 minute meal. The idea came from an Everyday Food magazine.

You need:
2 pork chops
1 cup pasta sauce
1 cup shredded mozzarella
fresh basil and oregano
noodles

• place pork chops on a foil lined baking sheet.
• season with salt and pepper.
• broil in oven for 4 minutes
• take out of oven, turn over and pour pasta sauce on top
• layer some herbs and then add cheese
• broil for 3-4 more minutes or until cheese is totally melted.
• meanwhile boil some noodles and then eat up!

Photo 26: Looking In, Looking Out

ever wonder if the fish oh and ah about us?
that would be a fun thing for my kiddos to write about next year! :)

Photo 25: Missing M&M

i think it was a blue one.
:)

Photo 24: Organizing

I have been eyeing this idea for a while thanks to pinterest, and yesterday at a yard sale I found two of them for a dollar each! I don't think they are the same quality as the ones in the original post, but I wasn't going to complain for a dollar!
After a good wipe down and some tags (you can find editable ones here) I have now finished my box for home! (the other one is for school!)

Even Will was excited that now he knows where to look for the extra flash drives that have been laying around the house, and now I know EXACTLY where to put that post-it note pad that was laying on the desk! It is filled with mostly stationary stuff and a little bit of craft stuff.
The other one for school will be so helpful in helping me keep my desk clear! My problem every years is that the edges get cluttered with all the little things I want to have at my finger tips, but now they will be contained in a little drawers. YAY!
June has been my organization month. Clutter constantly seems to develop because of all the random projects I have going (i still have frames all over the place until I finish my picture wall) It is mostly in the "blue room" as we call it. That is where I throw stuff on the couch and shut the door so Alex can't get to it!
anyways, another fun project was making labels for my canisters! You can download the labels I made here. I used the Avery clear shipping labels for the project. 

Photo 23: Happy 5th

5 wonderful years. 

2 houses.

Several different jobs.

a delightful son.

challenges, joys, pain, laughter.

in all of it we have learned to trust in God's unfailing love and his faithfulness.

The verse we used at our wedding was 1 Thessalonians 3:12

May the Lord give you a love for each other that grows, and grows, and even overflows. 

We are thankful that God has continued to strengthen our love for each other!

We are excited to see what the next five years hold.

we opted for a dinner in to celebrate. Will took Alex to his parents and we enjoyed a quiet evening, with AMAZING steak, grilled peaches, and some expresso!
Grilled peaches are a new favorite! We both agreed we would have been fine without the ice cream (although it was a nice touch).

Photo 22: Photo wall in progress

Every summer I get the decorating bug and feel the need to rearrange or change something in the house! I had been planning this change a while though, but am finally getting around to doing it...

this is the start. followed the ideas of a blog post found here. I need one more picture to even out the right side, but right now i am just keeping it up to see what I think! :) photos of finished project will come later! I also realized that I REALLY need to do something to break up the chairs against the wall. That's what happens when you get a good deal on second hand furniture after you have already painted the walls! :)

oh, but the challenge of the whole project... the walls are plaster...nails in them is not a great idea. so i am hoping those 3M command strips are as amazing as they claim to be!

Photo 21: Alex eats

and eats
and eats

but lately, he cries during the eating time, then eats like a horse afterwards...
mangoes are a favorite (of all of us, alex didn't eat those all himself!)
also eating by himself, in a big chair, not his highchair.

sigh.

Photo 20: Good Reads

Summer vacation = time to read!

Photo 19: New Old Toys

Pulled this toy out for some babies that were at our house tonight. Alex decided to play with it after they were gone. :)

Photo 18: Blueberry

Blueberry picking is loads of fun.
Now we have plenty of blueberries, blueberry muffins, and blueberry jam!

depending on how the jam tastes, I may be making a lot more of it! (You can freeze it!) The recipe is found here. (it's SO easy!) The muffins were from my Simply in Season Cookbook!


Blueberry picking was so much fun. None of us had slept well and so we were all tired, but it was still so nice to get out in the morning (we got there about 9:30) and pick to our hearts content. Alex picked some blueberries and then wandered between Will and I. We didn't pick quite as much as I wanted to, because he was getting tired, but I had to remind myself that I could most certainly come back...and pick a LOT more blueberries!


here's a glimpse of our family fun, thanks to Will's phone camera because I let mine at home! 

