I *Heart* Yogurt Pots

I am a loser. I know. What else would explain such a lame title? But it's true. I've come to think of yogurt pots as one of the most versatile pieces of rubbish-fodder in our home. Their uses are legion, for example:

• Measuring cups - the cheap, store's own brand are about a one cup size, and they live merrily in my flour, sugar, rice, etc. tins.
• Bath toys - poke holes in them or leave them whole, the kids can't get enough of them. And if they get gross, throw them out.
• Painting pots
• Tea bag bins - not the most aesthetically pleasing, but it does the job and it all goes into the bin.
• Baby stacking toys - different sizes work better for this, but Ellie still had a ball with them during the girls' school work the other day.
• Playing telephone - yes, my kids still do this.
• Beach/sandpit toys - put a bunch of little ones inside one or two big ones, and you've got castles and turrets, and no one cares if you lose a few. Any leftover sand stays inside, if you're clever enough to keep the lid.

I know there are more ideas and I know some of you have them. Please share with the class. After all, I'm now loathe to throw them away and Toby's getting concerned that they're starting to breed.

The store is open!

Online store, that is. As of today, I have my own Phoenix Trader website where you can view the products, ask questions and find out more about the products on offer! Not that you couldn't before, but still...Come check it out!

Fort McHenry

The next installment of Why I Haven't Posted Anything in a While - after Toby's week away in Cranbury, NJ, he took a day off and we did the local tourist thing by heading over to Fort McHenry. It was one of those places you could live near for years and never get around to visiting, so it was nice that we did.

Not that you can tell an awful lot from the photos, but for the uninformed, this is where Francis Scott Key wrote The Star Spangled Banner during the War of 1812. Nice little bit of history for the English transplants. I realize only now that we didn't take any photos of the flag that inspired Key so. How dumb.

It was a nice day, though, made complete by listening to a rousing rendition of our national anthem by some school children on the way out. Very sweet.

Trunk or Treat

Goodness, this is out of date now, but I had to show off my cute family at our church's Trunk or Treat affair:

Falling in with the treats chest - my littlest princess clearly needs to work on "perching"

3 princesses, a knight, a jester, and (below) a queen on her throne (though Abigail insists I was a duchess).

Loads of people came and had fun, in spite of (and perhaps even because of) the rain. It was a great night, and I'm so glad we got to be a part of it!

Pumpkin-Nut Cookies

You'll need:

1 cup butter

2 cups sugar

1 15oz can pumpkin

2 tsp baking powder

2tsp ground cinnamon

1 tsp salt

3/4 tsp ground nutmeg

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp ground allspice

2 eggs

1tbsp vanilla

4 cups flour

1 1/2 cups chopped pecans

1 recipe Powdered Sugar Icing *

1. Grease a cookies sheet; set aside. In a large bowl beat butter for 30 seconds. add sugar, pumpkin, baking powder, cinnamon, salt, nutmeg, baking soda, and allspice. Beat until combined, scraping side of bowl.

2. Beat in eggs and vanilla until combined. Beat in the flour and stir in pecans.

3. Drop dough by rounded teaspoons 1 inch apart onto cookie sheet. Bake in 350F/180C oven for 12 to 15 min. They don't spread much, but more "puff" up a bit.

4. Transfer cookies to a wire rack to cool. Cover with icing.

*Powdered Sugar Icing: combine 4 cups sifted powdered sugar, 1/4 cup milk and 1 tsp vanilla. Mix to spreading consistency, adding more milk if needed. The recipe considers this icing as optional. I disagree - it totally make the cookies. Yum.

Ooooo, breakfast!

I am so totally making this and this over the weekend - who's with me??

Winter dresses

I'm working on a few more winter things for the girls, since things at the stores seem to be geared towards private school uniforms or "working girls" (if you get me). Since my daughters are neither (ahem), I've started with some more cross back dresses for Ellie.

Nice and warm, being two thicker layers, it's also a two-fer, being reversible with the pink and denim. And as Toby pointed out, I know that the strawberries are upside down, but I prefer to think of it as "headed toward her sweet little mouth".

Works for me.

More dresses and a recipe for some mighty fine Pumpkin-Nut Cookies to come.

Playing some tunes

First up is Abigail, playing something in the children's book about floating in a boat.

Next is Anna, playing one of her own compositions.

I can assure you, it'll be a long time before I'll feel brave enough to share a video of my own playing...

From scootin' to walkin'

Because you need to see it to believe it...

What do you do on a rainy wet day?

This is some of what we do:

We make some soup - awesome Corn Chowder

We play the piano (had some great video of the girls, but it'll have to wait - Blogger is being weird)

We root through Mommy's cupboards

We turn on the heat (for the first time this season)

Work on a few knitting projects (because one is never enough)

A bit of schoolwork (loving Our Island Story for history)

Later, we'll do some baking (I'm seriously thinking about some chocolate cake, among other things), sewing, and coloring in some of these do-dads.

So, what do you do?