It's Recipe Time!

I know I haven't written in a long time, but now that January is almost here, hopefully I can get caught up :)

Here are some of my favorite recipes, if you are in the cooking mood.

Savory Breakfast Casserole
By Sunny Moore

1lb sausage, cooked
sliced bread
1pkg taco seasoning
6 eggs
2 c milk
salt to taste
½ tsp dry mustard
1 c shredded cheddar cheese

1. Preheat oven to 350.
2. In blender mix eggs, taco seasoning, milk, salt and mustard.
3. Lay bread in sprayed 9x13 casserole dish. Layer sausage, cheese, then egg mixture.
4. Bake 350 for 40 min.

This can be prepared ahead of time and stored in the fridge. Bake the next morning.

Monkey Bread
We have this instead of Cinnimon rolls for Christmas morning.   They are delicious and EASY.  Although Cinnamon rolls are nice once in a while.  However, one year we made cinnamon rolls and as Santa was handing out the gifts, the cinnamon rolls began to burn in the oven causing the smoke alarm to go off  in the middle of the night!  Surprisingly no one woke up.

We have also done different versions of this due to needs at the time.  This year, we couldn't get our hands on butterscotch pudding, so we used vanilla.  We've also substituted instant and it turned out fine.  This can be made with or without nuts and I think raisins would be divine!  Use your imagination!

MONKEY BREAD - BEST EVER


24 Frozen Rhodes Rolls (dinner rolls)

1 cup brown sugar

1 box butterscotch cook & serve dry pudding mix not instant

1/4 cup sugar

1 tsp cinnamon

1 stick butter, (not margarine)

pecans or walnuts, chopped, optional

Right before going to bed, or 10 pm, sprinkle pecans or walnuts into a greased Bunt pan, (I use Pam cooking spray), then put 24 frozen Rhodes Rolls into pan. Mix brown sugar and dry pudding mix together and sprinkle over frozen rolls. Mix sugar and cinnamon and sprinkle on top of that.

Melt butter and slowly pour over rolls in Bunt pan, trying to cover all of the sugar. Leave on counter overnight and when you get up, the rolls should have risen nicely and you will put Bunt pan on a cookie sheet in a preheated 350̊F oven and bake for 30 minutes.

Remove from oven and pour rolls upside down onto a large platter. Serve warm.

These are extremely easy to make and very delicious. And your house will smell wonderful... These are a family favorite.

Merry Christmas!

As you can see, it was a very eventful 2011 for our family!

These cards were made using Persnickity Print's Free Vintage Christmas Kit.  They do amazing work!

I Conquered the Candy Bar Game

Today in mutual my Beehives were in charge of the group activity. They chose to play the Candy Bar Game.




I was the designated candy purchaser. I had a lot of fun today in Winco's candy bin aisle. I scooped up mini Twix bars, and bubble gum, and chocolate eyeballs, and a great assortment of other delectible treats weighing in at SEVEN POUNDS! I bought two enormous toffee Symphony bars just to make the game more interesting (it worked ;)



At the church, I dumped the entire contents into the middle of the gym floor, and the game began. The kids were going crazy! They passed the candy back and forth and filled and dumped their bags and fought over those Symphony bars like they were the last morsels of chocolate on the planet.



I watched.



I played.



I did not partake.



I feel a little cranky.



I'm sure tomorrow I will feel elated that I conquered the game by conquering my desire to eat all of that candy!



The end.

Baked With LOVE

Baked With LOVE

The other day I was talking with the Buska's about cooking and baking. They love to bake. They love to eat. I love to bake. I love to eat--which is why I've been on a health kick (ie diet) for the past year.

Ken told me that he doesn't like Sarah's food when she cooks in anger. "When she doesn't put love into it," he says while looking sideways, smiling at her, "it tastes really bad."

Then he motions Sarah asking if they can have pizza for dinner and Ken tells her "No."

"FINE!" Ken mimics Sarah as he starts flinging his hands as though he is throwing random items into a bowl. "I'll cook dinner then!" He continues filling the bowl with imaginary fowl tasting items.

We all had a good chuckle about that.

I took a big risk and asked Ken how he liked my cooking.

"Oh, you're an excellent cook!" Gratefully, he tells me.

I'm not bad, but I have had my moments of "cooking without love."

Well, today was just one of those days.

At the end of my kid's soccer game, the coach's husband came up and asked a fellow soccer mom if I were her MOTHER!!!

I wanted to scream "I AM IF I GAVE BIRTH AT AGE SEVEN!!!"

The sad part is that I had just gone home at halftime and coiffed and sprayed and smoothed my hair. Wow. Must be time for a make over.

When I got home, I stood in front of my husband, who was watching a movie. I was waiting until he looked at my face and noticed the sad look on it. I was expecting him to open his arms and ask sweetly what was the matter. Instead, he looked at me, got a very guilty look on his face, and turned around and ran to the bedroom to change into some yard work clothes. I have no idea why he did this, but I had to chase him down and TELL HIM with WORDS that I was sad because someone said I looked like my friend's mother.

