3.31.2010

How to do it

As much as I would like to own to having the talent to hand paint the easter eggs in my last post, there's no way I could have produced such results on my own. I actually used ties to "tie-dye" the eggs. Here's how its done:

1. Get some old ties (or any ugly ones you wish your husband didn't have anymore). They have to be 100% silk. I went to the thrift store for mine as all of Rob's ugly ties are polyester. Nice. Once you have your ties, you have to take off any tags and pick out the lining. You just want the silk.
2. Cut a piece off the large end of the tie that is big enough to wrap around your egg. You want the right side of the tie facing the egg and you need to wrap it as tight as you can without damaging your egg. Only the parts of the egg that are in direct contact with the material will be dyed. You wont be able to get out all the wrinkles so parts of your egg will be streaky when its done, but I think that adds to the whole look. I used twisty ties from the grocery store for my eggs but if you have someone to help you, I'd suggest using string or twine because you can get it tighter. Here's what my eggs looked like:


3. Then you need some light weight material to cover your eggs. I used some muslin I had but you could cut up an old pillowcase or sheets if you wanted. Wrap the eggs as you did with the silk.
4. Put your double wrapped eggs in the pot and cover with water. Add 1/4 cup white vinegar. Bring to a boil and then simmer for 20-25 minutes.
5. Remove your eggs from the water and let them drain and cool on some paper towels. Once they're cool enough to handle, unwrap and marvel at what you've created.
6. You can rub a bit of oil over your eggs to give them a bit of shine and also help your egg last longer. Remember these are real eggs and will spoil so don't put them away to save for next year! And throughout the year, whenever you're at the thrift store, grab a cool looking tie to use next time. Happy Easter!

3.30.2010

Easter Eggs!




I'm quite pleased with how my eggs turned out this year.

3.23.2010

Eva in the tub

3.15.2010

Pinewood Derby, hiking, and walking

Sam's scout troop had their pinewood derby last weekend. Sam had a great time and won the award for the best hotrod. He actually had a very fast car and won every race it was in. Some of the older boys with more experience did have faster cars so he didn't place. Still, he had a great time and is already looking forward to next year.


We've been enjoying very nice weather here in Spokane so we've been trying to get outside more. I'm again so grateful that we have a huge backyard that I can send S&G out into to burn off some of their boundless energy. Here are some pictures of a little hike we took last Sunday. The Little Spokane River is just a few miles from our house and there is a lovely trail that runs along it all the way to the Spokane River. We only went about a mile down the trail because we had pizza dough rising back at home and were on a schedule. But we had a great time and plan on going back often this spring/summer.




Finally, here's a video of Eva walking. I took this about a month ago so she's even more agile now. I can't believe she's almost 1!

3.11.2010

Home-made Granola Bars

Anyone interested in making their own granola bars should use this recipe.






They're fantastic!