Well, we have gone "facebook public" with our news of adding a princess to the Country Castle. So, it is pretty much out there now. :) I don't pretend to think that most people didn't already know but there is something about putting it on facebook that makes news travel faster.
The decision to adopt did not come lightly to our family. It is something the King and I have discussed every now and again since the Page was about a year old. After he was born, we knew we wouldn't have any more biological children. Not for any medical reasons...we had no struggles getting pregnant, pregnancies were easy for me, no difficulties in delivery (apart from what one would expect). I actually enjoyed most of pregnancy. The "problem" was that 3 active boys are all this stay at home mom can handle. And apparently, the King doesn't make Princesses. ;) So, that decision was made. But it didn't change my selfish desire for a girl in our house.
That's why we started talking about adoption. It was just a little thing that popped up every now and again. We never got really far in our discussions...but the desire never went away either. Last November, it came up again. And we kinda said, ok this is it. We either have to do this or forget about it altogether. We (and by "we" I mean "I") really started doing research and checking into agencies and laws (as best I could) and costs. By Christmas, we had decided to go for it and told my family. They were shocked at first. And worried. The unknown is never easy and there were a lot of questions we could not yet answer (still are for that matter). In January 2011, we spent time researching options and I talked to social workers and agency representatives and gathered more information.
Deciding to adopt is such a teeny, tiny part of the process. We had so many other things to consider. But we had crossed the first hurdle, stepped out in faith (because we still really knew nothing about what we were doing or how we were going to pay for it), and made the decision to give a girl a home and a forever family.
The rest, although important and necessary, was really just ironing out the details...and I'll save that for another post.
Saturday, July 30, 2011
Friday, July 29, 2011
Murphy's Law
Murphy's law is an adage or epigram that is typically stated as: "Anything that can go wrong will go wrong". (wikipedia)
Ever have one of "those" days where it seems like Murphy has taken up residence in your home, and maybe inside your head. Today is one of those days. So far my phone has gone kaput (it won't even power up), my supper plans have gone the same way, and I lost music plans for a revival I am leading in a couple weeks. And it isn't even lunch time yet.
How do you keep Murphy from winning? How do you not let the fact that everything is going wrong make you grumpy? Well, honestly, most of the time I don't. Although plans I make are always flexible (I do have 3 children and often their plans and my plans don't match up) but when one thing after another doesn't work, it irritates me. Today, I decided to just go with it and I planned a little success into the rest of the day. I pulled fish from the freezer for supper and the kids will be thrilled so I know supper will go "right." Then I redid the revival plans. It really only took a half hour or so and now I don't have to fret about losing them in the first place....and I saved them on the computer instead of scratching them out on a piece of paper so I won't lose them again. I am just trying not to think about the phone. (grrrr!)
I really really want to finish the bag that I started on yesterday but I had to rip out the zipper yesterday and with Murphy's Law still seemingly in effect here I am not going to risk it. No reason to tempt him. I thought about cutting out another pattern but with my luck today I will probably just cut off a finger or something so I am thinking that cleaning is in my immediate future. Of course, that is a positive and a negative...I do NOT like to clean, but I do enjoy a clean house. Of course, I could just go back to bed. :)
Either way, Murphy is not going to win today! Hopefully, he will give up and not come back tomorrow.
Ever have one of "those" days where it seems like Murphy has taken up residence in your home, and maybe inside your head. Today is one of those days. So far my phone has gone kaput (it won't even power up), my supper plans have gone the same way, and I lost music plans for a revival I am leading in a couple weeks. And it isn't even lunch time yet.
How do you keep Murphy from winning? How do you not let the fact that everything is going wrong make you grumpy? Well, honestly, most of the time I don't. Although plans I make are always flexible (I do have 3 children and often their plans and my plans don't match up) but when one thing after another doesn't work, it irritates me. Today, I decided to just go with it and I planned a little success into the rest of the day. I pulled fish from the freezer for supper and the kids will be thrilled so I know supper will go "right." Then I redid the revival plans. It really only took a half hour or so and now I don't have to fret about losing them in the first place....and I saved them on the computer instead of scratching them out on a piece of paper so I won't lose them again. I am just trying not to think about the phone. (grrrr!)
I really really want to finish the bag that I started on yesterday but I had to rip out the zipper yesterday and with Murphy's Law still seemingly in effect here I am not going to risk it. No reason to tempt him. I thought about cutting out another pattern but with my luck today I will probably just cut off a finger or something so I am thinking that cleaning is in my immediate future. Of course, that is a positive and a negative...I do NOT like to clean, but I do enjoy a clean house. Of course, I could just go back to bed. :)
Either way, Murphy is not going to win today! Hopefully, he will give up and not come back tomorrow.
Thursday, July 28, 2011
BLT Pasta
So, we've finally got some tomatoes. Someday maybe I'll get to can some but for now we are just eating them. One of my very, very favorite things to eat is a BLT on fresh homemade bread. But I will ONLY eat them with a tomato fresh from the garden. Actually, I won't even buy tomatoes out of season....they may be shaped like a tomato and be red like a tomato but they taste NOTHING like a tomato. Anyway, I digress. The point is I am trying to eat all the tomatoes I can while they are fresh and good and worth eating. And my favorite way is in a sandwich form with bacon and a little lettuce and mayo. YUM! So I love BLT's...that's been established. I also love pasta, in pretty much any form. So I decided to combine the two and the result was supper tonight. And it was YUMMY! Unfortunately, I am terrible at measuring so if you are a cook who requires an exact measurement I am sorry and just do the best you can...it is worth it. I will give approximate measurements.