He felt bad for me, but not as bad as I felt for me.

"My ego can't take things like this." I moaned to him while scrutinizing my slumping shoulders and creased forehead in the bathroom mirror. He shook his head and hurried outside to take down the tent in the backyard that the kids have been killing the grass--uh, I mean, camping in all week long.

Later, James and the girls were watching Beastly. I couldn't bear to watch with them--the irony of it all!

So . . . I decided to bake.

In anger.

And in depression.

I thought of things I could do to that rude man and his manly parts with my serrated blade as I washed and dried it and put it away.

Then, I baked.

I baked Cherry Almond Bars and Oatmeal Raisin Cookies (because they are my favorites), and a grand finale Cherry Pie with a homemade tender, flaky crust.

I thought about what Ken said earlier about baking with love and how extraordinary these items would be . . . if only I would bake them with love.

And as I cracked and measured and mixed and baked, I thought about things. I thought about who would enjoy some of these moist, chewy cookies. Who would be cheered by the cherry almond bars? Who needs a pick-me-up by a piece of pretty pie?

I thought of my good friend, Lisa and all the hardships she has endured lately; her son-in-law losing the battle with cancer and leaving her daughter and young grand baby all alone. Then last week, her sister died in childbirth. I thought of my other friend (who is old enough to be my mother), who loves to bake and wears herself out once a month teaching and feeding the women in church gourmet foods. I thought of my friends who traveled from VA to visit their daughters, leaving their business which isn't doing very well right now.

And I realized something.

I was no longer thinking of the man at the game and his hurtful words.

I wasn't baking with anger and depression any longer.

I was baking with love!

(By the way, that guy at the game, he could probably use something that was baked with love)

What have YOU baked with love lately?

Perfect Pie Crust

By Me (and Betty Crocker)

Two-Crust Pie

8-or 9- Inch

2/3 c plus 2 Tbsp shortening

2 c flour

1 tsp salt

4 to 5 Tbsp cold water (or 1/4 c)

Cut shortening into flour and salt until particles are size of small peas with a pastry blender. Sprinkle in water 1 Tbsp at a time, tossing with fingers until all flour is moistened and pastry almost cleans side of bowl (1-2 tsp of water can be added if necessary).

Gather Pastry into a ball: shape into flattened round on lightly floured board (for 2 crust pie, divide pastry in half).  Roll it thin.  Fold into fourths and unfold and ease into pie plate. Press firmly against bottom and sides.  Trim, fill, bake. For the Cheery Cherry Pie, I filled it with one can of pie filling and did a lattice work crust on top. Bake 425 for 15 min then turn it down and bake at 325 for 30-35 min. 

Don’t forget to add a whole lot of LOVE!

*A note about pie crusts. I have heard that you’ve either got it, or ya don’t. Well, all you can do is try, right? If you’ve ever watched Martha Stuart, her pie dough is perfectly round. Well to achieve this, I add the max amount of water and knead it between my hands 4 or 5 times. Then it makes a perfect round ball, but the crust still turns out flaky. If you knead it too much, it will be tough. I use lots of flour on my counter and as I’m rolling, I roll the dough, then roll into the flour, then the dough again and so forth. That way the rolling pin won’t stick to the pie crust.

Good Luck and feel free to message me if you have any questions.

I Just Died of Embarrassment

It all happened at the end of a beautiful day.  The day my older brother got married.  Earlier Today.

When I was young, my brother had a best friend.  He was *the* hottest guy in the high school, and whenever he came over to my house, I would hide in my bedroom because I would get tongue tied just looking at his blond hair and beautiful blue eyes and I would get dreadfully, red facedly--embarrassed. 

That was over 25 years ago.

Apparently not much has changed.

I saw him first at the rehearsal dinner.  Yup, still pretty cute.  But I averted my eyes.  After all, I am married to one HOT guy myself.  I have no reason to look at him . . . and heaven forbid our eyes meet.  Blushing isn't very attractive when you're a 40ish, married young woman. 

I explained to my sisters how he was the cutest guy in the school and every girl drooled over him and that I would die if he knew that now.

The next day (today), there he was, not looking 5 minutes older than he did in high school, in a TUXEDO!  I went about my business, decorating the cake and managing my son, the ring bearer.  I avoided having to make conversation with him at all costs.

It was a beautiful ceremony and reception.  I admit that I got teary eyed seeing my big old brother up there swooning at this little girl he was marrying.  It was a thing of beauty seeing him so tender.

It was afterward during the clean-up when the event occurred.

Everyone was helping clean up the reception center.  We were untying sheer black sashes that were tied to silky white chair covers.  We would slip the chair covers up and off of the metal folding chairs.  Swoosh, swoosh.

I looked up and saw my sister that is a decade and a half younger than me.  She is beautiful even without makeup.  Everyone says we look like twins. 

I gave her a shining smile and a wink. 

