Oct 18, 2013 – Healthy Hot Cocoa

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Warning: I am about to whine about my lack of coffee drinking!  I miss my coffee!  I have not had a pure cup of coffee since March and will not have another for at least another six months.  I promised my husband no coffee during pregnancy and breastfeeding (caffeine).  I have had chocolate and soda, but only after doing some research about the amount of caffeine in cocoa and sodas.

A while back I found a recipe in the newspaper for homemade hot cocoa.  I cut out and kept the recipe to use because I don’t like all the stuff they put in store-bought hot cocoa.  Cocoa is so good, but when I read the ingredient list it bothers me.  Also, I didn’t drink hot cocoa too often (only with my daughter in the winter) because I always had my coffee.  When I did drink hot cocoa, I ended up feeling bloated, tired, and I had a weird taste in my mouth.  It made me wonder if the ingredients weren’t making feel crappy.  I thought I would try this more natural hot cocoa recipe.

Store-Bought Hot Cocoa
Store-Bought Hot Cocoa Ingredient List

In March of this year, 2013, I was missing my coffee.  I found my natural hot cocoa recipe and decided to give it a try.  I made a cup and loved it!  I was so excited because I really loved this homemade, natural cocoa and thought my daughter would too.  I made her a cup of the hot cocoa.  She did NOT like it. Not at all. It tastes “weird” she said.  Ugh!! 🙁

Healthy Hot Cocoa this morning!

Well, I really love this stuff and had to have a cup this morning.  Maybe you will like it too.  Here is the recipe I have been using:

Homemade Hot Cocoa

  • 1 cup Milk
  • pinch of salt
  • 2 tsp sugar
  • 1-1/2 tsp unsweetened cocoa powder (70% or more)

Directions:

Combine ingredients in a small sauce pan and whisk.  Heat gently over low or medium-low heat (do not boil).  Heat and whisk until hot cocoa begins to steam.  Pour into a mug.  Enjoy!

For greater convenience, you can make up a batch of the dry ingredients in an air-tight container to add to hot milk from the microwave:

Combine:

  • 3-1/2 cups sugar
  • 2-1/4 cups cocoa
  • 1 Tbls. salt

Directions:

Heat 1 cup of milk in microwave until steaming (about 60-90 seconds).  Add 2 Tablespoons of the cocoa mix and stir.

If you make this recipe, how do you like it?  Do you have a favorite healthy hot cocoa recipe?

Have a great Thursday!

Missie S.

 

Oct 17, 2013 – Nursing Cover

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As you may have read, I have been busy getting ready for our new little girl.  My latest project has been making a nursing cover to use for nursing in public.  I really have been hoping I NEVER have to do that, but just in case, I am now prepared!  I am not posting a tutorial on this project.  There were so many tutorials on the internet, you can easily pick and choose which one works well for you.  I chose to work with a tutorial from a blog called “Little Birdie Secrets“.  I used most of their tutorial and improvised when adding boning and straps at the end.

Nursing Cover Hanging in the Nursery

 

Folded up Nursing Cover

 

Close up of Strap and Boning

 

I had fun making this nursing cover.  Everything I used I had on hand from past projects.  It was so much fun picking out the fabric and I can’t wait to pick out fabric for a backup!  I didn’t use boning as the tutorial instructed.  Instead, I ended up using the rim of an ice cream bucket lid.  Another blogger, who posted a tutorial on making a nursing cover, said she used the rim of an oatmeal container lid.  That got me thinking and so I used the ice cream bucket lid.  I also like finishing up the project my own way, and having my way work out.  🙂

Along with cleaning, cooking, and stocking up on groceries for the next two weeks, this is what I have been up to lately during my wait.  Back to making some fitted cloth diapers.

Have a great Thursday! 😀

Missie S.

