A Station Wagon and a Bridge.

34 years ago this is where I was almost born. 

Red light.  

Stop.  Wait....wait....wait.....GO!

Red light.  

Stop.  Wait....wait....wait.....GO!

Red light.

Stop.  Wait....wait....wait.....GO!

My dad was a very safe driver apparently.  

I can imagine my momma screaming at him to run a few red lights and just get there while at the same time being completely zen while she tries to breathe through the labor pains.  It's amazing that almost one year ago, coming up here in a few weeks, I was in this same predicament as my mom when Eloise was about to make her appearance.  I started out fairly calm, I'd like to think anyways, but quickly grew into 'get the H-E-double hockey sticks there NOW!' toward the end of drive to the hospital.  She was born a mere 17 minutes later, crazy child wanted out of her cozy living space I guess. Who am I to blame her though as I was in the same hurry all those years ago too.

This past weekend I happily celebrated adding another wonderful year under my belt.  Being blessed with three little cuties makes marking off each one of those 365 days even sweeter.  

What will this next year bring?  Oh, how I half-wish I was privy to that information.

I do know that soon it will be this little girl's First birthday!  

Party plans are swirling in my head. 

Not to worry, I'll share the 411 with you once everything is figured out!

But first I still have about half of this ice cream cake left to eat.

It makes the perfect companion when sitting on our porch to enjoy the last bits of sun at the end of a hot day.

XOXO,

Sponsored Giveaway: Fat Quarter Shop!!

Today you guys are so lucky!!  

I have a giveaway from one of my fabulous blog sponsors, the Fat Quarter Shop!!  

It's a good one.

You are going to love it.

You are going to want it...bad!

Click HERE to enter now!!

XOXO,

Summer Pasta Salad {A Recipe}

I love summer for the hot weather, the swimsuit-wearin' all day long, and the somewhat lack of a schedule but most importantly because I can whip up this tasty side dish with our summer meals.  It's super fast to put together and is a great addition on the table when we entertain on the weekends!

This salad is served cold, how could a summer salad not be?  The dressing is a little cheese-y and a little bit zippy...me likey a lot.  You can easily customize it by adding in your choice of bell peppers, black olives, pepperoni, red onions, even corn kernels fresh off the cob.  

Summer Pasta Salad -print this recipe HERE-

1/2 box or 8 oz of dry pasta ( I love using cavatappi!)

1/2 cup of creamy Caesar dressing

1/2 cup Italian dressing

1/2 cup parmesan cheese

Diced red or green pepper, black olives, pepperoni, red onions, corn kernels

Boil the noodles according to the package directions in a medium sized pot.   Rinse with cold water and drain, set aside.  In a large bowl combine pasta, both dressings, parmesan cheese and any vegetables together.  Mix well and refrigerate for a few hours until chilled.  Serves 6-8 people. 

The basic ingredients you'll need...um, yum to the 12th power (math nerd alert!)

I diced up red and green peppers for this particular salad...love that pop of color it adds :-)

Once your pasta has boiled, rinse with cold water and drain...

Then add in your vegetables of choice...

And mix in your Italian and Caesar dressings, and parmesan cheese...looking good, right!

Now you've got a great summer side dish for your next meal or outdoor get-together!!

Enjoy!

XOXO,

Children's Scavenger Hunt {A Free Printable}

Here's another fun idea I created earlier this summer for my little ones to help us (or me) enjoy all the laps around the block we take every single day.  Don't get me wrong, I love walking the block but sometimes, just sometimes, it can get a little bang my head against the wall, ya feeling me?  One kid wants to go left, the other is screaming to go right and the baby is trying her hardest to Houdini it out of her stroller straps.

Do you need something fun like this to add a new dimension to your everyday-everyday?   

I kinda thought you might.

Print the Scavenger Hunt Here!

When you print the Scavenger Hunt out you will get FOUR cards per sheet.  I print mine on a heavy cardstock.   Take a scissors or a paper cutter and cut them apart.  Then just give your kids a crayon, a little marker or even stickers and let them search high and low finding each picture on the card.

We always find lots of American flags on our walks.  It's so fun to hear Penelope yell out when she's spotted one, 'Mare-can Fwag!  Mare-can Fwag!'  Finding them just might be the highlight of her day.  