She smiled back and gave me a little shimmy.

I sent her a BIG shimmy right back (and we are not twins in the shimmy department), but as my shoulder went back for that first shim, my head slightly turned and I noticed in slow mo, that Mr. Hot was swooshing a silky white chair cover off a chair at my same table.  He turned his head at that exact moment towards my "shimmy!"

His eyes (yes, still blue) got really big as he looked from me to my sister and asked, "What's this?"

I immediately apologized that he had to see that and felt every drop of blood in my body rush to my face.  "It's just a sister thing."  I lamely explained to him.

"It's no problem, no problem at all."  He replied with a big grin on his face.

Later that night, he confronted my little sis and asked when he was going to get to see her shimmy.

She gave him the tiniest shimmy and ducked her head and ran away--Red Faced and Embarrassed!

Soy Sauce Suicide and Broccoli Chicken Casserole

So, as a family (well, the half of the family that we could convince to join us) watched Ramona and Beezus last night. 

I saw strange similarities between the sisters in the movie and my own girls.  It was precious how they were constantly at each other's throats.

That Ramona is a real character.  It was interesting the way her parents looked at each other and shook their heads and smiled when they saw that Ramona had squeezed an entire tube of toothpaste into the sink. 

That Ramona is one lucky girl to have those parents. 

The scene would have been a tad different here in our household!  I know that because I actually have a Ramona in my family!!!  We won't mention any names, but her name starts with an E, and from the moment she entered my womb, she has been a "Ramona," (I still have the misshapen ribcage to prove it).

After the movie, we all sat down to dinner.  Even the truant family members were there.

On the menu:  Rice.  It was actually my beautiful Broccoli Casserole with rice, but my children like to have an enormous pile of plain rice.  And then they like to dredge it with soy sauce until it resembles one of Idaho's giant Buttes that juts up out of the ground, hard and rocky with no vegetation.

And on this night of nights, Ramona--with an E--left the glass bottle of soy sauce too close to the edge of the table and while gesturing grandly with her arm, bumped it and sent it hurtling into space.  It hit the hardwood floor with a black EXPLOSION. 

I originally thought it was her cup of ice water . . . we've dealt with that kind of explosion before.  In fact, we deal with that kind of explosion at our table nightly.

This was a much more sinister explosion.  One in which all surrounding areas were splattered and sprayed with the dark, salty liquid and shattered glass.

There was a moment of disbelief that came before good sense took over. 

I stared at what looked like a black hole on my floor while trying to decide the best method of cleaning up this kind of mess.

My white bathroom towels would be reduced to rags.

I looked toward the paper towel rod.  I saw a brown tube with paper towel fragments randomly sticking to it.  My mind searched for a solution as I tried to hold back the growing panic.

The stash of old, dark-green towels!.  We grabbed a few and started sopping up sauce and glass fragments.  It became a family affair as Emily shook the towels into the trash, James rinsed the towels in the bathtub, I vacuumed up all of the leftover glass, and the little boys hopped from chair to chair safely out of the way vying for the best view of the action.  The others just watched in disbelief, chewing slowly with wide eyes.

A little too late, I realized that I hadn't snapped a photo.  I guess we could reenact the scene.  It couldn't be possible though because now I only buy PLASTIC containers of soy sauce.

So, tonight I will share two recipes with you.  One is my beautiful Broccoli Casserole, and the other is an amazing dish I recently discovered using Soy Sauce.

Broccoli Chicken Casserole

Broccoli fresh, steamed or frozen, thawed

1tsp Lemon juice

2 C chopped, cooked chicken

2 Cans Cream of Chicken soup, undiluted

3/4 C Mayo

1 C grated cheddar cheese

2 C Bread crumbs or stuffing

Preheat oven to 350.  Layer broccoli, then chicken in a greased, 9x13 casserole dish.  In a separate bowl, mix lemon, soup and mayo.  Layer mixture over chicken and broccoli.  Sprinkle cheese then bread crumbs.

Serve with hot RICE (soy sauce optional)

We had this recipe tonight and it was really amazing.  We did not have rice, however.  It was served with homemade smashed potatoes.

Panko-Parmesan Chicken

1/2 cup butter
3/4 cup Kikkoman Panko Bread Crumbs

1/4 cup shredded fresh Parmesan cheese

1 egg

3 tablespoons Kikkoman Soy Sauce

4 chicken breast halves (each about 10 oz.)

Instructions


1. Melt butter in 13 x 9-inch pan in 400°F. oven, about 3 minutes. Remove pan from oven.
2. Meanwhile, combine Panko and cheese in large plastic food storage bag. Beat egg with soy sauce in shallow dish until well blended.
3. Dip chicken pieces, one at a time, into egg mixture; then add to bag of bread crumbs mixture. Close top and shake bag to coat both sides. Place chicken, skin side down, in prepared baking pan, leaving space between pieces.

4. Bake chicken 20 minutes. Turn pieces over and bake 20 to 25 minutes longer, or until chicken is no longer pink near bone and is golden brown.

