Lunch Menu #17
By Lindsey Johnson of Café Johnsonia for Design Mom.
Menu #17 of our Lunch Box Series is one of my oldest daughter’s favorite lunches — chicken tortilla soup, or as we call it at home “Corn Chip Soup.” (I’ve included the recipe below!) We always eat this soup with salsa, sour cream, and corn chips, hence the name. Sometimes we add shredded cheese and a squeeze of lime, but I left that out this time. The fruit makes a great dessert.
LUNCH MENU #17
– chicken tortilla soup
– chips and salsa
– sour cream
– cubed fruit: watermelon and pineapple
… Living With Kids: The Wolf Family
By Gabrielle. Photos by Alex Wolf.
Jay Wolf first contacted me to share a link showing his family’s incredible journey back from a devastating circumstance, and I was floored for a few days. And soon enough, my awe was pushed aside by a little wonder. When your life is turned upside down, how do you right it again? When all your definitions change – of motherhood and wife and husband and home – how do you write a new and improved dictionary?
Oh, I wanted to see more of the Wolf family’s life, and I wanted to show you, too. Because all through this tour and their story, there’s hope. And there’s nothing better on a Tuesday morning than a little hope, right? Please sit a while with this home and this special, special family, Friends. I know it will improve your day. Welcome, Wolf family! (Is this the first time a dad has written the interview? I think it is! Welcome, Jay!)
Q: Please introduce us to your family!
A: Hi, we’re the Wolfs: Jay, Katherine, and James. We’re originally from the deep South, but after marrying at 22, we moved to Los Angeles to pursue our dreams in the entertainment industry and law school (for me, Jay) at Pepperdine. Little did we know that decision would not only change the course of our lives, but it would also save Katherine’s life just over three years later.
Those early years were idyllic, living in a Malibu married housing apartment with a view of the ocean, loving our church community and the creative energy that is electric in the City of Angels. Our son James came along quite unexpectedly, but we relished our new calling as young parents.
… The Perfect Gift: Etched Cutting Board
Text and images by Amy Christie for Design Mom. Tree illustrations by Eloise Renouf.
As I mentioned yesterday, I’ve created a 3 part series of cool gifts you can make with a wood-burning or etching tool. Today’s project: cutting boards! (Find the first project here.) When the holiday season rolls around, I often wish I had a whole new collection of platters to set my table with, so I knew these etched cutting boards would make great gifts! Just think, with a few strokes of a heat tool, wooden cutting boards can go from lacking to lovely.
As you whip up a couple of these as gifts for friends and family, be sure to buy extras for yourself! Serving ware with an etched cutting board never looked this good.
ETCHED CUTTING BOARD TUTORIAL: THE PROCESS
The technique is the same as it was for the spoons I shared yesterday, however the density of these cutting boards was different, more solid. The etching process changed for each board, but, as you can see, the result is the same.
Adding a simple design really personalizes something store-bought.
Ready for round two? Let’s go!
… The Perfect Gift: Etched Wooden Spoons
Text and images by Amy Christie for Design Mom.
It’s getting to be that time of year again: handmade gift-making season! This year, we thought it would be fun to try a new creative tool, a dremel (or you could call it a wood burner), a heated tool used for etching and drawing on wooden surfaces. For the next three days, I’ll be sharing cool and easy projects using this one tool (find the second project here).
ETCHED WOODEN SPOONS TUTORIAL
First up, mixing spoons! Inspired by this project, I thought it would be interesting to see what super simple designs — dots, plaids and hatched arrows — looked like on etched wooden spoons. And they turned out so great, I thought they’d make a gorgeous gift!
Since I had never tried one before, I found it fascinating to work with the etcher — it’s a whole different way to alter an object. And you guys are lucky, because after my experience with these projects I can offer some advice. As a warning, it does get crazy hot and can 1) burn skin, 2) burn a whole through clothing and 3) make burn marks on anything it comes into contact with. Only two of these items are inspired by personal experience and I’m embarrassed enough not to tell you which two. : ) So please be careful!
That said, don’t be intimidated. It was actually really easy to work with. Just be careful, and when you aren’t actively using it, rest it on a surface that won’t burn. And of course, make sure to unplug it when you have finished your etched wooden spoons.