Ingredients:
bacon (I used about 1/2 a pkg from the store) chopped into small bits
cherry tomatoes (a cup or 2- the more the merrier really)
1/2 medium onion, chopped
4 cloves garlic (I really like garlic), chopped, or pressed
1 teas italian seasoning
2/3 cup parmesan cheese this is a really rough estimate)
1 lb spaghetti or angel hair pasta, cooked to al dente
reserve about a cup of the pasta cooking water
Brown the bacon in a hot skillet with tight fitting lid. When crisp, remove bacon to a plate with a paper towel on it for draining. Brown onion in bacon grease, When slightly browned add garlic and brown. Then add italian seasoning. stir it all up a bit and add tomatoes and turn heat to medium low. Cover immediately and allow to cook till tomatoes burst and release their juices. It is a good idea to shake your skillet every now and again to keep things moving around in there. When tomatoes have burst, add your bacon back in and stir to mix. Add pasta and sprinkle parmesan cheese over all. Stir and stir and stir and stir...I like to use tongs for this. As you are stirring slowly add bits of the pasta cooking water. It loosens things up and helps them combine...the starch also helps everything stick together. Serve hot with more parmesan cheese.
** I do realize that my pasta has no "L" in it. to solve this problem you could serve it with a salad. I just reconciled myself to no "L" and 2 servings of B, T, and pasta. I'll have some "L" tomorrow...maybe on a sandwich with extra bacon and tomato. :)
Ingredients:
bacon (I used about 1/2 a pkg from the store) chopped into small bits
cherry tomatoes (a cup or 2- the more the merrier really)
1/2 medium onion, chopped
4 cloves garlic (I really like garlic), chopped, or pressed
1 teas italian seasoning
2/3 cup parmesan cheese this is a really rough estimate)
1 lb spaghetti or angel hair pasta, cooked to al dente
reserve about a cup of the pasta cooking water
Brown the bacon in a hot skillet with tight fitting lid. When crisp, remove bacon to a plate with a paper towel on it for draining. Brown onion in bacon grease, When slightly browned add garlic and brown. Then add italian seasoning. stir it all up a bit and add tomatoes and turn heat to medium low. Cover immediately and allow to cook till tomatoes burst and release their juices. It is a good idea to shake your skillet every now and again to keep things moving around in there. When tomatoes have burst, add your bacon back in and stir to mix. Add pasta and sprinkle parmesan cheese over all. Stir and stir and stir and stir...I like to use tongs for this. As you are stirring slowly add bits of the pasta cooking water. It loosens things up and helps them combine...the starch also helps everything stick together. Serve hot with more parmesan cheese.
** I do realize that my pasta has no "L" in it. to solve this problem you could serve it with a salad. I just reconciled myself to no "L" and 2 servings of B, T, and pasta. I'll have some "L" tomorrow...maybe on a sandwich with extra bacon and tomato. :)
Wednesday, July 27, 2011
Movie theater ettiquette??
This morning the kids and I made our first trip to the free children's movie offered in an area theater. They show older cartoons or kids' movies for free at 10 in the morning. Today we saw Megamind. It is a great concept. Now, I went with the expectation that there would be disruptive children in the theater...after all it was a free kids movie. What I didn't expect was the utter disrepect that the other parents showed by not trying to keep their kids from disrupting others.
The children behind us were terrible. I'm not sure how many there were but from the noise they made and the insane number of trips they made out of the theater it seemed like maybe there were 50 or so. The little boy who banged on the back of my seat and smacked his lips while eating popcorn with his head stuck between my seat and the one next to me was just delightful. And the daughter who apparently has bladder control issues and continually got up and banged us in the head while leaving the aisle because she had to grip the back of all of our chairs was a little ray of sunshine. Friends in another theater said there was a crying baby and screaming child that the mother never took out.
So where does the fault lie? In the chlidren? In the parents, who did nothing to get them to sit down and be quiet (I suppose the mother did say, sit back please about 1400 times but there was no consequence to disobeying)? And how do you respond to something like this? I did ask the lipsmacking boy to please sit back with his mother. Should I have said something to the mother? The manager? How would you have handled it? What about the girl who kept whacking us on the head (my friend even said Ow! at one point)? She was probably 10 years old.
I do not pretend that my children are always well behaved. I am often that overwhelmed mother making threats in walmart about behavior. Today, though, was a proud mom moment of well-behaved kids...of course, anyone could have been better than the ones behind us.
I really would like to hear what you would have done in this situation as we are planning to go back next week. So let me know so I can go prepared. :) PS- the theater is full (hello, it is FREE movie) so changing seats is not really an option.
The children behind us were terrible. I'm not sure how many there were but from the noise they made and the insane number of trips they made out of the theater it seemed like maybe there were 50 or so. The little boy who banged on the back of my seat and smacked his lips while eating popcorn with his head stuck between my seat and the one next to me was just delightful. And the daughter who apparently has bladder control issues and continually got up and banged us in the head while leaving the aisle because she had to grip the back of all of our chairs was a little ray of sunshine. Friends in another theater said there was a crying baby and screaming child that the mother never took out.
So where does the fault lie? In the chlidren? In the parents, who did nothing to get them to sit down and be quiet (I suppose the mother did say, sit back please about 1400 times but there was no consequence to disobeying)? And how do you respond to something like this? I did ask the lipsmacking boy to please sit back with his mother. Should I have said something to the mother? The manager? How would you have handled it? What about the girl who kept whacking us on the head (my friend even said Ow! at one point)? She was probably 10 years old.
I do not pretend that my children are always well behaved. I am often that overwhelmed mother making threats in walmart about behavior. Today, though, was a proud mom moment of well-behaved kids...of course, anyone could have been better than the ones behind us.
