Rainbow Loom Bracelet School Valentines With Printables

My daughter loves her Rainbow Loom.  She doesn't use it.  That is why she has me.  Her big idea this year was to make a bracelet for each of the kids in her class this year for Valentine's Day.  And I thought this was a great idea... until I realized *I* would be the one actually making the bracelets.  (I think I see a fine motor skill project in her future).

I made a bunch of fishtail bracelets. The darker ones are for the boys and the lighter glitter ones are for the girls. These were made weeks ago.  But they need a card.  I have seen several very cute ideas out there with various play on the words "rainbow" "loom" and "band".  After poking around I decided to go with "My Heart B'Looms For You."

Here is the card I came up with.  The letters are rainbow colors inside a heart.  I will have my daughter sign her name on the back of each card. I cut these with my Silhouette but you can certainly use scissors.

I used a hole punch to punch out the two holes at the side of the card then scissors to cut from the edge of the heart to the hole.

 The bracelet slips into these holes pretty well.

Click here to go to my Google Drive where you can download this card in PDF format or the Silhouette Studio file.

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Baked, Potato Rounds

I wasn't really sure what to call this recipe.  These are sort of a cross between a potato chip and a french fry. They are baked, they are potatoes, and they are round hence Baked Potato Rounds.  Apparently I am not feeling all that creative this morning but there you go.  But whatever it is called, my family loves this recipe!

You will need: 

3-4 medium potatoes

3 Tablespoons coconut oil

Salt

Preheat your oven to 400 degrees.  While it is heating scrub your potatoes and cut them into slices.  I used a knife but a mandolin is a great tool for this.  You can peel your potatoes if you want, I don't bother.  (Of course these are potatoes we grew in our own garden... I peel store bought potatoes).

Line a rimmed baking pan with foil.  Then coat the foil with the coconut oil.  With the coconut oil the potatoes both bake and "fry" in the pan.  I love coconut oil!  I may have mentioned that.

 Spread your coconut oil rubbed pan with the potato rounds.  Spread them out fairly evenly.

Salt to taste and pop them in the oven.  After about 20 minutes, flip the potatoes over with a spatula.  Don't be too concerned if you don't get them all flipped.  Cook another 20 minutes or so until they are the consistency you like.

We like them just starting to brown.  The darker brown ones around the edges of the pan in the above picture are crisp like potato chips (but if they are cut thick they are hard to bite into).  The rest of the potatoes are just starting to blister on top giving them a crisp outside and a soft fluffy center much like a french fry.

You can use this same technique for potatoes cut into fry shapes or wedges, they just take longer to cook which is why I like to use the potato rounds.

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Gripe About Blog Hops

I love blog hops.  They have provided an amazing audience for my blog that I would not have been able to reach otherwise.

But there have been a rash of hosts posting their blog hop hours before their link tool goes live.  Why?

Exactly what purpose does it serve to tell the world your blog hop is live a couple of hours before it really is? Why not schedule your post to go live at the same time as the link tool?  Do these hosts not realize how many potential links ups they are losing because of this asynchronous timing?

Ok My rant is done.  Have a great day!

Winter Coconut Oil & Vitamin E Oil Lotion

The extreme cold we are having has made the air so dry that my hands and feet keep cracking.  Moisturizers help some but what I really need is protection from the drying air and this lotion recipe does the trick.

You will need coconut oil and Vitamin E oil.

You will also need some way to combine them.  I used a immersion (stick) mixer/blender but a stand mixer with a whisk or even a fork will do.

The recipe depends on how thick you want the lotion.  If you want a fairly liquid lotion try 1 cup coconut oil and 1 tablespoon Vitamin E oil.  For a thicker lotion cut the Vitamin E oil to 1 teaspoon.  You may want to start with a teaspoon and decide if you want a thinner lotion before adding more.  I also added some lemon essential oil but the essential oil is optional.  The coconut smells wonderful on its own. The lemon with the coconut smells like a tropical drink which made me think of summer and (since our high today will be below zero) that made me happy.

Put the oils together and mix until fully emulsified and you cannot feel  solid coconut oil bits in the lotion.  If you are having trouble getting the solid coconut oil to blend nicely with the Vitamin E oil, warm them a bit. You can put the bottom of the mixing bowl into another bowl of hot water.  Make sure to not get any water into your mixing bowl. The heat from the water will heat the mixing bowl and melt any stubborn coconut oil.

Add your essential oils if using and mix until incorporated.  With my immersion mixer the whole mixing process was only a few minutes.  Store in an air tight jar.

