"Thank you cards are boring for me to write, but they're fun for the person getting them."
I love his honesty! And his realization of why we do them. Not for ourselves, for someone else.
Saturday, December 29, 2012
We like to get out in all kinds of weather
I never wanted the weather - unless it was dangerous - to keep us inside all day. For me, the health of getting out and exercising, as well as the appreciation of nature in all its forms, has been a mainstay of what I want to teach Brady.
So we have gone out in 100-degree weather and 30-degree weather (safely bundled up of course). We go out in calm spring rains (with no lightning!), in windy weather and in snow. I want him to see the outdoors as accessible almost all the time. So....
So we have gone out in 100-degree weather and 30-degree weather (safely bundled up of course). We go out in calm spring rains (with no lightning!), in windy weather and in snow. I want him to see the outdoors as accessible almost all the time. So....
Time for a snowman!
Not-Fried Fried potatoes & Day-After-Christmas casserole
I always try to healthify anything I cook and I LOVE fried potatoes but without the oil. I think they taste every bit as good. Here's a picture:
First, spray your pan with cooking spray. Heat it to medium-high. Add cut up/diced potato and then add about 1/4 inch of water to the pan.
Then I sprinkle on a good helping of seasoning. It used to be salt, pepper, garlic and chili powder. But now I just use that wonderful Head Country seasoning I like so much.
Stir it up, when the water gets too low, add a bit more. Basically you're steaming/boiling the potatoes, but as the starch in the potatoes leaches out into the water, it makes a kind of sauce with the seasoning that is SO tasty!
Continue adding water as it steams out until the potatoes are done, then turn off the heat, sprinkle cheese on and put a lid on until the cheese is melted.
It's every bit as healthy as a baked potato with just cheese, but tastes like fried potatoes! You could also add onions, green pepper, garlic, tomatoes, bacon, ham or even scrambled eggs.
Day-After-Christmas Casserole
Hubby was not too thrilled about another night of leftovers, so he said, "Why don't you make turkey hash?" His grandmother used to make it and I had never heard of it. So I went googling around and found several recipes. Some were in the skillet, some in the oven. Some suggested making patties and frying them. Some included vegetables and stuffing and gravy, some did not.
So I kind of made my own idea. We were so excited about eating it and it smelled so good, I forgot to take a picture until most of it was gone.
So here's what I came up with.
Get an 8X8 square pan and spray with cooking spray. In a skillet, heat up diced turkey (or ham or chicken, whatever you have) and leftover gravy (you could use this white sauce recipe).
Spread them in the bottom of the pan.
Next crumble any leftover stuffing on top of the turkey/gravy in the pan and any leftover veggies (green bean casserole or corn would be great!) on top of that.
Take any leftover mashed potatoes (or other potato dish) and heat them up in the same skillet along with a little extra butter and milk. Then spread them on top of the other layers. Bake in the oven at 350 degrees for 20-30 mins or however long it takes for the potatoes to get a little crusty and starting to brown. Sprinkle cheese on top and bake another 5 or so minutes until the cheese melts and starts to get crusty. It's almost like a Christmas Shepherds Pie and it's good for breakfast too!
YUM!
Then I sprinkle on a good helping of seasoning. It used to be salt, pepper, garlic and chili powder. But now I just use that wonderful Head Country seasoning I like so much.
Stir it up, when the water gets too low, add a bit more. Basically you're steaming/boiling the potatoes, but as the starch in the potatoes leaches out into the water, it makes a kind of sauce with the seasoning that is SO tasty!
Continue adding water as it steams out until the potatoes are done, then turn off the heat, sprinkle cheese on and put a lid on until the cheese is melted.
It's every bit as healthy as a baked potato with just cheese, but tastes like fried potatoes! You could also add onions, green pepper, garlic, tomatoes, bacon, ham or even scrambled eggs.
Day-After-Christmas Casserole
Hubby was not too thrilled about another night of leftovers, so he said, "Why don't you make turkey hash?" His grandmother used to make it and I had never heard of it. So I went googling around and found several recipes. Some were in the skillet, some in the oven. Some suggested making patties and frying them. Some included vegetables and stuffing and gravy, some did not.
So I kind of made my own idea. We were so excited about eating it and it smelled so good, I forgot to take a picture until most of it was gone.
Get an 8X8 square pan and spray with cooking spray. In a skillet, heat up diced turkey (or ham or chicken, whatever you have) and leftover gravy (you could use this white sauce recipe).
Spread them in the bottom of the pan.
Next crumble any leftover stuffing on top of the turkey/gravy in the pan and any leftover veggies (green bean casserole or corn would be great!) on top of that.
Take any leftover mashed potatoes (or other potato dish) and heat them up in the same skillet along with a little extra butter and milk. Then spread them on top of the other layers. Bake in the oven at 350 degrees for 20-30 mins or however long it takes for the potatoes to get a little crusty and starting to brown. Sprinkle cheese on top and bake another 5 or so minutes until the cheese melts and starts to get crusty. It's almost like a Christmas Shepherds Pie and it's good for breakfast too!
YUM!
The drought hits home, tough times for the Midwest
Natural disasters like the Hurricane Sandy on the East Coast and Hurricane Katrina in New Orleans, or the slew of tornadoes that hit Joplin, Mo., are immediately on the country's radar.
The slow-simmering drought in the center of the country is harder to wrap your mind around. When Brady and I moved here more than a year ago, he went fishing for the first time and caught a nice bass. He was so proud of it, he asked my husband's mother to cook his up special so he could eat the very one he caught.
A year later we went back to that same pond to find it nearly dried up with the dead carcasses of 4-foot-long grass carp ringing its edge; they died gasping for air when there was not enough room for them to swim anymore. Not only that, the water had turned a bright green and its smelled awful. The pond - like the carp - is dead.
The drought really hit home for us then. We had felt it in other, smaller ways. For one, we had to struggle to keep our garden alive without rainfall. And when we did, instead of just providing for us, it became a haven for thirsty creatures. We had bugs everywhere and rabbits, birds and even deer ate the bounty of our plants. A walnut tree in our yard began dropping limbs at an alarming rate, all infested with borer worms. Turns out the drought-stressed tree had become vulnerable to invasion. We think we were able to save it, but only time will tell.
Pheasants and quail, which my husband likes to hunt, have been almost nonexistent around this area.
We like to live off the land as much as we can, and the drought has now affected that for us. There is less game, our fishing pond is dried up, our garden did not produce very well and we nearly lost a source of walnuts.
So far, its only influence on the rest of the country is perhaps higher prices of corn and other produce-dependent foods. But that could change. Here is a recent story about barge traffic on the Mississippi River: http://www.nytimes.com/2012/12/24/us/drought-threatens-shipping-on-mississippi-river.html?_r=0
Here's another on how it has affected farmers, calling it the worst drought since the Dust Bowl:
http://communities.washingtontimes.com/neighborhood/politics-blue-collar/2012/dec/28/drought-fiscal-cliff-dairy-cliff-why-farmers-may-b/
And cattle ranchers: http://deltafarmpress.com/livestock/2012-midwest-drought-will-continue-have-impact-livestock-numbers-prices
If it doesn't let up, the effects may spread outward, raising prices throughout the country.
My husband said the other night, "What can we do?" Nothing I know of, but pray and try and conserve our water as much as possible. Turn off the faucet while brushing teeth. Collect rain water for the garden in the summer, what little rain there is. Take shorter showers.
Drought is a natural process, one we can't control. Perhaps these things happen to remind us that we need to pray, that during tough times we need to have faith and turn to God. Faith is easy when things are going our way, and so now it is tested.
I know one thing. If we get a blizzard here this winter, people wouldn't complain near as much as normal. We need the moisture, they'll say. And my goodness, do we ever.
Here's Brady and his fish, back when the pond was still alive:
But you can see in the background of this photo, the drought was already taking hold:
The slow-simmering drought in the center of the country is harder to wrap your mind around. When Brady and I moved here more than a year ago, he went fishing for the first time and caught a nice bass. He was so proud of it, he asked my husband's mother to cook his up special so he could eat the very one he caught.
A year later we went back to that same pond to find it nearly dried up with the dead carcasses of 4-foot-long grass carp ringing its edge; they died gasping for air when there was not enough room for them to swim anymore. Not only that, the water had turned a bright green and its smelled awful. The pond - like the carp - is dead.
The drought really hit home for us then. We had felt it in other, smaller ways. For one, we had to struggle to keep our garden alive without rainfall. And when we did, instead of just providing for us, it became a haven for thirsty creatures. We had bugs everywhere and rabbits, birds and even deer ate the bounty of our plants. A walnut tree in our yard began dropping limbs at an alarming rate, all infested with borer worms. Turns out the drought-stressed tree had become vulnerable to invasion. We think we were able to save it, but only time will tell.
Pheasants and quail, which my husband likes to hunt, have been almost nonexistent around this area.
We like to live off the land as much as we can, and the drought has now affected that for us. There is less game, our fishing pond is dried up, our garden did not produce very well and we nearly lost a source of walnuts.
