Whaddya Live in a Barn??

My in-laws live next door to us, don't know if I ever told you guys that (and they read this here blog so try to suppress those Everybody Loves Raymond-esque comments;)). They live in an old farmhouse and also have a huge barn on their little five acre farmette. I was in the barn the other day (they sell random furniture pieces out of it) and noticed that a lot of the furniture was sold, which really opened up the place. I stood there and imagined a beautiful barn party. Not the kind where you swing your partner 'round and 'round (although that might be fun!), but a wedding reception or some sort of celebration which required a long farmhouse-style table stretched out to feed a crowd. I love that look! I don't know why I didn't think of it for OUR wedding reception (shoot, Mitch, why didn't we think of that?!) But anyway, I just wanted to show you guys the barn today and let your imaginations run wild with barn party ideas or even converting this space over into a house. Mitch and I have talked about that--how awesome would it be to live in a barn?!


So here's looking from the back of the barn to the front. This would make an awesome great room with massive cathedral ceilings. Beyond those two windows on the far side is an incredible view of the Lancaster County farmlands.

This is the view from where I was standing in the last picture...

And with the doors open facing yet more beautiful farmland. (Look at those beams!)

On the right hand side (beyond where that half wall is), that's the other third of the barn. Game room, perhaps? Craft room? Any kind of room you could imagine. Shoot, even a basketball court! Or a massive master bedroom:)

This is the other third of the barn. I can imagine this space as a huge dining room with that farmhouse-style table stretched out and a couple of lantern pendants hanging above.

With the kitchen tucked in this back corner.

Some bedrooms up here perhaps?

Can you imagine all the wood it'd take if you wanted to have a planked ceiling? Which of course I would;) That would look so awesome, wouldn't it? 

 View out the front

And the back

There's a door in the floor which I guess was used to throw hay into the lower level? I don't know...that's a total guess. My boys would have fun with that! Shoot, I'd have fun with that.

 These are steps going down to the lower level which is actually ground level also. This type of barn is called a bank barn and is accessible at ground level on two different stories since it's built into the side of a hill, or bank. So you got a whole other level to live in!

The backside of the barn

So what do you think? Could you live in a barn? Obviously I have the floor plan already laid out, so you know I'd be game. I wonder how much it would cost to finish a barn...can't be cheap!

Wondrous Balls of Peanut Butter Goodness

I've renamed these little treats "chocolate peanut butter balls" (easier to remember than the title of this post) 'cause I felt like a fraud calling them "Buckeyes" since I don't live in Ohio. It just doesn't feel right. That's kinda like a Texan wanting to call his sandwich a "Philly cheesesteak." Sorry. You can't do that. Ain't nobody can do a cheesesteak like a Philly native. Nobody. 

I made these pb balls for Mitch's birthday. Every year he's supposed to bring in a treat to work to celebrate the day of his birth and every year I try to mix it up. (okay, I think this was like the second time in 10 years I've made something...whatever) So I made these as well as some pumpkin bars (recipe pending) for him and his coworkers. This was the first time I successfully dipped candy. You can check out my unsuccessful first attempt here. And they were a hit, apparently. So I made some more this past weekend for a cookout we were hosting. And now we have leftovers. Not a good thing. These little guys are way too easy to pop in your mouth and before you know it you've downed three or four or seventeen. So I'm sharing this melt-in-your-mouth recipe with you, my favorite friends (so you can get fat with me).

Here's whatcha need.

So easy. Even a non-Ohioan can do it. You just mix those four ingredients (pb, butter, sugar, and vanilla) together in a mixer and roll 'em into little 1" balls. 

Then you stick a fork in 'em...I mean, stick a toothpick in the top and freeze for at least 30 minutes to firm them up. (You can freeze them for weeks at this point and whenever you're ready to dip them, just pull them out of the freezer.) Then you dip in melted chocolate, leaving a portion of the top peeking out (that is if you want the Buckeye version, otherwise the whole wondrous ball of peanut butter goodness can take the plunge). Then just stick them in the fridge when you're done. 

BTW, I melt my chocolate on the stove. I have the worst time with my microwave and usually end up over-nuking stuff. And once chocolate is overcooked, you can call it a day--it ain't comin' back. Not that I'm speaking from experience or anything:/ I've found that you have much more control when you use the double boiler method. So I fill up a small saucepan with water, let it come to a boil, then place my small stainless mixing bowl on the rim of the pan (you can use a heat-safe glass bowl...just make sure the bottom of it doesn't reach the bottom of your saucepan), and add my chocolate. I lower/turn off the heat from time to time so as to not overheat the chocolate. You can always remelt chocolate, but you can't use overcooked chocolate. It has this nasty habit of clumping. And clumping ain't pretty. 

