Life of a Domestic Goddess

I'm moving!!!

2011-05-21T19:04:00.000-04:00

It's time for a new blog name and a new blog site...including my own domain! You can now find me at http://www.edibleinspiration.net/ . Check out what I'm up to and be sure to change your google reader if you read me that way! There will be more updates over the next several weeks as I have time!

"What's Happening?!!"

2011-05-21T08:51:00.000-04:00

Do you ever read the Tacky the Penguin books where he gives a hearty slap on the back and asks, "What's happening?" They're hilarious. Here's a look at what's happening around here.

I've been away from home with friends two weekends in a row. Why, oh why, can't my fun be a little more spread out?!! First was the mini-marathon weekend and last weekend I went to Louisville with my college girlfriends. We get together every other year for a weekend. It's so fun to catch up with everyone. This year I chose the lodging. Let's just say it was unique and we'll never forget it! (That's our B&B owner, Nancy, with us. She's 80 years old. I know. It's hard to believe.)

2. Many people are on the hunt for the perfect ________________. Whether it's the perfect man, the perfect home, the perfect school, the perfect body, the perfect life...the list could go on and on. Me, I've been on the hunt for the perfect water bottle. And I think I found it. This beauty holds 22 ounces, is made of glass so it won't leak chemicals, is dishwasher safe and has a wide enough mouth to put ice cubes in. I love it. A friend led me to Whole Foods to purchase mine, but if you don't live near a Whole Foods you can purchase here or on Amazon.com. If you're looking for the perfect water bottle, too, you won't be disappointed!

3. One friend brought a new kitchen gadget for all of us. It is awesome! It's called the Zevro sugar dispenser. You fill it with salt, sugar, cinnamon, etc. and it instantly dispenses 1/4, 1/2 or 1 t. with the push of the lever. It also has a shaker. I filled mine with coarse salt and love it. I highly recommend it. In fact, I'd love to have more than one. It's just so convenient. You can purchase here.

4. All of my annuals are planted and my garden is going in the ground this afternoon. I love spring.

5. Local news has been a downer around here. There was a 37 year old father of three who died running a race and a 19 month old child who died because she fell out of a car. Considering I live with two people in basically the exact stage of life, these deaths of strangers have hit me hard. I cannot imagine losing anyone who lives in my house.

6. I had a photo shoot this week for my new, very part-time and hopefully wildly successful job. Here's a sneak peek.

Dig Deep....

2011-05-11T16:51:00.000-04:00

I told Rob that I wanted to quit around mile 10. He said, "Well, you had to dig deep to finish the race." And I did. Someone wise beyond his years told me that everyone hits their wall three quarters of the way into a race - no matter what the length. And I did. But I kept walking, walking, walking. I had something to prove to myself. And I proved it. I think I might start running two minutes out of every mile now. And I might just do a mini again.

Go out and check something off your bucket list. If I can do a mini-marathon you can meet your goal too.

Ham and Egg Breakfast Bake

2011-05-03T20:53:00.000-04:00

A breakfast casserole needs to have a little "wow!" factor. This one has one - it's the crunchy cornflake topping. It adds something special and makes each bite extra delicious.

Ham and Egg Breakfast Bake

8 slices white loaf bread
3/4 lb. thinly sliced deli ham
6 large eggs
2 c. milk
1/2 t. salt
1/2 t. dry mustard
cooking spray
1 1/2 - 2 c. shredded cheddar cheese
4 T. butter
3 c. cornflakes

1. Cut the bread and ham into bite-sized pieces.
2. Break the eggs into a mixing bowl and whisk well. Whisk in the milk, salt and dry mustard.
3. Spray a 9x13 pan. Scatter the bread pieces evenly over the dish, top with the ham and then the cheese. Pour the egg mixture over the top and refrigerate for at least 8 hours. (Can refrigerate for up to 24 hours.)

Preheat oven to 375°.
4. Melt the butter. Crush the cornflakes (in food processor or with hands or rolling pin) and mix with the butter. Spread the crumbs evenly over casserole.
5. Bake, uncovered, until lightly browned and eggs are set, about 45 minutes. Let the casserole rest for 5-10 minutes before cutting it into squares and serving.

Sour Cream Chocolate Chip Coffee Cake

2011-05-03T20:44:00.000-04:00

"Mom, this is way better than the brownie I had at school. And they put powdered sugar on their brownies and it's soooo good."

We had breakfast for dinner tonight. I'm sending a couple of things in for a teacher breakfast tomorrow (in my past life I was a teacher - trust me, it's a hard and underappreciated job - they deserve a good breakfast) and figured to save time I'd double everything and serve it to my family for dinner.

I wanted to treat my boys like the big boys they are and just set the egg casserole (recipe's coming next), the coffee cake, the veggie and the fruit (I did have to round this meal out!) on the table - hoping they'd eat all of the items and not just the cake. It was too much temptation for Isaac. Cake on the table with dinner?!!! It was his sweet tooth's dream come true. He ate one piece of cake, said he was still full from lunch and had nothing else. Oh, well.

Rob thinks this coffee cake is better than birthday cake. I don't want to get your hopes up too high, but it is a good coffee cake. I don't know how I haven't posted it yet. If you're in the neighborhood, swing by. I might even have a piece left for you!

Sour Cream Chocolate Chip Coffee Cake

2 sticks butter, softened
1 1/2 c. sugar
2 eggs
1 c. sour cream
2 c. flour
dash of salt
1 t. soda
1 t. powder

Cream together the butter and sugar. Gradually add the eggs and sour cream. Sift together the dry ingredients and add until just combined.

In a separate bowl, mix together:
1/2 c. sugar
1 t. cinnamon
4 oz. mini chocolate chips

Grease a 9x13 pan. Spread 1/2 of the batter, sprinkle with 1/2 of the sugar/chocolate mixture and repeat. Bake at 350° for 30 minutes.

Sausage and Pepper Baked Ziti

2011-05-03T20:29:00.000-04:00

I've participated in a meal swap every few weeks for the last few months. They're saving my life. Really. I love to cook and I love to be in the kitchen, but it's not nearly as enjoyable when you enter a one year old in the 4-5 o'clock hour and two other children that I'm trying to keep my eye on as they beg to go across the street to play.

The hardest part of participating in a swap is figuring out what to make. This week I found and tried this new recipe for Sausage and Pepper Baked Ziti. We had it for lunch on Sunday and it was a hit. All of my children were begging for seconds. I hope you like it too!

Sausage and Pepper Baked Ziti
from Good Housekeeping
(Makes 2 casseroles - one to eat and one to freeze.)

•1 pound(s) sweet and/or hot Italian sausage

•4 clove(s) garlic, crushed with press

•2 large red, green, and/or yellow peppers, cut into 1 inch chunks (this adds nice color to this dish)

•1 onion, diced

• 8 oz. fresh mushrooms, sliced

•1 can(s) (28-ounce) crushed tomatoes

•1 can(s) (15-ounce) diced

•1 teaspoon(s) salt

2 t. Italian seasoning (salt free is preferable, if contains salt than adjust the amount of salt in sauce to taste)

•1 pound(s) ziti pasta

•1 package(s) (8-ounce) shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese

•1/2 cup(s) freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Directions

1.In deep 12-inch nonstick skillet, cook sausage on medium 10 minutes or until browned, stirring and breaking it up with side of spoon. With slotted spoon, transfer sausage to medium bowl.

2.Drain skillet and add a little olive oil to cook garlic, peppers, onion, and mushrooms, covered, 10 minutes. Uncover and cook 8 minutes longer or until vegetables are tender and most of liquid has evaporated. Stir in tomatoes, drained sausage, salt and Italian seasoning; heat to boiling on medium-high, stirring occasionally. Reduce heat to medium-low; cover and cook sauce 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.

3.Meanwhile, cook pasta according to package directions, but cook 2 minutes less than recommended cooking time.

4.Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Reserve 1/2 cup pasta cooking water. Drain pasta. Return pasta and reserved cooking water to pot; stir in tomato sauce to coat pasta. Divide mixture evenly between 2 shallow 2 1/2-quart ceramic baking dishes sprayed with cooking spray. Sprinkle with cheeses.

5.Bake one casserole 20 to 25 minutes or until top browns and sauce is bubbling. Let stand 10 minutes. Meanwhile, prepare second casserole for freezing.

To reheat after thawing 24 hours: Heat, loosely covered, at 350 degrees F 1 hour; uncover and heat 30 minutes longer.

When It Rains, It Pours

2011-05-01T13:59:00.000-04:00

I'm sure this says something more about me, because there's always a mixture of great and terrible going on in each and every one of our lives. But I tend to be on the extreme end of emotions...and either everything is great or everything is awful. We've had a lot of rain coming down from the clouds in northern Indiana the past few weeks, but for me everything is coming up roses.

My boys are getting a basketball hoop. I guess this makes me a real Hoosier now. I know Jonah is going to be occupied for hours on end thanks to this hoop. He's the only one searching for constant entertainment around here. I'm sure this will help. If not, he's out of luck.

Digging the hole for the hoop's pole.

What can I say, I don't have any quality time with my girlfriends for months...years, even. And then I get two weekends in a row with some of my favorite ladies. I can't wait for the next two weekends! I've had some rough days lately as a DG - quitting isn't an option but I've felt like it sometimes the past month. A few days away without my children is just what I need.
Everyone has their story. Regarding exercise, that is. My story is this: I liked and participated in sports until I was about 11. And then I was just too self-conscious to ever participate in anything sports related again. I'm not kidding. Now I was into aerobics videos like every other girl in the 90's and I've always been a walker with the goal of staying fit. But next Saturday I'm participating in my first organized sporting event since 1987. I'm walking (with a little jogging tossed in to shake things up) the Indy Mini. The journey towards training for this has become all about proving something to myself. I have a goal, in terms of time, that I really do hope I can meet or beat. But most importantly I just want to cross that line and show that little eleven year old girl deep inside myself that I can accomplish a personal goal regarding fitness.
It's almost time to plant my garden!!!
The details are top-secret, but I'm going to be published in July. I'm a little excited and a little nervous. But it's a dream come true to have my name in print along with a couple of recipes. I'll keep you posted, Loyal Readers, I promise.
And finally, how can I not love this little guy in this little car?

Buttermilk Waffles

2011-04-27T14:46:00.000-04:00

Even as a Domestic Goddess there are a few things that elude me in the kitchen such as dinner rolls, the perfect waffle and coffee cake baked in a bundt pan (evidenced by my huge flop Saturday night).

This waffle is almost perfect. It has a little more fat than I'd like and no whole wheat flour - but I can experiment with those two things. You do have to whip the egg whites separately, but they were worth the work.

Buttermilk Waffles
from America's Test Kitchen Family Cookbook

2 c. flour
2 T. cornmeal
1 t. salt
1/2 t. soda
2 large eggs, separated
4 T. butter, melted and cooled
1 3/4 c. buttermilk

1. Heat the waffle iron according to the manufacturer's instructions.
2. Meanwhile, whisk together the flour, cornmeal, salt and baking soda in a large bowl. In a separate bowl, whisk together the egg yolks, butter, and then the buttermilk. Beat the egg whites with an electric mixer until stiff peaks form. Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients, pour the buttermilk mixture into the well, and whisk very gently until the buttermilk mixture is just incorporated (a few lumps should remain). Toward the end of mixing, fold the whipped egg whites into the batter.
3. Cook according to waffle iron's instructions.

E.J.

2011-04-25T22:30:00.000-04:00

At eighteen months

You've got the world on a string

You laughter is contagious and

your sign for "puppy" melts my heart

There'd be peace on earth if everyone gave kisses

as lovingly and freely as you do

Your toddling steps are music to my ears

and your bright blue eyes take in the wonder of the world minute by minute

My greatest teachers have arrived in the form of little boys

And you, Eli Jacob, teach me how to love, love, love

Mashed Potato and Ham Casserole

2011-04-25T22:08:00.000-04:00

What can I say, scalloped potatoes and ham is one of my all-time favorite comfort foods. But tonight I needed to improvise - I had leftover ham but also some leftover mashed potatoes that I couldn't bear to waste. I found and modified the following recipe. It was a hit - I certainly will keep some mashed potatoes and ham next time just so I can make this casserole. Enjoy!

Mashed Potato and Ham Casserole

4 c. leftover mashed potatoes
2 c. leftover diced ham
1/2 c. cream
1 1/2 c. grated cheddar cheese

Spread mashed potatoes in a pan (I used an 8"x11" pan but a deep 9"x9" would work well too). Sprinkle leftover ham on top. Whip the cream and fold in the cheese (I've never done anything like this with whipped cream but it really made an amazing topping!). Bake at 450 degrees for 15 minutes - until cheese melts and casserole is bubbly. Enjoy!