So far, its only influence on the rest of the country is perhaps higher prices of corn and other produce-dependent foods. But that could change. Here is a recent story about barge traffic on the Mississippi River: http://www.nytimes.com/2012/12/24/us/drought-threatens-shipping-on-mississippi-river.html?_r=0
Here's another on how it has affected farmers, calling it the worst drought since the Dust Bowl:
http://communities.washingtontimes.com/neighborhood/politics-blue-collar/2012/dec/28/drought-fiscal-cliff-dairy-cliff-why-farmers-may-b/
And cattle ranchers: http://deltafarmpress.com/livestock/2012-midwest-drought-will-continue-have-impact-livestock-numbers-prices
If it doesn't let up, the effects may spread outward, raising prices throughout the country.
My husband said the other night, "What can we do?" Nothing I know of, but pray and try and conserve our water as much as possible. Turn off the faucet while brushing teeth. Collect rain water for the garden in the summer, what little rain there is. Take shorter showers.
Drought is a natural process, one we can't control. Perhaps these things happen to remind us that we need to pray, that during tough times we need to have faith and turn to God. Faith is easy when things are going our way, and so now it is tested.
I know one thing. If we get a blizzard here this winter, people wouldn't complain near as much as normal. We need the moisture, they'll say. And my goodness, do we ever.
Here's Brady and his fish, back when the pond was still alive:
Thursday, December 27, 2012
Being "different" isn't bad...
Brady was still 6 years old when he realized he was "different" from other kids. I sure didn't think something like that would occur to a kid so young.
Sometimes he sees this as a positive: "I'm really good at math and I don't laugh at people's underwear and toots!" Other times, it seems to bother him a little. Most kids eat school lunch but he can't because of his egg allergy and he doesn't want to take avocado to school because 'the kids will ask me about it'. Most do not have glasses or have to wear patches at home twice a week. And sometimes he gets in trouble a bit more than others.
Fortunately these sullen times don't last long at all. He is so outgoing, so friendly, so social, that it overrides any feeling of difference he may feel. He'll tell me, "I ask everyone to play soccer with me at recess until someone does." And someone always does. Sometimes a boy, sometimes a girl, sometimes a lot of people. I found him one day at day care supervising a whole bunch of kids trying to cover an entire sidewalk section with pebbles. "I'm the boss," he told me. "I told them all to keep up the good work." Turns out he had started the project himself and it looked like so much fun that all the other kids joined in. I've seen that happen with him since he was 18 months old.
We do our absolute best to tell him, hey, it's okay to be different. You're unique. God made only one you and He didn't make you half-way, kiddo, and He doesn't make mistakes. Our differences make us special and interesting. He'll tell me, "You're totally normal!" Ha! I say, "Okay, how many mommies do you see out there digging up old bottles and tromping through the creek beds or cooking deer hearts?" He doesn't have an answer for that.
I'm glad he's different. I see too much same-ness in the world, and fear of going against the norm. I think trying to measure up to or trying to be like other people creates a lot of the problems out there. It leads to a watered-down person, someone afraid of who they are, always chasing a futile goal of being something else. It keeps people from standing up for others or for what they believe is right. The most powerful thing a person can do, I think, is embrace their differences, celebrate them, shout them to the world. This is ME, I am who I am, and I'm doing my best. I think all people start out unique and different and if we'd all stay true to who we are, we'd probably be a lot better off.
It's my hope my child will never live his life with any ounce of shame or fear or guilt over who he is and the challenges he faces. There will always be things a person needs to work on, all of us do and we shouldn't shy away from that either. But at his core, he is a wonderful and special human being. He is open and honest and compassionate. He is smart and funny and loving. He may be a natural leader. He is strong and fearless and enthusiastic. He is full of ideas and inventions and plans.
His differences, his challenges, are as much a part of him as the other traits we praise and admire. You can't have one without the other. And I wouldn't change one thing about him.
Thank you God for this kid. Let him never feel bad about who he is.
Sometimes he sees this as a positive: "I'm really good at math and I don't laugh at people's underwear and toots!" Other times, it seems to bother him a little. Most kids eat school lunch but he can't because of his egg allergy and he doesn't want to take avocado to school because 'the kids will ask me about it'. Most do not have glasses or have to wear patches at home twice a week. And sometimes he gets in trouble a bit more than others.
Fortunately these sullen times don't last long at all. He is so outgoing, so friendly, so social, that it overrides any feeling of difference he may feel. He'll tell me, "I ask everyone to play soccer with me at recess until someone does." And someone always does. Sometimes a boy, sometimes a girl, sometimes a lot of people. I found him one day at day care supervising a whole bunch of kids trying to cover an entire sidewalk section with pebbles. "I'm the boss," he told me. "I told them all to keep up the good work." Turns out he had started the project himself and it looked like so much fun that all the other kids joined in. I've seen that happen with him since he was 18 months old.
We do our absolute best to tell him, hey, it's okay to be different. You're unique. God made only one you and He didn't make you half-way, kiddo, and He doesn't make mistakes. Our differences make us special and interesting. He'll tell me, "You're totally normal!" Ha! I say, "Okay, how many mommies do you see out there digging up old bottles and tromping through the creek beds or cooking deer hearts?" He doesn't have an answer for that.
I'm glad he's different. I see too much same-ness in the world, and fear of going against the norm. I think trying to measure up to or trying to be like other people creates a lot of the problems out there. It leads to a watered-down person, someone afraid of who they are, always chasing a futile goal of being something else. It keeps people from standing up for others or for what they believe is right. The most powerful thing a person can do, I think, is embrace their differences, celebrate them, shout them to the world. This is ME, I am who I am, and I'm doing my best. I think all people start out unique and different and if we'd all stay true to who we are, we'd probably be a lot better off.
It's my hope my child will never live his life with any ounce of shame or fear or guilt over who he is and the challenges he faces. There will always be things a person needs to work on, all of us do and we shouldn't shy away from that either. But at his core, he is a wonderful and special human being. He is open and honest and compassionate. He is smart and funny and loving. He may be a natural leader. He is strong and fearless and enthusiastic. He is full of ideas and inventions and plans.
His differences, his challenges, are as much a part of him as the other traits we praise and admire. You can't have one without the other. And I wouldn't change one thing about him.
Thank you God for this kid. Let him never feel bad about who he is.
There he is in the middle! So cute!
Free & easy slide-show greeting cards with Smilebox
I stopped sending paper holiday cards many years ago. Short on time and money, I went the e-card route. But I wanted there to be something of "us" in the greetings. Then I discovered Smilebox.
Smilebox is my favorite place to send ecards. I like it because you can choose from a wide variety of holiday backgrounds, music, photo arrangements, and you can send to multiple recipients.
Sometimes I like to send different cards to different groups: one to work friends, one to mom friends, one to writer friends, one to family. It's a fun way to catch people up and show some photos, and often I get email replies back from those friends and family so it keeps us in touch.
At this site, I download a quick program from them with hundreds of templates. Now, since I want only "free" cards, the number of templates available is more limited, but that's fine with me. You can put between 1 and 400 photos in a slide-show. You can send them at the holidays or after a family gathering or to grandparents. You can import your email list and send to everyone at once, and you can also post it to Facebook.
To keep it totally free with no strings, just make sure you select "Sort by" and then "Free" and do not choose any with "Premium" associated with them. If you do all that, when you go to send, there will be two options: "Club Smilebox" or "free" and you select "free."
Here's a quick one I made as an example for here:
My Smilebox Slide-show
It's a free, fun way to send greetings any time of the year. Enjoy!
Smilebox is my favorite place to send ecards. I like it because you can choose from a wide variety of holiday backgrounds, music, photo arrangements, and you can send to multiple recipients.
Sometimes I like to send different cards to different groups: one to work friends, one to mom friends, one to writer friends, one to family. It's a fun way to catch people up and show some photos, and often I get email replies back from those friends and family so it keeps us in touch.
At this site, I download a quick program from them with hundreds of templates. Now, since I want only "free" cards, the number of templates available is more limited, but that's fine with me. You can put between 1 and 400 photos in a slide-show. You can send them at the holidays or after a family gathering or to grandparents. You can import your email list and send to everyone at once, and you can also post it to Facebook.
To keep it totally free with no strings, just make sure you select "Sort by" and then "Free" and do not choose any with "Premium" associated with them. If you do all that, when you go to send, there will be two options: "Club Smilebox" or "free" and you select "free."
Here's a quick one I made as an example for here:
My Smilebox Slide-show
It's a free, fun way to send greetings any time of the year. Enjoy!
Wednesday, December 26, 2012
After the Holidays, back to Spark People
Oh I love holiday food, but then things don't fit right :) So I am back to tracking what I eat at Spark People. It keeps me honest and I like to always remind people of this wonderful free weight-control resource. They even have wild game information in their database! Wow!
I hope you all had a blessed Christmas.
I hope you all had a blessed Christmas.
How you can get free magazines every month
This photo includes most of the magazines I receive free each month, about a dozen. I think there are one or two more that I didn't have at the time I took this. They range from health (Shape, Remedy & Prevention) to cooking (Rachel Ray and Martha Stewart) to science (Popular Science) to parenting (Parents & Working Mother).