Honey Milk Balls and the First Day of Spring

It was a crazy weekend to say the least!  With celebrating three birthdays, Alex's play; Much Ado About Nothing, and having two sets of visitors, me and my house are exhausted!  I have spent the day letting the house rest from being cleaned, and instead, crafting away. 

It has been lovely :)

I shamefully ate so much cake and frosting over the past week, that I went into sugar shock!  Today, I wanted to take it easy.  Have you ever noticed, though, that when your body gets used to the sugar, you crave it so much more?

I was really craving something sweet today, so I grabbed a piece of Orbit Sweetmint gum.  It helped a lot.  But then once my jaw got sore (I went to the dentist this morning) I got rid of the gum and BAM the sweet cravings came back.

My brain started doing a subconscious inventory of my kitchen.  There is still a huge batch of frosting pre-made and ready to go for Emily's upcoming birthday and some graham crackers in the cupboard!  Once I realized what my brain was trying to do, I stopped it immediately and tried to think of a healthier alternative.

Honey Milk Balls! 

They are sweet, nutritious, and YUMMY!  Did I mention that they are QUICK!  No baking necessary.  In fact, if you like to eat the cookie dough more than the cookies, like I do, then this one is for you!

See what YOU think!

Honey Milk Balls

1/2 C Honey (or the evil corn syrup)

1/2 C peanut butter

1 C dry powdered milk

1 C uncooked rolled oats (whole grain!) or 1/2 C graham cracker crumbs.

I like to warm the honey and peanut butter so it mixes more easily.  Combine all ingredients and knead (with your hands) until blended.  Shape into small balls.  Roll in coconut or chopped nuts, if desired.

Perfect for after school!

I couldn't be more overjoyed that SPRING has finally arrived!  And with it, the melting of snow.  I wish that I had taken a photo of my backyard everyday this past week.  On Monday, 1/4 of the ground could be seen.  Exactly one week later, I have a yard full of brownish--gold, matted looking grass and no snow!  My doggie also did some damage all winter long that will have to be cleaned up soon by the kids (evil laughter).

The Weekend's Activities:

Our friend, David and his daughter, Megan came to watch Alex's play.  James made an entire list of honey-do's that he and David could do together.  It was so nice of us to put him to work while he was here!  

Here they are fixing another kitchen drawer. 

 James and David took a drive around town and found some pretty hilarious small town signs.  Yes, our Subway has 8 foot long sandwiches.

 And don't forget a halibut float for dessert.

 My mom and I crashing after a vigorous game of "This is a serious and solemn occasion" taught to us by Megan.  Let's just say that our cheeks hurt from laughing!

 My dad decided to check on my Rainbow vacuum and took it apart to clean it and found that it was cracked and spent the next several hours(to my mom's dismay) fixing it.  I was a little frightened when I saw it in several pieces!!!

 The boys ripped the couch apart.  Exactly what I want them to do when I have a house full of company.

 Now that it's spring, maybe they can find something to do OUTSIDE!

Megan and Emily used the leftovers from Hannah's Masquerade and made themselves masks.  Beautiful!

Someone asked me if this is Alex's girlfriend IRL.  Well, no, he is JUST that convincing as an actor!

 I cannot believe how well they did on the play.  Each person had their lines expertly memorized!  Not one person needed a prompt either time I saw it.  They did just a fantastic job!

The cards I made.  It's like taking a little vacation for my mind :)

Today, I am grateful for Monday!  It was an amazingly exhausting yet wonderful weekend.

Welcome to Dinner With the Moore Family

What's the best thing to do when you have three birthdays and a play in one week?  You invite out of town guests for a visit, of course.

March is always a stressful Month for me--it might as well be Christmastime.  I love to go all out for my kids (even though they beg me not to year after year).  Why should I deprive them of something that I love, Right?  So I selfishly spend hours and hours planning and stressing over each and every detail to make them suffer--um, I mean--happy.

By the end of March I look and act like a crazed lunatic.  My mind starts shorting out, and I basically turn into a zombie.

When Easter is in March, I become a basket case.

This year "The Play" was in March.  The same week as the three birthdays.

Alex was starring in Shakespeare's Much Ado About Nothing as Benedick, and opening night was on his birthday.

I invited my parents and our friends, the Atkissons for the same weekend to see the play and celebrate the birthdays.  I panicked later as I wondered where I would put everyone and how I would get everything done for the  birthdays.

I decided to save myself some sanity and have everyone go out for dinner on the night of the play.

I had recently scoped out the only place in our small town that could house a gathering so large; Me N Stans.  Yes, I know, the grammar is incorrect, but the atmosphere was a homey, country 1963.  I mean, nothing had changed since 1963.  The chairs wobbled and the table had lost it's shine years before, but we were all together and that's all that mattered.

I was sitting next to Emily--a very dangerous spot to be.  When we eat at home, the children use plates with their names on it, and I always do the old switcheroo so that Emily is sitting next to her daddy  (he wears darker colors than I).