I really would like to hear what you would have done in this situation as we are planning to go back next week. So let me know so I can go prepared. :) PS- the theater is full (hello, it is FREE movie) so changing seats is not really an option.
Tuesday, July 26, 2011
Kids in the Kitchen
The kids have been in the kitchen with me as long as they have been able to stand on a chair and see. Sometimes they get to help...sometimes they only "supervise." The decision is based largely on how much mess I feel like cleaning up or how quickly I need to get whatever I am cooking on the table. When they were younger, they helped only with "cool" stuff, as in no helping near the stove. I even got them their own "child knives" from Pampered Chef so they could chop (aka hack up) fruit and veggies.
Recently, we've taken Kids in the Kitchen to a new level. The Prince and the Knight have prepared meals for our family.
The Prince recently made us all pancakes. He did the flipping and everything and he burned no more than I usually do. I wish there was more to say but he really just did it by himself. And they were yummy!
The Knight made eggs and toast (as sous chef, I did the toast). He scrambled eggs and cooked them in the skillet. Then because I don't eat scrambled eggs if I can avoid it (and because I am Queen afterall), he made my eggs to order. I like them over-light or as we call them "dippy eggs" because I dip my toast in the runny yolk! YUM!! Anyway, he was SO proud of himself and did a great job. He did have some trouble getting my dippy eggs out of the pan so my yolks weren't all that runny. But I didn't send them back. :) However, I was so busy as sous chef working on the toast that I didn't get any photos.... :( next time.
Not to be outdone, the Page had to have his turn. He must keep up with his older brothers. So, I put him to work. Now, he isn't really quite old enough for making pancakes or eggs so we went with something more his style and speed. He made us choco-banana pudding pops. We do not use instant pudding so he made regular cooked pudding on the stove and then he cut the bananas with a butter knife and put the slices in the bottom of the cups. I poured the cooked pudding into the cups. They are in the freezer now and we are waiting "patiently."
Recently, we've taken Kids in the Kitchen to a new level. The Prince and the Knight have prepared meals for our family.
The Prince recently made us all pancakes. He did the flipping and everything and he burned no more than I usually do. I wish there was more to say but he really just did it by himself. And they were yummy!
 |
| Prince is working to flip those pancakes. |
 |
| Measuring and pouring each so that they are the same size! |
The Knight made eggs and toast (as sous chef, I did the toast). He scrambled eggs and cooked them in the skillet. Then because I don't eat scrambled eggs if I can avoid it (and because I am Queen afterall), he made my eggs to order. I like them over-light or as we call them "dippy eggs" because I dip my toast in the runny yolk! YUM!! Anyway, he was SO proud of himself and did a great job. He did have some trouble getting my dippy eggs out of the pan so my yolks weren't all that runny. But I didn't send them back. :) However, I was so busy as sous chef working on the toast that I didn't get any photos.... :( next time.
Not to be outdone, the Page had to have his turn. He must keep up with his older brothers. So, I put him to work. Now, he isn't really quite old enough for making pancakes or eggs so we went with something more his style and speed. He made us choco-banana pudding pops. We do not use instant pudding so he made regular cooked pudding on the stove and then he cut the bananas with a butter knife and put the slices in the bottom of the cups. I poured the cooked pudding into the cups. They are in the freezer now and we are waiting "patiently."
 |
| I made marks on the banana with the knife and then he cut them on the marks. Good job! |
 |
| Sticking the popsicle sticks in each banana slice! |
 |
| He got tired of stirring the pudding "continuously" but was still more than willing to ham it up for the camera. |
Taking the kids in the kitchen makes cooking take much longer and clean up take much much longer but the kids love it and learn so much. And my future daughters-in-law will thank me for raising young men who get work in a kitchen, right?!?!
Monday, July 25, 2011
Menu Monday 7-25-11
So last weeks menu was almost completely a bust. The King worked from home 2 day (which as much as I love him totally messes up my groove). Then we got invited for a playdate and lunch at a friends house and another playdate and dinner at another friends house. Then the kids begged to not have pizza (!!!!) because it was so hot...they just wanted salad. Who was I to argue with that? It was HOT!!
Since it has been so hot, I planned this menu to cook on the stovetop, in the crockpot or out on the grill. No oven (except for baking bread today).
So this is what we are eating this week.
Breakfast:
cinnamon sugar toast ala The Pioneer Woman
Grandma's Oatmeal
fruit and yogurt (bought fresh peaches from a road side stand)
English muffins
oatmeal
muffins
coffee cake
Lunch:
tacos (leftover from last week)
sandwiches
leftover Enhchiladas
english muffin & egg sandwiches
sandwiches
Dinner:
tuna burgers with veggies/dip & chips
slow cooker Enchiladas
Hamburger Hot Pot
BLT pasta
grilled pizza
hot dogs, chips, deviled eggs
I am planning to post recipes for several of these recipes this week. Several are new and the BLT pasta I am going to actual measure stuff when I make it so that I can write the recipe. I have always just dumped stuff together for that one. :)
What are you eating this week?
Since it has been so hot, I planned this menu to cook on the stovetop, in the crockpot or out on the grill. No oven (except for baking bread today).
So this is what we are eating this week.
Breakfast:
cinnamon sugar toast ala The Pioneer Woman
Grandma's Oatmeal
fruit and yogurt (bought fresh peaches from a road side stand)
English muffins
oatmeal
muffins
coffee cake
Lunch:
tacos (leftover from last week)
sandwiches
leftover Enhchiladas
english muffin & egg sandwiches
sandwiches
Dinner:
tuna burgers with veggies/dip & chips
slow cooker Enchiladas
Hamburger Hot Pot
BLT pasta
grilled pizza
hot dogs, chips, deviled eggs
I am planning to post recipes for several of these recipes this week. Several are new and the BLT pasta I am going to actual measure stuff when I make it so that I can write the recipe. I have always just dumped stuff together for that one. :)
What are you eating this week?