Middle Fork Coffee Cake

2011-04-23T14:32:00.000-04:00

What can I say, I'm a sucker for marketing. This coffee cake was featured in a Rachael Ray article on foods to eat while camping. In Idaho. So I had to try it. Surprisingly the ground raisins and nuts made a very delicious topping!

Middle Fork Coffee Cake
from Rachael Ray

2 cups brown sugar

1 cup chopped walnuts
3/4 cup raisins, chopped
1-1/2 sticks (6 ounces) unsalted butter, melted
1-1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
2-1/2 cups flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 tablespoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup whole milk
1 cup plain yogurt
3 large eggs, beaten
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Directions:

1.Preheat the oven to 350°. In a bowl, combine 3/4 cup brown sugar, the walnuts, raisins, 1/4 cup melted butter and the cinnamon.
2.Grease a 9-by-13-inch baking pan. In a large bowl, combine the remaining 1-1/4 cups brown sugar, the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. In another bowl, combine the remaining melted butter, the milk, yogurt, eggs and vanilla. Mix into the flour mixture just enough to moisten. Transfer to the prepared pan and bake for 25 minutes. Top with the raisin-walnut mixture and bake for 5 to 10 minutes longer. Let cool slightly before slicing.

Raspberry Jello Salad

2011-04-23T14:25:00.000-04:00

My boys love this raspberry jello. When they heard I was making it for Easter dinner there were squeals of delight. A friend brought it to us when she delivered a delicious meal after Eli was born. It's been my go-to jello recipe ever since. For Easter I made a quadruple batch. But I'll give it to you in its original form.

Raspberry Jello Salad
recipe from Rachel Gerber

1 3oz. package of raspberry jello
1 c. boiling water
1 c. applesauce
1 package frozen raspberries

Dissolve the jello in the boiling water, stir in applesauce and raspberries. Refrigerate until set.

Glimpses of Grace

2011-04-21T07:40:00.000-04:00

Last night Isaac brought me this flower. With such pride, "Mom! For you!" Daffodils are one of my favorites - I remember my Grandpa planting them in huge bunches at the ranch. And they're a sure sign of spring - the season that has been very slow in coming around this year in northern Indiana.
I'm walking my mini marathon in two weeks. I've over-trained, I'm fighting an injury and I want the race to be over. Enter my friends who encourage me, tell me how to care for myself and never, ever belittle the fact that I'm walking and not running. (It's amazing how much large doses of ibuprofen can help intense pain!)
I've been on the hunt for a small piano. It's time for at least one boy to begin lessons in the fall. My goal was to have one in the house by the end of the summer. I began my e-mail plea for leads on a used piano last week. Serendipitously someone at church wanted to sell their piano (and would deliver!!). Within 72 hours of beginning my hunt we had a piano placed in our living room. "I don't need lessons, Mom. I can already play Hot Cross Buns!"
My sister's moving home to Boise! I can see my whole family at one time! I'll be in Boise June 8th for a week or so...one way tickets to Boise with the boys and then we're driving to Iowa with my parents for a family reunion where we'll meet Rob. I need a good dose of another feminist housewife. Some days I feel like I'm going nuts as a stay at home mom. At least for a few days I can go nuts with my sis.
The whole family will be home tomorrow. I can get groceries all by myself. I think that might be the highlight of my week - maybe the whole month. And I'm not kidding.

"The path

to the supreme

begins

and ends

the daily

rhythms

of ordinary

life."

- The Tao

Good Things

2011-03-18T15:39:00.000-04:00

Rob's home for more than 44 hours. I think he'll be home for a whopping 3 1/2 weeks. Single parenthood is a killer. Don't let anyone fool you.
I'm still reading! 2011 must be the year I get my bookworm back. I read the new Jodi Picoult book and also The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo this week. Couldn't put either one down. I want to do nothing more than read the 2nd book in the Millennium series. Right now. But I have three children and other things I should be doing than reading.
Rob brought me the greatest gift ever from Minneapolis. He bought Jonah and Isaac each a Lego set, which has occupied every single minute of their time today. (Well, Jonah's been at school but is now happily occupied.) They haven't fought or anything. Very weird. And nice.

This is who heads straight for my lips when I say, "Give me a kiss." He's the cutest little kisser ever.
It's been sunny for three days straight. Might be a record for Northern Indiana.

Pumpkin Banana Bread

2011-03-17T14:04:00.000-04:00

Someone brought a loaf of Pumpkin Banana Bread to our elementary school's fundraiser a couple of weeks ago. I was intrigued by the thought. I had a few bananas that needed to be baked into something so thought today was the perfect day to give this a try. I already reduced the sugar from 1.5 cups to 1 cup and replaced some of the flour with whole wheat. I would also consider reducing the oil next time. Eli is going crazy for this bread. I think he'd eat a whole mini-loaf if I'd let him! I highly recommend that you give this quick bread a try!

Pumpkin Banana Bread
adapted from Taste of Home

1/2 c. canola oil

1 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 cup mashed ripe bananas (about 2 medium)
3/4 cup canned pumpkin
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 c. all-purpose flour
3/4 c. whole wheat flour
1-1/2 t. baking powder
3/4 t. baking soda
1/2 t. salt
1/2 c. chopped walnuts or pecans (optional)

In a large bowl mix oil and sugar with a wire whisk. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in bananas, pumpkin and vanilla. Combine the flour, baking power, baking soda and salt; gradually add to creamed mixture. Fold in nuts.

Pour into four greased mini loaf pans. Bake at 350° for 35-40 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes before removing from pans to wire racks.

Spring Cleaning

2011-03-17T13:56:00.000-04:00

I've been going through my house lately. Time to move baby clothes, out of style clothes, old books and Happy Meal toys out of here. In the process of my cleaning I came upon this:

A huge pile of magazine clippings. It's so hard to keep up with my magazines. I've become okay with passing them on and not keeping years of them like I used to, but now I have pages and pages torn out with recipes to try. In all that spare time I have.

I managed to get the clippings whittled down and now have a few recipes to try this season in a folder. I'll let you know if I come upon any good ones.

Fat Tuesday!

2011-03-08T07:00:00.003-05:00

The past several years I have tried different Lenten disciplines. The goal is not for me to improve myself by becoming more productive or thinner or nicer. I want to be closer to God.

After years of giving things up, I've realized that, for me, adding some kind of spiritual discipline is much more meaningful. Last year I read e-mails from Henri Nouwen and found them to be great nuggets. This year I am going to be reading Nouwen's book Show Me the Way.

I am also going to give up Diet Coke. Not sure that this is really going to meet my goal of being closer to God (hence the first goal is more important) but I've known for years that diet soda isn't good for you and this study has been just the push I've needed. I'm only a 12 oz. can a day drinker, but I'm giving it up. Hopefully for good.

And on a true Fat Tuesday note, maybe I'll need to get some donut holes from Rise n Roll this morning.

Books, Books, Books...

2011-03-07T20:22:00.001-05:00

Lately I've been reading again. Not a book or day or anything, but waaay more than the one I had read in the ten months previous to this reading binge.

I devoured The Hunger Games trilogy. Extremely uncharacteristic of me to read these books. They're science fiction and they're based on a very violent premise. But Katniss captivated me. And I couldn't put them down.
I'm reading all that I can on the Enneagram. It's changing my life. I've been carrying The Wisdom of the Enneagram with me from room to room trying to read a page here and a page there as much as I can. I'm learning more about myself and others that I know and love (that is, if I know their "number", which means they've told me since I really don't know deep, deep down what motivates everyone I know). I have several books sitting on my nightstand on this topic. I don't think I'll ever get tired of talking or thinking or learning about this.
I finally read The Book Thief. This book is a must-read for every person on our planet. I will read it again.
Jodi Picoult has a new book out!! The topic is controversial and I just started it last night. I can't wait for a few hours to dive in to it!

What have you been reading lately?

I Am Fed

2011-03-04T07:55:00.000-05:00

It's a simple act, really. A chubby little hand reaches out towards my mouth, wants me to open it and then feeds me. Cheerios or teddy grahams or goldfish. Foods that he chooses to share with me. He giggles. He's so proud of himself for doing such a grown up thing. Feeding someone else.

Much of the time I am the one doing the feeding. Preparing, serving and cleaning up after meals. Trying to feed boys - their bodies and their souls. It's hard work knowing what to make - both in the kitchen and in this crazy maze called life. I want to feed my boys so that they are nourished in more ways than one.

But a funny thing is happening. In my acts of giving, I am getting so much more. I am being fed, both body and soul as I feed my boys. By their sloppy kisses, tight hugs around my neck, dandelion bouquets, thank yous, nuzzling over a book, and heartfelt (albeit short) prayers. These little boys are generous, loving and transparent. They're feeding me more than I am feeding them. I'm sure of it. The chubby little hand filled with a soggy cheerio aimed directly at my mouth was just the reminder I needed.

Swap It!

2011-03-03T09:35:00.000-05:00

I recently participated in a meal swap. March is a crazy month around here. Rob is getting to do exciting things that include going to Thailand. I am doing important things that include taking care of the kids. But I digress.

Have you heard of a meal swap? I am sure there are many ways to do one...the two that I have participated in go something like this: Six people each make and freeze six of the same entree. The people rush to one home at a designated hour, pull out their frozen foods, swap them and leave. They take home five different frozen home cooked meals to feed their families.

I would like to do this more often. I spent Sunday afternoon making six pans of Pioneer Woman's Creamy Chicken Enchiladas. It was a crazy afternoon and I questioned my sanity for participating in this swap. Deboning four chickens is no fun. But now that the swap is over and my freezer is full of homemade pizza, chicken tortilla soup, pork BBQ, mini-meatloaves, smokehouse spaghetti, and, yes, a pan of chicken enchiladas, I know why I did it. My March menu is set. And I won't have to cook while I'm home alone and have a screaming one year old attached to my leg.

Have you ever done a meal swap before? Was it set up differently? What's your favorite meal to freeze?

The. End.

2011-03-02T12:33:00.000-05:00

It's official. The baby phase is coming to an end at this house. Just look at this little guy. He's going to be 17 months old in a few short weeks. He's walking all around and into everything. It's a fact I've been wanting to deny for a few weeks - he's offically a toddler and no longer a baby. I spend my days soaking in this blue eyed boy: the pudgy hands, generous kisses, toddling steps, belly laughs and all. There's not much I don't love about this stage.

But, while I can say all of this whole-heartedly in one breath, I can also say in another that I'm ready to be done with this stage too. I want some resemblance of me back. The woman who had time to try new recipes and read more than a few books and go to movies while in the theater and travel with her husband and make her own money and obsess about decorating her house, magazines, politics and God..I miss her. And I wonder when she'll come back.

If I would have known all I would give up to raise my children, would I do it again? In a heartbeat and without hesitation. But time marches on...and the thought of things changing and boys growing and moving to a new stage doesn't make me sad anymore. A true gift to this baby lover.

After all, the end of one thing also means the beginning of another...

Love...not Leftovers

2011-02-18T09:08:00.000-05:00

Ah, Valentine's Day. I admit it. It's one of my favorite holidays. Not because of the flowers and candy and cards that are exchanged, but because of the message. Love. I think the Beatles had it right when they sang "All You Need Is Love" because, really, isn't it true?

I think a lot about love when it comes to my boys. Our days are crazy (if you haven't spent a day with three boys ages 7 and under lately, trust me) and my main hope of each day is that they feel love. Sometimes this feels impossible. There's so much to teach them and so many things that they just don't do the first time I ask! But I hope that underneath all of the craziness around here my love for each of them crawls deep into their hearts and cuddles up.

I've started cutting things out of my life lately. I want to do lots of things really, really well but I've realized this year that there's really only one thing I should be doing. Feeding my boys. When trying to feed them both body and soul it leaves little room for extras. I have times when I fight against that. I want to do more. Be more. But when it is quiet and I have time to listen, I realize that I am where I need to be, doing what I need to do...and it's enough. The season for different kinds of work is coming. Later.

The people who I have felt most loved by in my life have loved me freely. I didn't get their leftovers, I got their love. Their first priority wasn't their friends or their volunteer work or their job. (All of these are important and, perhaps, took up much of their time anyway.) It was (and is) the feeling that when the person was with me they didn't want to be anywhere else.

That's what I want to give my boys. Love...not leftovers.

"E.T. Phone Home, E.T. Phone Home, E.T. Phone Home...."

2011-02-17T07:55:00.000-05:00

There aren't many times in my life as a Mom where I think, "Whoa. Life is coming full circle." So far my children aren't proving to be book worms, kitchen lovers and they most certainly don't like to play Mom and baby. Their daily childhoods look quite a bit different than my own. But they are really into Star Wars (Good vs evil is something I'm realizing many boys need to work though and this seems to be their way to do it. Don't judge until you watch the movies yourself and you see my boys play with their Star Wars Legos for four hours straight.) and we recently put some Star Wars music on our iPods...this made me think of John Williams (the composer) who also wrote the E.T. music, which made me think of the movie E.T. I knew it was time for my boys to watch it.

