Day 5: Souper Sunday

In 2002, I was introduced to the best mushroom soup ever. Yes, it was that good.  I was working at a local phone company in a very small tourist town in central Minnesota.  Many of the shops were seasonal and there were very few eateries that were within driving distance for a short lunch break.  Sibley Station had a log cabin look and the food was phenomenal.  They had a Hungarian Mushroom soup that was served with crunchy croutons and I could eat that anytime.

Sadly, I quit my job and moved away when my exH joined the Army and the restaurant has since closed.  I thought that the recipe would be lost forever.  I should have known better!  It's amazing what you can find on the internet! I found that the recipe has been transferred over to Antlers which is on a popular golf course in the area.  A quick Google search yielded many results.  I started with this link: Hungarian Mushroom Soup.

It turned out better than I had expected.  It wasn't as creamy as I recalled but I did have to make a few modifications to the recipe due to lack of availability of ingredients.  I will most certainly be making this soup again as all of my taste-testers loved it.

Day 4: Five Little Monkies (or just monkies)

I'm on the last few days of a three week visit with family.  I've been staying with my mom and brother and while my middle lovebug was visiting her dad it was very quiet around here.  She's back and my niece is also here so I'm going to make a yummy dinner of Hungarian Mushroom Soup and Monkey Bread for the five of us.  Monkey Bread is a staple in our house! We love it! Sweet or savory, it doesn't matter.  We enjoy it any which way.  I'm excited about the recipe I found at Five Heart Home. This could be dangerously good, and addicting.

Savory Herb & Cheese Monkey Bread

Life is too short not enjoy the bread!

Day 3: Working a miracle

It's confession time: I am thirty-five and my skin acts like it's in its teens.  It's embarrassing.  I still get break-outs.  I don't know why.  I am diligent with the face-washing, most of the time.  It's something that I am working at being better about.

Today's project is another pamper me project.  I haven't used a facial mask in years... YEARS.  What?! I don't even know how that happened.  <hangs head shamefully> I always have some excuse like, it's not in the budget or I  just don't have the time.  Well, here's something that won't break the budget and while somewhat time-consuming, I can fit it into my schedule.  I'm at my wit's end with this skincare stuff so I'm going to give this a whirl.

The Miracle Mask

It has to be better than doing nothing!

Day 2: Pamper Me, Pamper You

Life gets crazy busy. I understand it.  It doesn't have to be a planned busy, life with littles/tweens/teens is hectic! That being said, it is really important to take time out for yourself.  You need pampering. I need pampering.  I can't afford a spa day at the moment, but, I like to find DIY recipes for scrubs and the like.  I have been wanting to try the Lemon Sugar Scrub for a long time.  Like, two years almost three, long time.  It's a popular pin and it's been sitting on my 'I feel pretty' board for awhile.  I don't know why I never tried to make it before now.

Here's the link to the original: Lemon Sugar Scrub

I'm excited to give this a try.  I am also curious as to how it will affect my dry, cracked hands.  I'll update it when I have a determination.

Day 1: Sugar and Spice and Everything Nice

Welcome to my new[ish] blog.  I'm not new to the blogging world, but, I am trying something different.  If you came over here from Live, Lovebugs, Aloha then I'm sure that you're aware of how maddeningly difficult 2013 was for me and my family. After much trepidation and with the hope that the new year brings, I'm turning over a new leaf and moving forward with my life.  It seems really simple, doesn't it? I mean, why would I even have to ponder the thought of moving forward? The truth is, I let the weight of things I couldn't control burden me. Changes happen for a reason; I don't always know what that reason is.

This new blog will be an adventure.  It will be a chronicle of me making the time to do things with my lovebugs: crafts, baking, family outings, etc.  I am making a commitment to at least try to blog three times per week but to do something new with my lovebugs for each day of the upcoming year.  I've got my list haphazardly put together; I've checked it twice. It's time to get this adventure started.

For day one of Project365, I'm making Cinnamon Sugar Pretzels.  Sugar, spice and everything nice.  Life with three girls and one boy is definitely interesting.  I love how their personalities are so different yet in some ways they are very much the same.  My girls have got the spice of sugar, spice and everything nice.  Spunky.  Independent. Not afraid to tell it like it is.  But, they've also got the sugar. They are growing up into well-rounded little beings and I am so very proud of who they are. I wouldn't trade the experience for anything because they've taught me a lot, too.  Raising daughters is everything nice.

I've chosen a sweet recipe for today's project.  I've never made them personally but I have consumed them. The recipe is straight forward and doesn't contain a lot of ingredients or steps.  I don't mind it when a recipe contains lots of ingredients or steps though my busy schedule doesn't always afford me the time to do it. I like quick, something that I can whip together while the littlest lovebug naps. This makes the perfect after school snack.  It's salty and sweet. The pretzels add the perfect crunch. It's delicious!

Here is a link to the original recipe: Yummy Cinnamon Sugar Pretzels