Saturday, July 23, 2011
PIckles, Pickles and MORE pickles!!
So my mom has a killer great garden. I tried but mine just isn't doing as well as hers is. Thankfully, she likes to share. And since she is unable to tend her garden this weekend she asked if i wanted to check her cucumbers. HOLY SMOKES! I got 2 Walmart bags full of nice cucumbers. Now, I like fresh cucumber as much as the next lady but, seriously, that is A LOT of cukes. So I decided to make pickles. I made relish last week with much success so why not, I asked myself.
I made 2 different varieties of pickle. Now, since pickles have to "cure" in their brine for a while I have NO idea if either of these pickles will be good. But, since they are dill (and not bread n butter-blech!) I have hope that they will be stellar. I would take some good pictures and share but the King has to finish cleaning the virus I got on our other computer before I can do that. Anyway, I'll post pictures later. :) On to the recipes..
The first recipe is for "Claussen" style pickle spears. I have great hopes for these cause I love Claussen pickles. YUM! Instead of typing out the whole recipe, I am just going to link you to where I got it. She is very clear and anyway, you need to see her blog....she has great recipes. So just go visit foodie with family
The other pickles are standard canned dill pickles. I altered a recipe found in More With Less (which is my go-to cookbook). Here is my recipe (which I haven't tasted yet) I used 8 pint jars.
Fill each of the pint jars with
small cukes, or cucumber spears, or slices (I did slices)
1 sprig fresh dill
1/4 of a small onion (or cut a larger onion into 8ths)
1/2 clove garlic (opt)
1/8 teas red pepper flakes (opt)
Heat hot water bath canner half full of water.
In other saucepan combine
6 cups water
3 cups vinegar
1/2 cup canning salt
Bring to boil and pour brine into filled jars. cap jars with rings and bands. Process jars for 5 minutes in boiling water bath. Ready to eat in 2 weeks.
** I put onion, garlic, dill in the bottom of all the jars first. I put red pepper flakes in half of them. We'll see how we like them. :)
I made 2 different varieties of pickle. Now, since pickles have to "cure" in their brine for a while I have NO idea if either of these pickles will be good. But, since they are dill (and not bread n butter-blech!) I have hope that they will be stellar. I would take some good pictures and share but the King has to finish cleaning the virus I got on our other computer before I can do that. Anyway, I'll post pictures later. :) On to the recipes..
The first recipe is for "Claussen" style pickle spears. I have great hopes for these cause I love Claussen pickles. YUM! Instead of typing out the whole recipe, I am just going to link you to where I got it. She is very clear and anyway, you need to see her blog....she has great recipes. So just go visit foodie with family
The other pickles are standard canned dill pickles. I altered a recipe found in More With Less (which is my go-to cookbook). Here is my recipe (which I haven't tasted yet) I used 8 pint jars.
Fill each of the pint jars with
small cukes, or cucumber spears, or slices (I did slices)
1 sprig fresh dill
1/4 of a small onion (or cut a larger onion into 8ths)
1/2 clove garlic (opt)
1/8 teas red pepper flakes (opt)
Heat hot water bath canner half full of water.
In other saucepan combine
6 cups water
3 cups vinegar
1/2 cup canning salt
Bring to boil and pour brine into filled jars. cap jars with rings and bands. Process jars for 5 minutes in boiling water bath. Ready to eat in 2 weeks.
** I put onion, garlic, dill in the bottom of all the jars first. I put red pepper flakes in half of them. We'll see how we like them. :)
Thursday, July 21, 2011
Movies and Vacation!
Ok, you are just going to have to work with me here. I promise those two things will be connected by the end of this post...just stick with me.
Last year, the King took me on a surprise vacation. Well, I knew we were going. Then I knew WHERE we were going. Then a few weeks before the trip, I discovered what a liar everyone I know is. Where I thought we were going was NOT where we were going. Are you still with me? Let me back up....every 5 years the King and I take a trip (no kiddoes) for our anniversary. Last year was 10 years and he planned a killer trip. He worked on it for a year. I knew he was planning it...then on Christmas I got guide books for our destination. We were cruising Route 66 all the way to sunny CA and staying on the beach for a few days before cruising back. I was so excited about the drive. I was a little excited about California and the beach. We poured over the guide books. He showed me the resort where we were staying in California. I was more excited about California! :) Then he made me get a bikini (A BIKINI) for the beach. I was less excited about California. Then about 6 weeks before the trip, I discovered that although part of that was true it was not ALL true. We were in fact cruising Route 66...but we were not going all the way to California. (No need for a bikini- Whew!) We were stopping at the Grand Canyon and riding mules to the bottom. We got to stay overnight at Phantom Ranch a the bottom of the Grand Canyon...it was AMAZING! And WAY better than laying on the beach in California.* And we both loved Route 66. We stayed in only mom and pop motels. We ate at only mom & pop restaurants. It was so much fun!!
*I'm not sure what it says about me that I would much much rather ride a mule (whose name was Ted Bundy) for 2 days along cliff faces that drop I don't even know how far, in the cold and RAIN than wear a bikini on a beach in California. But if I had to chose I would NOT have chosen a bikini.
Now, I am sure you are wondering where the movie part of this post ties in. I'm ready to tell you. And although I often feel or have felt a lot like the Griswold's when on a trip this is not the connection this time. This time he was "inspired" by Cars (the movie) to drive down Route 66.** We wanted to find all the little things that inspired the places and characters on Cars...and we did. It was great.