After asking everyone if they had the movie E.T. we could borrow, I finally located a copy at the library. We snuggled in to watch it and it was scratched. So badly scratched that it was an hour shorter than the real movie and cut out every good part. Really. No E.T. in the closet, no E.T. dressed as a girl, no E.T. saying "Phone Home." It was a big disappointment.

So I bought them the movie for Valentine's Day. I had to redeem E.T. What fun it was to sit with my boys and watch this movie. I remember watching it in the theater next to my sister who was sobbing hysterically on my Mom's lap. This was back in the day when you saw a movie in the theater and that was it...it didn't come out on DVD six months later to own in your home movie library. It's one of the few movies that I have a distinct memory of watching as a child.

My boys loved the unscratched version. We all laughed like crazy. My boys didn't cry, but I certainly could have. For lots of reasons. Feeling the Mom's pain when Elliott is lost and returns. Picturing my boys (one in particular) hiding E.T. in their closet and loving him and then having to let him go. And realizing how much life has changed for parents since the 80's. Gertie went trick or treating with her brothers while the Mom passed out candy. And she didn't even have a booster seat when she got into the car. It looked like a simpler, more innocent time.

Isaac even told me that on his turn for family night he might pick E.T. Wow, that's saying a lot.

Reeses Brownies

2011-02-09T14:35:00.000-05:00

I've been so neglectful when it comes to posting recipes lately. I guess I've been in a cooking funk, you could say. Month after month of cold weather, snow and soup hasn't left me very inspired to get creative in the kitchen. Quite honestly I've been keeping it simple and easy. But I do have a couple of super bowl recipes to share with you. I didn't take pictures, which is a shame because these brownies were beautiful. And absolutely delicious. If you're a fan of chocolate and peanut butter, give these brownies a try.
Reeses Brownies

brownie mix
8 oz. package cream cheese
small bag mini reese's cups
1/2 c. brown sugar
1/4 c. creamy peanut butter
small bag chocolate chips

Bake at 350° for 20-25 minutes. Cool slightly. Mix cream cheese, brown sugar and peanut butter. Spread mix on brownies. Crumble Reese's and chocolate chips and place on top of mix.

Lost a Tooth!

2011-02-07T16:30:00.000-05:00

Jonah lost his first tooth today. He's felt rather behind in the tooth losing area, since some of his friends lost teeth two years ago. So when his tooth started to wiggle a couple of weeks ago he was quite elated. He ran inside today and shouted, "Mom! I lost my tooth on the bus!" Two of his friends encouraged him to just go ahead and yank it out. So he did.

Oh, the wonder and questions that came with losing the tooth..."Will the tooth fairy bring me a $10 bill? That's what she brought Evan when he lost his first tooth." "I wonder when my other tooth will come in." The questions just go on and on when it comes to the unknowns of teeth. I was so excited for him and promply went and got his tooth fairy pillow from Sew Happy Jane out of the gift closet.

But then we couldn't find his tooth. You see, he lost his first lost tooth. Being the seven year old boy that he is, he put it in his backpack not thinking that baby teeth are very small and the large compartments of a backpack are very big. We have searched high and low and the tooth is nowhere to be found - it's not in the backpack, not on the floor, not in the crevices of our rug, not on our driveway and, most he certainly didn't swallow it. He assured Isaac of that right away.

There have been many tears shed. He is certain that the tooth fairy will not bring anything for an empty tooth pillow. I've encouraged him to write her a note - maybe she'll leave a little token for that instead.

When Jonah turned one I cheered with him as he got his first baby tooth. It was so exciting to see that little toothy grin smiling at me. And now that the tooth is out, I rejoice again - only this time it's for the little hole in his smile. He is, indeed, not going to be the only adult left on this planet with a mouth full of baby teeth. Thank goodness.

My New Favorite App

2011-01-30T15:54:00.000-05:00

If you're looking for a device that will track your exercise speed, distance and pace using GPS technology but you don't want to shell out big bucks for a Garmin sports watch, look no further. Download http://www.runkeeper.com/ onto your phone. I wanted these features but knew there had to be a way to get them connected with my iPhone and not buying a separate watch. It works like a charm and the best part is it is free!! (Okay, free if you have a phone that downloads apps.)

(To test this app out today, I walked down my street a little bit and then turned around and came home. On the website I could see the exact route I took - it's great!)

5!!!!

2011-01-24T12:13:00.000-05:00

Isaac turned 5 yesterday! There were two boys who were both fighting off germs in our house yesterday. I was so glad one of them wasn't him. He's been sick on his birthday before.

Star Wars and Legos were the two beloved themes of his party. Isaac got lots of new Legos, which has been a gift to me as well. Jonah (who's home sick today) and Isaac have never played as well together as they have today. It's been wonderful.

Isaac's party was from 3-5 and at 4:30 he loudly announced that he was needing some "alone time." Being the center of attention isn't Isaac's favorite thing. He's our boy who needs that time to himself.

When he was born we said he was our little ray of sunshine...and he continues to be a bright light in our family. I'm going to cherish these last few months with him at home with me. Love you, Isaac!

My Baby's Walking!

2011-01-14T12:27:00.001-05:00

My Baby's Walking! Or maybe I should say MY BABY'S WALKING!!!! Since he's the third baby and he doesn't do things on the same time table as his older brothers did I can get a little worried. When he decided this week to start letting go of furniture and walk on his own, I was pretty excited. I got "29 Steps" in a text from Rob last night while I was in a meeting and I was beside myself!

I think our children teach us so much more than we teach them - if we're open to it. What this little guy has taught me is that children develop in their own time and in their own way.

When one of my children does something really well or ahead of "schedule" I like to give myself little invisible pats on the back and breathe a sigh of relief for a job well done. And when one of my children does something slower than I expect or embarrasses me by doing something I wouldn't teach them to do I can beat myself up about it. Would these things be happening to a "Good Mom"?!!

Really, when we have children we have the privilege of watching them grow into the unique people that they are meant to be. It's not about us.

All I can say is, watch out, world. Eli's coming.

1-11-11

2011-01-11T10:40:00.000-05:00

Happy 2011, everyone! I know it's not 1-1-11, but it is 1-11-11. Isn't that a cool enough number that I can still share my hopes for the year ahead of us? I'm not too far behind.

2011 promises to be a big year around here.

Rob and I both will turn 35 this year. That's kind of an official grown-up age. Now we're rounding up to the big 4-0 instead of rounding down to the fun 30. I am learning to focus on what is really important in my life and to weed out what isn't. I am learning to embrace the choices I make that I know are right for me, whether they are popular or not. Together we are learning that date nights are important. When you sit across from your spouse at a restaurant and realize, "We haven't done this since our last Anniversary!" it is time to reevaluate.

I'm walking a mini-marathon this year. Last year I wanted to be a runner, even though I had never run before. In April I started training to run a 5K. (No, I never told you, Loyal Readers, because I wanted to knock your socks off by completing this goal secretly.) I ran 17 minutes consecutively in the Couch to 5K training and was so proud of myself. But then we went on vacation for two weeks and I never picked up the training again. This year, I'm not even going to try running. I have walked with a neighbor for years and we've wanted to walk this mini for years, with the hope of one day being able to do one of those 40 mile breast cancer walks together. Hope for pregnancy, pregnancy and a nursing baby have gotten in the way of signing up. But on May 7 we're going to try this goal out. I'm excited and nervous all at the same time.

Isaac will go to kindergarten this year. When I think of putting him on that big school bus for the first time I get weepy. He is such a pleasure to share my days with and loves being home with me and Eli. But, I also must admit that I'm kind of excited to have two boys in school full time. When my boys are ready to go to school, it's evident...and that makes me ready to send them.

There will be vacations, reunions, yelling, illness, and many other things that I just can't predict at this point in January. But most of all, I just hope there's a lot of love in 2011. Rather trite, but true. Every year that goes by my boys grow bigger and the cuddle on the couch with three little boys stage is lessening. (Rob and I have both noted that Jonah will no longer hold our hand in public.) So I'm going to just love all of them up. Happy New Year - hope there's much love in it for you, too.

Oatmeal Fudge Bars

2010-12-10T10:20:00.001-05:00

These are a crunchy oatmeal crust with a fudgy/brownie-like layer in the middle and a yummy streusel on top. The recipe says it yields 16 so I doubled it and baked the bars in a 10x15 bar pan. I also cut mine in triangles to add some variety to my cookie gifts.

Oatmeal Fudge Bars
from America's Test Kitchen Holiday Cookies 2010
(If you buy one special cookie magazine, buy this one. Every single cookie looks so good!!)

1 c. quick-cooking oats
1 1/4 c. light brown sugar
1 c. flour
1/4 t. baking powder
1/4 t. baking soda
3/8 t. salt
10 T. butter, 8 T. melted and cooled
2 t. instant espresso or instant coffee
1 1/2 c. semisweet chocolate chips
1 large egg

1. Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 325°. Line 8" square baking pan with foil, allowing excess to hang over pan edges. Grease foil. Combine oats, 1 c. brown sugar, 3/4 c. flour, baking powder, baking soda, and 1/8 t. salt in bowl. Stir in melted butter until combined. Reserve 3/4 c. mixture for topping. Sprinkle remaining mixture into prepared pan and press into even layer. Bake until light golden brown, about 12 minutes. Cool completely, about 1 hour. Keep oven on. (I didn't let mine cool an hour and it was fine.)

2. Combine remaining 1/4 c. flour, remaining 1/4 c. brown sugar, instant espresso, and remaining 1/4 t. salt in bowl. Melt chocolate chips and remaining 2 T. butter in large bowl and cool slightly. Add egg and whisk until combined. Stir in flour mixture until just incorporated. Pour filling over cooled crust and sprinkle with reserved oatmeal mixture. Bake until tooth pick inserted into center comes out with few crumbs attached, 25-30 minutes. Cool completely on wire rack, 2 hours. Using foil overhang, lift bars from pan and cut into squares.

Silence

2010-12-10T10:07:00.000-05:00

The oddest thing happened around here on Tuesday morning. It was 7:15 in the morning. Rob was at work. Jonah had just gotten on the bus. And Isaac and Eli were both sleeping.

I didn't know what to do with myself. Should I get on the treadmill? No. This wouldn't last long enough. And I'd already showered. Should I make a batch of Christmas cookies? Should I start the laundry? Should I put away the dishes? Should I clean? Should I read? Should I finish my Christmas shopping online? Should I...should I...should I...

I didn't do any of those things. Instead, I took my cup of coffee to the couch and I sat down. I sat on my couch in my cozy house and saw all of the sparkling lights and the blanket of white outside. And I basked in gratitude at this life I get to live. The joy and wonder of mothering these three boys, especially at this time of year. The appreciation that my home has heat when it is cold. And, most of all, that I had a few minutes to just be alone before the day officially began.

Jam Thumbprints

2010-12-09T07:38:00.000-05:00

Oh, how much better I felt about my cookie baking when I read this this morning. Someone who bakes waaay more cookies than I do. Between five and ten THOUSAND cookies?!! And she says she's not going to bake every year too. And then she does. I'm the same way. Roll your eyes if you have to. This year I got further into the Christmas season than every before without baking a single cookie. It was December 4th before I made my first batch. But now I can't stop. I. Love. Christmas. Cookies.

Another newbie for me was jam thumbprints. I made raspberry jam this summer with the intent of using a couple of my precious jars for Christmas cookies. Martha's recipe didn't disappoint. I do, however, think they're prettiest with a sprinkle of powdered sugar.

Four varieties down...how many more to go?!!

Jam Thumbprints
from Martha Stewart Holiday Cookies 2010

1 1/2 c. unsalted butter, softened
1 c. sugar
1 large egg
3 1/4 c. flour
3/4 c. raspberry jam

1. In a bowl, beat butter and sugar with an electric mixer on medium-high speed until pale and fluffy, 3-4 minutes. Add egg, and beat until completely combined. Reduce speed to low; add flour, and mix until just incorporated. Chill dough at least one hour.

2. Preheat oven to 350°. Shape dough into 1-inch balls. Place on baking sheet, spacing 3 inches apart.

3. Using a 1/2 teaspoon measuring spoon gently press center of each ball to make an indentation. Spoon 1/2 t. jam into each indentation. (Recipe says to heat the jam, I didn't - it's your choice.) Bake 14 minutes.