The subscriptions don't last forever, but it is fun to get them for however many months. I never have to pay for a subscription and I always have stuff to read. So, as they come up I'll be posting free magazine deals as I learn about them, most usually from Money Saving Mom.
The subscriptions don't last forever, but it is fun to get them for however many months. I never have to pay for a subscription and I always have stuff to read. So, as they come up I'll be posting free magazine deals as I learn about them, most usually from Money Saving Mom.
Wild game cooking: Wild turkey fingers
Hubby got a turkey this year and my goodness, it was the best turkey I've ever eaten. Tender and lean and tasty!
I've only cooked it one way up till now and here it is. Slice the breast into 1/2-inch thick chunks or tenders with a very sharp knife, cutting against the grain of the meat. Dip those in milk and then in seasoned flour. We season our flour with salt, pepper, garlic and Head Country. Then fry in olive oil.
Fantastic!
I've only cooked it one way up till now and here it is. Slice the breast into 1/2-inch thick chunks or tenders with a very sharp knife, cutting against the grain of the meat. Dip those in milk and then in seasoned flour. We season our flour with salt, pepper, garlic and Head Country. Then fry in olive oil.
Fantastic!
Tuesday, December 25, 2012
Pull-apart bread & Mom's gravy
Cinnamon Pull-apart Bread
--I found this recipe in our local paper's recipe book this year and it turned out great! Really, really good. It's about $3 for the rolls and maybe $2 for the caramel sauce. The nuts I had on hand already so threw them in too.
24 Rhodes Dinner Rolls, thawed but still cold
3/4 c sugar
1 tsp cinnamon
1/3 cup butter, melted
1/2 c caramel ice cream topping (I used sugar free)
Cut rolls in half. Combine sugar and cinnamon. Dip rolls halves in butter and then sugar mixture. Place in sprayed bundt pan.
Sprinkle any remaining sugar mixture over rolls. Drizzle caramel topping over rolls. I added chopped walnuts at this point that I already had on hand.
Cover with plastic wrap and let rise until 1 inch below the top of the pan (Seems like I let it rise for an hour before I got fed up and just baked it! Go with your instincts). Remove wrap and bake at 350 degrees for 30-35 minutes or until golden brown on top. Cover with foil last 10 minutes if necessary to prevent over-browning.
Remove from oven.
Invert onto a serving platter. I let it cool for a few minutes, then put a cookie sheet on top, my hand under the bundt and flipped it over. Good luck!
My Mom's Easy White Sauce/Gravy
-- Ma thinks she's been making this for 60 years too! I use it as a gravy over biscuits or toast or mashed potatoes, or as a white sauce for vegetables, potatoes or potato pancakes.
-- You can add cheese for a cheese sauce, or chicken to make a chicken gravy.
Base recipe, double as many times as needed
1 cup of milk
Between 1 & 3 Tbsp. flour (depends on how thick, thin or rich you want it)
Between 1 & 3 Tbsp. butter (depends on how thick, thin or rich you want it)
salt and pepper to taste
Heat milk and butter over medium heat. Once butter is melted, add flour, salt and pepper, and whisk continuously until thickened.
Monday, December 24, 2012
Lessons from a child for goodbyes - take photos!
Brady teaches me things all the time. It especially surprises me what he comes up with when I don't have the words to make a difficult thing better.
We spent two days with my husband's family in Omaha, Nebraska - his sister, nephew and niece, and their daughter, a sweet 2-year-old little girl. It is no overstatement to say Brady ADORES her.
When it was time to go, he was very, very sad. I told him I understood how he felt and I was sorry and we'd see them again soon, but I didn't know how to really make leaving any better. But leave it to him to come up with his own self-soothing method. "I know! I can take pictures with my DS!"
Sure enough, he took his Nintendo DS which he'd been taking pictures with the whole ride up and snapped pictures of her, her room, her "jewelry box", their apartment. Now he has memories that he can access anytime he wants, whenever he thinks of her or misses her. I'm going to print them and put them in an album for him too.
It's interesting to see what a child photographs, what they deem important. Next time we have a sad goodbye or situation he will miss, I'm going to use his idea and encourage him to take photos that he can look at later. How powerful that he can take his own photographs of what he wants to remember, not memories that have been filtered through me or any other adults. They are HIS. What a great idea, Brady.
Here are some photos that he took with his own Nintendo DS.
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His first two pictures were of little Morgan herself.
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Next came the TV show - Bubble Guppies - that they watched together.
On the ride up he took pictures of interesting things: the Supersaurus from the dinosaur book his Dad got him (that's a person next to it! Wow!) and the Wendy's sign.
We spent two days with my husband's family in Omaha, Nebraska - his sister, nephew and niece, and their daughter, a sweet 2-year-old little girl. It is no overstatement to say Brady ADORES her.
When it was time to go, he was very, very sad. I told him I understood how he felt and I was sorry and we'd see them again soon, but I didn't know how to really make leaving any better. But leave it to him to come up with his own self-soothing method. "I know! I can take pictures with my DS!"
Sure enough, he took his Nintendo DS which he'd been taking pictures with the whole ride up and snapped pictures of her, her room, her "jewelry box", their apartment. Now he has memories that he can access anytime he wants, whenever he thinks of her or misses her. I'm going to print them and put them in an album for him too.
It's interesting to see what a child photographs, what they deem important. Next time we have a sad goodbye or situation he will miss, I'm going to use his idea and encourage him to take photos that he can look at later. How powerful that he can take his own photographs of what he wants to remember, not memories that have been filtered through me or any other adults. They are HIS. What a great idea, Brady.
Here are some photos that he took with his own Nintendo DS.
.JPG)
His first two pictures were of little Morgan herself. 
.JPG)
The next were of her toys, the slide they went down together and the jewelry he helped her collect from various places in her room and put in one box. He was "teaching" her how to do it.
Next came the TV show - Bubble Guppies - that they watched together. 
On the ride up he took pictures of interesting things: the Supersaurus from the dinosaur book his Dad got him (that's a person next to it! Wow!) and the Wendy's sign. 
And here had some fun with a picture of Mommy :)
Sunday, December 23, 2012
The Eight Christmases of Brady
Brady was only 1-1/2 months old on his first Christmas. I happened to snap a picture of him in his Christmas outfit on a little rocker/bed/chair we had gotten for him. Then I happened to snap a picture sometime near the next Christmas when he was 1.
It was then I realized I had two pictures in the same chair a year apart! What a wonderful discovery so early on!
Since then I have taken a picture of him in that chair every year around Christmas. It's one of our traditions. He loves to see how in the beginning he only took up half the chair. Next year he filled up most of the chair. Then various appendages began hanging off and he has a variety of different expressions over the years.
This year he decided he wanted to hold it up over his head. Sigh. Is he all boy or what? Look at me, I'm 7 and I'm so strong and big I can hold that chair over my head! He loved looking at it and saying, "I was a baby and I barely fit in the chair, and now I can hold it over my head!"
It's neat to see your child's growth from year to year. I tell people I'm going to get him in, on or near that chair every year at least until he's 18 :)
Merry Christmas!
It was then I realized I had two pictures in the same chair a year apart! What a wonderful discovery so early on!
Since then I have taken a picture of him in that chair every year around Christmas. It's one of our traditions. He loves to see how in the beginning he only took up half the chair. Next year he filled up most of the chair. Then various appendages began hanging off and he has a variety of different expressions over the years.
This year he decided he wanted to hold it up over his head. Sigh. Is he all boy or what? Look at me, I'm 7 and I'm so strong and big I can hold that chair over my head! He loved looking at it and saying, "I was a baby and I barely fit in the chair, and now I can hold it over my head!"
It's neat to see your child's growth from year to year. I tell people I'm going to get him in, on or near that chair every year at least until he's 18 :)
Merry Christmas!
Saturday, December 22, 2012
Tortellini Soup & My Mom's Awesome Easy Biscuits
My Mom told me today she has been making biscuits with this recipe for 60 years! Wow! It really is good and easy. She thinks she got the recipe off Pillsbury flour. I made them today on Brady's request. He loves them!
Buttermilk Biscuits
2 cups self-rising flour
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/2 cup shortening
3/4 cup buttermilk
Note: I never have buttermilk, so I use either 1/2 cup milk soured with 1/4 cup lemon juice or 1/2 cup milk soured with 1/4 cup vinegar. Either works well and I have used everything from skim milk to whole milk for this recipe.
Mix flour and baking soda in a bowl. Using a fork, cut in the shortening until the mixture is crumbly. Add the buttermilk a bit at a time, stirring in. Turn dough onto floured surface, sprinkle the dough with flour and knead until no longer sticky.
Note: Only knead this about 10 times, even less if you can. The less you knead, the fluffier they will be.
Roll out to about 1/2-inch to 3/4-inch and cut to desired size. (I use metal biscuit cutters but you could use a floured upside down glass or cookie cutters).
Place biscuits touching on un-greased baking sheet or pan and bake at 450 degrees for 8 to 12 minutes or until golden brown.