Also, there is a good chance that when you finish, you will smell like what I imagine Smoky the Bear smells like — burned wood. So crack a window, turn on a fan and pretend you’re enjoying a bonfire. The result is well worth it.
Plug in the Dremel and let’s get going!
… Lunch Menu #16
Image and text by Lindsey Johnson for Design Mom.
According to my Kindergartener, Menu #16 of our Lunch Box Series, this sunflower and banana sandwich, is the BEST sandwich ever and she wants to eat it every day. Now if that isn’t a compliment! The sunflower butter is super tasty. We’ve decided we like the kind from Trader Joe’s the best, which I am sure is because it has cane juice in it. : )
A great thing I’ve just discovered are these awesome reusable pouches. They can even be washed in the dishwasher. The other side has space to write what is in the bag that day. The one in the picture has Greek yogurt in it. Kind of a nice budget-friendly way to send yogurt in my kids’ lunches. We’ll be trying out homemade applesauce next.
Now let’s talk about root beer cookies because they always garner a mixed reaction. I know they sound strange, but they have been a family favorite since I was in elementary school. I’ve started using whole wheat flour and my kids never notice the difference! They are super soft and remind me of childhood. So what do you think? Would you try them?
LUNCH MENU #16
– sunflower butter and banana sandwich
– clementine
– grapes
– yogurt (in EZ squeezees pouch)
– root beer cookie sandwich
– crunchy pea snacks
– water
… Lunch Menu #15
By Lindsey Johnson of Café Johnsonia for Design Mom.
Here’s Menu #15 in our Lunch Box Series — pasta, sauce, and salad! A sure to please combo that my kids adore. And with the right equipment (click through for sources), the pasta really does stay warm till lunch.
LUNCH MENU #15
– Tortellini with marinara sauce
– Olives, halved grape tomatoes, mini mozzarella balls
– Small salad with homemade ranch
– All natural fruit snacks
… Living With Kids: Tina Fussell
By Gabrielle.
I devour Tina’s blog. (Truth be told, her husband’s site is gorgeous, too.) Tina is an information sharer, through and through. From Vitamin D deficiency to posts detailing how it truly feels like to move abroad to talking about sugar, almost every post feeds questions I didn’t even know I had. I love that. And I adore how her writing style is as calm as her home’s decor. Would you like to see the Fussell home? Let’s do it, then! Friends, please enjoy the tour.
Q: Please tell us who lives in this dreamy home!
A: We are Jack and Tina Fussell and we are Americans living in Copenhagen, Denmark with our three kids, Hailey (12), Parker (8), and Landon (5). Many people know our Traveling Tribe through our blog, Flying House by Traveling Mama where we write about our living abroad with kids, our favorite places to stay, eat, and shop when we travel and also what it is like to create a new home in a new country! We have lived in Copenhagen for three years, but we also lived in Morocco for three years and Spain for two prior to our move here.
Q: How did this house turn into your home?
A: It’s funny because we didn’t even know we were going to move until a month before we moved into our current home with a camera crew from House Hunters International along for the ride to document our 20th move! Our landlord suddenly contacted us asking for his apartment back so we immediately started looking for a new place to live. Even before walking into our town home I knew it was the perfect place for us. Situated in a beautiful neighborhood not far from the city center, with white walls and floors, and loads of light… I was sold! The fact that it had a small terrace and a quiet street for the kids to play on was just icing on the cake.
… Lunch Menu #14
By Lindsey Johnson of Café Johnsonia for Design Mom.
One thing we rely on is leftovers for lunch. For Menu #14 of our Lunch Box Series, I’ve included our family favorite, Chicken Gyros and Tzatziki. It’s just as good cold as it is hot. For a little crunch and some green, there’s a container of sprouts (these are actually micro-greens) to go inside. I’ve also got some hummus to eat with the carrots and grape tomatoes.
LUNCH MENU #14
– chicken on pita
– tzatziki
– baby carrots and grape tomatoes
– grapes
– hummus
… Cilantro Tolerator + Purple Disliker
By Gabrielle. Image by Lindsey Johnson for Design Mom.
I’ve got a question for you today. It’s pretty light-hearted, but I’m genuinely curious. Have you ever deliberately tried to change a harmless dislike into a like?