4. Right before serving dust with powdered sugar.

Chocolate Turtle Cookies

2010-12-04T11:45:00.001-05:00

I know, it's been awhile. I've been uninspired on the blogging front the past couple of months. And I've been busy. Three boys are keeping me on my toes..it's all good, but leaves little time for things that are just for me. It's a season that I know I will miss someday, but right now it's full of intensity and little time is left for writing. After all, I'm teaching one boy to not drop his cup of milk on the floor each and every time he eats. I'm teaching another boy that sticking his tongue out and spitting at his mother is a very unacceptable way to deal with his anger. And one boy just wrote Santa Claus this morning. "What I would most like for Christmas this year is socks because mine have holes." I sure hope Santa delivers.

I do, however, have some priorities very straight. It's nearly Christmas...and that means cookies. I've decided to let my boys each pick their favorite cookies this year and we'll make those. Everything else is going to be new to our family. I'm ready for some new favorites and I think I just found one.

Chocolate Turtle Cookies
from America's Test Kitchen Holiday Cookies 2010

1 c. flour
1/3 c. cocoa powder
1/4 t. salt
8 T. unsalted butter, softened
2/3 c. sugar
1 large egg, separated
2 T. milk
1 t. vanilla extract
1 1/4 c. pecans, chopped fine
14 soft caramel candies
3 T. heavy cream

1. Combine flour, cocoa, and salt in bowl. With electric mixer on medium-high speed, beat butter and sugar until light and fluffy, 2 minutes. Add egg yolk, milk, and vanilla and mix until incorporated. Reduce speed to low and add flour mixture until just combined. Wrap dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate until firm, 1 hour.

2. Preheat oven to 350°. Whisk egg white in bowl until frothy. Place pecans in another bowl. Roll dough into 1-inch balls, dip in egg white and then roll in pecans. Place balls 2 inches apart on baking sheets. Using 1/2 teaspoon measure, make indentation in center of each ball. Bake one sheet at a time until set, about 11 1/2 minutes.

3. Microwave caramels and cream in one-quart bowl (mixture will bubble up a lot), stirring occasionally until smooth, 2 minutes. Once cookies are removed from oven, gently re-press existing indentations. Fill each with 1/2 t. caramel mixture. Cool 10 minutes, then transfer to wire rack to cool completely.

Happy Birthday, Eli!

2010-10-18T00:50:00.004-04:00

Eli is one today. Don't worry about me, I'm okay with it. Really. I've decided that I'm going to pack my bags and go with Eli to college in eighteen years. We're never going to part and everything is going to be just fine. On a more serious note, when Rob and I looked at pictures of Eli's birthday party I said, "I'm going to have a hard time letting this one go." He just said, "I know."

Quick Takes

2010-10-15T08:24:00.000-04:00

1. Our Little Pumpkin is turning one on Monday. Yikes!! We're having a party on Saturday night, complete with pumpkin carving. So I'll be running around like crazy today and tomorrow trying to get everything ready for it. It should be a lot of fun, especially for our Little Pumpkin's brothers.
2. I finally finished reading Mennonite in a Little Black Dress. I had heard strong opinions about disliking this book very, very much. But I found it to be a funny and light read. The author's Mennonite experience is very different than my own but what she said about Mennonites didn't bother me. It was her life and her opinions and her memoir. Don't get me wrong, this is not a stellar book and I'm not even sure I'd recommend it. But it's not as awful as I had heard.
3. I can't stay away from Sister Wives on TLC. Is anybody else watching this show? I cannot imagine that life.
4. Martha Stewart was on Oprah last week. Here's my favorite Martha quote, "A lot of people say, oh I can't have Martha over because I can't cook well enough. Well you know what? That's a fallacy. And that's wrong because I am absolutely happy with grilled cheese sandwiches." I wish I could have Martha over for just a regular meal. Would she really be happy with it? I'm not so sure.
5. Jonah and Isaac are really into Legos. It's their current obsession. So we're planning to take them to Legoland in Chicago next Friday (Jonah has no school). Have you been there? Tips?

I'm off to make a Lego house right now...

Ma Ma Goo Goo

2010-10-12T20:34:00.001-04:00

After my haircut this evening I was told, "Mom, you look like Lady Ga Ga." (Not quite.)

At bedtime two giggling boys decided that, no, I don't look like Lady Ga-Ga. I look like Ma Ma Goo Goo. The laughter didn't stop for ten minutes.

Chicken Taco Soup

2010-10-06T09:00:00.002-04:00

Most of my recipes have a source. I like to tweak things here and there, and end up changing something in almost anything I cook. But this can be considered my own recipe. It started out as white chili but I changed it to my taste...and it became chicken taco soup. Toppings like avocado and lime and fresh tomato would be delicious but I didn't have those on hand. We enjoyed it with a little shredded Monterey Jack cheese. The real test will be if Rob likes it. He wasn't home for dinner the night I made this, and he's not a big fan of white chili. Will he like this? I'll make it again to find out.

Chicken Taco Soup

2 T. olive oil
1 onion, chopped
2 small or 1 large green pepper, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 lb. cooked chicken breasts, shredded
2 cans Great Northern beans, rinsed and drained
2 c. frozen corn
4 c. chicken broth
2 T. taco seasoning
1/4 c. cream
3/4 c. milk
2 T. cornmeal

In dutch oven heat olive oil. Saute the onion, green pepper and garlic. Add the shredded chicken, beans and corn. Add broth and taco seasoning. Bring soup to a boil and then simmer soup. In a separate bowl mix together the cream, milk (can use 1 c. whole milk if you have that on hand) and 2 T. cornmeal. Slowly stir milk mixture into the soup. Cook until thickened.

Hope you like it!

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins

2010-10-05T08:57:00.002-04:00

If it's October, I'm baking with pumpkin. I laughed last week when I had made sure to have all of the ingredients on hand to bake these muffins and before I got around to it a neighbor and my Mother-in-Law both had baked pumpkin muffins. I must not be the only one who loves fall baking with pumpkin.

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins

1 1/2 c. sugar
1/2 c. canola oil
1/2 c. applesauce
4 eggs
2 t. vanilla
3 1/2 c. flour
1 1/2 t. salt
1 t. soda
3 t. pumpkin pie spice (can use 2 t. cinnamon and 1 t. nutmeg instead)
2/3 c. milk
15 oz. can (1 3/4 c.) pumpkin
1 c. chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350°. Spray muffin tins or line with paper muffin cups and set aside. In a mixing bowl, beat together the sugar, oil, applesauce, eggs and vanilla until thoroughly combined. Blend in milk and pumpkin. In a separate bowl, sift together the flour, salt, soda and pumpkin pie spice. Gradually add the egg mixture to the flour mixture and blend thoroughly. Fold in the chocolate chips. Spoon the batter into the muffin tins, about 2/3 full. Bake at 350° for 20 minutes until springy and brown or until a cake tester comes out clean.

Makes 2 dozen.

Pizza Swirls

2010-10-04T20:43:00.000-04:00

This recipe has changed Friday Night Pizza Night forever. No longer will we have pizza every week. We will have these too. Why didn't I think of this before? Dough, sauce, cheese and toppings all rolled up like a cinnamon roll. They're delicious. My family went crazy for them. The recipe is from my cousin, Jen, and is included in the family cookbook that's a work in progress. They freeze well and Jonah loves to take one for lunch instead of a sandwich.

Dough

1/4 c warm water
1 1/4 c room temp water
1 envelope (2 1/4 tsp) dry yeast
2 T olive oil
4 c bread flour
1 1/2 tsp salt

Sprinkle yeast over warm water. Let stand until yeast softens, 5 minutes. Add the rest of the water and olive oil. Stir in flour, then salt. Knead for 5-10 minutes. Let rise in oiled bowl until doubled, about 2 hours.

Filling
1/2-2/3 c pizza sauce (jarred is fine)
4 c shredded cheese, mozzarella or similar
meat or veggies, as desired

Punch down dough. Roll on floured surface into rectangle, about 1/2" thick. Spread on pizza sauce, then cover dough with cheese and toppings. Starting at long end, roll up firmly into jelly roll shape. Slice roughly 1" thick (serrated knife works best), and gently place on baking sheet. Brush tops with oil (or spray with pan spray!). Do not let rise. Bake at 350° until the outer edge is crispy but the inner dough is still slightly soft. I use a knife to peek into the center dough and see if it looks cooked. Don't overbake, though, or they get dry. Makes about 16.

Quick Takes

2010-10-01T07:40:00.000-04:00

I was going to share two recipes with you yesterday. But Blogger wouldn't let me. So they're coming. Pizza Swirls and Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins. Both are delicious.
This is the first year I haven't wanted the calendar to change to October. My baby is going to be one in eighteen days!! But let's get real, he's going to be my baby a whole lot longer. Twenty more years or so. And I'm going to be thirty-four this month. My last year of rounding down to 30 and not up to 40. Yikes!
Is anyone else having trouble uploading pictures to Blogger? Or is it just me?!! I was going to show you such a cute duo mowing our yard last night.
It's applesauce making day at our house. As soon as Rob gets home we're going to crank out three bushels. Jonah's going to be helping since he eats two-thirds of our family's sauce. My favorite mix is half Jonathan apples and half McIntosh apples. They take hardly any sugar.
I'm looking forward to Jonah's soccer game tomorrow. It's neighbors vs. neighbors. May the boys have fun!
I'm on the look out for great Christmas gift ideas for kids. My pillow pets are already ordered for six children. But I'm thinking about other gifts, especially for my boys. Ideas???
Have I told you how much I don't like to sew? I don't. It frustrates me so very much. But I did find some really great fabric for pillows and napkins. And then, voila, they were sewn for me. I am one lucky niece. Thank you, thank you, thank you!!! (I'm trying to think of a really creative thank you gift.) And I did hem a pair of jeans last week. A moment worthy of silence. They even look good.

How to support parents of young children...

2010-09-28T09:55:00.000-04:00

Right now it's hard for me to believe that one day the challenges of raising a young family will be in the past. When you have young children it is such an all-consuming job. Many of my peers are out of the baby stage and onto the school-age stage. They look at little Eli and admit that the baby days seem like a long ago era for them.

What can I say, I'm a baby lover. I don't wish for this stage to be over, but it will be soon. I love little babies who coo and smile and don't talk back. I also love watching my older children grow and become their own selves. It's no joke that parenting is the hardest, most important and most fulfilling job there is.

I hope that this passion for young motherhood can turn into something helpful as I age. I hope that I can remember what is helpful and appreciated by young parents. I hope that I can ease a mother's load one day.

Here's what I notice that mothers of young children need from others. I have been lucky to have been on the receiving end of all of these. There have also been times that I have yearned for more of all of these. When I'm in the life stage where I can be offering help, I hope I can share all of these often:

Stories. Share your story of parenthood. What's been the greatest challenge? The biggest blessing? Parents need to hear both of these.
Breaks. Give your time. Parents of young children are good at giving their spouses appropriate breaks, but not so good at getting away together. I hear many of my friends comment that they and their spouse are like "two ships passing in the night." It's easy to justify asking the baby sitter or grandparents to watch the children for a meeting or appointment or anniversary, but it's a lot harder to ask just "because." So offer to watch the children so that parents can have breaks and marriages can be nurtured. I know a family who gives their grown children a week of childcare a year so that the parents can go on vacation. If that's not possible or sounds like torture, give regular date nights. We know a family who lives far from all family. One set of grandparents visits monthly, sends the parents away and has the weekend with their grandchildren. Whether it's two hours or two weeks, giving your time is invaluable.
Understanding. I don't know a mom out there who isn't hard on herself sometimes. It doesn't matter if the mother is balancing work and family or stays home full time. Every mom I know feels overwhelmed at times and hopes they are doing a good job. Think long and hard before you offer any kind of criticism, whether constructive or not, to a mom. Every parent knows they are not perfect and their children are not perfect. Offer your support instead. If you feel that you must say something that is critical at all, choose your words wisely.
Food. Feeding people three meals and two snacks a day is pretty much an all-consuming job in itself. Offer to have young families over for dinner. If you don't want young children in your house, offer to bring dinner to them. Not having to cook and clean the kitchen is a huge gift in itself.
Encouragement. A woman at church sends a weekly e-mail with quotes and things to think about from various books she has read. I may not be reading lots of books at this stage, but I look forward to reading these nuggets from her. Send a quick e-mail or note to a mom and let them know that you're thinking of them and that they're doing a great job. When I get these it makes my day.
Conversation. Women love their children. But they have other loves too. An adult conversation can really brighten a mom's day.
Prayer. So much about parenting is completely out of our control. Pray diligently for the parents you love and for their children. Sometimes that's all you can do. And it's more than enough.

What's been your most meaningful support as you have raised your family? Please share in the comment section.

My Conversion

2010-09-27T07:56:00.000-04:00

Decked out for Saturday's big game.

No, this post isn't about faith. It's about football. I've been converted. I have people asking me, "When did this happen?" "How did you start liking Boise State?" Well, like all conversions, religious or not, there's a story behind it. Let me tell you mine...