Partway through you just may need to sit down in someone's driveway and scan your card to see what you have left to find...this is hard work peeps!

Oooh, Oooh!  Flowers...12 o'clock!  Check and done!!

When you've found every single last item you know it's time to let your baby sister have at the card...she is so excited over the prospect of getting some card play...time to get a little slobbery dude!

Enjoy!!

XOXO,

Klutz Books: Fabulous Flowers...The Winners!

So, you think I totally forgot to pick the winners of the Klutz Book giveaway?  Uh, yeah...I did....sorry 'bout that.  We were so busy yesterday with all the Father's Day fun we had planned for Mr. Smashed Peas that it didn't even cross my mind until this morning, crikeys!  I'm getting old! 

Anyways...the TWO winners have been picked and they are:

Yayyy and congrats to you both!!!  Cindy, it sounds like you are gonna be one busy bee this summer, I love it!  And Ashlie, that cheerwine still intrigues me...I've got to try it...and soon!

Please email me at SmashedPeasandCarrots[at]gmail[dot]com with your mailing address information so we can get this book sent off to you both immediately!

Okay, I'm off to walk the little ones to summer camp!  

We'll talk soon!

XOXO,

The Sandwich Cozy {A Tutorial}

So, I just wanted to post the fun little Sandwich Cozy tutorial that I did for Scrap Your Stash at Living With Punks a few weeks back.  Enjoy!!

::  ::  ::

A few years ago I had a few of these reusable sandwich mats for wrapping up your sandwiches or pretzels and such on picnics but I just majorly disliked the fact that they were made with this plastic-y vinyl type material.  I have been getting rid of all my plastic food containers and these mats just didn't sit well with me cause you were essentially storing your food right on the plastic side of the mat...ummm, yeah no.   So I came up with an all-fabric cozy that you can wash and reuse and as a bonus you get to use up some of those precious fabric scraps, holla! 

Each cozy is generously sized to fit a nice thick sandwich full of yummy toppings or a generous portion of snacky foods...pretzels, crackers, or even cookies perhaps?

They are perfect for summer picnics, school lunches or taking to work.  The velcro closure is just right for little hands too :-)  I think you should make one or two for each member of your family and put a dent into that growing pile of scraps!!

Things You need to Get Started:

Fabric scraps in all sizes

Piece of coordinating fabric measuring 15" x 15"

Piece of fusible interfacing measuring 15" x 15"

2 inch piece of velcro

ruler

rotary cutter and mat

sewing machine and thread

iron

First grab your scraps (these are all scraps from Central Park by Kate Spain...love this line!) and figure out how you would like to arrange them before you start sewing.  You will want to end up with a 15 inch by 15 inch piece of fabric so pull your scraps accordingly.

When you are ready to start sewing them together, place the first piece of fabric right-side up and then place the piece of fabric that will be next to it right-side down directly on top of the first piece.  Sew together using a 1/ 4 inch seam allowance. 

Continue doing this for each additional piece until you have something resembling 15 inch by 15 inch square or larger.  Don't worry if you are using scraps of fabric that are longer than 15 inches.  We will cut them down to size soon!

Once all your pieces are sewn together, flip your fabric wrong-side up and press your seam flat, see picture above.  This will help to reduce bulkiness once the cozy is assembled.

Now you can go ahead and cut your pieced fabric (this will be your inner fabric) so that it measures 15 inches by 15 inches.

Next grab your interfacing.  This is what mine looked like.  

Cut a piece of interfacing as well as a piece of coordinating fabric (which will be your outside fabric) to measure 15 by 15 inches.   Iron on the fusible interfacing to the wrong-side of the outside fabric following the package directions.

Next, measure 3 inches in from each corner and draw a line between the two points.  Cut a triangular piece from each of the four corners from both your inner fabric (pieced fabric) and your outside fabric (with interfacing attached) using your ruler and rotary cutter plus mat.

Then take the rough section of the velcro and center it about 2.5 inches from one side of the outside fabric.  Sew in place.  

Now this part is tricky to explain so bear with me here.  Place the inner and outside fabrics right-sides together keeping the outer fabric on the top (like the picture above).  You are going to sandwich the softer side of the velcro inbetween these two layers with the soft side facing down.  Do this on the exact opposite side of the cozy from where you had sewn the rough side of your velcro.  So if you are looking at this picture, the velcro needs to be shoved into the sandwich so that it is aligned with the raw edge.  Make sense...or clear as mud?

