The Kids Art Project

The kids art work is in!   Oneida's Downtown Association has been filling 3 empty window spaces here in Downtown Oneida with local Elementary students art work. All 3 windows are located on Main St. ( 1 in the old Salerno Buliding next to K&K Dance Wear and 2 across the street in the old Libbeys Newstand Space.)

Today the last window will be filled and everyone is invited to come down and take a look at what our Kindergarteners through second graders have been working on this year.
 I don't want to show you anymore pictures because I want you to make that trip downtown to see for yourself.

We are trying to bring the community together by getting even the youngest members involved.

This exhibit will only be up until April 30th.  We will then rotate the displays to showcase all of our 3rd and 4th graders...... which will then be followed by our 5th and 6th graders. 

We want to thank all of the Elementary School Art Teachers from the Oneida School District for partnering with Oneida's Downtown Association for this project.

The Art of Healing and Wellness Fair

An event that you don't want to miss!   The Art of Healing and Wellness will be held at La Vie Boheme Bistro on April 24, 2010 from 10am-7pm and will feature many local practioners that specialize in Skin Care, Massage Therapy, Chakra Meditation, Flower Essences, Aromatherapy, Organice Herbal Gardening, Music Therapy, Yoga and Belly dancing as well a Tribal Dance Workshop.

Local artisans will also be selling their art work, handcrafted jewelry and bath and body products.  There will be a gift basket raffled off that will feature products and services from some of our practioners and artisans.

Demonstrations and lectures will be given throughout the day and  La Vie Boheme Bistro will be offering a breakfast and lunch buffet.  So come join us for a day of fun filled activities that will help you acheive your goal of total body wellness.

For more information about the event schedule, please go to http://www.laviebohemebistro.com/ .
La Vie Boheme Bistro 109-111 Madsion St. Oneida, NY .

Late Night Baking

I am  not always sure of what comes over us, but sometimes even after a long hard frustrating day we want to go into the kitchen and whip up some cookies.  I can even cajole Kenzie into helping most of the time...especially if she thinks she may be able to eat a few warm, freshly baked cookies before going to bed.....and then there is of course the extended bed time for helping me.

She is her mother's daughter....the second wind always comes right before the bedtime hour.  I send her up to go to bed ususally an hour before we come and she is always awake .....telling us she is not tired.   Morning comes pretty early though!  I don't take pictures of mornings in this house because sometimes it is not pretty.This is my clown and this is probably why we make cookies at night when we are tired...the silly comes out and we actually end up having some mother daughter therapy.   Try this sometime....it can be fun!

Easter Dinner

Easter dinner in the prep stages......wow you say where is the ham and all of the other traditional Easter Foods?   I know we are at times an unconventional family and that is not just with the foods we prepare. 

This is actually a Spinach Lasagna Roll Up and it is really very easy to make as well as very tasty!  My mother loves to make this when we have lots of guests coming for dinner.  This year we were lucky to have many family members come into town to celebrate Easter with us. 

The Filling: So you will need 2 cups of ricotta cheese or lowfat cottage cheese... 2- 10 oz. packages of chopped frozen spinach....thawed and drained..... 2 Cups of Shredded mozarella.......and approximately 28oz. of tomato sauce.

Mix spinach, ricotta and 1 cup of the mozarella for the filling.  Reserve 1 cup of mozarella for topping when cooking the roll ups.

1 whole box of lasagna noodles cooked and drained.

 Basically to make this simple lasagna variation you want to cook a whole box of your favorite lasagna noodles....don't over cook because they will fall apart when you go to roll them with their spinach and ricotta cheese filling.To cool the noodles, line your counterop with wax paper and lay each noodle in a single layer along the paper. Once they have cooled enough to be touched, use 1/4 cup of the spinach and ricotta mixture and plop it in the center of each noodle.  Flatten the filling out a little by spreading with the back of a spoon.....you don't have to spread it the entire length of the noodle, just enough to make it a little flatter for when you will roll it. 

Before rolling up your noodles pour a small amount of tomato sauce in the bottom of your skillet.

  To roll the noodle start at one end and roll towards the opposite end.  When you are done rolling, put it seam down in the skillet.  When you have all of the noodles rolled up and they are in your skillet, pour some tomato sauce over the top of them...bring them to a boil and then reduce to a simmer with a cover for 5 minutes.   Next sprinkle with the remaining mozarella and cook for another 5 minutes or until the mozarella on top has melted. 

Now the recipe is meatless, but if you have guests who like meat you can do what we did....make some meatballs to go along with the Spinach Lasagna Roll-ups.  This is my father rolling the final meatball. We popped these into the oven for about 35 minutes.