**More people should do this. Route 66 is a wonderful part of American history that is dying. Businesses are closing. Restaurants are shutting their doors, motels have weeds growing up through the sidewalks. Whole towns are becoming ghost towns because people hit the interstate and drive on by. We stopped anywhere that suited our fancy. We talked to people (both who owned the business and other travelers) and never met a rude person. Melba in Kansas was a force to be reckoned with and EVERYONE needs to meet her (she owns the truck that inspired Mater). So go see Route 66...before there is nothing left to see.
Ok, back to the regular scheduled programming. Recently, the whole family went to the theater (cha-ching!) to see Cars 2. It was another great (and hopefully inspiring) Pixar movie and we really enjoyed it. The Page sat on the edge of his movie seat the whole time. He may have been totally "into" the movie or he may have just been trying to avoid being folded up in the chair. I enjoyed it a lot. You see, in Cars 2, they go to Tokyo, London, and somewhere in Italy. So I am REALLY REALLY looking forward to our trip in 4 years....I mentioned it to him yesterday and he smiled great big. He may have been laughing at me for suggesting it...but I am choosing to believe that he smiled knowingly while thinking "I'm on it!"
So, here is to children's movies that my kids love and that inspire the King to plan awesome vacations for us.
Maybe, while in Tokyo, London, or Italy I will get to become an international spy. Because apparently, I wanna be just like Mater. I'm not sure how the King would feel about that. :)
幸せな旅行!, Happy Travels, and Corse felici! Just practicing my Japanese, English, and Italian. :)
Last year, the King took me on a surprise vacation. Well, I knew we were going. Then I knew WHERE we were going. Then a few weeks before the trip, I discovered what a liar everyone I know is. Where I thought we were going was NOT where we were going. Are you still with me? Let me back up....every 5 years the King and I take a trip (no kiddoes) for our anniversary. Last year was 10 years and he planned a killer trip. He worked on it for a year. I knew he was planning it...then on Christmas I got guide books for our destination. We were cruising Route 66 all the way to sunny CA and staying on the beach for a few days before cruising back. I was so excited about the drive. I was a little excited about California and the beach. We poured over the guide books. He showed me the resort where we were staying in California. I was more excited about California! :) Then he made me get a bikini (A BIKINI) for the beach. I was less excited about California. Then about 6 weeks before the trip, I discovered that although part of that was true it was not ALL true. We were in fact cruising Route 66...but we were not going all the way to California. (No need for a bikini- Whew!) We were stopping at the Grand Canyon and riding mules to the bottom. We got to stay overnight at Phantom Ranch a the bottom of the Grand Canyon...it was AMAZING! And WAY better than laying on the beach in California.* And we both loved Route 66. We stayed in only mom and pop motels. We ate at only mom & pop restaurants. It was so much fun!!
*I'm not sure what it says about me that I would much much rather ride a mule (whose name was Ted Bundy) for 2 days along cliff faces that drop I don't even know how far, in the cold and RAIN than wear a bikini on a beach in California. But if I had to chose I would NOT have chosen a bikini.
Now, I am sure you are wondering where the movie part of this post ties in. I'm ready to tell you. And although I often feel or have felt a lot like the Griswold's when on a trip this is not the connection this time. This time he was "inspired" by Cars (the movie) to drive down Route 66.** We wanted to find all the little things that inspired the places and characters on Cars...and we did. It was great.
**More people should do this. Route 66 is a wonderful part of American history that is dying. Businesses are closing. Restaurants are shutting their doors, motels have weeds growing up through the sidewalks. Whole towns are becoming ghost towns because people hit the interstate and drive on by. We stopped anywhere that suited our fancy. We talked to people (both who owned the business and other travelers) and never met a rude person. Melba in Kansas was a force to be reckoned with and EVERYONE needs to meet her (she owns the truck that inspired Mater). So go see Route 66...before there is nothing left to see.
Ok, back to the regular scheduled programming. Recently, the whole family went to the theater (cha-ching!) to see Cars 2. It was another great (and hopefully inspiring) Pixar movie and we really enjoyed it. The Page sat on the edge of his movie seat the whole time. He may have been totally "into" the movie or he may have just been trying to avoid being folded up in the chair. I enjoyed it a lot. You see, in Cars 2, they go to Tokyo, London, and somewhere in Italy. So I am REALLY REALLY looking forward to our trip in 4 years....I mentioned it to him yesterday and he smiled great big. He may have been laughing at me for suggesting it...but I am choosing to believe that he smiled knowingly while thinking "I'm on it!"
So, here is to children's movies that my kids love and that inspire the King to plan awesome vacations for us.
Maybe, while in Tokyo, London, or Italy I will get to become an international spy. Because apparently, I wanna be just like Mater. I'm not sure how the King would feel about that. :)
幸せな旅行!, Happy Travels, and Corse felici! Just practicing my Japanese, English, and Italian. :)
Tuesday, July 19, 2011
Simplify this Castle!!! ....................again!!!
You would think that as Queen I would have someone to clean my house for me...but I don't. Unfortunately, cleaning is not one of my most favorite things to do. If it is one of your favorite things to do, I don't really want to hear about it.
At the start of 2011, I decided I wanted to simplify my life, my house, everything. Like many "New Years Resolutions" I started with a bang and was doing very well. Then life happened and worse than that, summer started and my house is again a pit and is driving me bonkers. So NOW WHAT!?!?! I am going to pretend like it is the start of the year and I'm going to try again. I am going to do these things...