I’ve mentioned before I’m not a fan of cilantro. Not a big deal, I know. The same is true of a measurable section of the population — cilantro tastes like soap to some people. But I read an article about a foodie who conquered all his food dislikes (I swear I’ve linked to it before, but now I can’t find it!), and it really stuck with me. Then I read a status update from my friend, Laurie Smithwick. She’s also a cilantro hater, but decided she wasn’t going to be anymore.
I was really impressed by that, and thought it would be smart to follow her example. So I’ve been doing my best to not avoid cilantro for the past many months. In France, we rarely if ever encountered cilantro, but here in Oakland, it’s practically impossible to stay away from it — at least if you’re a fan of Mexican food (which I am!).
The results of my non-avoidance? So far, I still can’t say I’m a cilantro lover, but I am a cilantro tolerator, and I hope I’m on the road to being a cilantro embracer.
But.
I’ve tried the same thing with purple, and have had less luck. In 4th and 5th grade, purple was my absolute favorite color — every shade, but particularly pastel. Purple clothes, purple pencil box, purple barrettes! But somewhere between age 10 and now, I lost my love for that regal color and even began to really dislike it. If it’s greyed out and sort of a dove shade, I’m fine. But true purples are not my thing.
A few weeks ago, I was thinking about how arbitrary my lack of love for purple was, and that I was no doubt missing out on some true beauty in the world by automatically dismissing anything purple, so I’ve been attempting to be more open-minded about it. When a purple option is presented to me, I’ll spend more time with it, and run a little dialogue in my head about how purple is a perfectly good color and that it’s worth liking.
I’ll be honest, I’ve seen a little movement on my purple-loving scale, but nothing impressive.
It’s made me wonder about your own experiences with changing your tastes and preferences. If you’ve tried, were you able to succeed? And was it worth it? Any stories about color preferences? Or flip-flopping on a particular flavor? Chime in!
P.S. — Another harmless dislike: least favorite flowers. Lunch Menu #13
Image and text by Lindsey Johnson for Design Mom.
For Menu #13 of our Lunch Box Series, we’re doing another snack-y lunch because they are so popular! This time I’ve created a mini-relish tray (minus pickles) with a homemade Ranch dip (Greek yogurt and seasoning mix). Instead of cheese, I’ve included a squeezable yogurt.
LUNCH MENU #13
-mixed veggies + olives
– ranch dip
– salami + ham
– cereal bar
– honey whole wheat pretzels
– squeezable yogurt
– grapes
… Olive Us: I’m Hungry – Guacamole
Images and text by Gabrielle.
Are you hungry? Well, you’re in luck. I’ve got the easiest guacamole recipe in world for you — so simple, your kids can really make it themselves. And it’s delicious, too! In fact, it’s the way I personally prefer guacamole. As basic as it gets. Just 3 ingredients. Take a look at the latest Olive Us Episode, fittingly titled Guacamole, to see how it’s done.
This episode was fun to make. You can never go wrong with faces on inanimate objects! : ) The illustrations and title were created by the talented Clayton Thompson. It was fun to outfit, too. Oscar and Olive are both wearing items from a French store called Generation Z. The dress Betty is wearing was a gift from Well Dressed Wolf. Isn’t it perfect?
Now I’d love to know: What do you like to add to your guacamole? Lemon? Cilantro? Onions? Tomato? Or do you skip the guacamole and concentrate your efforts on the salsa?
…
This episode was fun to make. You can never go wrong with faces on inanimate objects! : ) The illustrations and title were created by the talented Clayton Thompson. It was fun to outfit, too. Oscar and Olive are both wearing items from a French store called Generation Z. The dress Betty is wearing was a gift from Well Dressed Wolf. Isn’t it perfect?
Now I’d love to know: What do you like to add to your guacamole? Lemon? Cilantro? Onions? Tomato? Or do you skip the guacamole and concentrate your efforts on the salsa?
… Jane Eyre
By Carter.