Chocolate Peanut Butter Balls (AKA Buckeyes)                                    adapted from allrecipes

Ingredients

3/4 cup peanut butter

3 cups confectioners' sugar

1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, softened

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 cups melting chocolate

1. Blend peanut butter, confectioners' sugar, butter and vanilla.
2. Roll into 1 inch balls and place on baking sheets lined with wax paper.
3. Insert a toothpick into the top of each ball (to be used later as the handle for dipping) and chill in freezer until hard, about 30 minutes.
4. Dip frozen peanut butter balls in melted chocolate, holding onto the toothpick. Leave a small portion of peanut butter showing at the top.
5. Place chocolate-covered balls on the wax paper lined baking sheet and refrigerate 2 hours. Yield: 2 1/2 dozen.

Finn's Crib

So I've decided instead of waiting to do a room reveal to show you Finn's nursery, I'll show ya bits and pieces here and there. Of course I'll do a full room reveal once everything's done, but I thought you guys might like to see where we're at and progress shots along the way. I already showed you his changing table, so today say hello to his crib. 

This was Ryder and Bryce's crib; it just underwent a little makeover. This is what it used to look like. (you can tour Ry's nursery here)

I had our cabinetmaker spray the crib in my go-to color these days--Benjamin Moore Dragon's Breath. I'm seriously going wild with this paint color. The old crib color was nice but I wanted something a little more substantial and dare-I-say "grown up"? I know, sounds ridiculous for a baby's nursery! But I didn't want it too precious in there. Do you know what I mean? With having the pallet ceiling, I felt like I could do a more rustic grown-up style. I think the antique rug really helps tie things together too.

And no, this isn't Bryce's crib;) He's just helping by keeping Finn company.

I don't do themes in rooms, but it just happened to work out that I had a bunch of star things. The crib sheet is from Pottery Barn Kids. I love it. It matches Ryder and Bryce's sheets. (they have the red version) My friend got Finn the star blanket when he was born and the colors are just perfect for his room (thanks, Karen!). The bumper was one I bought at a consignment shop. It's from PB but had airplanes on it. I asked my MIL if she could sew some fabric to it to cover up the decals--and now we have a perfect neutral bumper. (she sewed the linen-like fabric that you see on the front side.) The Roman blind (which looks kinda wonky in these pics...sorry) was made by Melissa from Windows by Melissa. I got two of them on clearance for a great price. I think they look great in this room and also help tie in that "grown up" look.



This is the first mobile any of my boys have had. I made it out of a basket handle. The basket was old and the webbing was coming apart. I really liked the handle part and I thought it'd make a cute mobile. The items dangling from the baker's twine are salt dough ornaments that the boys and I made. There are stars, hearts, and house-shaped ornaments.

This is Finn's view:)

There's not too much left to do in there--that's the good thing about having all boys:) Things to do yet in Finn's nursery:

• Paint and install hanging bookshelf
• Slipcover chair/ottoman
• Replace broken blade on ceiling fan
• Organize closet space

Hope you enjoyed the peek into our little guy's room. More to come soon! Have a great weekend.

I Like My Eggs Fresh and My Chicken Roasted

I used to be afraid of cooking birds. There was something about roasting a whole chicken or turkey that scared me. I guess I was afraid of undercooking it and we'd all get salmonella or overcooking it and one of us choking on it, but really there's not a whole lot to it. As long as you have a meat thermometer or even use the old "cut at bone and juices run clear" technique, anyone can cook a mean chicken or turkey. And once you've done it a couple times, you'll gain the confidence you need and not think twice about whippin' up one of these guys for dinner. 

I like cooking whole chickens 'cause first of all, they're delish (I have my boys saying that now--"Mom, this cake is DELISH!") and secondly, you can get a couple meals out of it. The first night we eat the chicken with the veggies that accompany it, then later I'll make a big ol' pot of chicken noodle (or rice) soup. It feeds a lot. And for not a lot of money. And that's what I like to call a win/win. And seriously, look at that crispy, golden skin. I'm not ashamed to admit that's my favorite part. Man...my mouth's watering just thinkin' about it.

So here's my recipe for roasting a chicken. I always cook veggies with it too--this case on the bottom of the chicken. That way, all the juices from the roasting chicken flavor the veggies. It's quite delish, if I may say so myself.