Tortellini Soup
This came from the January 2013 Parents magazine and it looks and sounds awesome!
6 cups chicken broth
1 7-to-8 ounce package dried cheese-filled tortellini
1 16-ounce package (4 cups) frozen broccoli, cauliflower and carrots, or another veggie medley
pepper
Parmesan cheese
1. Bring broth to a boil in a 4-quart pot. Add tortellini, reduce heat and cook, uncovered, for about 10 minutes. Add veggies. Return to a boil. Reduce heat and cook, uncovered, for 5 minutes more.
2. Divide among soup bowls and top with pepper and Parmesan cheese.
2 cups self-rising flour
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/2 cup shortening
3/4 cup buttermilk
Note: I never have buttermilk, so I use either 1/2 cup milk soured with 1/4 cup lemon juice or 1/2 cup milk soured with 1/4 cup vinegar. Either works well and I have used everything from skim milk to whole milk for this recipe.
Mix flour and baking soda in a bowl. Using a fork, cut in the shortening until the mixture is crumbly. Add the buttermilk a bit at a time, stirring in. Turn dough onto floured surface, sprinkle the dough with flour and knead until no longer sticky.
Note: Only knead this about 10 times, even less if you can. The less you knead, the fluffier they will be.
Roll out to about 1/2-inch to 3/4-inch and cut to desired size. (I use metal biscuit cutters but you could use a floured upside down glass or cookie cutters).
Place biscuits touching on un-greased baking sheet or pan and bake at 450 degrees for 8 to 12 minutes or until golden brown.
Tortellini Soup
This came from the January 2013 Parents magazine and it looks and sounds awesome!
6 cups chicken broth
1 7-to-8 ounce package dried cheese-filled tortellini
1 16-ounce package (4 cups) frozen broccoli, cauliflower and carrots, or another veggie medley
pepper
Parmesan cheese
1. Bring broth to a boil in a 4-quart pot. Add tortellini, reduce heat and cook, uncovered, for about 10 minutes. Add veggies. Return to a boil. Reduce heat and cook, uncovered, for 5 minutes more.
2. Divide among soup bowls and top with pepper and Parmesan cheese.
Amazon trade-ins - get a gift card for your stuff!
Did you know that you can trade in used books, movies, music, electronics and video games for gift card credit at Amazon.com?
I didn't until a few weeks ago! I was able to trade in a few DVDs for about $5.50 in credit, enough to get a new-to-us used movie for free even with shipping! Someone with fairly new textbooks or unopened DVDs or popular books or video games could probably get a lot more credit than that. But, I am proof it does work. It's very easy and doesn't cost you a thing. You print out a pre-paid shipping label, send it off and then they let you know when they've received it and how much credit you have.
It's a good way to clear out old unused items and get new ones for your family or for gifts.
Give it a try!
I didn't until a few weeks ago! I was able to trade in a few DVDs for about $5.50 in credit, enough to get a new-to-us used movie for free even with shipping! Someone with fairly new textbooks or unopened DVDs or popular books or video games could probably get a lot more credit than that. But, I am proof it does work. It's very easy and doesn't cost you a thing. You print out a pre-paid shipping label, send it off and then they let you know when they've received it and how much credit you have.
It's a good way to clear out old unused items and get new ones for your family or for gifts.
Give it a try!
Friday, December 21, 2012
4 ways to get kids comfortable in church
He sees his old kindergarten teacher, kids he knows, paraprofessionals from school and his babysitters (our pastor's family)!
I grew up in the Catholic Church and while the services are beautiful and moving, they were also fairly rigid. As a child, I felt distant from the service and Priest and had a hard time connecting. I want Brady's experience to be different.
I think there are a lot of ways to help children even in a large church feel comfortable and at home there.
1) Introduce them right away to the Pastor, Pastor's spouse and children. They are the sort of Mother and Father of your church family and it gives the child a personal view of who is speaking.
In our case, Brady was baptized at age 4 in Florida and met with the pastor at length beforehand to help him feel less nervous. Since then he seems to see pastors as accessible people which I think is great. It helps that our current pastor's daughter is his babysitter!
2) Have them in service with you whenever possible. When I moved to Kansas, I wanted Brady to be in a separate children's church like he was in Florida. But I'm so glad now that he is in service with us. He picks up things from the sermons he hears and it has led to amazing conversations about life, the Bible, God and behavior. He learns from the service.
3) Participate in informal activities like potlucks, caroling, Bible school, youth group, volunteering, anything to connect more with your church family and get to know them and them know you.
4) Bring the spiritual feeling of church to your home. That can happen in many ways, whether saying Grace or praying at bedtime, praying for people in your community or when you see or hear an ambulance, playing Christian music, or talking about what it means to live as a Christian in your daily life. Have a Bible that is for your child alone, his or her own personal tangible connection to God and spirituality.
And being a former Catholic, I still have Rosaries, Crosses and statues of Mary and St. Christopher in my house. These tangible expressions of spirituality give us all comfort.
It's my hope that Brady will always see church as a welcoming, comforting, safe place where he can learn and grow and be better. I hope it will help him to continue down this path as he grows up and becomes his own man.
Thursday, December 20, 2012
Stock homemade frozen foods for kids
We're all busy these days, right? Who couldn't use a time saver now and again? Like tonight, for example. I'll get Brady at 5, get home, quick dinner, then off to his Christmas program at 6:30.
On nights like these, I like to fall back on a wonderful idea my Mom gave me. Now, I usually keep some pop-in-the-microwave frozen meals around for hubby and I, but that won't work for Brady. It either has egg or is something he absolutely won't touch.
Fortunately, my Mom keeps me supplied with frozen egg-free pancakes and frozen egg-free turkey meatballs. They are Brady's favorite. Just pop them in the microwave for 20-30 seconds and they're perfect! I also will use these for his lunch. Take them out the night before and leave them in the frig overnight, then put an ice pack in with the meatballs and it is a nice, easy, healthy lunch.
Whatever your kids' favorite easy foods are, package them in single-serving portions and have them ready to heat up whenever you are pressed for time.
Good luck!
On nights like these, I like to fall back on a wonderful idea my Mom gave me. Now, I usually keep some pop-in-the-microwave frozen meals around for hubby and I, but that won't work for Brady. It either has egg or is something he absolutely won't touch.
Fortunately, my Mom keeps me supplied with frozen egg-free pancakes and frozen egg-free turkey meatballs. They are Brady's favorite. Just pop them in the microwave for 20-30 seconds and they're perfect! I also will use these for his lunch. Take them out the night before and leave them in the frig overnight, then put an ice pack in with the meatballs and it is a nice, easy, healthy lunch.
Whatever your kids' favorite easy foods are, package them in single-serving portions and have them ready to heat up whenever you are pressed for time.
Good luck!
Funny things Brady says...boss in Spanish
On the drive to Nebraska last weekend, Brady was playing around with his Nintendo DS, which he has managed to change the language setting from English to Spanish.
Out the blue he asks: "Is Jeff the word for Boss in Spanish?" (There's a "boss" level on his Scooby-Doo game)
Jeff? I said, "Well, no, it's heff-ay."
"But this is spelled J-E-F-F-E."
Ohhhhhhh. After laughing profusely, I told him, "In Spanish, the J's are pronounced like H's."
Too funny!
Out the blue he asks: "Is Jeff the word for Boss in Spanish?" (There's a "boss" level on his Scooby-Doo game)
Jeff? I said, "Well, no, it's heff-ay."
"But this is spelled J-E-F-F-E."
Ohhhhhhh. After laughing profusely, I told him, "In Spanish, the J's are pronounced like H's."
Too funny!
Tuesday, December 18, 2012
The Flylady helps get you organized!
In 17 years, I moved a total of 10 times, so more than once every 2 years. It's easy under those circumstances to end up with a messy house. Closets stuffed with boxes which had not been opened since 3 moves ago Not able to find things I wanted or needed because they'd gotten stuck in a box somewhere.
I was a stay-at-home mom at the time I discovered The Flylady. I felt a little snowed under by clutter and remnants of past lives in different states. At one time, I needed to box up half of a 1500-square-foot house and clean it to sell. It's easy to get overwhelmed when facing that, or just the day to day clean up when you have a family.
The Flylady helped me :)
Here's what her website says about her:
"Are YOU living in CHAOS (Can’t Have Anyone Over Syndrome) like Franny in the pink sweats? Do you feel overwhelmed, overextended, and overdrawn? Hopeless and you don’t know where to start? Don’t worry friend, we’ve been there, too. Step through the door and follow FlyLady as she weaves her way through housecleaning and organizing tips with homespun humor, daily musings about life and love, the Sidetracked Home Executives (SHE) system, and anything else that is on her mind."
The best thing I learned was to take it one step at a time, one day at a time, to break it into manageable pieces. I have used that philosophy on every large project I have, whether it was unpacking for this final move to Kansas or getting Brady done with two dozen thank you cards or working on this blog or Christmas shopping or spring cleaning. For example, I had maybe 50 boxes to unpack here in Kansas. I figured if I tackled one a day, I'd be done in less than two months. If that was too much, then two a week, I'd be done in 6 months.