I haven't always been the biggest sports fan. For one thing, depending on the sport, I haven't always understood the rules of the game (as in football). I have always had a couple of criteria before cheering for a team. 1. Have I been there? 2. Do I know anybody who works there or graduated from there? 3. Who's the underdog? I know, they're very scientific and particular criteria. But considering I graduated from a small liberal arts college where their team sports were not televised, I had no other choice. My rules only applied when watching a game with Rob and basically helped me justify cheering for schools other than IU. (Rob's favorite but I have closer connections to other Big 10 schools.)

Fast forward many years. Boise State started becoming a good football team and Rob began following how they were doing. Then, last year, the conversion. Rob took Jonah to a Boise State game and afterwards the players talked to my boy. Kellen Moore signed my little boy's hat (the one he's wearing in the picture above). Other players gave Jonah high five's. Jonah saw the coach and the team up close and personal. And it was one of the best days of his life. I still have a hard time believing that all Top 25 schools would take the time to treat a little boy with a hat and ball so well. It's been a year ago now and he still talks about that game.

Jonah with Heisman candidate Kellen Moore in the background, right after his hat was signed.

So I decided that the team that is in my hometown, treated my boy well, is written off by some national media, and represents the university that pays my mom would be getting my support from now on.

I love that it gives my boys this connection to Boise throughout football season. They went crazy on Saturday night, watching the national televised game, seeing the field they've walked on and many places they've been right in front of them. They even thought they saw Grandpa and Grandma's house from one of the aerial shots. (I'm pretty sure that was wishful thinking.)

I love that my six year old is educating Hoosiers about Boise State. He wears his jersey so proudly after each game. And all of his friends talk about Boise State like it's right next door instead of 1800 miles away.

We are scheming to get our boys to another game. And I'm learning the rules of the game. I have to. I am greatly outnumbered around here.

Quick Takes

2010-09-17T14:47:00.000-04:00

1. Rob and I began dating 16 years ago this fall. That's a long time. You'd think that we know almost everything about each other. And we do. Almost. My mouth dropped open last night at dinner when Rob (finally) told me that he doesn't like the way I make eggs. I couldn't believe it. He's always offered to make eggs but has never come out and declared that he doesn't like mine. I'm so glad he could be honest. Finally. He likes them loaded with cheese, meat and veggies. I prefer to save the calories. It may have been the first time I've ever seen him turn his nose up at my cooking. 2. I ♥ fall. This is my favorite season of the year.
3. Fridays have become my favorite day of the week. Why? I get my cash and my Starbucks. That's why. You want to do something with me on a Friday? Sorry. I'm busy. You typically buy me a birthday gift? Starbucks gift card would be great this year.
4. I didn't get to see Toy Story 3 in the theater. I'm so sad. My boys loved that movie and now it's gone. If you see it playing somewhere local, please let me know. I'm hoping it comes to the dollar theater before it comes out on DVD (I'm sure they'll release it in time for the holiday season so every family in the country can buy it for their kids).
5. My squash were a bust. I only got six winter squash out of the whole gardening experience. And the kinds I planted (butternut squash and pie pumpkins) are my favorite. Anyone with winter squash growing tips? Had tons and tons of blooms but they never yielded much fruit.

Oatmeal Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies

2010-09-16T15:36:00.001-04:00

Baking is my therapy. I've been in "worst case scenario" mode this week and one afternoon tried a new cookie recipe. For some reason mixing, measuring and creating gets my mind off of other things. I've been obsessed with the combination of chocolate and peanut butter in all things the past month or so. This recipe from http://www.epicurious.com/ doesn't disappoint. Of course, I modified it to make it my own. I just can't leave recipes alone! If you want to sample these cookies, come on over! There are plenty to try!

Oatmeal Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies

•1 1/2 cups quick oats

•2 cups all-purpose flour

•1 teaspoon baking powder

•1 teaspoon baking soda

•1 teaspoon salt

•2 sticks (1 cup) unsalted butter, softened

•1 cup granulated sugar

•1 cup firmly packed light brown sugar

•1 tablespoon vanilla extract

•3/4 cup peanut butter

•2 large eggs

•3 c. semisweet chocolate chips

In a large bowl stir together oats, flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.

In another large bowl with an electric mixer beat together butter and sugars until light and fluffy and beat in vanilla and peanut butter. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition, and gradually beat in flour mixture. Add chocolate chips, beating just until combined.

Drop balls onto cookie sheet and bake at 350° for 10 minutes. Cool completely before serving. (Best when chocolate is chilled.)

Swedish Apple Pudding

2010-09-13T07:48:00.000-04:00

This picture doesn't make this look like one of the best cakes ever. But that's what it is. It is absolutely delicious and you better make sure you have somewhere to take this cake. Or else you and your family will eat the whole thing in no time at all. It is that good. Thanks to my fellow baking neighbor, who shared this recipe with me!

Swedish Apple Pudding

1/2 c. butter, softened
1 c. sugar
1 c. brown sugar
1 egg
1 c. sour cream (I used plain yogurt)
2 c. flour
2 t. soda
2 t. cinnamon
1/2 t. salt
4 c. apples, finely chopped (I grated 4 apples, along with one knuckle, and didn't measure)
1/2 c. pecans (optional)

Cream together thoroughly the butter, sugars and egg. Mix in sour cream. Sift in dry ingredients and stir in apples. Spread in 2 square pans or 1 9x13 pan. Top with nuts, if using.

Let cool; top with warm caramel sauce (recipe follows).

Caramel Sauce

1/2 c. butter
1/2 c. cream or evaporated milk
1 c. brown sugar
1 t. vanilla

Cook butter, cream and brown sugar until boils and thickens (may take up to 20 minutes, I cooked to soft ball stage on candy thermometer), stirring occasionally. Remove from heat and stir in vanilla. Pour warm sauce over cake(s).

Quick Takes

2010-09-10T07:14:00.001-04:00

1. I've had conversations this summer with two of my favorite women who have both given me advice, regarding different situations, that "It is what it is." That's kind of become my new mantra. I can't change people, situations or things going on. But I can learn to accept things how they are and make the most of whatever comes my way.
2. I thought peer pressure was something for teenagers. Why, in my 30's, do I feel more pressure to have certain things, act a certain way or do certain things, than I ever did as a teen? Is it just the circle of people I'm around? Or is it because peer pressure never really goes away? I wish we all could be our authentic selves. It's just so hard. Who are you? Really?
3. Isaac started preschool this week. He's enjoying being in the school routine again, and my three mornings a week with Eli are flying by at a lightning fast pace. Aside from not wanting to have his picture taken on the first day, all is well and he's loving his new school.

4. I've truly become a sports fan. I find myself doing internet searches on football teams and having (real) conversations about the sport. I want a relationship with my six year old and this is one way for me to do that. I'm having to educate myself about sports rather quickly just to converse with him. (If you didn't watch the Boise State game on Monday night, you really missed out.)
5. I'm trying not to talk about this all of the time but I've gone to the cash in envelopes method of managing my money. It's changing my life. And saving me about 30 percent.
6. I've made Thursday my cleaning day this year. Well, I started yesterday and I actually did clean the whole house from top to bottom. It feels so good to not sit in filth.
7. And then there's this little boy. All you have to do is look at his little self. He has captured my heart.

Orange Poppyseed Bundt Cake

2010-09-09T09:42:00.002-04:00

(Recipe and photo come from realmomkitchen.com.)

I was talking to my sister last week and she was getting ready to make an orange poppyseed bundt cake. It sounded yummy and I wanted to try it! She gave me the recipe, which included a poppyseed streusel layer. I wanted poppyseeds throughout the cake. So, leave it to web searching, I found this recipe. I changed the amount of poppyseeds and the glaze recipe. The following recipe reflects my changes, but I didn't take a picture of this cake, so I had to borrow one from the original recipe. I like a lot of poppyseeds so mine had a lot more. This is going to become my new go-to recipe for an easy cake. It was a hit.

Orange Poppyseed Bundt Cake

•1 yellow cake mix
•1 (3.5 oz) box of instant vanilla pudding

•3 tablespoon poppyseeds

•1/2 cup orange juice

•1/2 cup oil

•1 cup sour cream (can use reduced fat)

•4 eggs

1.Mix yellow cake mix, vanilla pudding and poppy seeds. Add juice, oil, and sour cream and mix.

2.Add 4 eggs one at a time, mix well. Grease and flour a bundt pan. Pour cake batter in pan and spread evenly.
3.Bake at 350 degrees for 40-45 minutes (don’t over bake).When the cake is done start the glaze (recipe below). Allow cake to cool for 10 minutes.

Glaze

•1/2 cup sugar

•3 T. orange juice

•1/4 cup butter (1 cube)

1.Bring ingredients to a boil and keep bubbling until ready to brush on cake.

2.One cake has cooled for the 10 minutes, brush the bottom of the cake with some of the glaze. Then invert cake on to a cooling rack.

3.Place a cookie sheet under the cooking rack and brush remaining glaze all over the cake. Allow cake to cool for a little more (about 50 minutes) and then serve.

The Owls Are Watching

2010-09-08T22:42:00.000-04:00

In college I took a course called Spiritual Care and Healing. One of the exercises we did was guided imagery. Each week that we practiced this it began the same way. "Think of the most special place in the world and slowly take yourself there." I always chose my Grandfather's ranch.

It's a place that I have gone to hundreds of times so it was easy for me to picture, in my mind's eye, the road I would travel. Every inch of Highway 21 and every mountain I'd pass I knew by heart. And then when I got to a green pine tree oasis in the middle of brown, I knew I had arrived. Traveling this path in my mind would relax me, one goal of guided imagery. I used this exercise when feeling overwhelmed by anxiety or during medical procedures in my 20's. Always heading up Highway 21 to that safe place.

Fast forward to this summer. I hadn't been back to the ranch since my Grandparents had died. I was dreading it, if you want the truth. It was my Grandpa's favorite place and I knew it wasn't going to be the same without him. The ranch holds the most memorable pieces of my childhood and is sacred ground to me and my family. Would life still be there? Would it still be a special place? Or was it just dust to dust like we all will become?

Surprisingly it wasn't as difficult to be in the space without my Grandparents as I had imagined. It isn't the same as it was twenty years ago, but it still is a very special place. My family and I stayed there for several days and enjoyed running around and making our own memories.

One morning I took Jonah and Isaac on a walk down the lane to the barn, through the field and up the main lane. We were followed the whole way. By two great horned owls. Wherever we would go, the owls would swoop ahead of us and perch in trees. As we would move, they would move and ultimately they landed back in their nest in a tree on the lane as we headed back to the cabin.

Many things struck me about this encounter. First of all, I have always loved owls. But I have never seen one up close and personal. I have heard them before, but have never seen them. Secondly, owls are nocturnal. This was broad daylight and these owls were out (probably finding food for their nest of babies who they have to feed around the clock) and following us. And, most meaningful of all, owls symbolically represent wisdom. Even though my Grandparents were not present in body on my return to the ranch, they were watching over me and my boys, wisely reminding me that they will always live on.

Camping 2010

2010-09-08T07:35:00.001-04:00

3 Days camping in Pokagon State Park: $48.00

Included:
Time with extended family
Fishing
Garbage Can Meal
Biking
"I wish outhouses had never been invented." - Isaac
Campfires each night
Monopoly
Foil Dinners
S'Mores, sugar cereal, fruit snacks, donuts, cookies, and "Ding Dums" handed out anytime you ask
Rowdy Neighbors up till 4 am
Bluebird that turns heads wherever it goes
1988 Pop-Up camper that turns no heads wherever it goes
Sharing a bunk with my Sweet E
Lots and lots of Memory
"I think I want to come here for my family birthday." - Jonah
Sheriff visit to rowdy neighbors 2 nights later at 1 am
Geocaching
"Snipes will get the grumpy children first." - Daddy

Memories Made: Priceless
(However, I can only handle this fun memory maker in limited doses. I do love a clean bathroom. A lot.)

Making Special Days Special

2010-09-01T13:58:00.001-04:00

Last week as we were driving my boys were talking about things they were really looking forward to. At first they were naming things that were kind of ordinary and special (so much so that I can't remember what they were) but then they listed their birthdays and then Isaac said, "I'm really looking forward to Christmas. It's the most special time of the year." One of the great blessings of parenthood is that at any given moment you're taken back to looking at the world through the eyes of a child. It's just the end of summer and Christmas isn't on my radar too much yet. But to him it's that magical season that is so hard to wait for.

Birthdays are a big deal to me. They're the one day a year that you can celebrate being you and who you were created and meant to be. I don't understand when people don't want to celebrate birthdays. Another year of life seems like a pretty great blessing whether the person is turning one or one hundred and any year inbetween. I want my children to feel special when it's their special day. Our birthday rituals have come to include dinner of their choice, a party every other year and choosing a special family activity every other year.