Photo 17: Late Night Party

These pictures were taken at 12:30 this morning, so I am counting them as today's pictures!
Alex woke up last night with a fever and chills, after bringing him in bed with me for a bit, he decided it was time to get up.
So we all got up and had some fun listening to some gamecock baseball! (yes listened...we don't have cable!) :)

He would only drink out of a cup with a straw. The one good thing about getting up was that it let us be sure that Alex was okay! Alex was so content and happy in Will's lap! It is the kind of Father's Day present Alex would decide to give. :)

Second molars please come through!!

Photo 16: Back Yard

Will cut the grass today. I was so thankful. I know it is a lot of work because it is a huge yard!

(Can you tell I tried to make a panorama by myself! ha!)

So many wonderful cookouts, playtimes, and pool times have taken place right down these steps! 

Thankful for a yard like this for our little man who likes to be outside!

Thankful for the little things in life...cut grass, a big yard, a little mister that makes us enjoy it so much more. 

When the rest of life is a little chaotic and frustrating, it is nice to take a step back and be grateful for life's simple pleasures.

Because, in the end, the memories I have out here, the things that serve as reminders of God's faithfulness, will surpass the trials of this life!

Photo 15: Let's do some Laundry

I just made 10 gallons of Laundry Detergent for about $12.00!

I used my sister's recipe. You can find it here.

It was well worth the time it took to make it 

(and it wasn't even that time consuming, it just needed to sit overnight).

Mary calculated that it would make 220 loads with a top load washer, and even more for a front loader.

Can't wait to start using it!

Photo 14: Study

It's summer vacation,

but my brain won't stop going.

There is still so much to learn!

Photo 13: Story time

Wednesdays are story time at the library.

We meet up with some of my friends and their kids.

Alex spends most of the hour either trying to escape out of the room

or pretend like he doesn't belong to me!

(I thought they didn't act like that until much later!)

Photo 12: Blue Skies

It was nice to see the blue skies this afternoon after several cloudy, rainy days.

but even as I write this, I hear thunder in the distance.

and I don't mind it at bit.

Rainy nights are better than rainy days.

Rainy days are not fun for little boys who like to go out and play!

Photo 11: Henny Penny

This is becoming a frequent happening in our yard. 

Unlike Henny Penny, this chicken is pretty smart. 

She often jumps the neighbor's fence to come visit.

Alex enjoys seeing her so much that "cluck, cluck" was his first animal sound!:) 

Photo 10: Potted Garden

there is nothing like walking outside and picking fresh basil to add to your meal! 

(Basil is wonderful on pizza and in sushi too!)

I love using basil so bought 2 plants this year and put them in a huge pot and they took off! To the left is chives, the right is spicy oregano, and in front is a tomato plant I just got. Is it too late to start tomatoes? 

(I hope not.) 

We have these horrible locust/grasshopper bugs that eat plants, they destroyed most of the stuff I planted the first year we lived here. But I have found what will survive them (rosemary, lavender, and irises) and then also that plants in pots are safe, so I have enjoyed my potted herbs!

Did you notice the sweet little face in the window?

Photo 9: Art

today we finger painted...actually it was more like sponge painting! :)

Alex had fun hitting the paper (ton, ton, ton)

or swirling the sponge to spread it in (shwa, shwa) 

don't you like my sound affects! :)

he is a very serious artist.

he wouldn't even break a grin when I told him to smile! :)

I tried to tell him finger paint did not taste good, but he didn't believe me!

Photo 8: happy graduation!

12 years ago...

my mom used a camera with film to take my grad pictures

i used a phone card and a pay phone when i needed get a ride home

I wrote letters more than emails.

my littlest sister wasn't even in kindergarten yet!

Now 12 years later

I was watching my little sister graduate from high school!

not in person though, 

tickets to Japan for a family of three are a little expensive

but thanks to 12 years of advancements in technology

I get to stream it LIVE to my computer in the USA.

I am so thankful for technology that brings my family closer together 

even though we states or continents away

so congrats to the CAJ class of 2012!

today ends a 23 span of having a Schaeffer at CAJ! 

We missed a couple of years here or there, but now its the end! 

Photo 7: trees

I love trees. The big ones that have been around longer then the surrounding houses, 

that you have to tilt your head all the way back to see the top

i love that after 6 years you can still discover new places...

thanks to my brother in law playing disc golf.

although, I must say, I won't be returning in flip flops as I try to chase Alex.

but he did have a lot of fun.

on a totally other note, can I express my TOTAL disappointment that ALL of my pictures from my blog last year have disappeared...Just about. I think 15 still show up. I am hoping that it can be resolved without me having to fix each individual one, but if not...I have a whole summer to do it!

