Under Renovation

As I mentioned in an earlier blog, we are in the middle of a renovation in the bathroom.  We are nearing the end of the second week and now the tile is being installed.  It is white subway tile and looks great.  The tile is up on 3 of the 4 walls, with a few pieces missing where special cuts are needed. I have decided on a colour but someone suggested it would be too bright.  This is a person whose home has white walls everywhere.  So do I go with what I want or do I go more neutral. I want it to be restful and calm.  The hot pink might be better in accents rather than on the wall. The bright yellow I had in there to make the gold fixtures disappear was too bright at times, one feeling the need to wear dark glasses in there.  So I will wait until the floor and all fixtures are in place and get the feel of the place.  It is all about feelings.  

I am hoping by next Wednesday that it will all be done.  We shall see.

Art Portfolios

Yesterday I had my two charges and after an hour of soccer in a gym with a homeschool group, we headed to Michael’s for some bristol board…after trying at Walmart, who do not carry said product anymore.  In fact the whole sewing section in Walmart is gone…(I don’t get out much).  Later someone told me I could have gotten bristol board at a Dollar Store….did I say I don’t get out much????  Live and learn.  I did buy some craft paint at Walmart and it was cheaper than at Michael’s. So far so good.

We ( I ) punched holes around the three sides of the board and taught them to string ribbon through them.  It was a bit of a challenge for the boy but you could see him mentally figuring out whether to go up or down through each hole.  At the end I informed them that they had just sewed. They will decorate the portfolios another day.

They will be able to store their art in these portfolios and it will keep it nice and flat and secure.  At the end of the year they can sort through and keep their best selections in a scrapbook (if it is not too big) and toss the rest. This is not a news flash, this is my reality.

Yummy Jumbleberry Crumble

This is an easy and quick dessert that looks like you slaved a long time to make.  It is low on sugar too so is not too sweet. 

Topping:

1/2 cup flour

1/2 tsp. baking powder

4 tbsp. cold butter

3 tbsp. sugar(white)

This can be frozen in a zip lock bag and at the ready when you need to make a quick dessert for unexpected company.  It can doubled and tripled to make a larger batch.

Frozen berries

2 tsp white sugar with 1 tsp of vanilla -mix and stir in 1 tsp of cornstarch. Pour this over the berries and then top with the topping. Bake in a hot oven at 450′ F for about 20 minutes. 

This makes for approximate 2 servings so you should expand on that for a crowd.   I like to use raspberries and blueberries and strawberries  but other fruits would work as well.  Enjoy this quick and easy dessert. Serve with whip cream or ice cream for more fun and more calories if you are not counting.