October 12, 2013

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Looking South down Main Street, Downtown West Bend, Wisconsin

I had a few things to pick up today, and where better to get my stuff than the West Bend Farmer’s Market?  We are down to the last three weeks of the Farmer’s Market for the 2013 season.  I picked up a 1/4 peck of Macintosh apples, 4 lbs. of yellow potatoes, a sack of white and red onions mixed, and a big delicious jar of honey that will be perfect in tea over winter.

The weather was dreary and it rained on and off, but it is always wonderful to walk through the Farmer’s Market when you have a chance.  The West Bend High School marching band played for a while on the north end of main street.  There was another musical act performing in Settler’s Park near the middle of the market.  The performer was getting people involved with The Hokey Pokey.  As we walked through we could smell breakfast cooking in the restaurants and  grilling burgers at one of the stands selling food for a local children’s group.  There were beautiful bouquets of flowers and tons of veggies and canned goods for sale.  We walked with young and old people, and moms with babies strapped to them with a sling!  There were plain pumpkins and painted pumpkins and gourds and squash!  It was just a good day to get out and enjoy Fall!

White Pumpkins Only $5 each. That’s a steal!!

We stopped at a few more places on the way home: Halloween Express to look over the costumes and makeup, Hobby Lobby for some glitter for my daughters part in the high school play “The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe” as the White Witch, and Family Video to pick up some scary movies we are watching in a few minutes.  When we got home I was exhausted and needed to rest this baby bump!  In a few months I should be good as new and ready to conquer the world…I hope!

Now, I am off to watch one of the many “Texas Chainsaw Massacre” movies with my family.  Wish me luck with that…

Enjoy the rest of your weekend!

Missie

 

Working the Spicey Life

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I am filling in at my last job for three weeks for the lady that replaced me when I quit.  My last job was at a place that sold spices, spice blends, etc.  I worked last week and have two weeks to go.  It has been difficult working an 8 hour day being so large and pregnant. However, I am so busy my mind gets taken off of being uncomfortable. Everyone has been so nice to me and helpful as well.
Last week was also very busy because I had to come home and make dinner FAST! I don’t miss working full-time and then racing home to make dinner, scarf it down, and then clean up as fast as possible before dying on the couch. I also had to do several loads of laundry after work a few nights, because I was behind on laundry and I don’t have many business-casual maternity clothes. During all this hard work it made me think of how I will really appreciate being a stay at home mom. Oftentimes, I think it won’t be enough to be home taking care of kids and the house, like I won’t be pulling my weight. My husband reassures me that is a full-time job itself, and he doesn’t see me as lazy. But, it is difficult to measure your own worth when for so long you brought home a decent paycheck and you no longer do. After last week, I can see it more clearly.
I will still be running my business, giggleFritz and Co. It is a little blurry to me right now how much I will be able to do. I am not good at waiting to see how things will turn out. I am not good at sitting still at all. Maybe, that is one of my strengths.
Tomorrow is Monday. Have a great week, and work at your own spicey life!
Missie 🙂

Sewing Down-Time

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Turd Furgeson the Third (my aptly named sewing machine) is off at the sewing machine repair shop. Normally, I would be annoyed by the inconvenience of not having my machine for over a week and paying roughly $70 for the maintainance. But, I really can’t wait to get back my well-oiled machine and have it run nicely and smoothly. There’s still plenty to work on while I wait.

It’s Early!

