try this: apple crisp
I've made this twice in the past month or so for various dinners/gatherings and its gotten RAVE reviews. Perhaps the half a pound of butter contributes to this.
Apple Crisp
5 pounds McIntosh or Macoun apples
Grated zest of 1 orange
Grated zest of 1 lemon
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed orange juice
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
(For the topping)
1 1/2 cups flour
3/4 cup granulated sugar
3/4 cup light brown sugar, packed
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1 cup oatmeal
1/2 pound cold unsalted butter, diced
Directions:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Butter a 9 by 14 by 2-inch oval baking dish.
Peel, core, and cut the apples into large wedges. Combine the apples with the zests, juices, sugar, and spices. Pour into the dish.
To make the topping, combine the flour, sugars, salt, oatmeal, and cold butter in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Mix on low speed until the mixture is crumbly and the butter is the size of peas. Scatter evenly over the apples.
Place the crisp on a sheet pan and bake for 1 hour until the top is brown and the apples are bubbly. Serve warm.
recipe origin: Barefoot Contessa Parties!
a craft for the completely uncrafty: magnetic weekly menu board
**Giveaway is now closed! Thanks for entering and congratulations to all of our winners!**
Thanks to Scotch(R) Double Sided Tape for sponsoring my writing about crafts. Add your comment below to be entered for a chance to win free sample rolls to help with your upcoming holiday needs.
So. You say you are totally and completely uncrafty? Do I have an adorable craft for you that is super dooper easy and makes a terrific gift for the holidays! I saw something like this recently over on one of my favorite craft blogs, Little Birdie Secrets. I decided to give it a try and was amazed how easy and cute it was!
Magnetic Weekly Menu Board
Supplies:
12×12 picture frame (Try to find one not too heavy. This is from Michaels)
12×12 piece of scrapbook paper
heavy duty magnets
Step One: Take the back off the picture frame. Put piece of scrapbook paper front side down in frame.
Step Two: Put the back on the picture frame. Attack magnets to the back of the frame. (Make sure you'll still be able to get the back off again so you can change the paper when you want!)
And…. TA DAAAAAAAAA!!! You're done!
Hang it on your fridge and you're done! Use it as a menu board, to-do list, whatever! Write on it using a dry erase marker, use a paper towel to clean it and you're good to go 🙂
And you can easily change the paper to match your decor, match the season… all for the whooping cost of around $1 for a new piece of scrapbook paper. Total cost for the project? $12.
Scotch is offering TEN lucky Girlymama readers a roll of Scotch tape to get your holiday crafting and gifting off to a great start!! Here's how to enter:
Mandatory Entry: Leave a comment sharing a holiday craft you want to try (or have tried).
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Contest ends Friday, November 19th. Entries such as "Enter me" or "I want to win" will NOT be counted. Winners will be selected by Random.org, announced back here on this post, and notified via email with further instructions. If I don't hear from the winner in 48 hours, I will be choosing a new winner.
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disclosure: I was selected for this sponsorship by the Clever Girls Collective, which endorses Blog With Integrity, as I do.
clothes every girl should own
There are some pieces that you will wear forever. No matter what the trends do, these are the pieces that will stay in your closet for years to come. These are worth spending money on – they should fit perfectly and be the best quality you can afford.
1. The Perfect Pair of Jeans: If you haven’t found your perfect pair yet, keep looking. Go with a friend to a store with lots of brands, have a salesperson help you and try lots of different jeans until you find them. Buy something classic – dark wash, boot cut, no embellishments. These will be your go-to jeans that will make you feel amazing.
2. The Little Black Dress: This dress fits perfectly. You can dress it up with heels and an amazing statement necklace or you can throw on flats and a cardigan and wear it to work. You can wear it to a formal wedding or out to dinner with friends. Its something you can throw on at a moment’s notice and feel fabulous.
3. The Dress pant: Even if you’re a stay-at-home mom, you still need a pair of all-occasion dress pants in your closet. They don’t have to be black — try charcoal grey, heathered chocolate brown, herringbone or even pin stripes. Because sometimes denim is just not okay.
4. The Trench coat: When you slip on a classic belted trench, you immediately look (and feel) like a sophisticated city girl. Its been in style forever and its not going anywhere. A good trench will last you the rest of your life.
5. The White Blouse: Can you even imagine a wardrobe without one? Wear it with everything.
6. The Day Dress: Whatever floats your boat. Go for an amazing fit – whatever flatters your body most. It can be floral or solid, bright or neutral: think something that will be perfect for a day wedding, showers, etc.
7. The Festive Top: Something you can pair with denim for a girls’ night out or dress pants or a skirt for date night with your husband. Find one with a great pattern, a bright color, a interesting neckline – something different than you would normally wear. This should be something that feels special and fun!
8. The Peacoat: Like the trench, this will last you for years and years and is not going anywhere. While you can go with a classic color like black or camel, why not get red or plum to add a splash of color to your winter wardrobe?