1. I bought a Motivated Moms planner back in January. I printed this week's plan and I am doing it. I love it because it is just a few jobs and rarely takes more than an hour to complete...most of the time it is about 30 minutes. But if I do the chores each day, my house stays in better order and I don't feel like I fall so far behind.
2. I am going to continue simplifying (or decluttering or getting rid of crap). I don't feel like I hang on to stuff we don't need/use. But apparently, I must. I had a huge yard sale this spring and I still feel like I am swimming in stuff. We do not need all of it. We do not appreciate any of it with this much excess. I think I will start in my bedroom again and simplify again. If I didn't have all this junk, I wouldn't trip over it every night when I go to bed. And although my bedroom is a mess, it is going to be the easiest room to simplify. Maybe I will rearrange the furniture, but then I will still trip over stuff when I go to bed.
I was trying to come up with some other things I was going to do to help me get my house back in order but decided that the second step was to simplify...so I will make it no more complicated than this. :)
At the start of 2011, I decided I wanted to simplify my life, my house, everything. Like many "New Years Resolutions" I started with a bang and was doing very well. Then life happened and worse than that, summer started and my house is again a pit and is driving me bonkers. So NOW WHAT!?!?! I am going to pretend like it is the start of the year and I'm going to try again. I am going to do these things...
1. I bought a Motivated Moms planner back in January. I printed this week's plan and I am doing it. I love it because it is just a few jobs and rarely takes more than an hour to complete...most of the time it is about 30 minutes. But if I do the chores each day, my house stays in better order and I don't feel like I fall so far behind.
2. I am going to continue simplifying (or decluttering or getting rid of crap). I don't feel like I hang on to stuff we don't need/use. But apparently, I must. I had a huge yard sale this spring and I still feel like I am swimming in stuff. We do not need all of it. We do not appreciate any of it with this much excess. I think I will start in my bedroom again and simplify again. If I didn't have all this junk, I wouldn't trip over it every night when I go to bed. And although my bedroom is a mess, it is going to be the easiest room to simplify. Maybe I will rearrange the furniture, but then I will still trip over stuff when I go to bed.
I was trying to come up with some other things I was going to do to help me get my house back in order but decided that the second step was to simplify...so I will make it no more complicated than this. :)
Monday, July 18, 2011
Breakfast Banana Split!
I am kinda stuck on breakfast these days. Last week it was oatmeal...this week Banana Splits. YUM! This is a fast, YUMMY, and good for you breakfast, despite the name. Actually, I really like these cause I feel like I am being "bad" when I eat them even though I'm not. So this is how it goes. This is for one serving...
You need:
banana (split length-wise as in a banana split)
peanut butter
yogurt (we use Dannon lowfat Vanilla)
grapenuts (opt)
other fresh fruit (opt)
So put your split banana in a bowl (I have to break them in half so they fit). Smear each banana slice with peanut butter.* Put your serving of yogurt on top of banana (we use vanilla but you could use any kind you like). The kids like grape nuts on top for "crunchies" and sometimes we dump on fresh blueberries or sliced strawberries. That's it. Hardly a recipe really. But it doesn't make it any less good.
*Instead of smearing peanut butter on the banana which is, admittedly, a pain in the neck, you can stick the peanut butter in the microwave for a few seconds (watch it closely) and drizzle the melted peanut butter over the whole thing. YUM!!! If you are working on your momma of the year award, add some choc chips to the peanut butter before you melt it...I don't often do that. At least not in the kids bowls. :)
You need:
banana (split length-wise as in a banana split)
peanut butter
yogurt (we use Dannon lowfat Vanilla)
grapenuts (opt)
other fresh fruit (opt)
So put your split banana in a bowl (I have to break them in half so they fit). Smear each banana slice with peanut butter.* Put your serving of yogurt on top of banana (we use vanilla but you could use any kind you like). The kids like grape nuts on top for "crunchies" and sometimes we dump on fresh blueberries or sliced strawberries. That's it. Hardly a recipe really. But it doesn't make it any less good.
*Instead of smearing peanut butter on the banana which is, admittedly, a pain in the neck, you can stick the peanut butter in the microwave for a few seconds (watch it closely) and drizzle the melted peanut butter over the whole thing. YUM!!! If you are working on your momma of the year award, add some choc chips to the peanut butter before you melt it...I don't often do that. At least not in the kids bowls. :)
Sunday, July 17, 2011
Menu Monday July 17-23
I had a little trouble making this week's menu. But I got it done and here it is.
Today is done but I'll include it anyway...it was a weird day. The kids had cereal for breakfast (Frosted wheat), then we had a weenie roast at the pond (hot dogs, chips, and more marshmallows than any group of people should eat in one day). Since we totally stuffed our faces for the lunch the kids and I had popcorn and a sandwich for supper. Now for the rest of the week...
Breakfast:
oatmeal
bagels
breakfast banana split
muffins
more oatmeal (see previous post on making oatmeal more interesting)
donuts
Lunch:
sandwiches
taco cups
egg & bagel sandwiches
summer sausage lunch with veggies and homemade hummus
leftovers
Supper:
tacos with black beans, rice, lettuce, cheese, salsa, & sour cream
sandwiches (picnicking at the park)
salisbury steak, mashed potatoes, and green beans
grilled pizza
eggs & toast (made by the Knight)
Baltimore Hash
Again, we are planning to try a few new recipes...salisbury steak, Baltimore Hash, and homemade hummus. One thing I did last week is I planned way too many meals and didn't leave enough "blank spots" for leftovers. I only left one spot for leftovers officially but I also worked to plan leftovers into the week...taco cups are made with leftovers from taco night without just eating reheated tacos.
