Sometimes the little things can make a statement without being too showy like these mini paper garlands. Simply attach them to the shelves, walls and other empty spaces/areas to bring out a festive and fun look.
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Another idea is to use paper garlands on packages.
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Simple and easy craft project to make and fun to use.
Cut the embroidery floss to the desired length. Punch out the circles and fold them in half. Apply glue to the back side of the circle and run the embroidery floss along the inside folded line. Press the two halves firmly together. The 1/2 circles should be about 3/4 to 1 inch apart from each other. Repeat the steps.
July 4th is the day to celebrate and reflect on the birth of our nation.
The founding Fathers wanted this nation to be independent and separate from Great Britain. The decision by 56 of the 58 members of the Second Continental Congress to sign the Declaration of Independence was not without struggles, challenges and risk of death. Some names are easier to recognize than others but all were needed to give relevance and significance to this document and show unity. Some signatures have been colored by me to identify individuals mentioned below.
John Hart, signer of the Declartion of Independence, Judge and Lesgislator. He was one of the men who became a target of the British and was forced to flee from home and family. His house, mill and crops destroyed. After the long hardship of being on the run for over a year his health deteriorated and he never fully recovered. { continue …}
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Thomas Jefferson, 1743-1826
Thomas Jefferson, was a signer of the Declaration of Independence, 3rd President of the United States, Secretary of State, Diplomat and Governor of Virginia. Thomas Jefferson’s well know phrase, ‘Separation of Church and State‘ was taken from letters written to the Baptist Association of Danbury, Connecticut . It was not written in the Declaration of Independence or the Constitution as many people have assumed.
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Thomas McKean, 1734-1817
Thomas McKean, was a signer of the Declaration of Independence, President of Congress Ratifier of the U.S. Constitution, Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania, Governor of Pennsylvania and Governor of Delaware. The following is an excerpt of a Proclamation for a Day of Thanksgiving and Prayer issued by Thomas McKean, November 19, 1781: “It is therefore recommended to the several states to set apart the THIRTEENTH day of DECEMBER next, to be religiously observed as a day of THANKSGIVING and PRAYER; that all the people may assemble on that day with grateful hearts to celebrate the praises of our glorious Benefactor, to confess our manifold sins, to offer up our most fervent supplications to the God of all grace that it may please Him to pardon our offense, and incline our hearts for the future, to keep all His laws, to comfort and relieve all our brethren who are in distress or captivity, to prosper our husbandmen, and give strength to all engaged in lawful commerce; to impart wisdom and integrity to our counselors, judgment and fortitude to our officers and soldiers; to protect and prosper our illustrious ally and favor our united exertions for the speedy establishment of a safe, honorable, and lasting peace, to bless our seminaries of learning, and cause the knowledge of God to cover the earth as the waters cover the seas.” {continue …}
The HBO 2008 mini series, John Adams is one of our family favorite history series to watch. I can’t say that our kids were excited to sit and watch history, but by the time part 1 ended, their interests heighten and were eger to continue to part 2. There were a few small parts that we decided to skip for the kids, but overall they watched everything else. Bringing history of our nation to the next generation will help them to understand, appreciate and celebrate this day with pride and joy.
We hope you and your family have a wonderful 4th of July celebration!
Do you think there’s enough red, white and blue in this picture? If you have this breakfast, you’ll be ready for the busy 4th of July celebration; parade in the morning, picnic in the afternoon and fireworks in the evening.
The first step is to cook the bacon (Oscar Mayer Bacon). Preheat the over to 375° F, line the baking pan with parchment paper, place the bacon strips side by side on the pan and bake them for about 23-28 minutes until golden brown and crispy.
While the bacon is in the oven, get started on the Blueberry Buttermilk Pancake mix.