Use on your hands and feet as needed.  Remember this is not a moisturizer.  There is nothing in this recipe that will draw moisture to your skin.  This is a moisture barrier to prevent the moisture already in your skin from escaping to the dry air.  Also, since it is made of oil, it can make your skin slippery.  You may want to wear socks on your feet for a little while after applying.  This is a very healing lotion full of wonderful micro nutrients and other goodies that are good for you and your skin.

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Review and Giveaway - Tropical Traditions Gold Label Virgin Coconut Oil

I love coconut oil.  There I said it. The secret is out.  I cook with it and create with it.  I love the way it feels, smells, and tastes.  I love that I can substitute it for shortening.  I love that it is a solid at room temperature and has a high smoke point.  I love that it is a naturally occurring, plant based source of saturated fat.  I love that it feels silky smooth on my skin and works great in bath and beauty products.  I could go on and on.

And I really love that the wonderful folks over at Tropical Traditions sent me a 32 oz jar of their Gold Label Virgin Coconut Oil.  Now for the required disclosure.  Tropical Traditions provided me with a free sample of this product to review, and I was under no obligation to review it if I so chose.  Nor was I under any obligation to write a positive review or sponsor a product giveaway in return for the free product. 

Learn More Here

We use a lot of coconut oil in our home.  And I must confess this is not the first time I have used Tropical Traditions' Gold Label Virgin Coconut Oil.  Tropical Traditions' coconut oil is wonderful! It has a wonderful coconut scent, light and clean, not overpowering.  More information about virgin coconut oil can be found here.

Tropical Traditions' Gold Label Virgin Coconut Oil is smooth and creamy, melting beautifully in my hand. The first thing I did after opening the jar, well, and after enjoying its wonderful aroma, was smooth a little on the back of my chapped hands.  Oh what a relief!  It left my hands smooth and soft; so much better than most of the sticky moisturizers laying around the house.  

I will be using this in my next batch of Coconut Oil Bath Fizzies.  Look for a number of new coconut oil based recipes (both food and bath/body) in the upcoming weeks here at Cats on the Homestead.  For more on How to Use Coconut Oil click here.

Now for the giveaway.  Tropical Traditions is giving away to one of my lovely readers a 32oz jar of their Gold Label Virgin Coconut Oil.  You don't want to miss out.  Enter below and good luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Congratulations Patti!

Tropical Traditions will be contacting you by email to gather your shipping information. The coconut oil prize will be coming directly from Tropical Traditions.

Thank you to everyone who entered my first giveaway!  I hope this was a lot of fun for everyone.  Enjoy that coconut oil Patti!

Sweet Little Heart Card for Silhouette Studio

Here is a sweet little Valentine's Day card I made on my Silhouette.  

This is what the Silhouette Studio file looks like.  You can download it from my Google drive here.  Please let me know if you have trouble with downloading.

Here are the pieces cut out.

 Glue the square piece behind the front of the card.

Then glue the hearts, as many as you like into place.  I used five hearts in five different colors.  My daughter thought the card needed a bow so I glued one in the center for her.

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Growing Wheat Grass for the Cats (and dogs)

With winter's grip firmly upon us, my cats are safely tucked inside until Spring.  Which means my house plants are at risk!  When the cats go outside they spend some time eating grass or nibbling on the catnip patch.  Dogs do exactly the same thing although they seem to spend more time peeing on things (but that is a topic for another day).

But when the cats are locked in the house for 6 months (or more), they go crazy and attack the house plants. And that is a big problem.  Not for the plants; the plants can withstand some nibbling (and major breakage). It is a problem for the cats since MOST houseplants are toxic.

First a note on houseplants.  Most houseplants are under-story tropical (and sub-tropical) plants.  That means they can thrive in the shadows under trees in the tropics.  Which is why they thrive in your home. Your home provides filtered light at a fairly even temperature year round.  The problem is most of these types of plants are poisonous to keep the critters living in those climates from eating them down to nubs. My cats don't know this.  So occasionally they have a taste.  Most of these plants taste so bad that the cats leave them alone after that.  But not my spider plants (Chlorophytum comosum).  

Spider plants are generally considered to be safe.  Which means the cats cannot get enough of my poor spider plants when they are locked inside for winter.

Most other plants that are not toxic will not grow well indoors or have other quirks that make the plant undesirable to grow in my dinning room. I have occasionally put out bowls of chopped spinach and other dark leafy greens which the cats will eat. But the best solution to this problem is to grow wheat grass for the cats to eat.

As you might suspect, wheat grass is just WHEAT.  Shockingly simple I know.  Since we maintain a large supply of whole grains in our pantry (well the big closet downstairs turned into pantry #2), we can grow a variety of wheat types for the cats to enjoy.

I prefer to grow hard white wheat but my husband always grabs the hard red wheat.  Whatever your choice, here is what you do.

