jennifer, Author at Hopeful Homemaker

One Step Report #5

February 8, 2010 jennifer One Step

Another week, another report. 56 steps taken in this first week of February.

A few highlights from the week:

We fed the sister missionaries dinner with less than 1 hour’s notice, and on the craziest night of the week. It was wonderful to have them in our home.

I decided that this whole One Step idea is ridiculous because I’ll never get caught up if I only move at this pace. Then reality hit and I decided that taking one step is a whole lot better than quitting, which is not an option. So I said a prayer and repented and One Step 2010 was back on.

This week was full of many steps involving me doing something because it was right, even though I didn’t feel like it or particularly want to. I feel like those moments of decision are important, and I’m glad I chose the right thing.

I tried a new recipe .

I had fun sprucing up my living room .

I learned a lot of very personal lessons from my Heavenly Father. It was a real learning sort of week. I hope that this week I remember and implement those lessons so I don’t have to learn them again.

But the absolute highlight of the week was the activity our family attended on Saturday night. I need to find the right words to write a post about it, but I’ll just say that it involved a courageous little girl, a lot of really great people, and a wish come true.

And last but not least, today I had an idea that I’m really excited about it. If it works, I can’t wait to share it!

I’m having a hard time getting the housework done without my kindergarten carpool. Sounds silly, I know, but it’s a real struggle. I’m hoping to do better this week, especially since my house is trashed and we’ve got guests coming for dinner tomorrow night! Yikes!

Life is good. I’m grateful for the gift of a new week. I hope yours is awesome!

Burlap Wreath DIY

February 7, 2010 jennifer Decorating

My sister came to town unexpectedly last weekend, so I decided a quick craft project was in order.
After bumping into this post recently, I decided to try making my own burlap wreath.

I bought a yard of burlap and found an old wire hanger, and we were set to go. (sorry about the lighting, we made these late at night.)

Open the hanger and shape it into a circle.

Next we cut the burlap into 4 inch strips.

Then we just started folding the burlap back and forth….

and poking one end of the hanger through the middle.

Continue doing this until you’ve used every strip of burlap.

Your last step is to twist the ends of the hanger to close the wreath.

Lessons learned:
I probably should have made the wreath even smaller, because when I picked it up the burlap seemed to slide down and make the wreath seem bottom heavy. Either that, or more than 1 yard of burlap should have been used.

We got around this by simply taking small pieces of scotch tape and taping them around the hanger at intervals to prevent the burlap from sliding. This allowed the burlap to stay evenly spread around the entire wreath.

Finished product:

Total cost: $2.47 for one yard of burlap at Wal Mart. Total time: about 30 minutes.

2 comments crafts & activities, Decorating, DIY

Bakerella’s Peach Crunch Cake

February 7, 2010 jennifer Desserts

If you’ve never checked out Bakerella’s site , you need to. So cute.
When she posted this recipe , I was intrigued. It’s the peach cobbler recipe that so many people use, but with a couple of ingredients added to it. Because I had all of them in my house, I decided to try it out.

Ingredients:

Start by pouring a can of sliced peaches (I used a 29 ounce can) into a 9×13 inch pan. Don’t drain them!

Cut them into bite sized pieces.

Sprinkle a box of yellow cake mix over the peaches.

Cut 1/4 cup of butter or margarine into little pats and place them on top of the cake mix.

I just have to pause here and say that at this point I had such a powerful memory hit me. I felt like I was 10 years old again, and my mom had just handed me a cake mix, a can of cherry pie filling, and a stick of margarine and asked me to make dessert. I felt like I’d been transported back to her kitchen, and I was standing at the end of the counter making dessert in the midst of a large family emptying the dishwasher, setting the table, and preparing the meal. The dessert I made looked just like this. Wow, memory is a powerful thing.

The last two steps in Bakerella’s recipe are what made me want to try it. Next you sprinkle 1 cup of brown sugar over the butter.

And finally, a cup of chopped nuts. Bakerella used walnuts. I used pecans.

Looks yummy!

Bake at 350 degrees for 40 minutes. Remove from the oven. It should look something like this.

How did my family (and the extra 12 year old boys we had on hand) like this recipe?

Judging by the speed with which it disappeared, it’s a keeper! Personally, I really liked the crunch that the nuts brought to a dessert I’ve eaten many times. It added a layer of texture and flavor that I enjoyed. Thanks Bakerella!

One comment baking

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