Ingredients

1 (4-5 lb) roasting chicken

Kosher salt and pepper

1 lemon

1 whole head of garlic, cut in half crosswise

thyme

olive oil

2 tablespoons butter, melted

potatoes cut in bite-size pieces

baby carrots

onion

Directions

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

Place carrots, cut-up potatoes, and sliced onion on bottom of roasting pan and drizzle lightly with olive oil and season with salt & pepper.

Remove and discard the chicken giblets. Rinse the chicken inside and out. Pat the outside dry. Liberally salt and pepper the inside of the chicken. Place in pan on top of veggies. Cut the lemon in half and place in the cavity along with the garlic and some thyme. Melt butter, adding about 2 tablespoons olive oil to it and brush the chicken. Sprinkle liberally with salt, pepper, and more thyme.

Roast chicken for about 1 hour and 15 minutes, until the juices run clear when you cut between a leg and thigh (160-165 degrees). Remove from oven and cover chicken with foil and let rest for 10 minutes.

I can cook a chicken, but please don't ask me to cut it. That's Mitch's job.

Happy Birthday, MTH!

Today is Mitch's 34th birthday. So today I just want to do a post about the big man himself, the man of the hour, another-hockey-championship-under-his-belt, DIY-getter-doner, father of three, and amazing husband: Mitchell T. So I'm going to give some reasons why I love this man. I'll try to keep it PG-rated.

#1. His interaction with the boys. Here's Mitch and the boyz in the hoodz (I'm all of a sudden gangsta) after he won his latest hockey tournament. I think this is like the 3rd or 4th year they've won it all. BOOM! That's how we Hertzlers roll! (okay the other teams were pretty bad. whatever.) Update: that sounded mean...I guess the other teams looked bad 'cause Mitch had 8 goals and 1 assist in 4 games...HE kinda made them look bad. Is that better, babe? ;)

Ryder wants to be just like his Daddy--as he goes speeding by.

This is Bryce telling Mitch a "secret." Recently I've been whispering things like, "I love you so much!" in their ears so now Bryce wants in on the action. He told Mitch, "I wanna whisper something in your eye." (he hasn't gotten that down yet) And proceeds to press his ear up to Mitch's and tell him a secret. I love that Mitch plays along.

He loves spending time with his boys. Even if it means squeezing onto one of their chairs.

And letting them "help" him mow the yard.

He also helps out every week at Awana at church. I love that he's so involved in their lives. Here they are dressed up for "Hobo Night" at Awana. Well everyone except Bryce. It's always a Thomas-kinda-day in his world.

Almost always, Finn sits on Mitch's lap when we're eating. He doesn't mind gobbling dinner down with a flailing kid on his lap.

#2. That he gives me breaks. Being a stay-at-home mom has its challenges, for sure. But Mitch is always willing to watch the boys and even encourages me to "go out for a while." Whether that's just a visit to my local GW, or a night out with the girls, he's very willing and more than able to watch all three of the boys. Even though for a while all Finn did when I went out was scream, Mitch had it under control. And I'm very thankful for a husband who lets me unwind from time to time.

#3. His willingness to do pretty much anything for me. I'm kinda crazy when it comes to projects floating around in my head. I share some of that crazy stuff with Mitch and rather than rolling his eyes at me, he dreams along with me and makes things happen. Even if it's holding a cabinet with one arm while trying to measure out exactly where it's supposed to go. "No, up another 1/2 inch, please!" Done. And with a smile. And in his sexy blue paint-splattered sweatpants.

#4. That's he's just as crazy about projects as I am. You'd think that after a major 3 year renovation, the guy would be ready for a break. Nope. He's now working on the outside of our house and his own space in the basement (he just finished building himself a couple work benches). He picked up these pallets at work the other day and tore them apart one by one.

I think he's planning on building the boys a small amusement park with all that wood.

#5. That he enjoys playing sports. Whether it's hockey or softball or the occasional basketball game, Mitch stays active by playing sports. And while his hockey games are late at night and we can hardly ever go to them (they START at 10:30), I enjoy watching my man play. And the boys love going to his games too. They actually watch him play! We're proud of him and like cheering him on.

#6. His hands. There's no denying Mitch has "man hands." There's nothing dainty about them. They're big, strong, callused, and I love them. I love how his wedding band looks on his finger. I love that he wears a wedding band. Gah...I just love everything about them. Okay, enough already. And yes, I just totally texted him and asked for a picture of his hand. 

#7. That we're dorks together. We get each other and our dumb jokes. No one else would laugh at my corny remarks but Mitch.

So happy birthday, to my BFF and DIY partner in crime. Thanks for all you do for your family. We love you so much and wish you a happy birthday, Mitchell Todd Hertzler!