Pasta Dough for a Pasta Press or Lasagna

This dough is perfect (at least on a summer's day in the pacific northwest)! I made it specifically for our Kitchen Aid but I'm sure it's adaptable to do by hand. It took me three months to perfect it. I wanted something simple and not too sticky for the pasta press. Just the right amount of chewy. It's the semolina flour that really helps! However disclaimer, you may need to change the amount of moisture (olive oil) depending on where you live and the time of year.

Time: 47 minutes (5 minutes mix, 12 minutes knead, 30 minutes rest)

Ingredients:

8 oz white flour

8 oz semolina flour

4 eggs

1/2 tsp salt

1 tablespoon olive oil

Directions:

Measure out flour and salt. Make a well and add in eggs and olive oil. Use your fingers or a fork to mix into a shaggy dough.

Knead by hand for 10 minutes or on the Kitchen Aid on level 2 for 12 minutes.

Cover and let set 30 minutes before pressing or laminating into sheets.

One of my Lasagna Adventures:

Simple Custard Ice Cream Base

This makes just the right base for a kitchen aid ice cream maker (2 quarts). It can be eaten as is (vanilla ice cream), add some vanilla paste or beans for extra vanilla flavor. We've also used it as the base for mint chocolate chunk, chocolate peanut butter cup, strawberry, strawberry cheesecake and cookies and cream. We have a list of so many more we are excited to try and this is the tried and true base for us (nice and thick, doesn't leave a coating on the roof of your mouth and doesn't use too many eggs).

Simple Custard Ice Cream Base

Time: 20-25 minutes (plus 6+ hours to cool in the fridge)

Ingredients:

2 Cups of Cream (not heavy)

2 Cups Whole Milk

3/4 Cup of Sugar 

Pinch of Salt

2 egg yolks

1-2 tsp of Vanilla

Directions:

Heat cream, milk, sugar and salt on medium low until sugar has dissolved.

Whip egg yolks for 1 minute.

Temper dairy-cream mixture into egg yolks.

Stir constantly on medium heat (include bringing to a simmer/low boil) for 15 minutes.

Take off heat, stir in vanilla. Refrigerate.

If custard breaks, place pan in bath of cold water, whisking rapidly for about a minute or until smooth (avoid getting any water into pot).

Derek's Best Chocolate Chip Recipe

When my husband and I first met he asked me for my number and shortly after called me to ask me out. I was headed out the next day to spend a weekend in Park City. He was headed out the next week on a road trip to California. We decided to have him come over that evening and help me make cookies for my girl’s trip. Little did he know that I had been looking for the ‘perfect’ chocolate chip cookie recipe (as well as a great guy) and been on the hunt for a couple years. It is by far my favorite cookie recipe and he is by far my favorite guy! He made these for us this weekend and they are still just as delicious.

INGREDIENTS:

- 1 CUP BUTTER
- ½ CUP WHITE SUGAR
- 1 ½ CUP BROWN SUGAR
- 2 EGGS
- 2 ½ TEASPOON VANILLA

- 2 ½ CUP ALL-PURPOSE FLOUR
- ¾ TEASPOON SALT
- 1 TEASPOON BAKING POWDER
- 1 TEASPOON BAKING SODA
- MILK CHOCOLATE CHIPS
- EXTRA FLOUR AS NEEDED

DIRECTIONS:

-Pre-heat oven @ 350 degrees. Mix wet and dry ingredients separately. Mix together and add chocolate chips and extra flour as needed (add an extra 1/2 cup for humid areas). Cook in oven for 9-10 min until golden on bottom (tops may not look quite done for extra chewiness. Makes approx. 3 dozen cookies.

Petite Beef Wellington Paired with Rosemary Potatoes

Petite Beef Wellingtons

*Adopted from Better Homes and Garden Magazine

Ingredients:

2 pound center cut beef tenderloin roast, cut into eight 1-inch-thick slices
Kosher salt and coarse ground pepper
3 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons butter
½ cup finely chopped shallots

2 finely cut garlic cloves
3 portobello mushroom caps, stemmed and sliced (3 1/2 cups)
½ cup chopped fresh thyme, oregano and basil
1 17.3 ounce package puff pastry sheets (2 sheets), thawed
¼ cup Mustard
2 oz of Beechers or other shredded sharp white cheddar cheese
2 two ounce packages very thinly sliced prosciutto (about 16 slices)
1 egg yolk
1 teaspoon water

Directions

Step 1

Preheat oven to 450°F. Line an extra-large baking sheet with foil. Season both sides of beef with salt and black pepper. In an extra-large skillet heat 1 tablespoon oil over medium-high. Add half the fillets. Cook each side 1 minute or until browned. (Fillets will not be cooked through.) Remove. Repeat with 1 tablespoon oil and remaining four fillets.

Step 2

In same skillet heat butter over medium. Add shallots; cook and stir 3 minutes. Add garlic and mushrooms; cook and stir 8 to 10 minutes or until tender and browned and liquid has evaporated. Remove from heat. Stir in herbs. Season with 1/4 teaspoon each salt and pepper. Let cool slightly.

Step 3

Cut each pastry sheet into quarters. On a lightly floured surface roll each quarter to an 8-inch square. Cut 1/4-inch-wide strips from each side of each square; set aside. Spread a 3-inch area in the center of each pastry square with mustard. Divide mushroom mixture then cheese evenly between squares, placing them on mustard. Wrap each filet with two slices prosciutto. Place a fillet on cheese. Beat together egg yolks and 1 tablespoon water. Brush edges of pastry with egg mixture. Bring corners of pastry up and over fillet, pinching edges to seal. Place seam sides down on prepared baking sheet. Brush egg mixture over pastry. Use trimmed pastry strips to make bows. Attach pastry bows; brush bows with egg mixture.

