Busy Summer, but easy project!

Whew!  It has been awhile since I've been on here.  Summer is always such a busy time at our house and this year has been no exception!  Girls coming and going from camp, teen time at our church for a week, camping, wakeboarding, swimming....anyway, I tend to neglect the internet when I get busy. 

The great thing is I did find some time to do a fun easy project that I just love with some old barn board.  The idea was inspired by a friend on Facebook who did something similar.

We don't really have barn board laying around, but we do have an old horse shed that has a barn door. 

After sizing the door up, I asked my husband if I could take a board off the door, since the building is really no good anyway. 

So I pried a board off with the help of my husband (who wishes I would stop getting so many ideas:) )

I had to take out ALOT of nails!! And then I was ready to start.

I used an old cereal box to cut out the letters and then traced them onto my board!  After I cut them out then I spray painted a bunch of frames to hang on the wall along with my letters.

Of course I had to use my favorite color spray paint!

And here is everything put up on the wall!  As I take pictures, I will add them into the frames, but for now I like the look!  It sure was better than a blank wall!

Since this was so much fun, I went ahead right away and made another set of letters and added those in the kitchen!  Of course my junky camera never makes things look as good as they do in real life, but you get the idea!

Happy 4th

Today we are being lazy and just hanging out as a family!  Something that rarely happens anymore with the girls being older and busier!  Tonight we will get together with a bunch of friends, play some games, eat great food and watch the fireworks. 
I've made my potato salad, cut up a watermelon and made sugar cookies.  These sugar cookies are so yummy that I just had to share them with you!

I made some star ones too, but they turned out kinda wanky, all crooked and goofy looking.

Here's the recipe:

2 cups butter

3 cups sugar

6 eggs

2 teaspoons vanilla

7 cups flour

4 teaspoons cream of tartar

2 teaspoons baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

Cream butter, sugar, eggs and vanilla.  Add cream of tartar, soda and salt.  Gradually add flour.  Take half of the dough out.  If it is a bit sticky, add a bit more flour.  Roll the dough so it is thick.  Use cookie cutters to cut out.  Bake at 350 for about 10 minutes.  Makes about 5 dozen.  Don't let the cookies brown!

Frosting:

4 cups powdered sugar

1/2 cup shortening

5 tablespoons milk

1 teaspoon clear vanilla ( I just use regular)

In a large bowl, cream together the powdered sugar and shortening until smooth.  Gradually mix in the milk and vanilla with an electric mixer until smooth and stiff, about 5 minutes.  Add food coloring if desired.

These cookies are so soft and delish!  Oh and they are so healthy and good for you...well maybe not that, but they sure are worth splurging on!

Happy 4th of July! 

I'm off to go swim with the family in the pool!

Linked up Feasting in Fellowship linky party at Comfy in the Kitchen

Ice Cream for Breakfast!

The past three weeks, my oldest three daughters have been weed picking for an organic farmer, starting at 6am-noon.  While they are gone, I have used the time to keep up on my own garden, along with catch up on some house cleaning. 

Emma however has been feeling a little left out and bored.  She is so used to having one of her other sisters  around, that she doesn't quite know what to do with her time.  I decided to surprise her today with a breakfast treat! 

Raspberry Coconut Milk Ice Cream

Recipe for Ice Cream

We try not to eat a lot of refined sugar, so this recipe uses honey.  I thought it turned out pretty good, but I do like my ice cream a tad bit sweeter.  We added some fresh sliced bananas on top with a sprinkle of raw sugar.

Perfect treat for a HOT morning of weeding the garden!