You have to start somewhere with a big project and without the idea that a little bit - even 15 minutes a day - will add up to it getting done, you can keep yourself from ever starting.
My big projects now are to crack all the black walnuts that are dried in our shed and print all the 500 pictures of Brady's early life and label all the antique bottles I've found around town so I don't forget where they came from. I know I'll get them done, one bottle at a time, one picture at a time, one walnut at a time.
Good luck!
I was a stay-at-home mom at the time I discovered The Flylady. I felt a little snowed under by clutter and remnants of past lives in different states. At one time, I needed to box up half of a 1500-square-foot house and clean it to sell. It's easy to get overwhelmed when facing that, or just the day to day clean up when you have a family.
The Flylady helped me :)
Here's what her website says about her:
"Are YOU living in CHAOS (Can’t Have Anyone Over Syndrome) like Franny in the pink sweats? Do you feel overwhelmed, overextended, and overdrawn? Hopeless and you don’t know where to start? Don’t worry friend, we’ve been there, too. Step through the door and follow FlyLady as she weaves her way through housecleaning and organizing tips with homespun humor, daily musings about life and love, the Sidetracked Home Executives (SHE) system, and anything else that is on her mind."
The best thing I learned was to take it one step at a time, one day at a time, to break it into manageable pieces. I have used that philosophy on every large project I have, whether it was unpacking for this final move to Kansas or getting Brady done with two dozen thank you cards or working on this blog or Christmas shopping or spring cleaning. For example, I had maybe 50 boxes to unpack here in Kansas. I figured if I tackled one a day, I'd be done in less than two months. If that was too much, then two a week, I'd be done in 6 months.
You have to start somewhere with a big project and without the idea that a little bit - even 15 minutes a day - will add up to it getting done, you can keep yourself from ever starting.
My big projects now are to crack all the black walnuts that are dried in our shed and print all the 500 pictures of Brady's early life and label all the antique bottles I've found around town so I don't forget where they came from. I know I'll get them done, one bottle at a time, one picture at a time, one walnut at a time.
Good luck!
Monday, December 17, 2012
The sweet heart of a child
I didn't want to tell Brady about what happened in Connecticut. He shouldn't have to know at his young age that such tragedy happens. But the point was made that kids will likely hear about the shootings from classmates, older kids or teachers at school on Monday. Better for them to learn of it in the safety of their home with their parents there to answer questions.
So this morning in as simple and gentle a way as I could, I told him about this horrible thing that happened. He was sad and asked questions like, "What did the teacher do about it?" and "Were any kids brave and try to kick him?" He processed it for a few moments, asking me what happened to the guy and saying how he would have handled things by being tough and stopping the man.
Just as we were about to leave the house to go to school, he said: "Maybe he killed himself so he could go up to Heaven and say he was sorry to all those kids."
It was one of the saddest and most beautiful things I've ever heard. I wish so much that his view of the world was real. That bad guys felt remorse for the horrible things they do. That kids could somehow single-handedly stop someone like that.
In the meantime, even though he will learn over time that the worst, most unfair things happen in this world, sometimes for no reason at all, I hope somehow he will keep that optimism. That his innocence can maybe exist in a place where no horror can reach it. But if it does, I hope he will fall back on the only thing I told him we could possibly do: PRAY. Pray for the families and the community, and pray that no one ever gets so sick like that man again. Maybe that's what prayer is, the pure, innocent optimism of a child that believes all things are possible.
My goodness, do I love that kid.
How did all of you handle this situation with your children?
So this morning in as simple and gentle a way as I could, I told him about this horrible thing that happened. He was sad and asked questions like, "What did the teacher do about it?" and "Were any kids brave and try to kick him?" He processed it for a few moments, asking me what happened to the guy and saying how he would have handled things by being tough and stopping the man.
Just as we were about to leave the house to go to school, he said: "Maybe he killed himself so he could go up to Heaven and say he was sorry to all those kids."
It was one of the saddest and most beautiful things I've ever heard. I wish so much that his view of the world was real. That bad guys felt remorse for the horrible things they do. That kids could somehow single-handedly stop someone like that.
In the meantime, even though he will learn over time that the worst, most unfair things happen in this world, sometimes for no reason at all, I hope somehow he will keep that optimism. That his innocence can maybe exist in a place where no horror can reach it. But if it does, I hope he will fall back on the only thing I told him we could possibly do: PRAY. Pray for the families and the community, and pray that no one ever gets so sick like that man again. Maybe that's what prayer is, the pure, innocent optimism of a child that believes all things are possible.
My goodness, do I love that kid.
How did all of you handle this situation with your children?
P
--Photo taken from http://www.randomthoughtsandlotsacoffee.com/random-thoughts-blog.html
Thursday, December 13, 2012
8 reasons why I don't text
The statement that "I don't text" is usually met with great surprise. I seem to be an anomaly these days. And I know it's very useful for business and for some people it just works for their life. But for me, here's why it doesn't.
We don't have texting even turned on for my phone, which is fine by me. It's simply not something I ever want to start. Really. EVER. I occasionally need to text for my husband, and each time I do it, it only confirms it is not something I want to start for myself.
I have been trying to simplify my life for some time now. Not do less, but streamline and do more of what's important: cooking, parenting, growing things, learning new things, reading, planning, serving, worshiping the Lord, creating, helping run our business, building relationships and traditions, situating Brady and I into this wonderful community. I find my anxiety level is way down when I do this. Life seems both more full and more meaningful.
I have very little time to worry or stress or fear or question. I focus on the daily job of being a parent, wife, small business employee, homemaker, gardener, friend, sister, daughter and cook. I create with my hands and mind, and I try to shave away all the distractions, mindless time-wasters, and cut down to the most real and important parts of life. It is, as with most things, a daily, ongoing process.
Here's why texting does not fit in to that plan:
1) Texting creates a sense of urgency where one does not exist. You hear that "beep" and the body and mind respond, oh my gosh, someone said something to me, it might be important. It's difficult to resist that urge to check. If it truly is urgent, the person will commit time to calling. That way I can always have my phone with me and know someone will call if they really need something.
2) Texting interrupts life and experience. One of my goals is to be completely present in whatever I'm doing, whether working, cooking, playing with Brady, helping with homework, watching a movie with hubby, even watching the sunset while walking the dog. Hubby's phone has gotten texts in the middle of dinner, while relaxing at night, on the road, at every hour imaginable from midnight to 2 a.m. to 6 a.m.
Texting is so common and so easy, a person can do it at any hour without thinking about what the person on the other end might be doing. Since so often people have only a cell phone and no landline, we are reluctant to turn them off or even turn the sound off. And even if you just turn the texting sound off, the next time you reach for your phone, you'll have to "catch up."
3) People take risks to read while driving or answer while driving. Again that perceived sense of urgency tempts people to text while on the road. Accidents are much more likely under these circumstances.
4) I really hate having to stop what I'm doing and try to punch in the dang letters and then the phone itself tries to so helpfully "fill in" the wrong word for me! ARGH! We both have small flip phones. It would likely be more comfortable on a smart phone, but I don't ever want one of those either. That's a post for another day :)
5) I'm so tired of connecting through typed words and not spoken words. Clearly I like the internet which is why I email, blog and am on Facebook. But those things I can do and then walk away from when my computer is off. My phone is with me all the time and if I text, those disembodied words will continue to follow me around. But if someone calls, I can hear their voice, ask how they're doing, know that they thought enough to take longer than a few seconds to think of me and dial my number. We can truly "connect" on a more personal level and that feels good.
6) The intent and context of texts can be misconstrued and failure to reply to them can be taken as rejection. They are cold, indifferent and impersonal. Which is why for business they make a lot of sense, but not, for me at least, in personal life.
7) It's easy to say whatever comes to mind in a text. I've seen people get bent out of shape by a text. Not that it couldn't happen in a phone call, but it's so much easier with a text. It seems to me a person would be more kind and thoughtful and considerate if talking voice-to-voice on the phone.
8) I don't want Brady to see me glued to technology. I want us to enjoy the outdoors, our hikes and walks and discussions and bike riding, completely without interruption other than to chat with neighbors, someone we see up town or to stop and see my in-laws. I want him to live in what's real and what's right here in front of us. The best way to teach that is through example. How can I expect him to engage electronics in moderation if I don't?
Just my two cents. I may be the last hold-out, but I'm gonna keep holding out.
Happy Thursday! :)
Using Timers with kids
You have X minutes to do this chore or that chore. Coupled with 1-2-3 Magic you can get through a lot!
Wild game cooking: Venison jerky in the oven
Hubby spent most of last night making homemade deer jerky that turned out fantastic, even though we both fell asleep and forgot to get it out of the oven until 2 a.m.!