Photo 6: Homemade goodness

Pinterest does it again!

Rocks my world.

Because I found a recipe to make this.

My all time favorite taco bell menu item. 

You can find the recipe here.

Four reasons why you should make your own:

1. You know what it is made out of.

2. You can control better what goes into it.

3. You don't have to leave your home to get it 

4. It took less then 30 minutes

(including prep and feeding a toddler a snack)

Photo 5: Konnichiwa means hello

Most moms would be happy to hear their little one say hello. 

I would to, but hearing Alex say (ok, more like mimic) "konnichiwa" after Will was music to my heart!

My favorite part is that he insisted on Will 

(the non Japanese speaking, actually speaks Italian parent) 

read him the book!

Don't believe me? Here is a video...

Still don't believe me...

I will give you my parents' email address...He did it multiple times for them on skype! :)

Now we just have to work on him bowing when he says it!

Photo 4: 6 meals in 2 hrs

The last thing I want to think about every day on summer vacation in cooking! So during Alex's nap time (and then during his lunch time) I put together some freezer meals that I can dump into the crock pot when I don't feel like cooking that day!
I found the recipes here (Teriyaki Chicken and BBQ chicken) and here (Cilantro Lime Chicken). I chose those ones because I already had some of the ingredients for them on hand, and I went shopping over the weekend for the rest of them. Today was a big chopping day, but I got the bags ready first, put them in a bin. I went through and cut up veggies that all three of them had and then added the chicken and next the unique ingredients for each one. Now I can have easy meals for later...I just need to pull them out of the freezer and put in the crock pot! :)

Lost things

1. Recipes
So I didn't realize that changing the URL of the blog would mess everything up! Every link of the recipes would have been lost so after some research and a really round about way...i now have the plunkettcookbook.blogspot.com address back up and so you can find my recipes there...or scroll down on this blog and they will be there too! :)

2. IPod
I have not joined the world in having a smart phone yet, but I got an IPod touch from donor's choose that, by day, belongs to my students, and by night is a handy little way for me to check email, etc. But as of today, it is totally gone. hopefully somewhere in this house, but at this point I am thinking it may have fallen out of my bag while I was running errands with alex today. really praying that it turns up because it would be such a bummer to have lost that!
*update: i found it! it took the one lost memory to remember the last place i had it (Alex and I were listening to music) and then where it had fallen! :) 

3. My mind
I gave Alex part of my ice cream treat in the car. He really enjoyed it. His car seat did not! My brain is trying to work itself out of school mode. It takes a while. I knew he would make a mess, but I did it anyways. I think Alex thought I was an amazing mom.

But he is an amazing boy. It's not hard to have fun with him!

Photo 3: All in a Summer's Day

Photo 2: Fearless at 18...months

With teeth chattering, a huge smile on his face, and endless shouts of glee, Alex climbed up the steps of the slide one more time. He sat at the top of the slide, and slid down, water shooting into his face, flying so fast he couldn't sit up straight.

Having the time of his life.

Bumping his head endlessly but always getting back up. Having no fear when he stood at the bottom and the other kids ran him over as they came down the slide! 

When did he go from being a baby to, all of a sudden, a boy? 

What will we ever do if we move away from this house, therefore leaving behind his 4 playmates (all girls I might add) and their amazing slide turned water slide? :)

Happy Summer Vacation. I can't wait to enjoy every day of you!

Photo 1: At the Beginning there is an End

the last child left, the last box packed, and EVERYTHING was shoved to the center of the room.

another school year is done. That makes 4.

It was the best of years and the worst of years.

There were quite a few challenges to the year, but so many wonderful things happened too. 

I found my niche in teaching first grade and I don't know if I ever want to leave it!

But for now there are endless (well, i wish) days of summer fun. 

one or two emails to send tomorrow, but other than that. DONE.

happy summer vacation!

* June 1st means it is time to start the new 365 challenge! This year it is photos. I know that is a common one but this year it needs to be a little less intense! You will get a glimpse each day of the lives of us Plunketts. You might notice some changes to the blog and to the web address as well! Start following the blog to keep up with us and make sure you change the address to: plunkett365.blogspot.com!

Come along for the photo journey!