9. The Cashmere Sweater: Who doesn’t love cashmere? Or sweaters? Maybe a black turtleneck? Or a heather grey cardigan? Or a navy cable crewneck?
10. The Pencil Skirt: Instead of insisting that you should have a suit, I think having a pencil skirt is a good compromise. This is a ‘trend’ that comes around every year because its just so darn flattering and easy to wear that we just can’t let it go! Pair it with a sweater or blouse and heels and you’ll look just as nice as if you were wearing a suit.
What would you add to the list?
Did you do a fashion post today? Link on up!
is daylight saving kicking anyone else’s tail?
Good grief, I can barely keep up this week. I think I've been constantly running late all week.
Perhaps the kids waking up at 5:30am has something to do with it.
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Today we're having a playdate with Colin's friend. Well, my friend and I decided that our 2-year-olds are both not sharing well, so we're going to throw them in a room together and see what happens. Should be fun. Would anyone like to bed how long it will be before they start beating each other? Or maybe how many fights will break out? Or how many times we will say "Share!"
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The light in my walk-in closet is broken. (Not burnt out, like fixture-hanging-from-the-ceiling-with-bits-of-the-aforementioned-ceiling-littering-the-ground broken.) So if you see me and my clothes are totally mismatched, just go with it, okay?
we’re just so together
Yesterday I met my friend Jo-Lynne to run errands together at Target and the grocery store. Because everything is more fun when you can talk a mile a minute with a friend while doing it. (And throwing in a latte and a croissant doesn't hurt either.)
While we were shopping, she was telling me how someone was just telling her the other day how she (Jo-Lynne) "had it all together and seemed like she was perfect." I was laughing at how yesterday someone was telling everyone I was Martha Stewart.
We were both shaking our heads at how hysterical this is to us.
Just to keep it real:
- We were both late to meet up to run errands.
- Jo-Lynne got to laugh at me as Colin lay down and LICKED THE FLOOR OF TARGET while pretending to be a dog.
- Then she got to be embarrassed with me while Colin threw a fit because I wouldn't buy him a shirt with Buzz Lightyear on it (mainly because he was WEARING a virtually identical shirt with Buzz Lightyear on it at the time.)
- Then Jo-Lynne kept losing her shopping list.
- Then we got separated for like 15 minutes and couldn't find each other. ("Where are you?" "I'm right here! Where are you?")
- Then we decided to recover and get a coffee. And Colin stuck his finger in a donut on the counter, so the kids got donuts.
- Then I settled the kids at their own table and handed out Purell to the kids before they ate.
- Then I gave some to Jo-Lynne and she spilt it all over her hands. Her hands (and the floor) were VERY germ free.
- Then we lost the cap to the Purell and spent some time crawling around the floor looking for it. (It was under a table leg)
- Then I spilled my coffee.
- Then we spent some time sharing our recent adventures – mine was about how I recently almost set my kitchen on fire with a flaming oven mit.
- Then Colin walked up to me and I realized that he was COVERED in chocolate frosting. Frosting covered bit included his face, his hands, his elbow, his ears, his hair and his beloved Buzz Lightyear shirt.
- Then SOMEHOW my jeans got frosting covered too.
- Then I lost my phone. And found it again.
- Then Colin somehow disassembled the train table and was throwing things.
- Then we decided to grocery shop. When Colin started to throw a fit in the shopping cart because I wouldn't open up the bag of green beans for him to eat while we were shopping, we decided to split up so could get out of there ASAP.
- Then Colin threw another fit – because I wouldn't buy him candy. As if Halloween wasn't last week.
We clearly have it all together and you should all wish you were as put together as we are.
organizing my time
People often ask me how I manage to get things done, so I wanted to build on Jo-Lynne's post last week about how Batch Processing and how it helps her manage her blogs and busy life. This is a concept I adhere to strongly. Without it, I would sink. Quickly.
Basically, with Batch Processing, instead of doing a little bit of everything every day, you do things in big batches.
Take blogging: I edit and manage three blogs, which can be time consuming. I have to be focused and disciplined with my time in order to keep things under control. So I spend a few hours cranking out a bunch of fashion posts and scheduling them for the week ahead for bStylish one day, then catch up on reviews for Thoroughly Modern Mommies another day. Another day I'll set aside a few hours for design work. My Blackberry helps me keep on top of email and I can manage 3 busy blogs without being tied to my computer all day.
This concept has helped me in running the house as well. I usually designate one day to giving the house a good cleaning and catching up on laundry. I have another day that I'll run errands. I'll go grocery shopping and bake on the same day.
I've even begun to cook in batches – its easy to chop veggies and meat for the next night's meal while I'm waiting for dinner to cook. I double recipes and freeze half for another day. Its just as easy to make 3 PB&J sandwiches as it is to make 1 and then I have them ready for lunch on a moment's notice. I still have to do things everyday (like pick up toys and pick up toys and pick up toys) but because big tasks are scheduled, its manageable.