Christmas is a special time of year. It's also a very overwhelming time of year for most moms. Just hearing Isaac say that he's really looking forward to Christmas gave me renewed motivation to keep up traditions that make Christmas special in our home. You don't know if it's the little or big traditions that your children will remember but Isaac reminded me that all are important. So this Christmas season will once again be filled with the Advent season, decorating, baking, reading sacred and secular stories, stockings and gifts.

Making special days special doesn't have to take a lot of money. My mom did a great job on a tight budget making birthdays and holidays feel very special. This reminds me that it's not about the value of gifts, it's about how you make someone feel.

The next five months are filled with special days and holidays in our family. Perhaps we'll add a new tradition or two. And a basketball hoop.

Summer's Bounty

2010-08-31T09:00:00.001-04:00

Dinner last night was fresh from the garden. Sauteed zucchini, roasted butternut squash, sliced veggies and zucchini bread accompanied our pork chops straight from the farm. (We just bought half of a hog from Rob's cousin.) The flavors were wonderful and I loved watching one boy exclaim, "It's great that we have a garden!" while eating vegetable after vegetable after vegetable. And I loved hearing another boy proclaim that butternut squash was his favorite. We went out to see how many more butternut squash we have coming. Sadly, it's only three.

I've had to let some of my favorite canned goods go this year. But I'm loving having a garden and am already planning for next spring.

Chocolate Eclair Icebox Dessert

2010-08-30T09:52:00.006-04:00

Pretty much anytime that I ask Rob what he would like me to take somewhere for dessert, he replies with, "Something with pudding." Pudding, cream cheese and cool whip are an especially favorite combination of his. I'm trying to steer clear of hydrogenated oils and cool whip is full of them. So I substituted whipped cream (not health food, I know) in this recipe and took it to a cook out last week. Jonah would have eaten the whole pan. He might like the combination even more than Rob. Any low fat/reduced calorie ingredients that you regularly use work in this recipe.

Chocolate Eclair Icebox Dessert

22 1/2 sheets (about 1 14oz. box) honey graham crackers, divided

cooking spray

3 c. milk

2 (3.4 oz) packages vanilla instant pudding mix

1 (8 oz) bar cream cheese, softened

1 c. whipping cream, whipped

1/4 c. milk

2 T. butter, softened

2 T. honey

2 oz. unsweetened chocolate, melted

1 1/2 c. sifted powdered sugar

1. Arrange 7 1/2 graham cracker sheets in the bottom of a 13x9" baking dish coated with cooking spray. Combine 3 c. milk, pudding mix, and cream cheese in a large bowl, and beat at low speed of a mixer 1 minute or until thick. Fold in whipped cream. Spread half of the pudding mixture over graham crackers, and top with 7 1/2 graham cracker sheets. Repeat the procedure with the remaining half of pudding mixture and 7 1/2 graham cracker sheets.

2. Combine 1/4 c. milk, softened margarine, honey, and unsweetened chocolate in a medium bowl, and beat well with a mixer. Gradually add powdered sugar to milk mixture, and beat well. Spread chocolate glaze over graham crackers. Cover dessert and tent with foil; chill 4 hours.

Chocolate Peanut Butter Cake

2010-08-29T09:41:00.004-04:00

I've been wanting to try a chocolate cake with peanut butter frosting for quite awhile now. But it's not something that anybody in my house requests for a birthday. So I asked a friend if it sounded good and she agreed to letting me bring it to her house for her birthday. I had a lot of fun making it, enjoyed the piece that I ate and plan to make it again sometime for someone else who loves the chocolate/peanut butter combination.

Chocolate Peanut Butter Cake

1. Bake a favorite chocolate cake. This one happened to be from a box.
2. Make peanut butter frosting.
     2 c. powdered sugar
     2 c. creamy peanut butter
     10 T. unsalted butter, at room temp
     1 1/2 t. vanilla
     1/2 t. kosher salt
     2/3 c. heavy cream
     Place the powdered sugar, peanut butter, butter, vanilla, and salt in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. Mix on medium-low speed until creamy, scraping down the bowl with a rubber spatula as you work. Add the cream and beat on high speed until the mixture is light and smooth.
3. Place one layer on cake plate. Spread top with frosting. Sprinkle with finely crushed peanut butter cups. Frost the rest of the cake and decorate/garnish as desired.

Quick Takes

2010-08-27T11:14:00.000-04:00

Life is just so, so busy. I want to write on here so badly but I've been working long days with overtime the past few weeks (as in Rob's been out of town 5 of the past 7 weeks) so I haven't really had the opportunity. I get up at 6:20 and often can't even sit down, aside to feed my boys, until 9 or 10 at night. This is a real change for me after many years of a good chunk of afternoon time to myself. I go back and forth between feeling so grateful that Rob has found a job that he really enjoys and feeling like throwing my hands up because taking care of these three boys by myself so much isn't what I thought I was signing up for when we had children. But he's coming home tonight and should be here to stay for a few weeks. That will give me a chance to catch my breath. And if his travel schedule becomes more managable all will be well. Having him gone 60-70% of the time is a little much. I am so grateful for family and friends who helped me out during these long weeks this summer.
I don't often make impulse purchases while shopping with my children. (Or at least I don't want to admit to doing it often!) But when Isaac saw a dinosaur coloring book for $1 this week, I knew it would be worth it. I knew he'd spend hours meticulously coloring each picture and this would give me hours of having him happy and occupied. Jonah was incredibly upset with me for buying Isaac something and not him. I told him if he could find something in the store that was $1 and would occupy him for at least four hours I'd buy it for him too. He couldn't. This morning, as Isaac was coloring, he looked at me and said, "Thanks for buying me this coloring book, Mom. I really appreciate it." That melted my heart. He's getting so grown up and mature. And that coloring book was worth every penny just to hear him say that.
Speaking of cute things that little boys say, I absolutely laugh inside my head every time I think about what Jonah said a couple of weeks ago. He got out of the shower and said, "Mom, smell my stomach." When I wondered why he wanted me to do this, he said, "I forgot my body wash so I had to use yours. Now I smell like a Wild Cherry Blossom." The image of my six year old boy reading my shower gel bottle and using it in the shower cracks me up every time I think about it.
I'm supposed to be scrapbooking this weekend. Do you know what I'm going to do first? I'm going to catch up on all of those things I can't seem to get done. Ordering pictures off of Snapfish, working on a family cookbook, getting invitations ready for Eli's big one year old bash, maybe even writing and post-dating blog posts!! And then, if I get to scrapbooking, I'll enjoy it. And if I don't get to it, I'll enjoy crossing things off of my to-do list.
I have a bird obsession. As in, I'm really into birds these days. I find myself collecting birds, wanting to feed birds and getting excited about birds. We have hummingbirds! And Eastern bluebirds! And goldfinches! And Larry! (He's our cardinal.) I'm also reading about the symbolism of different birds. I used to think that liking birds was a really boring hobby. Let me tell you, it's not. It's really cool. And sometime soon I'm going to get to tell you about my very favorite bird story of this summer. I don't have time right now because it's such a special story and I want to take my time telling it, but I promise you, it will knock your socks off.
Everything's coming up peanuts. I have never craved this nut so much. Last night I made chicken and sticky rice with...a peanut sauce. This week I baked...peanut butter cookies. I'm taking a cake to this scrapbooking weekend for a friend's birthday and it's....chocolate and peanut butter. Very unusual for me.
It is one thing if you're working out and training for something and get injured. You know what happened to me today? I woke up with a knee that feels like it's twisted and injured and I. Did. Nothing. Yesterday. So I can't blame it on anything cool. Just that my body's falling apart!

This blog post brought to you by the friend who took Isaac for the morning and made this even possible. Thanks!

First Grade!

2010-08-19T13:18:00.000-04:00

And he's off! My ~~first baby~~ six year old is in first grade today. He couldn't wait to get back to school and was more excited than nervous, but was definitely some of both. I can't wait to hear about his day, but have yet to see if he'll indulge me with many details or not.

It was time for summer to come to an end around here. Two boys fighting has gotten on my last nerve. But I cannot believe that Jonah's in first grade and I really cannot believe that Isaac will be in kindergarten next year! He would have gotten on the bus today if I would have let him.

Let the school year begin!

10 Months!

2010-08-18T20:48:00.000-04:00

Dear E.J.,

In eight weeks you are going to be a one year old! Picture your Mom screaming, "Aaaahhh!! Where has the time gone?!!" That's what I'm doing right now. Really.

You are the light of my life. (Your brothers are too. Sorry. I can't just give that title to one of my children.) Your smile is absolutely contagious and you love to laugh when I say, "I'm gonna get you, get you, get you..." as I race my hand towards you and tickle you like crazy.

You have your own time table and are teaching me that Milestones are over-rated. Does it really matter when your baby does what? Not when your baby is doing things on his own time table. I love you like crazy no matter what you're doing or when you do it. Now, I also would like to hear you make some sounds and crawl. But you're going to make those moments extra, extra sweet.

You're attached to a little stuffed dog now. You snuggle with it when you sleep. You're also waving bye-bye. Maybe you'll be a big show-off and wave bye-bye to Jonah when he goes to first grade tomorrow.

A couple of weeks ago Grandma Steiner watched you for the day so that I could freeze corn with Jonah, Isaac, Kris, Emma and Andrew. For the whole day life was back to how it had been for almost four years. Me and my two boys. It absolutely wasn't right. I am so glad that you're in our family, Eli. Every day with you has been a joyful blessing.

Love you, E.J.
Mama

I think we have...

2010-08-17T08:59:00.000-04:00

a future Democrat!

Grilled Ribs with Tangy BBQ Sauce

2010-08-16T07:44:00.001-04:00

I'm not one who enjoys big hunks of meat...very often. But my boys love ribs and I decided to try making them when we had company last week. They, along with the tangy BBQ sauce, were a hit!

Grilled Ribs

coarse salt and freshly ground pepper
3 T. light brown sugar
3 T. chili powder
4 slabs pork spareribs (about 2 1/4 lbs. each)
1 1/2 c. Tangy BBQ Sauce (recipe follows)
safflower oil, for brushing

1. Preheat oven to 300°. Mix together 1/4 c. plus 1 T. salt, 1 1/2 t. pepper, the sugar, and chili powder. Rub seasoning evenly over both sides of ribs. Transfer ribs, bone side down and slightly overlapping, to 2 rimmed baking sheets. Cover tightly with parchment-lined foil, and bake until tender, 2 1/2 to 3 hours.
2. Divide BBQ sauce in half; reserve 1 half for serving. Heat grill to medium-high. Brush grates with oil. Remove ribs from baking sheets, and grill, turning occasionally and brushing with sauce, until charred, 2 to 5 minutes. Cut between each rib to separate. Serve with remaining sauce.

(Make ahead: Baked ribs can be refrigerated for up to 1 day. Let stand at room temperature for 1 hour before grilling.)

Tangy Barbecue Sauce

2 T. safflower oil
1 onion, finely chopped
3 garlic cloves, minced
coarse salt and freshly ground pepper
1 1/4 t. chili powder
1 can (28 oz.) whole peeled tomatoes, pureed with juice
3/4 c. water, plus more if needed
1/4 c. packed dark brown sugar
1/4 c. ketchup
2 T. cider vinegar

1. Heat oil in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Cook onion, garlic, 1 t. salt, and 1/2 t. pepper until onion is translucent, about 5 minutes. Stir in chili powder, and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute.
2. Add tomatoes, 3/4 c. water, the sugar and ketchup. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer, partially covered and stirring occasionally, for 1 1/2 hours. Add more water as needed to avoid scorching. Let cool slightly.
3. Working in batches, puree sauce in a blender. Stir in vinegar; season with salt and pepper. Let cool.

Quick Takes

2010-08-13T08:12:00.001-04:00

1. I cannot say this often enough these days. I am exhausted. Seriously. If I wasn't still a nursing Mom, I'd be nursing a caffeinated drink for about six hours a day.
2. I cannot wait to show you Isaac with his new backpack, complete with a dinosaur patch from Montana. (I ironed the patch on.) He's so excited for preschool and I just about cried with joy when he went to the door and found the bag with his backpack from the UPS driver. His excitement was contagious. He doesn't get a whole lot of new things since Jonah passes things on. So he certainly deserved a backpack. I'll show you how cute he is after Labor Day.
3. I can because I can can. That was going to be my clever facebook status this week, but I saved it just for you. I can't stay away from canning this time of year. I try, really I do. And I'm just doing as much as I have or as much as I want to this year. But I did break down and buy one bushel of peaches. I couldn't give them up entirely, although my family has switched to pears as their canned fruit of choice.
4. Eli's going to be our little guy who goes to specialists. He has the whole heart issue going on, along with some developmental delays. He qualified for first steps services this week which made me both sad and happy. One therapist also thinks he needs to see a podiatrist. So I foresee a lot of appointments for this little boy in the near future.
5. I'm trying hard to not project my emotions on my children when it comes to certain situations. I'm starting to worry (read: freak out) that Jonah has no friends in his class, but he is fine with how everything is shaking out. If it doesn't bother him, it shouldn't bother me. Right?!!
6. Does anyone want to hold me accountable for 5:45 am work-outs three times a week? That is the one thing I am having such a hard time fitting in these days. Exercise. I think I need to move my bedtime back and get my bootie out of bed before I need to get Jonah up. Could I do this just three times a week? Next week is going to be the test. I'll let you know how it goes.
7. Do I take three boys shopping for school shoes today? Hmmm...that's a hard one.