Step 1:

Get a small garden pot.  Any pot will do but make sure it has drainage holes.

Step 2:

Fill the pot with potting mix about 3/4 the way.  Do not fill it with dirt.  Dirt is dead.  Soil is not dead, but it is too heavy for use in a pot (top soil, garden soil, etc.)  You want potting mix.

Step 3: 

Put wheat berries (which are wheat seeds or whole grain wheat) on top of the potting mix.  Do not cover the wheat with the potting mix.  Just let the wheat berries sit on top.  This also allows you to watch the germination process which I personally think is super cool!  You want one layer of the wheat berries but they can be pack in there pretty tight.

Step 4:

Moisten the wheat berries.  You do not need to "water" the pot.  You want the wheat berries to stay damp but not wet.  I mist mine with water a couple of times a day.

Step 5:

Wait and watch. The wheat will sprout after just a day or two depending upon how warm your house is.  Keep the wheat berries moist.  Watch the wheat berries swell up with water then watch a little root pop out. The root will grown down into the potting mix.  Next the wheat grass blade will start to grow.  After 3 or 4 days from sprouting the wheat grass will be a couple of inches tall, and big enough to let the cats graze.

The wheat grass will only stay perky and happy looking for about 2 weeks.

Wheat needs full sun to grow and there is just not enough light inside your house, especially in winter. So plan on starting a new pot of wheat grass each week to have a constant supply for your pets.

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Are New Year Resolutions Silly?

This is a question I ask myself again and again.  The answer I keep coming up with is yes and no (spoken like a true lawyer).

Yes a NEW YEAR resolution is silly.  If the resolution is worth making, why wait.  Make it happen now.

However, setting aside a time to evaluate your life and make changes is healthy and frankly I think mandatory. But I also think the New Year is a bad time to do this.  With the craziness surrounding the last 6 or 7 weeks of the year, why put that kind of pressure on yourself?

And don't you think introspection might best be had laying on your back in the green grass on a warm sunny day? Well maybe not for you, but that works better for me than trying to think about how to improve my life on some below zero temperature day with 8 hours or less of day light.

Take time to ponder how life is going and whether you need to make some changes.  But do this at a time when you are feeling calm and rested. Not after a marathon gift buying, wrapping, unwrapping, and exchange season. Like maybe June.  Yeah, June is good.

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Homemade Tomato Soup

This is the time of year when I am happy that I canned all those tomatoes!  

78 pounds of tomatoes harvested before the first black frost

Homemade tomato soup and a grilled cheese sandwich is a very satisfying and nutritious winder meal.  And surprisingly, both the soup and the sandwich can be made in less than 30 minutes!

For the soup you will need the following:

2 Tablespoons butter

3 cloves of garlic

2 cups chicken or vegetable stock

2 cups stewed tomatoes (optional)

6 cups tomato sauce

2 teaspoons dried basil

You may also want some some shredded cheese and some baking soda... read on to learn why.

If using, drain the stewed tomatoes into a colander.  I like to add the stewed tomatoes to the soup to give it a variety of textures.  If you want a thin liquid soup, leave them out.

I canned these tomatoes in one pint jars but I use two jars for the soup. After draining off the liquid, there are only about 2 cups total of the tomatoes.   Apparently I am not very good at packing my jars tight while canning.

Add the butter and garlic to a medium sized pan.  Saute the garlic until it is light brown and makes everyone in the house hungry.

To the pan add two cups chicken or vegetable stock.  If had had any homemade stock on hand I would have used that.  Time to get a whole chicken!  Also add the stewed tomatoes (if using) and all the tomato sauce.  Stir and heat over medium heat for 10-15 minutes.

While the soup cooks, make those grilled cheese sandwiches.  No recipe provided...yet.

After your 10-15 minutes of cooking time, the soup should be boiling lightly.  Taste the soup.  If it is too sour, sharp, acidic, or however you want to describe it, add a small pinch of baking soda to the soup and stir.  It will bubble and fizz for a moment.  The baking soda is neutralizing some of the acid in the tomatoes. Taste again.  If still too acidic, add another pinch.  I find I often add three small pinched (which is probably less than 1 teaspoon of baking soda).  If you add too much baking soda the soup will taste really salty and flat and basically need to be tossed in the trash.  So don't do that.

Turn off the heat and add your dried basil and stir.  Let the basil sit in the soup for a couple minutes before serving. If you have fresh basil chop it up fine and add as much as you can stand.   Seriously fresh basil is awesome and healthy!

My husband loves to add a clump of shredded cheddar cheese to the soup. I just dip my grilled cheese sandwich in the soup. Enjoy.

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