The moment the waitress came out to take our orders, Emily tipped her water over.  I immediately jumped up and started sopping up the mess with the little cocktail napkin.  It was insufficient.

Ice cubes scattered and water splattered across the table and onto the floor.   I had a moment of clarity just then, thinking back to when Alex wrecked the car and then the next week I wrecked it, and since people were watching, I decided to make a joke out of it rather than screaming.  I said, "You are only supposed to spill your drink AT HOME, not at a restaurant!"  And with a grand flourish of my hand, I knocked over Emily's red soda!

My mom, dodging ice cubes and flowing red liquid was laughing so hard that she was tearing up.

I laughed too and I was a tiny bit glad that I hadn't gone Loco Mom-o on Emily when she spilled her water.

After all of the mess was cleaned up and our dinner was served, our out-of-town guest could not be outdone, and she knocked over her drink as well.

All I could say was "Welcome to dinner with the Moore Family!"

Please Help Japan

I am stunned by what has happened to Japan.  It is heartbreaking looking at the devastating footage on the news.  It will be a long time before the people of Japan are back to normal, but we can help in our small ways.

(from NOAA, via Wired, used w/o permission)


"Image: A forecast for the tsunami caused by a magnitude-8.9 earthquake that struck off the coast of Japan on March 11, 2011. Heat-map colors show maximum tsunami height within the first 24 hours. (NOAA/PMEL/Center for Tsunami Research)"


Please pray.  Prayer will help dramatically!

 . . . and a little bit of cash from each of us. . .

The following was copied from MSNBC:


"Using your cell phone, you can text-message donations of $10 to the Red Cross. Text the letters REDCROSS to 90999 to make the $10 donation, or visit the organization's website."

It isn't much, but it is better than sitting in our cozy homes and doing nothing.

Thank you for your help!

To Protest, or Not to Protest

We are not a very politically minded family. I mean, we uphold the constitution and love to celebrate the Fourth of July and all, but we enjoy watching political matters from the comforts of the living room couch.

In our home, we stand for truth and righteousness. We believe in being good citizens and obeying the law. But when it comes to feeling so strongly about an issue, that we would stand outside and hold signs and protest, we defer to those who are more opinionated.

Until now.

It started several weeks ago when Hannah came through the door after school ranting and raving about a proposed ID bill--The Luna Bill AKA Students Come First Legislation. 

In her freshman level of understanding, Hannah believed that students would be forced to own laptops, which they would then destroy, and teachers would become obsolete due to required online courses.

She was outraged by the bill.

Students across the state decided to hold a walk-out at 1 PM on Friday afternoon.  Through Facebook and texts, they notified each other about the event. 

I found out about it the night before as Hannah was debating whether to skip the last two periods of school and stand up for what she believed to be very bad for students, or support her teachers by attending their classes.

She decided to remain in school and protest by wearing strips of duct tape with penned messages across her clothing.  Her teachers appreciated her level of support and applauded her decision to remain in school.

I was surprised, then, at 1PM when I got a call from my middle- schooler asking if I would pick her up and drop her off in town so she could protest.

After questioning her for several minutes about her reasons behind protesting and making sure she wasn't just ditching, I decided to check her out.

As I drove to the school, I passed a hoard of teenagers surrounding a white Local News 8 van holding posters of varying colors while screaming and waving their hands as they tried to persuade me to honk in support.  As I crawled by in my green van, I looked over the crowd to see if I recognized anyone.  I waved timidly at their flailing arms, then felt silly when I realized I was supposed to honk.  Too late, I honked and drove on. 

At Emily's school, I felt somewhat guilty as I checked her out of class.  It must be human nature to want to be a part of the herd, because I really wanted to know who else was crazy enough to check their kids out of school to stand for what they believe in.  Not many kids were on the check out list.

I hoped I was doing the right thing.

There seemed to be NO protesters at the designated spot (the local grocery store), so I made Emily go shopping with me instead.  Every few minutes she went outside to see if the protesters had arrived. 

We finally saw the protesters on a different street as we were leaving the parking lot.  I slowly drove by to see what the crowd looked like.  At the front of the line, standing tall above the other students, and blond, holding a giant fluorescent sign . . .  

was my son!

So much for living quiet, un-opinionated lives! 

 

Students Protest Passing Of Education Reform - Local News Story - KIFI Idaho Falls

One Benjamin Franklin

 . . . That's how much it took to convince the 14 year-old to get straight As again. 

When I make these promises with my children, I guess I never really think through the situation to the end, because it was painful paying up. 

The offer has been around for many many years.  It began when we could see our oldest son's potential report card success, but he couldn't.  For some reason, Benjamin did not tempt him enough.

Back then, Hannah always pulled straight As on her report cards.  We (and she) knew she could do it, but in order to save the bank, we told her it was for achieving all As in "High School".  I know, it was pretty low of us. 