Step 4

Bake on rack (we use a cooling rack) placed on baking sheet for 16 minutes or until pastry is golden and an instant-read thermometer inserted into fillet registers 135°F*. Let stand 5 minutes before serving. (Temperature will rise to 145°F.)

We like to pair this meal with a green salad and Rosemary Potatoes:

Rosemary Potatoes

Slice 4 yukon gold potatoes thinly (1/8-1/4 inch). Melt 1/4 cup of butter and add in a tablespoon of finely cut rosemary. Toss potato slices till coated. Place in pan standing upright. Drizzle any leftover butter mixture on top. Bake at 450 for 75 minutes. Let cool before eating.

Photo Capture of a Small Train Town

Having a love of all things vintage and crafty, we came across this cute little town, nestled in the shadow of a Mountain and I just had to take photos of it. With a population under 10,000 (2016), white fences with flower gardens galore and a Main Street with Cafes and local old time businesses, this town, less than and hour outside the metropolitan, had a perfect small town feel. Daily, trains run through it, blaring an announcement of their arrival, there are parks  in walking distance every block of the way and an old bridge which gets lit up the day after Thanksgiving. Quarterly, the city has a festival downtown filled with parades, daffodils, their famous rhubarb pie, Santa, crafts for kids and every boutique you can think of. The residents add to the ambiance of this town with their own charming homes. This is the kind of town, where you see "Yard Sale" and it's written on a chalkboard sign. The yards are filled with clocks and street lanterns, flowers and birdhouses, shuttered windows and garden gnomes. Here are a few pictures capturing some of the essence of this old train town. One of these days, I may get to include the festivals that fill the main street and the fields of berries that surround the town. For now, here are some shots from a few walks through town.

Some Shots off the Bridge

Blossoms & Front Yards

Every where you turn are gardens and blossoms galore. This town is well known for it's dogwood trees and blossoms

Among the flower gardens, you spy a piece of the patriotism that flows through this traditional town.

The residents of the town add to the charm you feel as you walk down the streets.

Main Street

..and of course, you can't fully experience the town with out slipping into a cafe and trying a piece of their raspberry-rhubarb pie.

HOME Decal, Flower Boxes and Signs

I designed this decal recently and I have fallen in love with it.  We've mostly used it for flower boxes but this last week I made it into a sign.

The inspiration for it was from a few different crafts I've done. I've been making a lot of these home tiles and love the substitute of Washington state for the O. I also really love this new font I got so I was hoping to combine the two and in such a way I could do it on the flower boxes.

It looked good but not completed. I had created this wheat wreath last Christmas for a wooden box. I had tried a few different borders with the HOME decal but this one had the 'farm house' feel I was going for and was simple but decorative.

I made the first box, which is approx 5x5" and sized the decal. I used Oracal 651 which should hold permanently to the stained box. Making one for myself helps so I can see how well it holds up.

Once I got going, it was easier to make more and I got a lot of positive feedback from them.

I have pictures where my "photo bomber" isn't so apparent but I love this one!

I was really hoping to make one for myself once things slowed down but we already have a lot of table decor so I decided to try the sign route. The sign is about 9x13". The wheat was MUCH easier to weed, making it even more desirable to make. I'm really happy with how it turned out. When I open my Etsy shop (plan is for this summer), I'm debating on selling just the decal in the two different sizes or selling the sign itself. I wonder what else I could make with the decal?

Zones of Regulation Supporting Materials

Link to Inside Out Pictures and Labels:
It sits next to our coin reward chart and our number corner charts.

Typically, my crafting happens around the house. However, over winter break, we tweaked something in my classroom that has really helped the emotional growth and regulation of my students as we've introduced the curriculum Zones of Regulation. Everything we've been able to utilize, I've been able to find free resources for online. Below, I've included the links for each one. The only thing that cost us money was the calming area, which my husband built for less than $40. Our PTA was so wonderful to donate the pillows, bean bags and times to go with it. A special thank you to those that are willing to share their resources for free!

One day, it will all be matchy-matchy but for now we are just getting started. 

We've been using picture schedules for years. This one has been my favorite. If you print them four to a page, they are perfect size for a clip board/binder schedule.

Link to Download for Picture Schedule

Each day as we introduced a different zone, we watched a 'attention getter' clip, modeled the behavior and then filled out a "The Way I'm Feeling" paper for the zone.

Link to the The Way I Feel Pictures

Link to Download for Calming Strategy Cards

On the fifth day, we talked about activities we can do to get back to the Green Zone. We laid it out like a game of Charades.

This is our new motto (and reminder) for the year.  Reinforcing positive behaviors to replace unwanted behaviors is a more powerful tool than using negative consequences to change behavior. We strive for the 6:1 (high fives, kind words, cheerleading smiles, thumbs up, class coins, PBIS tickets, anything!). We also strive to 'sit and engage', our own replacement behavior for 'stand and command', which can get tricky during unstructured group times.

As I find more materials, I'll try and add them to this post. On my Instagram account, I've also included a couple pictures of how we use our picture schedule in a variety of ways, @rainydaycraftess. One key thing we do each day is remind them that blue and red are not bad zones, it's just some of the things we do when we are in them and that is why we like to go back to green and then each day we go over each student's plan of how they will get back to green. Next, we hope to introduce a visual/tactile way for them to show the zone they are in. 

Good luck and feel free to ask any question!