Cool finds Fridays.

Welcome to the first cool finds Fridays.  Every Friday I will post something/s that I find cool and interesting.  It can and will be anything( a project to do with the kids, a quote, anything)

To start it off, here is a project that you can do either for your kids or yourself.  Its a great way to recycle.  It has so many possibilities.  All you need are some washed out tin cans, hot glue and a cookie sheet.  You hot glue the cans to the cookie sheet, then fill the cans up with crayons, markers, lego's, anything you want.  hang it on the wall where your kids can reach it and you are good to go.
You can even use this for yourself.  You can organize your sewing notions, or you can use it for odds and ends like batteries.  I never know where to store batteries.

Here is the same idea but using plastic cups, twist ties and peg board

The possibilities are endless. Till next Friday.
Here is the original link

Sofrito

Sofrito pronounced so-free-toe, is what Spanish people use to season most if not all of their food.  Some people even put it on top of their already  cooked food.  I use it everyday and add it to all of my uncooked food.  Even when I fry chicken,  I rub it on the chicken before I fry it.  Here is a picture of some I made.

  This is very easy to make.  You only need a blender or food processor.  The ingredients can be changed up any way you like.  You can add and even subtract from it.
Here is how I make it
1-2 yellow onions
3 heads of garlic ( we love garlic here, you can use less if you like)
1-2 red peppers (bell)
1-2 Green peppers (bell)
1-2 heads of Cilantro
a bunch of recaito (this is the base of any sofrito, its also known as culantro.  I buy it buy the bunch, not loose)
After rinsing off all the ingredients and chopping them up into smaller pieces, you put them in the blender/food processor.  I do not cut the onion into small pieces.  I just cut them in half(they make me cry).  I add them  first because when you blend them, you get a lot of onion juice.  This helps cut down on your need to add water.  Once all of the onions are blended then you go ahead and add your other ingredients.  After everything is blended mix it up real good and store them in some containers.  I use glass and plastic containers.  This also freezes very well, so you can freeze any extra you may have.  I fill a glass jar and freeze whatever is left.  This also defrosts quickly.

If you give it a try let me know how you like it.

Next will be How to make Spanish Rice.

Doll stroller fail

So my girls A and J have this baby toy stroller.

 

As you can see its falling apart.  They love stuffing their toys in it and sitting in it also.  I bought some fabric from Walmart to make them some dresses but I did not buy enough fabric.  So I used it for the stroller.  I did not measure correctly so its to small.  I know they will use it anyway, but I am going to fix it for them.  I decided to post my fail because it came out so pretty.

Here it is.  Isn't it pretty.  I think so.  I can not wait to fix it for them.  I had wanted to turn the stroller into a tram stroller but I didn't have a basket to use and they needed their stroller.  Play time is not the same without it.

pj pants

My son Zboy asked me to make him a pair of pants.  He said that I always sew for the girls, if I could make him something.  I had this batman fabric that I bought knowing that my sons would like it.  So I used it to make him a pair of pj pants.  He is very happy with his pants..  They were very easy to make, I used a ottobre pattern to make them.

Pinterest

I do not remember how I stumbled upon this site, but I'm glad I did. 
Its a fun site.  You can check it out by either clicking on the link to your right or Pinterest.

I don't have much stuff up yet but I will.  If you would like an invite just let me know and I will send you one.

Make Crisp, Even Hems

This is an ingenious idea. I do wish I would have thought of it :).  Of course leave it to Martha Stewart to think of this.  I will be trying this on my next project, for sure.  I wonder how it will work on skirt hems since they curve?  I'm just going to have to find out   :)

Organization and Sanity

I need to get a little bit more organized here.. I don't know about you but with 1 young adult, 2 teenagers, 2 kids and 2 toddlers I desperately need to be organized.  Lets not for get that 2 out of the 7 are extremely active.  I mean from the minute they wake up to when they have fallen asleep, all they do is run around the house, climb on/over everything or body.  Just getting them to clean in the morning(basic chores here) is a job in itself.

I have made up chore charts before, the problem is sometimes I forget to print out either the next days sheet or the next weeks sheet.  Well I seem to have found the answer to my problem... laminate chore cards.

You can read about them here, even check out her organization system.  I used to do something similar to the binder system back when I attempted to be a flybaby, you know from Flylady.com.   I still do shine my sink I have to say.  One day I will be organized, at least that is my goal  :)

I have come to realize that my kids do not bicker as much when they are busy.  So I must find things to do with them to keep them busy or even find things for them to do on their own to keep them busy.  Boredom is the evil that starts the sibling quarrels rolling if you ask me.  This is how I will stay sane.

Cooking.

Food is not something I think about all the time.  When I get hungry I can eat whatever unlike my husband.  He loves food (what man doesn't).  So I am trying out new recipes in the kitchen.  Its not easy for me to come up with different things to cook.  My dh can whip something up in a minute.  I guess his love of food and cooking helps him.  I on the other hand need all the help I can get.  I found a web site called Pioneer Woman .  She has lots of different recipes.  I made the Chicken Piccata and it was delicious.  A hit in my house.  Everyone loved it.  Try it out and let me know how it came out and if you like it.