I confess that it’s been a while since I read Jane Eyre, so the stories’ intricacies are a tad fuzzy. But the big picture, this battle cry of following your gut rather than the norm or expected — well, it makes me grin. Charlotte Brontë wrote this line straight from the heart of her heroine, Jane. Even hundreds of years later and far removed from Jane’s world, the pluck in these words move me. Jane’s independence is a gritty reminder to be unapologetic and satisfied by the pursuit of happiness.
Thinking about all of this reminded me of an old snapshot of my Granny, standing in a field of sunflowers and sticking her tongue out. I think Jane might get a kick out of that! How about you? Would you rather be happy than dignified? I also bet these sentiments can align without separation, and what a beautiful picture that is, too, right?!
P.S. – What a thrill to have Emily McDowell’s work back on Design Mom! You can find all of posts in our Book Quote Series here, and buy the prints here. I’m the proud owner of this one! Lunch Menu #12
By Lindsey Johnson of Café Johnsonia for Design Mom.
Today’s menu in our Lunch Box Series features another lunch menu classic: ham and cheese. The special thing about Lunch Menu #12 is that it doesn’t require an ice pack. Lots of crunchy finger foods too! If your school is nut-free, swap the almond butter for a little cup of caramel. You can usually find them near the apples in the produce section of grocery stores. You’ll find the individual packages of almond butter on the shelf near the other nut butters in grocery stores.
LUNCH MENU #12
– ham and muenster sandwich with a little Dijon mustard (totally optional)
– baby carrots
– apple
– pretzels
– almond butter
… Lunch Menu #11
By Lindsey Johnson of Café Johnsonia for Design Mom.
Quesadillas are on the menu today! What would I do without this go-to favorite? Menu #11 in our Lunch Box Series is full of other goodies too. First we have pico de gallo with veggie chips. (Can I just tell you how much I love the chips pictured? More than my kids do. See below for the source.) I also have to tell you how much we’re digging the pink dip container. It’s actually a separate piece that fits into the lid to the container holding the pico de gallo. It inverts and sits next to an ice pack that fits neatly inside the lid. It’s brilliant!
LUNCH MENU #11
– quesadilla
– homemade pico de gallo and veggie chips
– sour cream
– jicama and olives
– plum
– fruit leather
– coconut water
… Olive Us: Lost Theater
Images and text by Gabrielle.
I’m so excited to share another Olive Us episode today, because this one feels magical to me. It’s called Lost Theater, and we filmed it in France. While we lived there, we became friends with Roger and Colette Sineux — the parents of our landlord. The Sineuxs were so good to us. Very welcoming and kind. In fact, on the day we arrived, Colette prepared the house with a fire and a homemade cake! Anyway, Roger and Colette live in a wonderful home with an old barn on the property. During one of our visits, Colette mentioned there was a theater in the barn and invited our kids to check it out.
Well. When we opened the door, we just gasped. It’s an amazing space! The light filters in beautifully, and it’s full of props and costumes and sets from past productions. When we visited, the theater hadn’t been used in awhile, so it had a romantic, dusty feel, and the whole family felt as if we were “discovering” the space. It was so dreamy we just pinched ourselves, and kept saying things like, “Can you believe this place really exists?”
Over a year later, as we were brainstorming Olive Us episodes for ulive, we remembered the theater and knew it would be the perfect spot to film something special. I hope you enjoy the show!
…
Well. When we opened the door, we just gasped. It’s an amazing space! The light filters in beautifully, and it’s full of props and costumes and sets from past productions. When we visited, the theater hadn’t been used in awhile, so it had a romantic, dusty feel, and the whole family felt as if we were “discovering” the space. It was so dreamy we just pinched ourselves, and kept saying things like, “Can you believe this place really exists?”
Over a year later, as we were brainstorming Olive Us episodes for ulive, we remembered the theater and knew it would be the perfect spot to film something special. I hope you enjoy the show!
… DIY: Cement Candleholders
Text and images by Amy Christie for Design Mom.
As the daylight time decreases, I find myself wanting more light, and since I can’t harness the sun, candlelight is a comfy and cozy alternative. I was very inspired by this image and thought them perfect for fall. Cement candle holders are both architectural and soft, an assemblage of lines and curved bands, cold stone with a warm glow.
Don’t be put off by cement. A bag of it is really (really!) heavy and it is dusty and a little dirty, however, it’s sculptural properties are too alluring to pass up. Nothing can achieve what concrete can.
