Smashing Potatoes

A couple of weeks ago, I wrote about our potato and apple harvest here; well, fast forward a couple of weeks, and we are still overflowing with potatoes. Most of the apples at this stage, have been transformed into apple sauce, and are tucked away for the coming year, but the potatoes? It is fair to say that we have been eating them daily, in some form or another, and we just don't seem to be making a dent in our potato stash.

A little online research, and I learned that potatoes can be tricky to freeze. They are have to be prepped just so, or they won't go through the freezing process well.

Which was very disheartening.

Until, eureka! Mashed potatoes! Turns out that mashed potatoes (or smashed, if you like to leave the skins on) are super-duper easy to freeze. Just cook, and prepare as usual, then freeze.

I chose to freeze them in meal serving sizes, rather than individual portions, but these really were a snap to prepare.


What is your favorite way to eat potatoes? Feel free to share in the comments!

On the Cutting Table

Early morning, and there are certainly other things I should be doing. But, no! - I'm sipping my tea, setting up my sewing machine, and getting ready to cut into some fabric, making two little bags, one for Baby Girl and one for My Little Boy.

And all this by candlelight!

Earlier this year, making a night bag for The Little Guy was one of the first sewing machine projects I tackled, a little bag to keep his PJs and night time book in. I find it takes a lot of the dithering and uncertainty out of the bedtime routine if night attire and books are already chosen. And it's fun to zoom around the house with your night time bag at your side! (The fabric for the bag below was printed by Spoonflower; they do custom printing, so I took an picture that The Little Guy had drawn, and made it up into a yard of fabric! Cute, huh?!)

Now the weather is turning chillier, and the two Little Ones are actually wearing PJs, it's time for them to have their night bags too. And me? I get to spend my morning sipping tea, and cutting and pinning! Simple pleasures!

A Nature Shelf! {week 1, October 2012}

Ah! - the clean slate of starting a new month!

For this month, I'm planning on embracing Fall, and pumpkins and leaves with our Nature Shelf this month.

So up goes the orange playsilk and the Crystals (the first week of the Nature Shelf represents the mineral world).

And, let's see what 'the gnomes' have in store for next week ;-)


What are you doing to bring Fall into your home? Feel free to share in the comments!

Upcycling Sunday

Upcycling def. the process of converting waste materials or useless products into new materials or products of better quality or for better environmental value.

Wikipedia.org

One of my major goals with living a simpler life, is to clear some of the 'stuff' out of our home. I don't think I have it in me to become a strict minimalist, but less clutter and more space in our snug little home would be a good thing.

I'd love to start a weekly feature tracking the items that I am able to 'upcycle' to a new home each week, whether it be through Freecyle, selling, gifting or donating.

If you are unfamiliar with Freecycle, check out my link ... I just love this organization, and they seem to be growing rapidly. I really find Craig's List to be another good place to either sell or give away items, as well as Diaper Swappers, for diapers, children and baby items and clothes, and some mama items (such as maternity wear and nursing items).

I gave away a stack of pre-fold diapers, through Diaper Swappers ...

 ... and a stack of covers,

 ... and this changing mat,

  ... and this cover! All of the above were gifted to me by someone through Freecycle, and I just wasn't using them. This was a great way to find them a new home where they'll get used!

Speaking of Freecycle, I found new homes for two lamps that weren't being used.

A good week!

And what about you? What were you able to Upcycle this week?


What are you Upcycling this week?

1. Please enter the direct link to your Upcycling Sunday blog post in the Linky tool below. If you don’t have a blog but still have something to share, feel free to add it to the comments.
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3. Check back next week to link up again!