Add a salad and some hearty bread and you have yourself a pretty fantastic meal that is easy on the budget and the waitline!

Now of course we couldn't end it there....we had biscotti and slow churned ice cream for dessert.

Now we may be different with our menu, but I will ease your minds.....the jelly beans and chocolate bunnies were eaten before, during and after we hand dyed the Easter Eggs and of course we can't forget the Easter Egg Hunt! We hope everyone had a wonderful Holiday...I know we did.

Breakfast of champions

My daughter and I often have the debate over whether or not one should eat breakfast in the morning and what that breakfast should be.  Now of course since she is twelve she thinks she knows everything and that Mom is just dumb!

I have always been pro- breakfast  because I wake up hungry and thirtsty every morning. It amazes me that my daughter can actually get up and lay on the sofa for 2 hours before she wants to drink or eat anything. 

I have come to the conclusion that part of the reason she does not eat right away in the morning is that she has never really liked any type of breakfast food with the exception of bacon.  There have been many mornings that she has eaten leftover chinese or subway...which I don't care as long as she eats before going to school.....it is when she tries to pull out the ice cream... the soda and the cookies we have baked the night before I can assure you that I bulk and that none of those sugary items pass her lips.  Your body does not need to be treated in such a manner! 

My choice of breakfast varies on a daily basis, but always includes some type of tea, fruit, cereal or wholewheat bread.   If you don't fuel your body the right way in the beginning of the day you will surely suffer the consequences....your mind and body will not be able to function properly making simple tasks difficult.

Check it out my breakfast from this morning. Now if you are a Kashi Freak like I am you probably recognize their cereal here.  I have added fresh blueberries, raspberries and bananas.....topped off with skim milk.  I also enjoyed a cup of Good Earth's new pomegranate superfruit tea.  I am ready to workout!

This is part of taking care of yourself....so do your small part...... and by the way I made my daughter a whole wheat bagel this morning with creamcheese and a glass of V-8 juice ( not the tomato, but the fruit medley).

Do you take care of yourself

When was the last time you did something for yourself?  I mean really did something that was good for you....something that didn't involve your husband or wife or children.

I know that most of us have to think long and hard to remember that something right.......Down time for the mind, body and spirit.  I have been trying to think back to when I have done anything  for myself and it has been much longer than I would have liked to believe.

You can only give so much before you crash, if you do not take just a little back for yourself.   Now this is not being selfish...it is actually in the long run, being just the opposite, because if you take care of yourself you will make it possible to continue to give back to others. 

This doesn't have to be a week long vacation in the Bahamas or a 3 day cruise to St. Thomas.....it can simply be an hour Facial or a Pedicure or a Massage.  Maybe you enjoy meditation, accupuncture, a free seminar, or karoke night...whatever helps you relax and rejuvenate that is the ticket! 

So today, when you are writing or reviewing your long list of things to do, pencil in that one thing that helps YOU to let it all go and relax. 

Bloggers Profile...meet Shannon

Sometimes I wonder if people really read your blog or if they are just nosey.    I mean when you go onto a new blog do you go directly to the blogger's profile to see their pictures and what they have written about themselves? 

I can't lie...I most certainly want to read about the person who is writing the blog before I read their blog... or go to see a glimsp of their life even if it is only a small sliver of their reality.  I think that is what makes us human....the ability to either relate to a person's ideas, situations or beliefs.

Now I was just reading an interesting comment that someone wrote the other day and it basically compared their style of writing to various media...like for example do identify your writing style with a newpaper for example....you know fast paced, hectic, ever changing daily news.... or are you the type that likes to write 500 page novels...slowly revealing bits and pieces until you reach the climax of the story....

Me I am more like a magazine where it contains many different articles, but isn't as fast paced as a newspaper, but not as self contained as a novel. Something that gives small information about many things at once.  So this is in fact why I write and take pictures of the many different things that I do with and without my family.

I am a person who needs change to spark my creativity.....my mind does move at a pace that needs challenges, but enough time to work each one out.......and sometimes it is as if I go in creative circles that evolve as time goes on.   Some may call this chaos, but I feel it is my order that keeps me sane.

So here it is a little more into my state of mind..... and if you are the person who needs to know more personal things about the blogger to be able to connect and read the blog I hope this helps shed a little more light on me and who I am. 

One more thing....Let me introduce you all to my lovable schnoodle Maddie.

Maddie is an 18 lb. poodle/schnauzer mix who is by my side 24/7.  She is really the first dog I have ever had as an adult and saying I love her to pieces is an understatement....she is definetly a family member.....everyone loves Maddie and Maddie loves everyone!

So there you have it another piece of me to know!