This Moment

(This Moment) Is a Friday ritual inspired by SouleMama. A single image capturing a special moment from the week. A moment I want to pause, savor & remember.

 

 

 

Around The Nest.

Images of pieces that make up the space I call home.

Descriptions below.

 

 

 

* A lovely handmade serving dish found at my local thrift store

* A beautiful & delicate wing found this morning by my boys

* A funky little print that I acquired somewhere along the way

* A girl and her sheep (not sure of the actual name of the painting). A picture that I fell in love with the moment I saw it

* A photograph I took at my husbands childhood home

*One of my most favorite magnets, bought early on in my marriage. It always makes me smile

(woodland animal magnets by MonkeysOnTheRoof)

* A favorite piece of pottery - also found at the thrift store

* The display of in my living room. Candles, pictures, a much loved painting by my father & my pink Himalayan crystal tea light candle holder 

* Happy images of the children playing with their homemade playdough

* My crucifix that hangs in our home that greets each person who enters

* Last but not least, my ever improving craft area

 

 

Recipe: : Homemade Playdough!

 First let me say, my kids love playdough. I mean, what kid doesn't? They love playing with this homemade version and the last batch their grandmother made for them to play with at her house is still going strong and it's been at least a month since she made it! I thought though that it's probably time for a new batch. This time however I wanted to make it a little more special and decided to add in some awesome glitter and some essential oil to scent it! I also didn't have any food coloring on hand so I colored it (very lightly) with some turmeric powder.

Below is my version of a very basic playdough recipe.

*Homemade Playdough*
(If the little ones want to help, let them knead in the glitter!)

*2 cups all purpose flour

*2 cups water

*2/3 cups of salt (I used kosher salt)

*4 teaspoons cream of tartar

*2 tablespoons olive or melted coconut oil (I used olive oil)

*Approx. 1/2 teaspoon of turmeric for color (use more or less, it's totally up to you)

*5-10 drops lavender essential oil.

**Extra Fine Glitter**

(do not add glitter until the cooling stage)

--Pour your dry ingredients into a pot and then add in your wet ingredients.

--Stir on medium heat for about 5-10 minutes or until your mixture starts to thicken and then eventually pulls away from the walls of the pot. (trust me, it will get VERY thick!)

--Once everything is combined and has formed a ball in the pot, scrape the playdough on to a floured counter top and allow to cool. (you may need to mix in a little flour to your dough as it cools)

--If the dough is too hot to handle, just wait a few minutes and then add in your glitter - now would be the time to let your little ones help knead in the glitter! (I added approx. 1 tablespoon of extra fine glitter to this batch, but the amount is totally up to you!)

--Enjoy! No doubt this will bring many hours of fun for your little ones!!



Recipe : : Creamy Spinach Dip

I was craving a delicious, warm spinach dip lately and after spending some time on Pinterest, I found some that looked good, but none of the recipes were exactly what I wanted so I just decided to take the best from what I could find and create my own version of a warm spinach dip!
My recipe is very laid back. You really can't go wrong and you can even tweak it to make it your own.

Creamy Spinach Dip

*8oz package frozen chopped spinach - thawed & drained)

*Half of one onion - sliced very thinly
 
*2 cloves of garlic - minced very finely

*8oz cream cheese - room tempature

*1 cup of parmesan cheese - fresh or powdered is fine

*1/4 cup (or so) of mayonnaise

*2 tablespoons olive oil or coconut oil

*2 teaspoons salt

*1 teaspoons black pepper

(*1-2 tablespoons of milk to thin out - optional)

--Heat a skillet to about medium heat and add your oil to the pan
--Once your oil is hot, add In your onion and garlic (you want them to become nice and soft, not burnt!) Stir often.
--After your onion and garlic are nice and soft, lower the heat a bit and add in your drained spinach and stir.
--Now add in your cream cheese and stir until it is well incorporated with the spinach, onions & garlic mixture. (smashing with a fork helps)
--After the cream cheese is blended, add in your mayonnaise, parmesan cheese, salt & pepper (mix well!)
-- Now turn off your heat and transfer the dip into a bowl and serve with corn chips & veggies!

I hope you enjoy this dip as much as I did!

Feel free to share this recipe on Pinterest!

A Day At The Park.