Someday maybe I'll have photos to go along with my menus...if the family will wait long enough for me to take pictures. :)
Today is done but I'll include it anyway...it was a weird day. The kids had cereal for breakfast (Frosted wheat), then we had a weenie roast at the pond (hot dogs, chips, and more marshmallows than any group of people should eat in one day). Since we totally stuffed our faces for the lunch the kids and I had popcorn and a sandwich for supper. Now for the rest of the week...
Breakfast:
oatmeal
bagels
breakfast banana split
muffins
more oatmeal (see previous post on making oatmeal more interesting)
donuts
Lunch:
sandwiches
taco cups
egg & bagel sandwiches
summer sausage lunch with veggies and homemade hummus
leftovers
Supper:
tacos with black beans, rice, lettuce, cheese, salsa, & sour cream
sandwiches (picnicking at the park)
salisbury steak, mashed potatoes, and green beans
grilled pizza
eggs & toast (made by the Knight)
Baltimore Hash
Again, we are planning to try a few new recipes...salisbury steak, Baltimore Hash, and homemade hummus. One thing I did last week is I planned way too many meals and didn't leave enough "blank spots" for leftovers. I only left one spot for leftovers officially but I also worked to plan leftovers into the week...taco cups are made with leftovers from taco night without just eating reheated tacos.
Someday maybe I'll have photos to go along with my menus...if the family will wait long enough for me to take pictures. :)
Wednesday, July 13, 2011
Oatmeal for Breakfast -AGAIN!
Breakfast can be rough around here. We eat it EVERY day (as "they" say you should)...but I'm seriously not trying to suck up to "them"...we are just hungry in the morning. I like breakfast foods...things like cinnamon rolls, eggs & bacon, pancakes, Belgian waffles (that I only get at a hotel), coffee cake, Pioneer Woman's cinnamon toast (she changed my life with that recipe). I very very rarely serve boxed cold cereal. The kids eat a whole box of it in one sitting and are asking for snacks an hour later. When I do serve it, it is frosted shredded wheat or raisin bran (and they think it is a huge treat- mwahahahaha!) Occasionally, the King gets Cinnamon Toast Crunch for the 4 of them. yuck
So often I am baking for breakfast...but some mornings that just doesn't work. Like this morning when we all slept in. And I can't eat my favorite breakfast foods every day if I don't want to be as wide as I am tall. So this is where oatmeal comes in.
The kids LOVE oatmeal...I do not. But since they will eat it for breakfast I make it often. At least once a week but sometimes twice. Oatmeal is healthy, easy and fills them up till lunch...when I make enough. I do not buy those little flavored packets of oatmeal...they are expensive and full of junk they don't need and the Prince would eat three of them for breakfast (and he isn't even a teen yet). But the kids won't eat plain ole bland oatmeal either. So this is what we do. I make regular quick oats (that I buy in bulk for around $.60/pound) with milk in the microwave. Then we add stuff. I have tried cooking rolled oats on the stove and doing the same thing. It really isn't that much more work but for whatever reason the kids don't eat it as well...I still throw them that curve every once in a while. It is good for them. :)
This is my list of some of the goodies we add - we switch it up:
brown sugar
jelly/jam...voila fruit flavored oatmeal.
brown sugar and real maple syrup.
butter, cinnamon & sugar (aka cinnamon roll)
raisins or craisins
bananas
pumpkin (or squash) puree and pumpkin pie spice and some brown sugar (pumpkin pie)
applesauce, cinnamon & sugar & a pinch of nutmeg plus brown sugar (apple pie)
honey
honey w a smidge of peanut butter
These are just some quick combos that we use that come to mind this morning. The possibilities are ENDLESS! You could add nuts or seeds for more protein (I just don't often have them in the house). The end product is oatmeal that is yummy, and you know EXACTLY what is in it. Plus you can save money and space in your cabinet and have less waste. It is a win-win-win situation.
Of course, if you are like me...when the kids eat oatmeal you will have to sneak something else to eat (Cinnamon Toast ala Pioneer Woman) or live on your coffee till lunch time. :)
So often I am baking for breakfast...but some mornings that just doesn't work. Like this morning when we all slept in. And I can't eat my favorite breakfast foods every day if I don't want to be as wide as I am tall. So this is where oatmeal comes in.
The kids LOVE oatmeal...I do not. But since they will eat it for breakfast I make it often. At least once a week but sometimes twice. Oatmeal is healthy, easy and fills them up till lunch...when I make enough. I do not buy those little flavored packets of oatmeal...they are expensive and full of junk they don't need and the Prince would eat three of them for breakfast (and he isn't even a teen yet). But the kids won't eat plain ole bland oatmeal either. So this is what we do. I make regular quick oats (that I buy in bulk for around $.60/pound) with milk in the microwave. Then we add stuff. I have tried cooking rolled oats on the stove and doing the same thing. It really isn't that much more work but for whatever reason the kids don't eat it as well...I still throw them that curve every once in a while. It is good for them. :)
This is my list of some of the goodies we add - we switch it up:
brown sugar
jelly/jam...voila fruit flavored oatmeal.
brown sugar and real maple syrup.
butter, cinnamon & sugar (aka cinnamon roll)
raisins or craisins
bananas
pumpkin (or squash) puree and pumpkin pie spice and some brown sugar (pumpkin pie)
applesauce, cinnamon & sugar & a pinch of nutmeg plus brown sugar (apple pie)
honey
honey w a smidge of peanut butter
These are just some quick combos that we use that come to mind this morning. The possibilities are ENDLESS! You could add nuts or seeds for more protein (I just don't often have them in the house). The end product is oatmeal that is yummy, and you know EXACTLY what is in it. Plus you can save money and space in your cabinet and have less waste. It is a win-win-win situation.