You can make your own jerky at home too with any kind of meat you want. Just slice it into fairly thin slices, not too long either. I'd also recommend marinating it for a day. We use a mixture of Worcestershire, soy sauce, liquid smoke, a dash of bourbon and a good sprinkling of a tangy seasoning. We used Head Country Seasoning. Here's the meat after Jase laid it out ready for the oven:
Once it's laid out, season it again with Head Country or your favorite meat seasoning. Next you'll want to put some aluminum foil at the bottom of the oven to catch any drippings. Then you'll lay it out across the racks, like this:
For cooking, I would suggest doing some Google research for your particular meat and time schedule. We saw recipes that said 350 for 2 hours (we didn't like the sound of that) to 150 for 8-10 hours (don't have that much time!). Jase did 250 for 2 hours and 200 for another 2 or so. He also kept the oven door propped open using a ceramic spoon rest, about 2 inches. That allows the moisture to escape and helps dry the meat.
There are also dehydrator recipes if you have one of those, but this, I think, is easiest. It takes a bit of time but is worth it!
The jerky turned out fantastic. A great, low fat, high protein snack! Give it a try!
You can make your own jerky at home too with any kind of meat you want. Just slice it into fairly thin slices, not too long either. I'd also recommend marinating it for a day. We use a mixture of Worcestershire, soy sauce, liquid smoke, a dash of bourbon and a good sprinkling of a tangy seasoning. We used Head Country Seasoning. Here's the meat after Jase laid it out ready for the oven:
Once it's laid out, season it again with Head Country or your favorite meat seasoning. Next you'll want to put some aluminum foil at the bottom of the oven to catch any drippings. Then you'll lay it out across the racks, like this:
For cooking, I would suggest doing some Google research for your particular meat and time schedule. We saw recipes that said 350 for 2 hours (we didn't like the sound of that) to 150 for 8-10 hours (don't have that much time!). Jase did 250 for 2 hours and 200 for another 2 or so. He also kept the oven door propped open using a ceramic spoon rest, about 2 inches. That allows the moisture to escape and helps dry the meat.
There are also dehydrator recipes if you have one of those, but this, I think, is easiest. It takes a bit of time but is worth it!
The jerky turned out fantastic. A great, low fat, high protein snack! Give it a try!
Wednesday, December 12, 2012
Fish foil packets
This is the easiest way I've ever found to cook fish.Get a square of aluminum foil and my first tip is to spray cooking spray both on the pan you're going to cook them in and also on the bottom of the foil. Then place whatever veggies you want in the foil: carrots & potatoes (cut these very thin if they are fresh so they cook faster), squash, onions, corn, tomatoes, etc. Frozen veggies are the easiest.
Place a fish filet on top, I've used salmon, tilapia or swai. Season with whatever you like: garlic powder, basil, oregano, salt, pepper, paprika, etc. Put on a dollop of butter and a tablespoon of lemon juice.Wrap up, bake at 400 degrees for maybe 20 mins and then check to see if done. It is light, flaky, juicy and good for you!
Tuesday, December 11, 2012
Do It Yourself: picked beets & pickled eggs
My father in law blessed us with a mess of beets and my mother in law shared her pickled beets recipe. So easy and better than from the can! The best part is when you're done pickling the beets, pickle hard-boiled eggs in the remaining juice.
Here are photos of the ones I made:
Here are photos of the ones I made:
Here's the recipe:
Put 3-4 inches in a pan, place larger beets on bottom and smaller on top. Put a lid on and cook at a good boil on medium high for 45-60 minutes. MAKE SURE YOU CHECK THE WATER PERIODICALLY! I boiled all the water out and just nearly burned my beets!
Rinse and drain in cold water. The skin should just slip off as you press on the beets. Cut off the ends and bad spots.
In a bowl, put 1 cup of water, 1 cup of sugar and 1/2 cup vinegar. You can heat these 3 ingredients up together in the microwave to help the sugar dissolve.
Slice the beets and place in the bowl, along with a pinch of salt. If there's not enough liquid to cover your beets, add 1/2 cup of each of the 3 ingredients again.
Now when you eat the beets up, save the juice and fill it up with hard-boiled eggs. In a week, you'll have nicely pickled but sweet pinkish eggs :)
Enjoy!
Wisdom from my mom: Tell kids 1,000 + 1 times
My Mom has always told me: If there's something you want kids to learn, keep telling them. Don't give up. You may tell them 1,000 times, but on that one-thousand and first time, THEN they get it.
I think she's right. Eventually Brady gets the things I try to teach him. It may take a LONG time, but eventually it sinks in.
Good luck and persevere!
I think she's right. Eventually Brady gets the things I try to teach him. It may take a LONG time, but eventually it sinks in.
Good luck and persevere!
Easy chicken pot pie
I used two cans of chicken breast, 98% fat free soup, 1/4 cup applesauce instead of the egg. It was sooo good and healthy and light. Here's the recipe:
Betty Crocker easy chicken pot pie
Monday, December 10, 2012
Brady's cool find yesterday in cold weather
Brady's new project is making a brick boundary to our garden. So we were out yesterday in 30 degree weather wandering around collecting any bricks we could find.
We found a few, uncovered a nearly completely buried old brick road just down the hill from us (how cool!) and then Brady started shouting with joy. He found a $20 bill! It must have blown down from town or something.
He was so excited. Yay! We never know what we'll find when we go out and about.
We found a few, uncovered a nearly completely buried old brick road just down the hill from us (how cool!) and then Brady started shouting with joy. He found a $20 bill! It must have blown down from town or something.
He was so excited. Yay! We never know what we'll find when we go out and about.
Easiest way to make pasta
A friend - one of 8 children to a homeschooling mother - gave me this wonderful tip. If you're making pasta of any kind, get the pot of water boiling, drop the dry pasta in, put a lid on, turn the heat off and you're done.
It will cook it perfectly. No throwing the strands against the wall, no having to check it every few minutes, no boiling over. Perfect. I do it this way every time.
It will cook it perfectly. No throwing the strands against the wall, no having to check it every few minutes, no boiling over. Perfect. I do it this way every time.
Sunday, December 9, 2012
Pesto with olives & mushrooms
Awhile back, our local Aldi had jars of pesto on sale for $1 a jar. Wow! So we got two. One has lasted a really long time.
I also had leftover olives and mushrooms from last week's homemade pizza. So I cooked up some noodles, then heated a few scoops of pesto with the mushrooms and olives, and then stirred it into the noodles. Add parmesan and mozzarella and it is a fantastic easy dish. Tastes like it was out of a restaurant.
Wish I had pictures but we ate it all up!
I also had leftover olives and mushrooms from last week's homemade pizza. So I cooked up some noodles, then heated a few scoops of pesto with the mushrooms and olives, and then stirred it into the noodles. Add parmesan and mozzarella and it is a fantastic easy dish. Tastes like it was out of a restaurant.
Wish I had pictures but we ate it all up!
Savings tip: $1 clothes at Walmart
I've always heard people say, "Shop out of season," but just could never quite remember to do that. But since there is a Walmart directly across from my office, I end up going there a lot. Go figure.
And one day I saw a clearance rack with the sign "$1" above it. Well, that was too good to pass up. And since then, I always walk by that area when I'm in Walmart. I have learned they are always marking down their out-of-season clothes and I have gotten many tank tops and long-sleeve knits shirts for $1 a piece. I have also found shoes for myself and my son for $3 and recently stocked up on shorts for $3 a piece.
It is the same for jewelry. I often breeze through their jewelry section to see what is marked down and often find earrings for $1. In fact, my rule for buying clothes at Walmart is it has to be $3 or under (unless perhaps it's a dress or jacket) and jewelry has to be $1 or under. That way I can get some fun new things but never really spend much.
If you wait long enough, what you like will likely be a fraction of its original price.
Check it out! And here are some photos I took with my phone of such deals at my Walmart...
And one day I saw a clearance rack with the sign "$1" above it. Well, that was too good to pass up. And since then, I always walk by that area when I'm in Walmart. I have learned they are always marking down their out-of-season clothes and I have gotten many tank tops and long-sleeve knits shirts for $1 a piece. I have also found shoes for myself and my son for $3 and recently stocked up on shorts for $3 a piece.
It is the same for jewelry. I often breeze through their jewelry section to see what is marked down and often find earrings for $1. In fact, my rule for buying clothes at Walmart is it has to be $3 or under (unless perhaps it's a dress or jacket) and jewelry has to be $1 or under. That way I can get some fun new things but never really spend much.
If you wait long enough, what you like will likely be a fraction of its original price.
Check it out! And here are some photos I took with my phone of such deals at my Walmart...
Saturday, December 8, 2012
Getting out of the house - 26 free fun activities!
In town our excitement consists of the city park, the grocery store, Pacman or Galaga at the restaurant.
So we have to get inventive. Here are some of our go-to get-out-of-the-house activities:
1) Walk the dry creek beds and ditches. I can't tell you how many adventures Brady has imagined we were on during these walks. And we often find little treasures on our walks - good sticks and rocks, old bottles, a free Wendy's frosty coupon, buckets, toys, etc. Here's our latest adventure. I think he was protecting me by wielding the big stick:
2) Collect fruits, nuts, flowers, whatever is in your area to collect. In the summer, we spent countless hours collecting buckets of mulberries, walnuts and apples to use for cooking. But a nice bouquet would work too!
3) In South Carolina we used to do what we called "dump truckin'". We found a patch of dirt and played with shovels, cups, bowls, dump trucks etc. Or a nice dirt or sand pile or sand box would work too.