I've found that focusing my time takes work. I'm a multitasker by nature, so to actually turn off distractions and just clean the house or just work on a blog design is hard for me. I have to turn off Twitter and Skype, put down the Blackberry and really focus. I keep a notebook on my desk to write those off-task things that pop into my head down, so I can come back to them later. Sometimes I listen to my iPod to keep me focused, sometimes I have to leave the house and hole up in Paneras to get work done on my blogs.
Once I got the groove of this system down, it has really worked for me. I have more free time to spend playing with my kids or meeting friends for coffee. I'm much more organized and I get less overwhelmed. Its becoming rarer that my husband gets home from work to find the house a disaster, kids running around and me saying, "What dinner?" (Not that this does not still happen occasionally.)
Where this has really paid off is spending more focused time on my kids. No cooking, cleaning, organizing, checking email… just sitting and playing or working on homework or reading. And nothing else. Just focusing the kids from the time they get home from school until they go to bed (with an interruption to cook dinner, of course) has been great. Homework is easier, chores are getting done, there's less fighting and whining, the kids are more content in general and bedtime is much easier. Its been wonderful.
This has been a lifesaver for me. Seriously! What are your tricks and tips for managing your busy life?
polish your look
There's so much more to being fashionable than just the clothes you are wearing. Its about looking put together. I know for me, as a busy mom, it is hard to find time to take care of myself. But there are a few tricks to helping you look polished and stylish – even in a tshirt and jeans!
1. Get a 5-minute beauty routine down: Even when I'm running really, realllly late, I can squeeze in 5 minutes. (Even if its in the passenger seat of the car while my husband is driving.) Get yourself a quick routine that uses classic colors that won't go out of style. (Think smoky browns on your eyes and rose lips and cheeks.) Then you're always simply made up and looking gorgeous.
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For me, I start with primer, dab on concealer, then quickly fill in my brows, put on eyeliner, shadow and mascara, and follow it all by a quick dusting of mineral foundation. Then throw on lip stain and I'm done!
2. Keep up your mani: If you don't have time to keep your nails done, don't go for dark polish. Keep your nails short and polish with clear or something very light so that chips don't show. Chipped polish drives me INSANE. It looks so awful! My secret? This:
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Insta-Dri. It dries in 60 seconds. Literally. I use a very pale pink and it last a few days – chips are hardly noticeable. But when its time to redo – it takes about 2 minutes.
3. Find a signature scent: Spritz on a splash of our favorite fragrance whether you're wearing a LBD or a tshirt and jeans. Fragrances are expensive – but they last for a long time. Bottles usually last me over a year. My favorite scent is Beautiful by Estee Lauder.
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Fragrance is a great item to put on your Holiday Wish List 🙂
4. Have a few killer outfit in your closet: A perfect pair of jeans and a black turtleneck sweater. Black bootcut pants and a bright sweater. A simple sweaterdress. Things you can just throw on when you're in a hurry and don't have time to spend picking out an outfit, then changing. Then changing again.
5. Be ready on the go: Make up a small bag to stash in your purse, car or desk. Include basics like eye makeup remover, concealer and powder, a small bottle of hairspray and lip stick. You never know when you are going to have "one of those days" or not have time to freshen up before a meeting. Or – this is the worst – you get out and realize you never even put makeup on that morning. (Or does that just happen to me?) Bonus points for including a rechargeable, cordless flat iron!
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What are your secrets to pulling off a polished look?
Did you write a fashion post today? Link up!
ten things i love about two-year-olds
This is a trying age. He's grumpy and moody and demanding. I so get frustrated with him so many times a day. Sometimes I can't wait for him to get out of this stage… but then he does something so super cute, I want him to stay cute forever!
1. He still has to cuddle and rock in the rocking chair every night before bed.
2. Whenever he counts, he ends at ten. "Won, Tooo, Teeee… TEN!"
3. If I leave him at all, he insists on spending the rest of the day at my side, like I'm going to disappear.
4. When I say, "Are you my big boy?" He says, "No. I yo' widdle boy." And when I say, "Are you my little man?" He says, "No, I yo' widdle boy. Daddy widdle man."
5. He still is riveted by Cars, even though he's seen it 3,758 times. He still gets worried when the cars crash, he still cheers when Lightening wins.
6. He calls Wall-E, "EEE-Wall!"And Thomas the Tank Engine "Tommeee" and Elmo "La-La"
7. He is not at all embarrassed to sing along with Taylor Swift.
8. After he wakes up from his nap, I pick him up, carry him to our bedroom and we snuggle in our bed and read a book. And he's so warm and smushy, I can't stop kissing his cheeks!
9. He gets so excited when he sees a puppy. Or a kitty. Or a squirrel. Or a bird. Anything, really!
10. He still fits to snuggle in my lap.
and my favorite:
11. When he randomly runs into the room, says "Na-na-boo-boo, you ca' ga me!" and runs away giggling hysterically.
wordless wednesday: i want to move here
Its like living in a fairy tale!
photos courtesy of husband's business trip to switzerland