Winding Down

2010-08-12T20:11:00.000-04:00

Summer's coming to an end around here. One week from now Jonah will be home from his first day of first grade. And routine will come once again to our household.

It's been a full summer. Cross-country travel, visits with friends and family and spending time with my boys have all been fun.

But a lot of things have stretched me this summer too. Learning appropriate and healthy ways to deal with conflict in my closest relationships. Learning to accept my children as they are and not as I wish they would be. Learning how to be a single parent when Rob is traveling.

As summer winds down, I need to learn to wind down too. How can I relax and not be so worried and control-driven? How can I best care for myself (having been on antibiotics five times since Eli's been born is a sign that I'm not doing this) while caring for my family? How can I still have my own identity, since I am a stay at home mom, that isn't only wrapped up in my roles as a mother and a wife?

I've had a pit in my stomach much of the time this summer. A sign that things just haven't been right. But this season is winding down and a new one is around the corner. Thank goodness.

Such a Slippery Slope

2010-08-04T21:00:00.000-04:00

I remember exactly where I was standing in our first house seven years ago when a friend said to me, "You know, once you have this baby you aren't going to be able to keep your house as clean." Ha! I'll show her, I thought. And as we've expanded our family and moved to a bigger house, her statement has come true. I can't keep my house as clean as I used to...but I still do a pretty Domestic Goddess-like job, most of the time. (I should say we do...Rob is a big help in the cleaning department.)

A few weeks ago, another Mom who knows what it's like to have a traveling husband told me, "You'll be fine but you'll have to let some things go, like the clean house." Ha! No way is having a husband who's gone going to interfere with cleanliness around here. Boy, was I wrong.

I can't keep up, people. I can't keep up. I have a six year old, a four year old and an infant. For some reason, they each seem to have needs that take up most of my day. How can that be?!! (Please read the sarcasm, here.)

It is getting to be prime preserving time and I've let a lot that I want to do go (like peaches, which I'm not doing for the first time in 7 or 8 years) but I did spend a day freezing corn this week and I have enough tomatoes sitting on my counter to make a batch of salsa. I want to do these things, I do.

And now I'm on the slippery slope between a Domestic Goddess (remember my definition of this is a higher than housewife status for stay at home moms) and...what? I don't know.

But my house is a mess, I'm exhausted and I better go clean my kitchen. Breakfast will be here before I know it!

Zucchini Garden Chowder

2010-08-02T21:40:00.000-04:00

Really? I haven't posted this before? I can't find it if I did. My family loves this soup. My boys almost cheer when I make it. And it's so full of veggies. And it purees so nicely for Eli. Try it while all of these vegetables are plentiful.

Zucchini Garden Chowder
from Simply in Season

2 T butter

2 medium zucchini, chopped
1 medium onion, chopped
2 T. fresh parsley
1 T. fresh basil
1/3 c. flour
3/4 t. salt
1/2 t. pepper
3 c. water
3 chicken or vegetable bouillon cubes
1 t. lemon juice
2 c. tomatoes
1 1/2 c. evaporated milk
2 c. corn
2 c. cheddar cheese
1/4 c. parmesan cheese

Melt butter in soup pot over medium heat. Add veggies and saute until tender. Stir flour and seasonings into vegetables. Gradually stir in water to make a smooth stock. Add bouillon and lemon juice and mix well. Bring to a boil; reduce heat and cook, stirring often, for 2 minutes. Add tomatoes, milk and corn. Return to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 5 minutes until corn is tender. Just before serving stir cheeses in until melted. Add pinch of sugar to taste and garnish with chopped parsley.

Peach Cobbler

2010-07-29T15:56:00.000-04:00

Run, don't walk, to your nearest fruit stand and buy enough peaches to make this cobbler. You aren't going to be sorry.

Peach Cobbler

For filling:

1/2 c. sugar

2 T. cornstarch

6 c. sliced peaches

2 T. lemon juice

For the topping:

2 c. flour

1/3 c. sugar

2 t. powder

1 t. soda

1/2 t. salt

6 T. butter, cut into small cubes

1 1/3 c. buttermilk

Toss the filling ingredients together and spoon into a greased 2 qt. baking dish. Then make topping by combining dry ingredients, cutting butter in until it is crumb-like consistency and stirring in buttermilk. Drop topping on top of fruit mixture. Bake at 350° for 40-45 minutes. Let rest for 15 minutes and then serve warm with ice cream or milk.

Roasted Eggplant and Tomato Pizza

2010-07-27T14:14:00.000-04:00

I admit it. I'm jealous. Pioneer Woman got a cookbook deal out of this blogging business. And that's one of my secret dreams. Well, now it's not a secret. But I'd love it if people could say, "If Domestic Goddess posted this recipe it has to be good." That's what I say about Pioneer Woman. And then if lots of people said that about my blog I might get a cookbook deal. That would be awesome. (According to my oldest son I overuse the word awesome. So that's put in there just for him.) But I don't have the energy to post a new recipe almost every day. And I don't have the extra room in my waistband to try a new recipe every day. So just knowing that my friends and family try some of my favorite recipes will have to do. For now. There's always the possibility of a cookbook deal, right? I digress.

A friend told me about Pioneer Woman's Favorite Pizza. I have eggplant growing in my garden so I decided to give it a try. It was delicious. Perhaps my favorite use of eggplant yet. Now I didn't have every ingredient on hand that Pioneer Woman used. And I am growing a very thin variety of eggplant so I didn't do everything to the eggplant that she did. I'll call this recipe my own now. Compare the two but try one of them out. You won't be sorry.

Roasted Eggplant and Tomato Pizza

1 pizza crust, prepared and on pan

Two Medium Eggplants)

Kosher Salt, For Sprinkling

2 c. grape or roma tomatoes (or a mixture of the two)

2 cloves Garlic, Minced

8 ounces shredded mozzarella

½ cup Freshly Grated Parmesan Cheese

Extra Virgin Olive Oil For Drizzling

Freshly Ground Black Pepper

Preheat oven broiler.

Slice grape tomatoes in half lengthwise and toss into a bowl with minced garlic. Set aside

Slice the eggplant thinly and cut in fourths. Toss with olive oil and sprinkle lightly with kosher salt. Arrange on baking sheet and place 8 inches under the broiler.
Broil for 3 minutes, then toss around and broil another 3 minutes. Remove pan from oven and add tomato/garlic mixture. Broil for 2 to 3 minutes, then remove and set aside. (May do this 1 hour in advance.)

Top pizza crust with mozzarella, then eggplant mixture and then parmesan cheese. Bake at 450° for 12 minutes or until bubbly and browned. Enjoy!

I Think I Can, I Think I Can

2010-07-26T21:19:00.000-04:00

This was one of those weekends where I was totally overwhelmed. Rob sent me his travel schedule on Friday afternoon and it's a little too much for the next month. Sometimes looking at the big picture in life is just too overwhelming. It's better to take it one day at a time.

Today as I was talking on the phone with a friend about the reality of having a husband who travels, I told her that the anticipation of him leaving is almost worse than when he's gone. And in some ways it is true. When I think of the number of days that he'll be gone this month I feel very overwhelmed. I look at our three boys and wonder how I can do the parenting alone day after day.

But then the days come and go and I put one foot in front of the other and do it. And it's manageable. And our boys and I are fine. Do we miss Daddy when he's gone? Absolutely. Did my heart break a little bit today when one boy went to his room and sobbed because he was so sad that Daddy had left on an airplane? Yes. Did my heart break a little bit today when my boys discussed how they hoped Daddy could get home safely if he was caught in a tornado but they weren't sure how he would? Yes.

But I also know that our boys are lucky to have a father who is so present when he is home. And, as Rob said today, we will cherish the time that our family is together even more now. Having a husband who travels is going to turn me into a person who is much more disciplined about prayer. And perhaps that is one of the silver linings in this. I'm pretty sure a few people out there and up above would agree!

"Give your entire attention to what God is doing right now, and don't get worked up about what may or may not happen tomorrow. God will help you deal with whatever hard things come up when the time comes." Matthew 6:34 The Message

Quick Takes

2010-07-23T11:45:00.000-04:00

1. I had some ripe bananas and a whole lot of zucchini to use so I tried this recipe this morning. It is very tasty and I highly recommend it! I didn't add the craisins or nuts.
2. I'm on the hunt for some good baby food recommendations. Eli is eating more solids and is starting to pick some things up when he's not bothered by their textures. Current favorites are: banana, avocado and plain yogurt mixed together, baked beans, Oscar's Delight (zucchini and broccoli puree with egg yolk on top), and, of course, fruits. What are some other good foods for 9 month old babies? It's funny how fast I've forgotten about this stage. It's not my favorite - I find feeding older babies kind of overwhelming and time consuming.
3. Who accidentally poked a hole in the kids pool this morning? Not a child. Me.
4. Before our vacation I wanted to clean my house. This meant that I stashed a whole lot of clutter in hidden places. And now things I've wanted have been hidden permanently. I guess hiding things isn't a good idea - one might forget where they're hidden. And I've lost some important things!
5. I'm getting excited about Eli's first birthday - it's just three months away! The first birthday is way more for the parents (or, really, the Mom) than for the baby. And I know Jonah and Isaac will be excited to help Eli celebrate. I'm actually tempted to throw a big bash this year. An "Eli is one and we're out of the baby stage!" party. That could turn into something fun in the middle of October. It's such a nice time of year. Thoughts?
6. It's fair week! We are lucky to have a really good county fair and the boys can't wait to go. I'm going to drag Rob with us on Sunday. I know it will be crazy since it's free day but it's supposed to be 79° and then it's not me with three boys solo during the week. That doesn't sound like much fun at all.
7. We had a garage sale a few weeks ago and decided to use the money for a new ride-on toy for the boys. After researching and thinking about it, though, we have decided that bikes for Mom and Dad (as in me and Rob) would be a better option in a lot of ways. Any bike buying tips? Are we going to be okay with inexpensive Target bicycles? Or do we need to go to a bike shop and drop a little more cash than planned? We will be recreational riders. Riding around our neighborhood and on bike paths and while camping with our family. That's probably it. No racing in our future. Help.

Aaaahhh, Summer.

2010-07-21T19:46:00.000-04:00

It's a myth that summer is just three months of being footloose and fancy-free. First of all, children (and teachers) don't really have three months off. Second of all, there are things to do in summer that aren't done at other times.

We all have our own summer agendas in our family. The kids need to play with their friends, take swimming lessons and attend sports camps, do their chores and read (that's the order they like to do these things in too). Rob has yard work and outside projects that he likes to take care of during the summer and I have gardening and preserving that can only be done during the summer months. There are family reunions to attend and far away relatives to visit. On top of this we always hope to do a little vacationing and camping (note that these are two different things, not one in the same, since camping is not vacationing for the parents) too.

I'm learning that all of these things are important and have their place. But a few weeks of nothing is essential to our family during summer. No big vacations. No big plans. Nothing on the calendar. Just the freedom and flexibility to do what we want to do when we want to do it.

Today was a beautiful day. We set the pools out before lunch to heat up at naptime. And then after naptime all of the boys got in. It was the first time Eli was in a pool and he has a special pool all for himself (although his brothers wanted to join him). Eli sat and played in this pool for over an hour. Jonah and Isaac sat with him, played with him, did cannonballs in the bigger pool and played on the playset. It was just a couple of hours of pure fun for three little boys (and their Mom). One of those afternoons that made me say, "Aaaaahhh, summer." How I love you.

Corn and Zucchini Pan Souffle

2010-07-16T09:34:00.000-04:00

This recipe originally comes from Better Homes & Gardens. However, the night that I had planned to make this I ended up being in a huge hurry. So I couldn't follow the recipe as directed. I just quickly mixed all of the ingredients together and baked it. It was a huge hit with my family. I served it with garlic foccacia bread, fruit salad and a little bacon.

Here's the recipe as I used it:

Corn and Zucchini Pan Souffle

5 eggs
1/2 onion, chopped
3 T. butter, melted
1 T. flour
2/3 c. milk
1 c. shredded cheddar cheese
2 c. fresh corn kernels (or frozen, thawed)
1 1/2 c. shredded zucchini
1/4 c. finely shredded Parmesan cheese

Quickly mix all ingredients together. Bake at 400° until cooked. About 25-35 minutes.