Of course, if you are like me...when the kids eat oatmeal you will have to sneak something else to eat (Cinnamon Toast ala Pioneer Woman) or live on your coffee till lunch time. :)
Tuesday, July 12, 2011
RIP Sweet Buffy!
The heat here at our castle has been unbelievable. Near 100 degrees and humid. The heat was too much for our family dog. She joined us swimming at the pond on Sunday and stuck around for a party we did not attend. She did not make it home that night.
She was the first Christmas gift that the King ever got me in 1999. She was around 8 weeks old and he rescued her from the animal shelter. She has been a great dog for the last 11 1/2 years. She has been a fat dog since she grew up...we tried everything when she was younger to help get her at a healthy weight...we finally gave up and decided she could be fat and happy. In the last few months, she has really slowed down (and she didn't move fast before). We will miss her bark and stepping over her laying on the deck. The kids will miss rubbing her belly when she lays on her back.
We love ya Buffy Dog!
She was the first Christmas gift that the King ever got me in 1999. She was around 8 weeks old and he rescued her from the animal shelter. She has been a great dog for the last 11 1/2 years. She has been a fat dog since she grew up...we tried everything when she was younger to help get her at a healthy weight...we finally gave up and decided she could be fat and happy. In the last few months, she has really slowed down (and she didn't move fast before). We will miss her bark and stepping over her laying on the deck. The kids will miss rubbing her belly when she lays on her back.
We love ya Buffy Dog!
Monday, July 11, 2011
Menu Monday July 11
Ok I'm gonna try this. I've been doing menus pretty steadily all summer and they are really working...so this is what we're eating this week.
Breakfast:
When I made this menu, I was fed up with eating the same things over and over again - tacos, pizza, meatloaf, ad nauseum. The family may very easily turn their noses up or even say "Yuck" when I put some of these things on the table (Turkey wraps and spicy corn & black bean salsa, I am worried for you...I think I will love you though). Many things are new. I don't often try this many new things in one week...but I've tried to pair all the new things with things they will all like. So they won't starve! We also have all the "fixin's" for a big salad anytime- lettuce, cheese, carrots, peppers, black olives, green olives, croutons, those little crunchy noodles, hard boiled eggs, etc etc. And they all love salad...except for the Page, he tolerates them.
Breakfast:
- breakfast banana split
- baked oatmeal
- bagels (but I have to can green beans so I'm not sure when I'm going to get those made)
- muffins
- cereal
- Grandma's oatmeal
- grilled cheese with creamy tomato soup
- turkey wraps
- "fruity lunch" with hummus dip
- bagel bacon egg sandwiches (maybe)
- leftovers
- sandwiches
- grilled chicken with spicy corn & black bean salsa
- fried fish & cole slaw
- brats with fried tators n onions
- Little tweezers pizza (King is cooking one night) (oh this is closely related to Little Ceasars)
- pancakes
- hot dogs
When I made this menu, I was fed up with eating the same things over and over again - tacos, pizza, meatloaf, ad nauseum. The family may very easily turn their noses up or even say "Yuck" when I put some of these things on the table (Turkey wraps and spicy corn & black bean salsa, I am worried for you...I think I will love you though). Many things are new. I don't often try this many new things in one week...but I've tried to pair all the new things with things they will all like. So they won't starve! We also have all the "fixin's" for a big salad anytime- lettuce, cheese, carrots, peppers, black olives, green olives, croutons, those little crunchy noodles, hard boiled eggs, etc etc. And they all love salad...except for the Page, he tolerates them.
Sunday, July 10, 2011
The First Post!
You know I feel like the first post on this blog should be monumental, important, of "royal" quality. But I've really got nothing like that. So I am just going to tell you why I am starting completely over in blogland.
I've been inspired and helped by several other bloggers (check my blog list for some of them) and am thinking "well shucks. Maybe I can be inspiring and helpful too." I'm trying not to set the bar too high. ;) At least, I enjoy sharing things; funny stories, experimental recipes, homeschooling successes (and disasters), opinions (I'm really good at those), life here in our little neck o' the woods. So, I've decided the blog world needs me. I am important. And I am inspiring. And helpful. To someone. Somewhere. I hope.
Well, anyway, I have a lot going on. So I'll see how often I can fit in writing about it and how often I can say something worthwhile or useful. Check back often (but not too often-I still have to figure out how to fit this into the day). Oh, and please follow me. I really, really like to see the little icons of people who may or may not be watching....it gives me incentive to keep posting and not punk out. :)
PS- If you happen to know about or be one of the few who follow me elsewhere...this is it...the place to be. Those are going to be deleted so they no longer have to suffer in their long, painful death.
I've been inspired and helped by several other bloggers (check my blog list for some of them) and am thinking "well shucks. Maybe I can be inspiring and helpful too." I'm trying not to set the bar too high. ;) At least, I enjoy sharing things; funny stories, experimental recipes, homeschooling successes (and disasters), opinions (I'm really good at those), life here in our little neck o' the woods. So, I've decided the blog world needs me. I am important. And I am inspiring. And helpful. To someone. Somewhere. I hope.
Well, anyway, I have a lot going on. So I'll see how often I can fit in writing about it and how often I can say something worthwhile or useful. Check back often (but not too often-I still have to figure out how to fit this into the day). Oh, and please follow me. I really, really like to see the little icons of people who may or may not be watching....it gives me incentive to keep posting and not punk out. :)
PS- If you happen to know about or be one of the few who follow me elsewhere...this is it...the place to be. Those are going to be deleted so they no longer have to suffer in their long, painful death.
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