4) BALLS! Always tons of fun. Countless things to do with these!
5) Bubbles! Even more fun!
6) Gardening. That leads to hours of tilling, planting, watering, weeding, harvesting. The best thing you can do with a kid, I think.
7) Watch what's going on in your community. We have watched roads being paved, houses being built, houses being torn down, the trash men collecting bins, and most recently a hollow 70-foot-tall tree being cut down. Here's Brady on the stump:
8) Ride bikes, or scooters, or roller blades.
9) Just walk. Take a different road each time and you'll see interesting houses, meet neighbors, have discussions that are far more interesting than you ever imagined.
10) Fill buckets with ... well, anything. Rocks, sand, twigs, leaves. It's an opportunity to discuss volume. Brady made the following percentage chart all by himself in church one day. He floors me all the time:
12) Walk the dog if you have one.
13) Walk around your neighborhood to see the Christmas lights.
14) Play soccer, football, Frisbee, baseball, catch, hide and seek, or tag.
15) Rake leaves and jump into them.
16) Wash the car. Oh we've had so much fun with this one! And it's practical too.
17) Set up baby pools and a sprinkler. In the 100 degree summer heat, we did this in the shade where a breeze was and I swear I was actually shivering!
18) Find you a little stream or bridge and drop different things into it - leaves, rocks, twigs, grass - see what floats and watch where it goes.
19) Sidewalk chalk! Fun to create and then you can wash it off and start over!
20) Walk in the rain if it's not too cold or too stormy. We see the world a new way when we do this.
21) Go on a nature walk. We have a box we call our "Nature Box" which has everything from a dead Cicada killer wasp to snake skins to turtle eggs to wasp nests to a mouse skull. We love talking about the things in there, all found on walks.
22) Find some outside chores the kids can earn money for doing: raking leaves, picking leaves or weeds out of flower beds, picking up sticks out of the yard, picking up trash, etc.
23) Take the recycling to the bins! We did this to our curb in Florida, here we have to walk up town.
24) Any and all neighborhood parties, block parties, festivals, church activities.
25) Save little creatures in precarious situations. We have saved turtles, frogs and all manner of insects that were in places where they were trapped or could get squashed.
26) Have lots and lots of outside toys available! Here's our stash:
Friday, December 7, 2012
Ebay can teach about math, money & sales
Brady is quite the entrepreneur. He's always coming up with ways to earn money. At the office, he once picked up more than 400 cigarette butts to earn $10. Another time he devised a box with a hole at the top that he placed outside our front door and required a 10 cent deposit to enter the house.
This really only worked with my mom, but he made a couple bucks that way. He sold crystals for a buck a piece and got four or five of us to buy one. He sold toys in a yard sale in Florida.
So I try to foster this budding foray into commerce. The other day he picked out 29 of his 100 or so books (sheesh!) to sell on Ebay. It brought $10 plus $5 shipping. I showed him on a piece of paper how we started with $15, minus Ebay and Paypal's fee, and minus shipping. We arrived at a figure of $6.72 profit.
He got 80 percent which was $5.38 and I got 20 percent as my fee for $1.34. We're now going to sell four of his DVDs and we'll do the same.
If you have the time, it's a fun way to teach your kids about buying and selling.
This really only worked with my mom, but he made a couple bucks that way. He sold crystals for a buck a piece and got four or five of us to buy one. He sold toys in a yard sale in Florida.
So I try to foster this budding foray into commerce. The other day he picked out 29 of his 100 or so books (sheesh!) to sell on Ebay. It brought $10 plus $5 shipping. I showed him on a piece of paper how we started with $15, minus Ebay and Paypal's fee, and minus shipping. We arrived at a figure of $6.72 profit.
He got 80 percent which was $5.38 and I got 20 percent as my fee for $1.34. We're now going to sell four of his DVDs and we'll do the same.
If you have the time, it's a fun way to teach your kids about buying and selling.
"This was my idea. Was it a good one?"
Sometimes in life we have confirmation of our theories or answers to our questions. Other times we are left to wonder.
Last night, I had confirmation of yesterday's post on saying 'yes' to kids' big ideas.
Brady and I were working on the stick house (now becoming a pine branch house) and were also discussing the "big invention party." In a voice that was somewhat small for Brady, who is usually two degrees beyond boisterous, he said, "This was my idea." He paused, then, "Was it a good one?"
To which of course I said, "Yes, absolutely. It was a great idea!"
Then the moment passed. I was floored how he so clearly asked for confirmation that his ideas were valid. And the act of following through with them is building his self confidence. Wow.
Last night, I had confirmation of yesterday's post on saying 'yes' to kids' big ideas.
Brady and I were working on the stick house (now becoming a pine branch house) and were also discussing the "big invention party." In a voice that was somewhat small for Brady, who is usually two degrees beyond boisterous, he said, "This was my idea." He paused, then, "Was it a good one?"
To which of course I said, "Yes, absolutely. It was a great idea!"
Then the moment passed. I was floored how he so clearly asked for confirmation that his ideas were valid. And the act of following through with them is building his self confidence. Wow.
8 anxiety busters and mood changers
Anxiety is a difficult thing to live with and people with anxieties are often misunderstood. "Just think rationally," simply doesn't work. Here are some natural remedies most of which involve engaging the senses to change the direction of your thoughts and mood.
1) MUSIC! I cannot stress this one enough. Many nights I come right in and turn on the radio. Right now it's Christmas music, but it's often Delilah's night time show with wonderful soothing music, other times NPR's jazz music, or Christian rock, or classic rock. Whatever I'm in the mood for. Other than #8 (I saved the best for last) I find this to be the single most effective anxiety buster. Music calms the psyche, gets the body focused on rhythm and beat, and makes the heart want to sing along.
2) Scent. A good smelling candle can stop the brain in its tracks and completely divert it from the irrationality center. Or maybe try a nice stick of incense or a Scentsy warmer or plug-in. Or put cinnamon, orange slices, vanilla extract or anything similar and boil it on the stove or place it in the crock pot. It produces such a wonderful warm scent.
3) Taste. A nice cup of tea or cocoa, a sweet treat, spicy salsa, a lemon. Again, divert and distract the invader!
4) Touch. Take a warm bath, rub on a nice lotion (this doubles with scent!), put on soft comfy clothes, open the windows for a breeze or warm ray of sun.
5) Sight. Put inspirational sayings all around your house for stressful moments. Open the blinds to let light in and show the outdoors, write in a journal, put in a movie, fill the house with beautiful paintings or photos of family and friends. Put up a digital slide show or read a book.
6) Get outside or otherwise change your location. Sunshine and fresh air and flowers or snow, depending on the season, go a long way. So would a park, the mall, a library or any other dynamic, interesting place. A change of scenery can change your mood.
7) Exercise. Release those endorphins, get yourself moving and your blood pumping.
8) Now the most important: Pray, pray, pray. I read or heard or saw somewhere the idea that you should turn worries into prayers. With practice, this gets easier. I pray and I visualize myself giving it all to God. Do your best, then give God the rest.
So next time you feel ready to snap, remember: change it up! Distract and divert! Enlist the endorphins! And kick anxiety's butt!
1) MUSIC! I cannot stress this one enough. Many nights I come right in and turn on the radio. Right now it's Christmas music, but it's often Delilah's night time show with wonderful soothing music, other times NPR's jazz music, or Christian rock, or classic rock. Whatever I'm in the mood for. Other than #8 (I saved the best for last) I find this to be the single most effective anxiety buster. Music calms the psyche, gets the body focused on rhythm and beat, and makes the heart want to sing along.
2) Scent. A good smelling candle can stop the brain in its tracks and completely divert it from the irrationality center. Or maybe try a nice stick of incense or a Scentsy warmer or plug-in. Or put cinnamon, orange slices, vanilla extract or anything similar and boil it on the stove or place it in the crock pot. It produces such a wonderful warm scent.
3) Taste. A nice cup of tea or cocoa, a sweet treat, spicy salsa, a lemon. Again, divert and distract the invader!
4) Touch. Take a warm bath, rub on a nice lotion (this doubles with scent!), put on soft comfy clothes, open the windows for a breeze or warm ray of sun.
5) Sight. Put inspirational sayings all around your house for stressful moments. Open the blinds to let light in and show the outdoors, write in a journal, put in a movie, fill the house with beautiful paintings or photos of family and friends. Put up a digital slide show or read a book.
6) Get outside or otherwise change your location. Sunshine and fresh air and flowers or snow, depending on the season, go a long way. So would a park, the mall, a library or any other dynamic, interesting place. A change of scenery can change your mood.
7) Exercise. Release those endorphins, get yourself moving and your blood pumping.
8) Now the most important: Pray, pray, pray. I read or heard or saw somewhere the idea that you should turn worries into prayers. With practice, this gets easier. I pray and I visualize myself giving it all to God. Do your best, then give God the rest.
So next time you feel ready to snap, remember: change it up! Distract and divert! Enlist the endorphins! And kick anxiety's butt!
Thursday, December 6, 2012
Buying on Ebay: find your favorite things cheaper!