She showed us by bombing out in 7th grade.  Well, I guess if you consider a couple of Bs (and a D) bombing out.

The offer kind of got brushed aside for a couple of years while we just tried to muddle through as best we could.  We made sure to remind them on report card day that if they would have only gotten all As they would have gotten $100.  Then out of the blue this year, and way ahead of time, the kids asked if the offer still stood. 

"Of course, it does!"  We'll do whatever it takes to help them achieve academic success!  It's our job as parents.

Hannah must have skipped home from school knowing that for once she had me!

She beamed at me as I opened the sealed report card. 

I think my bright, yellow purse actually squeaked as I unlatched and opened it.

"I want you to know how hard I worked to earn this Benjamin Franklin."  I told her as I dangled the bill between two fingers.

"I want you to know how hard I had to work for him."  She tells me back and snatches the bill from my fingers.

I am so proud of my daughter.  She is extremely smart.

I am also proud of my manipulative and coercive parenting skills.  It feels really nice when it pays off. 

Almost as nice as One Benjamin Franklin feels in my purse.

TEAM WORK

As I was making dinner tonight, I could hear the little boys in the living room playing on the Game Cube.  I couldn't tell what they were playing because for once they had the volume very low.  I could however hear them cheering each other on.

At one point, Hunter enthusiastically yelled, "Come on, Connor!  There's no I in TEAM WORK!  We can do it!"

I had to giggle and wonder where a nine-year-old learned that one. 

I'll be anxiously waiting to hear it come out of Connor's seven-year-old mouth soon. 

They are like little sponges at these ages. 

Makes me wonder what "phrases" they have soaked up here at home and spewed back out to their teachers at school.

Hmmmmmm

Oh, No! Not Again!!!

There is something about being in Salt Lake City during the last week of February that makes my mind LoOpY.  I'm not sure if it's spending an entire Saturday at CBYC scrapbooking that muddles my brain, or if it's the eagerness and excitement of all of the SHOPPING that the "big city" offers.

Whatever the reason, due to my LoOpYness,
I locked my keys in my van again this year.


Last year, I was so excited to be at the Expo, that I slid open the van door, threw the keys on the seat, grabbed my scrappy supplies and slammed the door shut.  My stomach lurched as I looked through the tinted window at my keys dangling on the edge of the seat! 


What do you do when your spare set of keys are 300 miles away?


I did what any good scrapbooker would do;  I took a picture of the keys in my van and turned and ran back into the Expo Center to start scrapping!  I just knew some great inspiration would reveal itself later on.


Like Magic, the answer came as I watched officers come and go to the event in the next venue.  There was a Safe Kid's Convention going on and every precinct in the vicinity had sent their finest to talk to the kiddos.


I know, because I met every single one of them as I went from group to group hoping against all hope that one might have a Slim Jim and rescue me from my stupidity.


My last hope came in the form of a moustached man in a blue uniform looking something like the hero in a 70s cartoon.  Actually, they all looked like that.


The lock was popped, and I was saved and able to go home for a year and drive back down for another fabulous time at CBYC scrapbooking the day away.


After a successful crop, the shopping began.

I was introduced to a store called Hobby Lobby.  I had never met Hobby Lobby before. 

As I drove into the parking lot, I could almost smell the aroma of raffia and glue sticks, paper and unfinished wood projects.  My eyes glazed over and I glided to the front doors where I inhaled deeply. 


I was not disappointed!


I shopped.
I paid.
I left.I pushed my heaping cart with one hand as I groped in my pocket, then my purse, then my pockets again searching for my keys. 


My sweet daughter peered into the drivers side and shook her head and said "Uh, Oh!"


I knew . . .


. . . I had done it again!


Did you know that if you go to the dealership and smile sweetly, and ask really nicely (and show proof that the van actually is yours), they will use your VIN # to cut you a new key? 


Did I mention that the guy was born in Idaho Falls.

Yesterday was one of those days.  I was taking a serious look at myself (perhaps too seriously), and finding myself lacking.  I was questioning my motherhood ability and feeling very down.  It's amazing how teenage words can do that to a mother.

I knew that if I only waited until tomorrow things would be better.  They almost always are.  A new dawn brings new light on the day.

The sun rose on me this morning as I was kissing my little boys for school. 

Hunter gave me a kiss and said in a big voice, "You raised us well, Mom."

Now, I wouldn't really consider a 9-year-old to be exactly raised, but the words made my heart pulse all the way up to the back of my eyes and the pressure made them sting.

Not to be outdone, Connor gave me a big hug and said "I love you waaaay more than you love me!"

That really got my emotion going, so to quell it I told him, with a crooked grin, that he was a liar and that I loved him the mostest.

I realized then what a gift from God these two little boys are to me and that God knows me well enough to prompt those darlings to say the exact things I needed to hear most.

Although it was snowing when I woke up this morning, the sun was shining through bringing the dawn of this new day. 

It made me feel that maybe . . . just maybe, I'm not such a lacking mother after all.