Okay, if you totally understood that last step pat yourself on the back!  Next you are going to sew around the cozy with a 1/4 inch seam allowance leaving one side unsewn so that you have an opening for turning the cozy right side out.  

Clip every single corner and then turn that baby right side out...almost done!!

Press the cozy flat and then top stitch around the entire cozy with a 1/8 inch seam allowance.  This will neaten up the cozy as well as it will close that darn opening.  

Done!  

Isn't it so cute!

Now, fold up your cozy and get ready to do some summer picnikin'!

Ahh, summer...lush green grass and a little bit of shade equals the perfect picnic ambiance :-)

PB & J anyone?

Happy Friday!!

XOXO,

Cheese Fondue {A Recipe}

Is bedtime one of the most favorite parts of your day like me?  

Specifically my kids' bedtime, hehe. 

Why am I talking about bedtime when I so clearly have a recipe to share with you all?

Cause this particular recipe is for Cheese Fondue...Mmmm!

A cheesy mess of utter deliciousness that Mr Smashed Peas and I will make for our in-home date nights we like to have after the kids are in bed.  Awesome!

Said date nights occur about once a week and often include our newest Netflix movie...we heart Netflix.  

I wish these weekly date nights included this fondue each and every time, it's really so good, but I think eating that much cheese and bread every week would cause my heart to explode...or my pants...but I'm not willing to go head to head in 'Battle Fondue' to find out.  Sorry peeps.

This recipe comes from none other than my momma, love her I do!  My family would have fairly regular Fondue nights when we were younger and my siblings and I would always love eating dinner this way. What kid doesn't love dipping their food...and a whole dinner thats's meant to be dipped?  That's just crazy talk!  We've done a few Fondue nights with the kids but at their age let's just face it, it's a lot more fun when they are sleeping :-)  No need to worry about who is about to dip their whole hand in piping hot cheese.

When we were really little, like elementary school-aged, my parents shared a rule with us that if you dropped whatever you were dipping off your skewer you had to kiss someone.  Now that might sound all romantic and all but when you are little it's all cooties and embarrassment even if it's with your own family (on the cheek people!)   My poor brother, his three little sisters always ended up having to kiss him on the cheek and he hated it!  Hah, I wonder if my sibs remember that?

Cheese Fondue -Print this recipe HERE-

1 lb of Swiss Cheese (or a mixture of Gruyere, Emmantaler and Swiss) cubed or shredded

1 12 oz bottle of beer or white wine

3 Tbsp cornstarch

1/4 tsp garlic powder

dash of salt

Pour beer or wine in a fondue pot or medium saucepan and allow to reach boiling.  Once boiling has been reached, simmer beer or wine for 2 minutes to burn off the alcohol.  While you are waiting, cube swiss cheese and place in a large bowl, add in cornstarch and mix to coat all cheese pieces.  Slowly pour cheese pieces into simmering beer (or wine) and stir until completely melted.  Once melted add in garlic powder and salt, mix well.  Serve with crusty french bread, sliced apples, kielbasa, broccoli or other crunchy vegetables.  Enjoy!

First grab your alcohol of choice...we aren't big white wine drinkers in our home so I usually just buy these teeny little bottles that come in a four-pack.  Stay classy San Diego...I know....but it gets the job done.  Two leetle bottles are perfect for this recipe.  Pour it into your fondue pot and simmer it for two minutes.

While your are waiting cut up that glorious cheese!  Swiss is my all-time favorite...ever since I was little!!

Then grab your cornstarch and add 3 Tablespoons to your cheese...

Ahh, pretty!  Now mix it all up getting that cornstarch in every nook and cranny.

Add your cheese to your simmering beer or wine and let chemistry do it's magic.  Soon that cheese will be all melty and gooey.  Continue stirring or you will have some of that delicious cheese stuck to the bottom of your pot.

Once the cheese is all melted, add in 1/4 teaspoon of garlic powder and a dash of salt or if you are like me and like to cut corners just add in some garlic salt...boom!  That's the way to do it!!

Enjoy your fondue with some pieces of crusty french bread, apples or anything else your heart desires!

Date night.  

Netflix.  

Fondue.  

Awesome.

XOXO,