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Ah, yes! Another restless night of “wake up around 2am and can NOT fall back to sleep again.” I can’t shut my brain off and it’s driving me crazy! This isn’t the first time I’ve found myself wide awake in the middle of the night during this pregnancy. I try for 1-2 hours to get back to sleep and eventally wake up a few hours later to my alarm clock or to use the bathroom. Tonight, I am wondering if I should get out of bed and do something. Then, I have NO chance of falling back to sleep, but I could get something done. So, here I am on the internet, really getting a lot done! (Heavy on the sarcasm! ;D)
There’s so much to do before our baby comes. The project I am working on is sewing cloth diapers. I started the first diaper, but got pulled away by other tasks. I want to finish that first diaper later today so that I have the first one done and can make adjustments. I am worried I will be held up again. I finished a custom bookcover order yesterday and found I need to get my sewing machine in for maintainance. It’s been a while. The place I used to take it to is out of business and I need to find a new repair shop. When I use my machine the stitching is coming out a bit uneven. Either the top or bottom stitch is looser than the opposite stitch. The bookcover turned out beautifully, but this problem was obvious when I made the first diaper.
If I can get my sewing machine in for repair, I have a mountain of other tasks I can work on while I wait for its return. The baby room needs to be sorted out and set up, I need to wash more baby clothes, I can cut out the pieces for the cloth diapers and nursing pads that need to be sewn, I can go through more “stuff” in our condo and donate to Goodwill or list it on Ebay, I have to process more tomatoes from the garden, etc. There’s always something keeping me busy around here, day or middle of the night!
Ok, here’s my plan for now: make up a “To Do” list while enjoying a nice bowl of cereal. After that, try to get some sleep.

image
It’s Early!

Have a great Monday, my fellow, busy Insomniacs!
Missie

Show and Tell Art Part 1: Ladybug Doodle

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I love making new things.  Being creative and expressing yourself through the things you make is a joy, when you have made something that turned out the way you wanted it to, or better.  The mistakes are disappointing, but make you a better artist.

I think a lot people feel the same way, but it is hard to get into your craft when you are going through a busy time in your life or working full-time every day.  You may daydream at work how you would love to do more quilting, card making, or painting.  But when you have a few spare minutes or hours you just don’t want to pull out all the materials to have to put them away again.  Or, maybe you just don’t feel like it at the end of the day.

That has always been me.  I would love to walk through craft stores and window shop the materials, but never buy anything.  I would love the idea of crafting and sewing, but didn’t have the time for the actual task.  Or, I would buy a few small things like embroidery floss and never do anything with them.  I got back into sewing a few years ago because I wanted to make my daughter some doll clothes for Christmas.  I slowly made other things: a baby blanket and a tote bag from an old pair of pants.  When I started making things, especially useful things, I wanted to do more.  I would daydream at work about creating things for a living and I did research on how other people do it.  That is how giggleFritz and Co. was born!

I am now about 8 weeks away from delivering our little girl.  It is hard to make anything new for our family or selling.  However, I am still going to try to create something new each day, even if is only a doodle or drawing.  My goal is to create SOMETHING new every day.  I will remind myself, it doesn’t need to be an elaborate craft.  I don’t have to pull out a big pile of materials, or even take hours and hours to make something.  I may even color a picture from the internet! I will post a picture to show you what I make.

Today’s Art

Title: Lady Bug Stroll with Daisy

Artist: Missie Schachtschneider

Ladybug Stroll with Daisy – by Missie Schachtschneider

Simple, yet, made.  Not stuck in my head meekly wanting to come out.

Does anyone else do this?  Do you have an art journal that you work in each day?  How does it make you feel to gather an archive of your projects and art?  Do you feel proud of how you have grown as an artist when you look back?  If you haven’t already done this, would you like to start an art journal with me?  You could work in your journal each day and check out what is ending up in mine here on my blog.  Think about it.  It could be so much fun! 🙂

Doodle Day 1

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Yesterday, I had a chance to wander around aimlessly at Barnes and Noble with my sister.  How I love that store!  Near the end of our journey, we ended up in the craft book section.  I found two wonderful books about doodling.  It has been too long since I doodled!  I didn’t purchase the books, but added them to my Christmas wish list.  For the rest of our shopping trip I had a nagging urge to doodle.

Craft-a-Doodle by Jenny Doh
Journal Fodder 365 by Eric M. Scott and David R. Modler

This afternoon I decided to give into the doodling urges.  I grabbed my brand new 8-count package of Sharpie Markers and got to work.  I didn’t know what to doodle, but I needed to fill my page with color and texture.  This is what happened

giggleFritz Doodle – Day 1

Now, that felt good!  I can’t wait to fill another page!

Missie