We'll see how they feel when they are teenagers.

 

Photo Valentines 2011

Goods and Bads

That's how we create stimulating conversation at the dinner table in our house.

With everyone running in a million different directions throughout the day, it is important for everyone to put on the brakes at 6 PM for dinner.

After the fighting has ceased over who has to put the cups on the table, and all of the last minute items like the salt and the pitcher of water are placed on the table, my family sits down, bows their heads over their plates, and starts shoveling food into their mouths as fast as they can (after a blessing, of course).

They aren't much for words if left to their own devices (or maybe this just means that I am a marvelous cook).

I must intervene if I am to know any information about the enormous portion of time that my children (and husband) spend away from me each day.

So we do "Goods and Bads".

It's quite simple, really.  We start at one end of the table and each person gets to share one good thing and one bad thing that happened to them that day. 

Sometimes the flood gates open up and one person (uh hem, husband) will drone on and on until we are all bored to tears.  

But usually after a moment of quiet thoughtfulness, something good and something bad will be blurted out and then the shoveling will resume.

I am never disappointed by the wide range of topics that these two little questions will produce.

Tonight's topics included:
Incisors (pronounced in-scissors).  This was the good and bad since Hunter painfully bit down and loosened his tooth;
Connor imagines making his teacher faint by cleaning up around his desk.  The teacher faints and falls on him while he's doing the splits--OUCH (Okay, that one was weird!); 
Emily was very, very amazed that she got second chair in band playing the flute (we encourage our children to go for second place);
And when all else fails, they resort to saying that their good is this "very delicious dinner."

Try it with your family tonight!

"COLD" Day

Since temperatures were well-below MINUS 20 degrees, school was cancelled.

When we lived in VA, school got cancelled at the hint of snow.  It was fun.  The kids would spend the day outside sledding down the hill in our backyard.  The snow was wet and heavy and perfect for making families of snowmen, snow-women, and snow-children.  School would resume when the roads were clear and most of the snow had melted from the yard.

In Idaho, school doesn't usually get cancelled for snow.  Snow Plow Men wait eagerly each night with their plows and sand ready to tackle the most severe storms.  They consider it a personal challenge to keep the roads clear enough for those big yellow buses to safely transport Idaho's children to school.

Snow Plow Men do not however, hold any chance against plunging temperatures.  No amount of sleepless plowing nor sand pouring can remedy the wind chill.

So, what do Idaho children do on a "Cold" Day?  Parents with sense keep their kids inside watching movies or reading in front of the fireplace while piled high with blankets.

MY children decided to get out the sleds and snowboards and play in the front yard.

I'm sure the people driving by just shook their heads at the senseless parents allowing their children to play outside during such extreme temperatures.

I grabbed the camera to document the moment.  After all, how many places in the world can you actually snowboard on your front lawn?

Idaho Skin

"PUT ON YOUR COAT!"  I yell as my teenager is about to leave.  "You're hoodie isn't warm enough for today!"

"I will be FINE!"  My teen yells back with a scowl on his face. "MOTHERS!"  I'm sure he's thinking.

I know his car still won't be warm by the time he reaches the school.  It is cold today.  Wind chill makes it less than 20 below outside.  I  had woken up early and turned on the radio.  I wondered why school wasn't cancelled.

He calls me during the day and asks me to bring him some lunch money.  Normally, I wouldn't dream of hampering my child's ability to be responsible, but this morning, he was looking a little thin.

I sit in the parking lot of the school and wait for him to come out.  I know the period has ended because students begin streaming out the doors and cross the parking lot in front of me. 

I start to count.  One . . . Two . . . . Three. . .  I have now seen exactly THREE teenagers with appropriate clothing for the weather.  Three warm coats among the swirl and swarm of bodies. 

In my heated van, I snuggle deeper into my knee length, fur lined hood down coat.  I start thinking of percentages.  10% with warm coats, 60% in hoodies, 30% in SHORT SLEEVE SHIRTS!

Idaho sure raises some tough skinned kids!

Ginormous Pastrami Burger

Alex and his friend, The Phantom, came home one night completely famished!  They decided to make one pound pastrami hamburgers. 

They smoked up the kitchen and made me sick when I saw the gross amounts of meat that were on their hamburgers!  But when I saw the looks on their faces, I had to smile. 

Pure teenage heaven!

Jean's Wild Rice and Chicken Supreme

When you find a recipe that the whole family will eat, it's worth its weight in gold . . . and you make it a lot.

This recipe is from my really good friend, Jean. She has an amazing recipe blog; Fitzgerald Family Recipes . It's chock full of unhealthy, southern cooking, but oh, it's joyful tasting comfort food!

1 6-oz package Uncle Ben’s Original Long Grain Wild Rice
1/4 cup butter or margarine
1/3 cup chopped onion
1/3 cup flour
1 tsp salt
dash black pepper
1 cup half and half
1 cup chicken broth
2 cups cubed chicken (or turkey)
1/4 cup chopped slivered almonds

Preheat oven to 425.