Spray paint is the perfect medium to add a colorful or metallic touch. Doesn’t the gold just shimmer? If you were making these for an event, you could use any color palette you like. Navy and royal with silver for a dinner party? Yellows for a summer wedding? Or you could stick with metallics and use them through the holidays and into January.
Hopefully these images have intrigued you, so let’s get right to how it’s done.
… Lunch Menu #10
By Lindsey Johnson of Café Johnsonia for Design Mom.
Have you ever bought pretzel rolls? I never had until the other day. My husband and kids went crazy for them. They are the perfect vehicle for a salami and cheese sandwich — a little more substantial than other rolls. So that’s what I’ve used here in Menu #10 of our Lunch Box Series. It’s another basic lunch menu that seems to be popular at our house. (Anyone else have salami fiends living with them?) A new thing we tried were new-to-us smoothie mashups. My girls really loved this blueberry-purple carrot flavor a lot. I think I’ll be stocking up on more of them. (The tops are recyclable.)
LUNCH MENU #10
– salami and cheese sandwich on pretzel bun
– blueberry smoothie mashup
– pear
– celery sticks
– pita chips
– water
… Lunch Menu #9
By Lindsey Johnson for Design Mom.
Sometimes you just feel like having a hot lunch, right? I know my kids feel like that sometimes too. For Menu #9 in our Lunch Box Series, we have a classic favorite: tomato soup with grilled cheese. At our house, grilled cheese is acceptable hot or room temperature, so I have no complaints about sending one in a packed lunch. The thing that makes this sandwich special is a layer of basil pesto inside. Yum! Of course, it’s optional, but I think once you try it that way, you’ll never go back to plain cheese. : )
LUNCH MENU #9
– tomato soup
– grilled cheese (with optional smear of pesto)
– grapes
– sugar snap peas
– bunny cookies
… DIY: Man in the Moon Garland
Images and text by Amy Christie for Design Mom.
A Man in the Moon Garland! (With some Women in the Moon too!) What nursery wouldn’t benefit from such a friendly addition? And it can be easily customized to your liking — different faces, bushier eyebrows, paler cheeks — whatever you like!
I’m so pleased about how this project turned out. It’s actually quite simple, but the potential is big. (Don’t be surprised if you see me adapt this project to make holiday garlands, too. Or maybe one with familiar faces for a family reunion!)
Papier maché was perfect for this project but we skipped all the mess and started with store-bought papier maché ornament balls. So much easier! Then we upgraded those simple spheres with a little air-dry clay. We added 3-D facial features, like noses, cheeks, chins, eyebrows and ears — and then painted them up. Voilá! The little man-in-the-moon faces were born.
Don’t worry if sculpting or painting faces is not in your skill set. It’s barely in mine! I have done my best to breakdown the shapes and features into the simplest of steps.
So flex those fingers and let’s get started!
… Lunch Menu #8
By Lindsey Johnson for Design Mom.
We’re on Menu #8 of our Lunch Box Series — and this continues to be a lot of fun for us! I hope you’re enjoying this series as much as we are. For today’s menu, I’m sharing one my kids really, really like. It includes a green smoothie. We’ve totally jumped on the green smoothie bandwagon and we’re not ready to get off yet.
In the picture, I’m showing a store-bought green smoothie that works great when you need to take a little shortcut. Otherwise, we normally do fresh ones and put them into an insulated bottle. Generally it’s okay to make them the night before, but if you’re having one in the morning, make a little extra to send with school lunch. : ) I’m also thinking my older kids would probably need two muffins to fill them up. One is enough for my Kindergartener. The dipping sauce for the celery sticks is just a little Ranch dressing powder mixed with Greek yogurt. I used a homemade mix that a friend gave me. It was all over Pinterest awhile back. Packaged kind is fine too.
The lunch bag pictured is one of my favorite bags. There are ice packs in the bag itself, so you freeze the entire bag and it keeps everything inside nice and cold. My daughter actually complained one time that it was too cold! I use it when I know everything needs to be kept extra cold to be enjoyable.
LUNCH MENU #8
– green smoothie
– homemade muffin
– plum
– banana
– celery with yogurt dip
…