Basic Buttermilk Pancakes {makes about 12 four-inch pancakes}
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons sugar
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
3 cups buttermilk
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted, plus 1 tablespoon for griddle/pan
fresh blueberries (optional)
1. In a medium bowl, melt 4 tablespoons butter, then add buttermilk and eggs. Mix the mixture lightly with a fork. Sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and sugar and combine the dry ingredients with the liquid mixture. Mix them with the fork until the batter just combined and it should have small to medium lumps. Let the mixture rest for 5 to 10 minutes, it will bubble slightly.
2. Heat the pan/griddle on medium for a few minutes. Brush it with butter and pour about 1/4 – 1/2 cup of pancake batter. Scatter the top with blueberries and flip it over when the pancake bubbles and is golden brown on the bottom (about 2 minutes per side). Repeat with the remaining batter.
3. To keep the pancakes warm, place them on a heat-proof plate in the oven at 175° F, or before serving put the pancakes in the toaster to heat and crisp them up. Serve with maple syrup.
Top the stack of pancakes with fresh blueberries and strawberries. The sweetness of fresh picked strawberries can’t be compared to store bought. It has been a treat for us, filling our little berry basket full of strawberries from our garden just about every other day. As I was putting these strawberries together for a quick photo op, our dog Glory couldn’t resist them and took a few for herself.
Have a wonderful 4th of July!
recipe source: adapted from Martha Stewart Magazine, January 2002
What a wonderful setting for a gathering outdoors. The ‘Field of Dreams‘ is the name for this annual dinner and auction event at the Seattle Mariner’s baseball field, organized by Medical Teams International. Bill and I had the opportunity to attend it recently. We were looking down to the field below where all the tables were set for the dinner and a fun night of entertainment and live auction.
Bill on the baseball field and standing next to the pitcher’s mound.
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Highlights from the live auction
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Bill with two friends that have been a part of this special event for many years. Bob Carroll(L) was the last year’s holder of the winning ‘Golden Ticket’ for a trip to Hawaii. Joe Boldan(R) is part of the Steering Committee for Medical Teams International.
The night ended successfully and raised over $2 million dollars. Medical Teams International started here in the Pacific Northwest caring for people in the local neighborhoods by providing dental care and other assistance. Over the years they have partnered with companies and other organizations and now travel around the world and provide the aid to those in need. {learn more …}
{answer to the trivia is “C“, the cream pie that Jim Zorn was holding}
What’s so special about these chocolate chip cookies? You will have to make a batch to find out. I have on file 4 or maybe 5 different chocolate chip cookie recipes that I like to use depending on how and why I’m making them; crispy , chewy, chocolaty, etc… But the one recipe that I tend to make again and again is a variation of the recipe from Cook’s Illustrated Magazine {January/February 1996}. This is also the one my kids requested the most.
Ingredients
4 ¼ cups unsifted bleached all-purpose flour
½ teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 ½ cups unsalted butter, melted and cooled until warm
2 cups dark brown sugar
2/3 cup granulated sugar
3 large eggs plus 1 egg yolk
4 teaspoons vanilla extract
2-2½ cups semi-sweet chocolate chips
Directions 1. Heat oven to 325 degrees.
2. Mix flour, salt, and baking soda together in a bowl and set aside.
3. In a large bowl, mix melted butter and sugars until thoroughly blended. Mix in eggs, yolk and vanilla. Add dry ingredients; mix until combined. Stir in chips.
4. Use an ice cream scoop to form cookie dough into 1 1/2 inch balls. Place formed dough onto parchment paper-lined cookie sheet, about 2 inches apart and 12 dough balls per cookie sheet.
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5. Bake at 325 degrees for about 10-12 minutes. The center of the cookies will still be soft and puffy {see image}. Transfer the cookie sheet with the soft cookies still on it to a cooling rack and let the cookies rest for about 10 minutes. They will be firm and cool enough to be taken off the cookie sheet.
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Without having said a word, I had three eager volunteers in the kitchen. One by one they came to help; Caleb was the first, then Grace and Hannah came just in time to mix in the chocolate chips. This recipe can easily be made by hand or a mixer.
