The Paid Artist's Work.....

"The Kingdom"

I saw this movie the other night, and if you are at all interested in our government, the Middle East, oil, and/or Muslim faction wars; then you should see this movie. Lots of violence (necessary to storyline, not random "get the rating" crap), so maybe the littles shouldn't be sitting around when you watch. But a good movie. Great cast - Jamie Foxx, Jennifer Garner, Jason Bateman, and Chris Cooper.

Basil Pesto

Just wanted to share a little recipe with you. People love my pesto and it's sooo easy to make. The best part is when your basil plants are going crazy right about now, you make this and freeze it for later use (like winter!)

Basil Pesto from Mama's Kitchen

For 6

3 cups basil, prepared (see below)
1/2 cup veggie or olive oil
1/2 cup pine nuts (2 small packages)
1/4 cup parmesan cheese
7-10 cloves of garlic, peeled
1 Tbsp red pepper flakes (optional)
1.5 tsp kosher salt

1. Prepare basil: pull leaves from stems, large and small ones, any that aren't brown or black and wilted. Thoroughly rinse leaves in a collander (salad spinner if you have it).

2. Put ingredients into the blender in the following order: oil, garlic, pinenuts, half of basil, red pepper flakes. Blend on puree using pulse to move the basil down.

3. Once it's fully pureed, add the other half of leaves, salt, and cheese. You may have to push the leaves in occasionally with a spatula.

Pesto tastes best when it's been slightly heated with the pasta or gnocci. So after I have drained my noodles or gnocci, I return them to the pan, spoon in the pesto until everything is fully coated. Leave it on the burner that still has heat, but has been turned off - only for a couple minutes. Be sure to stir to heat and coat.

Optional add-ons:
grilled chicken
andouille sausage
sauteed onions, bell peppers, mushrooms
sun-dried tomatoes

Mama says, "Enjoy!"

Chef looks worried - yes?

Miranda gets a Gig!

I was browsing around Alchemy yesterday on Etsy. It's a classified ad sort of board that allows people to make a public custom request. I search the boards for some custom work that I can do and then bid on the job. I did win a bid yesterday for a custom wrap dress for a lovely person in Silver Spring MD. Can't wait to get started on that :)

But while I was searching around, I also found an ad for a someone who wants a hand drawn dinosaur that can be screenprinted onto a tee shirt. So I wrote her a note, and told her about Miranda and her 85 dinosaur drawings, and that she's only 8, etc. Well, lo and behold, the woman, Annie, picked her for the job! Miranda is about bowled over! Annie thought it was super cool that this little girl could draw some fantastic dinosaurs and chose her over 3 other graphic designers who bid for the job!

So, she'll make $5 and her artwork will be on a tee shirt. A paid artist - Mama's so proud :)

Strange Pictures

I'm trying to win a contest that requires me to post stock photos on my blog everyday for the 3 weeks. So if my pictures don't seem entirely relevant to my posts, that's why. It's hard to find pictures of the silly things I talk about.

served by picapp.com

served by picapp.com

Socialization for Homeschoolers

My dear friend Jenny sent this to me in an email. I positively love it!

Apparently, the problem with homeschooling is the socialization of
children. In the Kolbe Little Home Journal (Fall 2005), there is a
brief item called "Homeschooling Family Finds Ways to Adapt to a
Public School 'Socialization' Program." Here it is:

"When my wife and I mention we are strongly considering homeschooling our children, we are without fail asked, 'But what about socialization? ' Fortunately, we found a way our kids can receive the same socialization that government schools provide. On Mondays and Wednesdays, I will personally corner my son in the bathroom, give him a wedgie and take his lunch money. On Tuesdays and Thursdays, my wife will make sure to tease our children for not being in the 'in' crowd,taking special care to poke fun at any physical abnormalities. Fridays will be 'Fad and Peer Pressure Day.' We will all compete to see who has the coolest toys, the most expensive clothes, and the loudest,fastest, and most dangerous car. Every day, my wife and I will adhere to a routine of cursing and swearing in the hall and mentioning our weekend exploits with alcohol and immorality.. .. And we have asked them to report us to the authorities in the event we mention faith, religion, or try to bring up morals and values."

served by picapp.com

served by picapp.com

So, for ye of little faith in homeschooling - stuff it!

Rumblings

I'm tired, it's hot, muggy, soupy gross. Virginia is NOT for lovers; it's for gills. Somebody please wake me when September ends! I have all these great designs in my head and am finding it hard to get motivated in the heat. Although I have been sewing clothes like crazy, I need to get back to the handbags.

Summer veggies are coming in nicely at the market - tomatoes, peppers, and patty pans. The basil is lush and so lots of pesto at my house. We've had Yellow Doll Watermelon for the first time ever and were quite surprised by golden fleshed watermelon.

Neighborhood kids have been driving me insane and public school can't start soon enough. Get all those little devils outta here! I've had to ban my kids from interacting with non-homeschooled kids because the info they pass on to my kids would make your hair curl. See mine in the picture from the convention - very curled, bad kids.

What else? Max is halfway through the second semester of First Year Comp. He takes his math placement test next week to see what math he will take in the Fall. Ronan lost his first tooth yesterday and another will follow very soon. Miranda and I start Girl Scouts in the Fall; I don't think she even knows, but I'm looking forward to it!

I'm gearing up for the classes I will teach at the homeschool center starting in September - Word Roots, Latin, Pre-Algebra and Algebra I. I'm offering Knitting, Crochet, Hand and Machine Sewing in my home.

See now? Aren't you tired too?