Prepare rice according to package directions.

Saute onion in butter until soft, and add flour, salt, and pepper.

Gradually whisk in half and half and chicken broth.

Simmer on medium heat until thickened, whisking constantly.

Add chicken, almonds, and rice.

Put in a 1 1/2 quart casserole dish and bake at 425 degrees for 30 min.

Add a salad and whole wheat rolls or buttered wheat bread and you have a delicious meal, perfect for a cold, wintry day!

One Sneaky Mama

Sometimes I am a genius.

I hid the chocolate chips in an Instant Potatoes can.  I knew no one but me would ever find them!

I was forced to this extreme level of deceit because the previous entire 72 ounce--Sam's Club--sized bag of morsels disappeared in about as many hours.

Not cool when Mom needs a chocolate fix . . . er . . .uh . . . I mean when a recipe calls for them, and they are GONE! 

I knew I'd been bamboozled when I peeked at the bag that was discreetly hidden in the tott can and found that 1/4 of the bag was GONE!

The culprit?  None other than DAD!  He told Hannah to search for them until she found them so that he could have some on his ice cream sundae!

They were hidden for a total of 15 minutes.

I also hid the raisins in the chocolate chip container.  How long do you think it will take them to consume these?

JELL-O from HELL-O!

So, I got a phone call the other day . . .

It was about a funeral . . . and Jello salad.

Would I be willing to take a jello salad to the funeral luncheon on Thursday?

I briefly thought about my days leading up to Thursday and shuddered. Work, work, work, and prepare for out of town company (more work). Full schedule. But I always love to help, and I don't know how to say no. I hinted, though, "I have to work on Thursday and won't be able to attend the funeral."

The reply wasn't what I expected, "That's okay, you could have, so-and-so, or so-and-so, or so-and-so bring it for you." Simple as pie--or--Jello. They must really be desperate for food. Or, maybe they have heard about my Jello salads (scoff)!

I got really excited when I started thumbing through my Jello cook book (yes, they actually have one). I even texted my mom for suggestions.

She said, "lime Jello with pears."

"Simple!" I texted back.

Why, oh why, don't we ever listen to Mom?

Strawberry Romanoff is what I chose. Beautiful? Yes. Simple? Not on your life!

I think I know how it got its name!

I read the directions then sent the Jimmy (the poor Jimmy) out for some exercise through the snow and cold on a walk to the grocery store (even though he is a urticariac).

I texted him the ingredients. Then I texted back and told him to double it. I said 2 c cool whip. He brought home four XL "C"ontainers of cool whip. Time to make room in the freezer!

When he got home, I choked when I saw the receipt! $18 for ingredients for Jello salad! Too bad I don't even know the dearly departed's family.

I started boiling and mixing and stirring. Then I got a brilliant idea! I would make strawberry Romanoff for MY FAMILY TOO! So I boiled and mixed and stirred again.

THEN

*OOPS* I realized that I doubled the first batch but only singled the reserved part, so I poured from the second batch to make up for the first batch, then the second batch was off!

I was in a pickle (pickle flavored Jello).

Hannah was feeling very hyper and was animatedly talking to me about boys, and school, and life, and I was trying very hard to follow her conversation. That's what got me into trouble in the first place. So, I enlisted her help to solve my delimma.

Math problems started flying around the kitchen as we halved and doubled and added and subtracted fractions. I could not figure out how to make the two recipes right. It was a JELL-O of a mess!

Finally it came together in my head and I exclaimed that I had figured out the problem. I needed to pour a certain amount from the mixed reserved portion back into the second single batch (don't worry, I'm still confused myself).

Hannah's head whipped around and she stared at me with a look of exasperation.

"That's what I've been trying to tell you this whole time!" she said.

Why are kids always so much smarter than their parents?

Well, I stayed up way past my bedtime to whisk and whip at precisely the right time for the Jello to be slightly set, but not too firm for the cool whip to be gently folded in.

Then I gently spooned the reserved liquid Jell-o over the fluffy Jello--and . . .

It was a disaster! The runny warmer jello seeped and oozed down into the fluffy layer creating a perfectly perfect delictable treat for a pack of VAMPIRES!

Unfortunately, it appeared to be a more appropriate dessert for the undead than the dead.

Strawberry Romanoff Dessert

2 pkg (4 serving size) Strawberry Jello
2 C boiling water
3 Tbsp orange liqueur or orange juice
1/2 C cold water
2 C thawed Cool Whip
10 oz frozen unsweetened strawberries, thawed (do not drain)

Dissolve jello in boiling water. measure 1 1/4 c jello; add undrained strawberries. Into remaining jello add liqueur or oj and cold water. Chill until slightly set about 1 1/4 hours.

Fold topping into chilled jello. Pour into a 6 cup glass serving bowl. Carefully spoon reserved jello mixture over layer in bowl. Chill until firm about 4 hours or overnight.

Makes 8 servings

Good Luck!