Earlier in the week I talked about selling on Ebay, how anyone can do it with a variety of items sitting at home. And later this week I want to talk about how you can teach your kids about math and earning money by selling their unwanted items FOR them on Ebay.
But today, I want tell you my experience buying on Ebay. Last year I fell while carrying a heavy computer monitor, bruising my leg and tearing a hole in the knee of my favorite Dana Buchman jeans. My leg healed, the jeans didn't. Sigh.
I'm not much of a shopper. I hate trying on stuff. When I have a favorite, I wear it FOREVER. I can't remember how much I paid for them in the store, but I was able to go on Ebay and find the exact same pair in the same size for $20 shipped. I was ecstatic! Well, just this week a hole tore in the knee of my Old Navy The Flirt jeans, my second favorite pair of jeans that I have worn for years. So I went on Ebay and found the exact same ones for $10 shipped. Yay!
Another time my mother-in-law lost one of her favorite earrings that she'd purchased at Dillards. Our Dillards closed this year. So sure enough, I went online and found her the same pair on Ebay for $16 shipped, much less, she said, than what she'd paid in the store.
Also, I recently purchased a cable to go from my printer to my computer. They are $15 at Walmart or $4 shipped on Ebay. I got a round of car chargers for $4 a piece shipped for myself, my husband, and my in-laws. Sometimes things are less at Walmart, but more often than not, you can find the exact item significantly cheaper on Ebay.
Could save you some money! Or at the very least help you find your favorite pants again :)
But today, I want tell you my experience buying on Ebay. Last year I fell while carrying a heavy computer monitor, bruising my leg and tearing a hole in the knee of my favorite Dana Buchman jeans. My leg healed, the jeans didn't. Sigh.
I'm not much of a shopper. I hate trying on stuff. When I have a favorite, I wear it FOREVER. I can't remember how much I paid for them in the store, but I was able to go on Ebay and find the exact same pair in the same size for $20 shipped. I was ecstatic! Well, just this week a hole tore in the knee of my Old Navy The Flirt jeans, my second favorite pair of jeans that I have worn for years. So I went on Ebay and found the exact same ones for $10 shipped. Yay!
Another time my mother-in-law lost one of her favorite earrings that she'd purchased at Dillards. Our Dillards closed this year. So sure enough, I went online and found her the same pair on Ebay for $16 shipped, much less, she said, than what she'd paid in the store.
Also, I recently purchased a cable to go from my printer to my computer. They are $15 at Walmart or $4 shipped on Ebay. I got a round of car chargers for $4 a piece shipped for myself, my husband, and my in-laws. Sometimes things are less at Walmart, but more often than not, you can find the exact item significantly cheaper on Ebay.
Could save you some money! Or at the very least help you find your favorite pants again :)
Saying yes to kids and their big ideas
Imagine my surprise when I walked into Brady's after-school care to find he'd enlisted two friends to make a dozen invitations to a "Big Invention Party" to build a "shrink ray" from 6:30 to 7:30 the next night (a Wednesday night!). He'd handed them out to all the kids, told their parents, some of whom were perplexed and asking the teachers if it was real.
It was not! My smart creative boy had thought it all up by himself, planned it and promised snacks and the movie 2012 and soccer and football.
Wow. When I told him that he could not plan a party like that without asking his parents and certainly we couldn't have people over on a school night, he was just CRUSHED, nearly in tears. In the melodramatic tone only a 7-year-old can muster, he said, "It was all for NOTHING."
So... I got out my date book and showed him that I wrote "plan invention party" on Jan. 1, 2013. We'd start the year making plans for it and set a date. In the meantime, we're collecting any items we run across that would work great to have in a bin for an "invention party". Each kid will be able to make an invention and take it home. If they get bored, they can play soccer or football. No special reason for the party other than my wonderful kid thought of it.
A few days later, he brings me the following pieces of paper:
He told me he wanted to build a stick house. This was easier to do. We started gathering sticks, though he informed me he was the "controller" and I was the "worker" and pounding them in the ground.We work on it for about 30 minutes a night after school because it gets dark so quickly this time of year. More on weekends. He now wants it incorporated into the big invention party next year somehow. We've lined it with leaves and will put a sheet down and a roof. He made a sign that says, "Keep Off. Personal Property."
Here's the result of our first day of work:
Kids hear "no" a lot. They don't yet understand why they can't have dessert before dinner, stay up late, go outside without no shoes or coat, have a puppy or kitten right this minute, stay home from school, skip writing thank you notes, on and on. There is so much they want that they can't have, but that's life. It's our job to teach them that and how to deal with it.
But sometimes, there is a wonderful circumstance when you can say yes. Even if it seems ridiculous or challenging or inconvenient when life is so busy and full already. Especially important if it's an idea they came up with all by themselves. Can we have an invention party? Sure! Not today, but let's plan one! Can we build a house of sticks in the garden? Why not?
I want him to know I value his ideas and I want to encourage that creativity. For him, right now, all things are possible. I'm hoping that seeing them come to fruition will give him a sense of confidence in his abilities. There is such joy in being able to bring their imagination to life, not just for them but for us too.
So if you can, say yes, and if you can't say yes right now, get out the calendar and plan a day when you can. And most of all, have fun!
It was not! My smart creative boy had thought it all up by himself, planned it and promised snacks and the movie 2012 and soccer and football.
Wow. When I told him that he could not plan a party like that without asking his parents and certainly we couldn't have people over on a school night, he was just CRUSHED, nearly in tears. In the melodramatic tone only a 7-year-old can muster, he said, "It was all for NOTHING."
So... I got out my date book and showed him that I wrote "plan invention party" on Jan. 1, 2013. We'd start the year making plans for it and set a date. In the meantime, we're collecting any items we run across that would work great to have in a bin for an "invention party". Each kid will be able to make an invention and take it home. If they get bored, they can play soccer or football. No special reason for the party other than my wonderful kid thought of it.
A few days later, he brings me the following pieces of paper:
He told me he wanted to build a stick house. This was easier to do. We started gathering sticks, though he informed me he was the "controller" and I was the "worker" and pounding them in the ground.We work on it for about 30 minutes a night after school because it gets dark so quickly this time of year. More on weekends. He now wants it incorporated into the big invention party next year somehow. We've lined it with leaves and will put a sheet down and a roof. He made a sign that says, "Keep Off. Personal Property."
Here's the result of our first day of work:
Kids hear "no" a lot. They don't yet understand why they can't have dessert before dinner, stay up late, go outside without no shoes or coat, have a puppy or kitten right this minute, stay home from school, skip writing thank you notes, on and on. There is so much they want that they can't have, but that's life. It's our job to teach them that and how to deal with it.
But sometimes, there is a wonderful circumstance when you can say yes. Even if it seems ridiculous or challenging or inconvenient when life is so busy and full already. Especially important if it's an idea they came up with all by themselves. Can we have an invention party? Sure! Not today, but let's plan one! Can we build a house of sticks in the garden? Why not?
I want him to know I value his ideas and I want to encourage that creativity. For him, right now, all things are possible. I'm hoping that seeing them come to fruition will give him a sense of confidence in his abilities. There is such joy in being able to bring their imagination to life, not just for them but for us too.
So if you can, say yes, and if you can't say yes right now, get out the calendar and plan a day when you can. And most of all, have fun!
Wednesday, December 5, 2012
Cheap homemade pizza!
Who doesn't love pizza? Well, my son doesn't, but he's different. My husband and I sure do. A few times a year I get to use those free $10 Pizza Hut gift cards, but the rest of the time I just can't stand spending a lot on pizza.
So, I buy two 50-cent Great Value pizza dough packs (Ready in 5 mins! Add only water!), a $1 can of pizza sauce and a $2.99 1-pound bag of shredded cheese at Dillons when it is on sale (You can often get 8 ounce bags for $1.50 to $1.75 as well at Kroger and other stores). I only use about a third of the can of sauce, freezing the rest for later, and a third of the bag of cheese. That makes for a large-size pizza costing $2.33.
The other night I also got Canadian bacon (used half the package), olives and mushrooms, (used half of each) and some sausage I had previously cooked and frozen, bringing the total cost to $6. If you add cut up tomatoes, onions, peppers, jalapenos, or even chicken, you could make for a very healthy and low-cost dinner. Give it a try, enjoy and save some money at the same time!
So, I buy two 50-cent Great Value pizza dough packs (Ready in 5 mins! Add only water!), a $1 can of pizza sauce and a $2.99 1-pound bag of shredded cheese at Dillons when it is on sale (You can often get 8 ounce bags for $1.50 to $1.75 as well at Kroger and other stores). I only use about a third of the can of sauce, freezing the rest for later, and a third of the bag of cheese. That makes for a large-size pizza costing $2.33.
The other night I also got Canadian bacon (used half the package), olives and mushrooms, (used half of each) and some sausage I had previously cooked and frozen, bringing the total cost to $6. If you add cut up tomatoes, onions, peppers, jalapenos, or even chicken, you could make for a very healthy and low-cost dinner. Give it a try, enjoy and save some money at the same time!