Happy Birthday Trouble!

Four months ago, we adopted an eight-month old rabbit named Trouble.  That very day, Trevor checked the calendar to see when we would hold Trouble's birthday party.  He's been planning the details for months.  Finally, the big day came.

Trevor and I made cards:

And Grandma even sent a card in the mail!

We baked Bunny Biscuits for Trouble....

and Carrot Cupcakes for the humans.

We set the cards and food on Trevor's picnic table....

and the presents on the grass.

The Guest of Honor LOVED his bunny biscuits.

All that were left were crumbs.

Trevor read the cards to Trouble, who listened attentively.

Trouble wasn't sure what to do with his presents.  He sniffed them and nudged them a little bit, but didn't open them.

Trevor eventually opened them for Trouble.

Happy first birthday Trouble!  We're so happy to be your Forever Family.

"I'm a Pumpkin!"

Trevor and I love pumpkin patches.  We visit at least 3 different patches each October.  As soon as we arrive, I pose Trevor amongst the pumpkins, hoping for that perfect picture with gorgeous colors, ideal lighting, and his winning smile.  Of course, he'd much rather play than pose for pictures.  I usually get one or two acceptable photos before he zips off to enjoy the pumpkin bowling, corn bath, or hay mazes.

During our first pumpkin patch visit of the year, he sat nicely for one obligatory photo, then proceeded to pretend he was a pumpkin in all subsequent photos.  It was so funny.  Even better was the way he announced, "I'm a pumpkin!" each time. 

I used this sketch from Shannon White.

 

What a fun sketch!  I love the way it turned out.

Pipe Cleaner Spiders

Many years ago, I used to do a really cute pipe cleaner spider craft with my fifth graders. I love seeing my sample each year when I unbox the Halloween decorations.

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Pipe Cleaner Spider

Materials: 

• 4-hole black button
• four pipe cleaners
• two googly eyes
• craft glue

Steps:  

Bend each pipe cleaner in half and force the bent end through one of the holes of the button. It should protrude about 1/2 inch or so, depending on the size of your button. This step is either easy or very difficult depending on the size of the buttonholes. If it is a very tight fit, try rotating the pipe cleaner as you push it through. Repeat with the other three pipe cleaners.

Bend the ends of the pipe cleaners down to cover the button.

Bend the legs to form the shape of the spider.

Glue on eyes.

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It's been at least a decade since I've made one of these, so I'd forgotten that a few of the steps are a little tricky. Trevor wasn't able to thread the bent pipe cleaners through the buttonholes, so we adapted the project to match a kindergartener's dexterity. 

Start with the same supplies, but instead of bending the pipe cleaners, leave them straight. Thread each of the four pipe cleaners through a buttonhole.

Working with one pipe cleaner at a time, twist the two ends around each other to secure them to the button. Bend the pipe cleaners to form the spider legs.

(For this picture, I removed the other three pipe cleaners to make it easier to see what to do.)

Continue to twist and then bend all eight legs.

Add eyes and you're done!

My Very First Pet Page

Look- my first pet page ever! 

This was another of the 18 unfinished layouts that had been sitting on my desk for 2 months.  I'd done everything except embellish it.  I knew I needed whatever embellishment I put in the upper left to hold part of my title, but nothing inspired me.  As I was cleaning up from another project, I found the Jillibean corrugated buttons that I'd won at a Scrap Again crop.  The larger one housed my title perfectly.  I used my Fiskars squeeze punch to add some other circles in different shades of brown.

I love the way it turned out!

Tomato Soup

The weather around here has been really unpredictable- rainy and 50° one day, sunny and 80° the next. I've been harvesting from the garden on the warm sunny days, then using those items to make soup on the cold rainy days. Here's some tomato soup I made, based loosely on a recipe from Bon Appetit.

Tomato Soup

                                        2 T. olive oil                                                 3 slices bread, cubed

                                        1/2 c. chopped onion                                4 c. vegetable broth
                                        1 clove garlic, minced                               fresh basil, slivered
                                        1 lb. chopped tomatoes                           grated Parmesan cheese

Heat oil over medium heat. Add onion and garlic and saute for 3 minutes. Add tomatoes, bread and broth. Bring soup to a boil, then reduce heat to medium-low. Cover and simmer approximately 10 minutes. Use an immersion blender to puree soup to desired consistency. Divide basil between bowls, then ladle soup over the basil. Sprinkle with cheese. Serves 3.


There weren't any leftovers, so for my next tomato soup recipe I used this:

To make this!

Tomato Soup Cake is so good! I have no idea where I originally got the recipe, as I've been making it for decades. I like to bring it to potlucks- no one ever guesses the 'secret' ingredient.  

Tomato Soup Cake

                                    2 c. flour                                                 1/2 tsp. ground cloves
                                    1 1/3 c. sugar                                         1 can (10 3/4 oz.) condensed tomato soup
                                    4 tsp. baking powder                           1/2 c. shortening
                                    2 tsp. ground allspice                           2 eggs
                                    1 tsp. baking soda                                 1/4 c. water                               
                                    1 tsp. cinnamon

Grease and lightly flour two 8" round cake pans and set aside. Mix dry ingredients. Add soup, shortening, eggs and water. Beat at high speed for 4 minutes. Pour into pans and bake at 350° for 35 minutes. Remove from pan and cool on wire racks. Frost with cream cheese frosting.

Cream Cheese Frosting

                                    4 oz. cream cheese                             2 c. powdered sugar
                                    4 oz. butter                                           1 tsp. vanilla

Beat together cream cheese and butter until light and fluffy. With the mixer on low, add powdered sugar 1/2 c. at a time. When sugar is incorporated, beat in vanilla.