Quick Takes

2010-07-16T09:18:00.000-04:00

1. I want to write on here most days, really I do. But time is going so fast and I just don't get it done. There aren't enough hours in the day lately.

2. We've (almost) survived our first work trip. Rob's been gone all week and should be home today. I have felt like I have to kick it up a notch in order for everything to go well. But it's been manageable. I run a very tight ship when he's not home and my boys know it.

3. Do you have Simply in Season? Try the zucchini yeast rolls. They are delicious. I keep meaning to post the recipe but haven't gotten it done...so look it up. I think they're the best dinner rolls I've made. I did use both zucchini and yellow squash like the author suggests and they were pretty too. Maybe I should go make another batch...

4. It feels like summer is about to begin around here. I know that it's half way over. But we are done with vacation, swimming lessons and sports camps. So the lazy days of summer are beginning for us next week. I cannot wait.

5. This is why I bought a new camera. What a difference it makes. I look at old pics of my boys and am so sad I didn't have this camera since I brought Jonah home. However, I need to take a photo class. I just bought "Canon EOS for dummies." That's what I am when it comes to this camera. But I still get better pics than I did before.

6. Speaking of classes, let's think about all of the techno gadgets our house has acquired and all of the classes I could use to use all of the gadgets well. Oh, wait, go back to #1. There's not enough time in the day for that.

7. I was in Macy's this week and overheard a woman, probably in her 80's, talking to her daughter. "Oh, if I could just lose these ten pounds my clothes would fit so much better." No, no, no. Self love, self love, self love. 10 pounds isn't worth it and I don't want to be talking like that for 50 more years.

Where did that pitcher come from?

2010-07-15T11:15:00.000-04:00

This morning Jonah needed some more cereal and milk. I brought a pitcher of milk to the table for him and topped off his cereal bowl.

"Mom, why is the milk in a pitcher?"

"Oh, the milk container was leaking so I had to transfer it to pitchers."

"Phew. I thought it was your breast milk."

So many things about this made me laugh.

A. I am not a cow and do not produce half gallon pitchers of milk. Never have, never will.

B. I do not serve anyone who is not my infant my breastmilk. Never have, never will.

But Jonah, Isaac and I got a few good laughs in this morning. And I'm looking at those two pitchers of milk in the refrigerator in a whole new way!

Behold: The Power of Cheerios

2010-07-13T13:01:00.002-04:00

It's a milestone week around here. Eli's feeding himself Cheerios. He's not gagging, not turning his head but instead delighting at the sight of the big yellow box and the little round o's. Who invented Cheerios? They are a genius. The love affair with Cheerios begins as soon as baby is ready to feed self and continues for at least a year. Sometimes for life.

I like to give my 9 month old babies something to feed themselves while I try to spoon feed them something else at mealtime. Cheerios are just perfect. They can occupy a baby for a good 30 minutes. No joke.

Cheerios on the exersaucer while I make dinner. Cheerios in the diaper bag for when we're out and about. Cheerios on the high chair try while I'm preparing plates for boys. Do you understand my excitement? Really, it's a whole new world thanks to Cheerios.

And I'm not the only one who thinks this new independence is fun!

Quick Takes

2010-07-09T13:42:00.000-04:00

1. It's a steamy day and I'm sitting out at my garage sale. Nobody wants my cute little boy baby clothes? The ones that I cried a few tears over as I put them in my garage? Come on! I'm sure they'd look so cute on a baby boy that you know.

2. Eli and I are sick. We've made a really pathetic pair this week. He's had an ear infection and I've had some kind of major sore throat. I don't have a fever, so could it still be strep? I don't know. But I've been popping pain killer around the clock and I don't tend to do that...so that shows you how bad it is.

3. Rob's no longer a banker. He made a job change this month. His new job is going to involve quite a bit of travel. So I'm psyching myself up for that. Anyone with tips on keeping sane when parenting solo please do share.

4. Yesterday Jonah asked how many more days until he gets to go back to school. I've been wondering when this was going to come up...he loves school, we're not traveling anymore and Mom can be kind of grumpy when carting three boys around in 90+ weather.

5. I've been making lots of things with zucchini. Recipes to come. I love this summer vegetable and mine isn't doing so well. I'm lucky my neighbor's been sharing since I've been mourning the decline of my plants.

6. I told myself that I was going to give myself permission to not preserve much this summer. So that I can spend more time with my boys. But I still have a list of must-have preserving items. Next to be done is freezing sweet corn. It's just too good to let it pass me by.

7. Our basement is done! We now have a comfortable space for visitors. You're more than welcome anytime.

My Welcome Home Gift

2010-07-07T13:06:00.000-04:00

I arrived home to two unexpected gifts. One was welcome and one was not. The first was that our fridge was stocked with the necessities (bread, milk, etc.) and we even had a casserole for our first night home. It was a great relief.

The second was little ants that had invaded my kitchen while I was gone. They were crawling on our welcome home donuts (which we had to throw away and it broke Jonah and Isaac's hearts) and we haven't been able to get rid of them since. They are teeny, tiny little ants and they're crawling under our kitchen trim and up onto our counter. Yesterday Jonah told Isaac, "Be nice to Mom today. She's not having a good day because we have ants." I was shouting as I found one. And another one. And another one.

I dread meal time because if I don't get things put away immediately the ants know it and they're there within minutes.

I read on-line to sprinkle paprika or cayenne pepper in their path. I did and it seems to be helping. Any other tips?

Dear Eli

2010-07-06T11:47:00.000-04:00

Dear Eli,

This is no special milestone moment for you. You're a little over eight months old right now. I want time to stand still for awhile. I've cherished all three of my boys as babies. But I really, really cherish you. There's no question that you are my last baby. When Jonah and Isaac were babies there was always the hope that there would be another little baby in our family. But I know you are it. I'll be honest, it breaks my heart a little bit. I just adore you from your fuzzy hair to chubby cheeks to fat thighs and sweet toes. All of you is wonderful. I've been thinking a lot about why I love the baby stage so much.

Perhaps it's partly because babies don't talk back, pee all over the floor, bite other children and roll their eyes at what I say. Perhaps it's partly because I get to pick out what you wear and you don't argue with me. (I prefer you in blue so that I can show off your eyes.) Perhaps it's partly because you look at me with this look that nobody else gives but a baby to their parent - that "I love you with my whole heart and you are my world" look. I like that look and I know I won't be getting it much longer.

But mostly I love the baby stage so much because babies are just so pure. Our human brains get in the way when it comes to thinking and believing about God. It's all so complicated and none of us can figure it all out. But you, you are straight from God and you are one-hundred percent holy. I think you look wise beyond your eight months. Sometimes I wonder if that's because we are all born with this immense knowledge about God and it gets tangled and hidden in the mess of life. But your knowledge is just right there on the surface of your ready-to-be-filled brain. Maybe that's one reason people are so happy to hold a baby. There is this closeness with the Divine.

So I guess I'm going to continue savoring your babyhood while I can. It's going so fast. And I have a lot to learn from you before it's over.

Love you, E.J.
Mama

The Amazing Vacation Part Six - Home Sweet Home

2010-07-05T22:07:00.001-04:00

We left Boise in the evening and Rob drove us safely through the night. When it got to be time to stop we asked the boys if they needed a break and wanted to stop for the night or if they wanted to push through and get home. They wanted to get home. We were glad because we did too. So for the first time in our lives we drove from Boise to home straight through. Thirty hours, baby.

Rob and I were seriously cheering in the car when we got to Chicago. The cheering was even louder when we got to the Indiana line. And when we pulled up to our house at 1:30 a.m. we collapsed into our beds. So grateful for a safe trip and so glad to be home. Home, sweet home. We're not going anywhere for awhile.

The Amazing Vacation Part 5 - Destination #3

2010-07-05T22:07:00.000-04:00

Ah, yes, this is my hometown. I've been away from Boise for sixteen years but each time I return it still feels like home. And I still say I'm from Idaho. After all, you can take the girl out of Idaho but you can't take Idaho out of the girl.

We stayed at the Burkholder Ranch where one of the favorite activities was to feed and brush Andy and Patches (the donkey and horse). Isaac never wanted to miss this and when we did he cried and cried.

Jonah got to tie a couple of flies with Grandpa. He even got to fish with one!

Ah, smurf turf. I was having lunch with a friend and missed out on the blue field. But the boys loved it and even got to run on it.

(Sorry that the only photos of these are low resolution.) The boys got to go fishing with Grandpa. Isaac seems to be a little more daring and interested in all that goes into fishing than Jonah. But time will tell if either or both of them will turn into fishermen.

I don't know how I got through school in Boise and never went to the State Capital building, but I did. We're trying to take our children to all of the state capital buildings as we're able and Boise's was the first that we saw on the inside as well as the outside. It had just undergone a major renovation and was quite lovely!

What this trip reminded me was that you can live next door to a Grandparent or across the country from one and they are still going to be special. Grandparents fill in so many puzzle pieces in families and are so incredibly important. My boys loved spending time with my parents and my parents loved seeing them. There is sorrow that we can't see each other more often, but when two people who grew up across the country from each other get married, that's just what is going to happen.

And if my boys do this to me my eyes will fill up with tears each time they leave too.

Love you, Mom and Dad.

The Amazing Vacation Part 4 - Glassybaby

2010-07-05T22:06:00.000-04:00

The Amazing Vacation was a family vacation, which meant that Rob and I tried to keep it as family-oriented as possible. But I did get a couple of hours to myself on the second morning we were in Seattle to go the Glassybaby store. I had to take a taxi from our hotel, which I am a total novice at. But I arrived at my destination and was treated with nothing but kindness by all of those at Glassybaby.

My sis bought me a Glassybaby a few years ago for Christmas and I fell in love. The best description of what a Glassybaby is can be found here. I have used them as candle votives and as drinking glasses. But there's something about the beautiful colors and weight that brings me joy, especially on a dreary day. Handcrafted gifts are one of the best kinds. I don't take a lot of time to handcraft things myself but I try to buy unique gifts when appropriate. Glassybaby is one of my favorite unique gifts to give.

They were open!

Walking in the store.

Greeted by dozens of beautiful colors.

They're beautiful grouped.

In rows.

In trios.

Or solo.

And right behind the store more were being made right before my eyes.

Guest Blogger!

2010-07-05T16:08:00.000-04:00

I'm the guest blogger over at Living Senses today talking about my sentimental favorite produce. Click here if you'd like to check it out.

The Amazing Vacation Part 3 - Destination #2

2010-07-05T11:03:00.000-04:00

After our visit to Suquamish, we went to the other side of the water - Seattle - for two nights. We took in some of the family tourist activities that Seattle has to offer. It was a memorable time for all of us - and the right amount of time to be in a city with our children.

We didn't realize how lucky we were on our first ferry ride to see Mt. Ranier. We didn't see it again the whole time we were in the area. This was especially exciting for Isaac since Mt. Ranier used to be an active volcano. Which means there must have been dinosaurs around, right?!

We had a hotel right downtown and could walk to Pike Place Market, which we did both days. It's just such a wonderful place!

The flowers at Pike Place market are amazing. And the prices are unbelievable. Peonies are my favorite flower, so to see these huge bouquets was a highlight for me!

If you knew us before we had two children you may remember Steinerfest. Our attempt at a German-style party. We thought we'd throw this party annually. That's funny. We haven't had Steinerfest since 2004. It's me you have to convince to have it again. We flew brats in from this shop, located at Pike Place market. Uli's sausage is delicious. My sis had bought us some and we cooked them one night at her place, so we didn't eat any while in Seattle, but perhaps we'll order them again someday for all of you.

I decided to just be a real typical tourist while in Seattle and support Starbucks as much as possible. This is the original Starbucks, located across the street from Pike Place market. I had to order my iced Chai Latte there just to say I had been to the first Starbucks. On the duck tour we were told to say, "I see a Starbucks. Ca-ching!" each time we passed a Starbucks. (There were eighteen on the tour alone.) Now the boys say that every time we see a Starbucks. No matter where we are.

What visit to Seattle would be complete without a look at the Space Needle? I didn't feel the need to go up because I had just had a panic attack on the duck tour. (Really.) So I saved my $17 and went to, where else, Starbucks with Eli. But Rob, Jonah and Isaac went up. Rob didn't think it was worth it since Mt. Ranier wasn't visible that day. But, hey, they can say they've been on it.

Our Seattle Favorites:

Favorite Musum: Seattle Aquarium

Favorite Food: Clam Chowder (the boys went crazy for this)

Favorite Drink: Can you say Starbucks?

The Amazing Vacation Part 2 - Destination #1

2010-07-01T23:15:00.000-04:00

We had three major destinations on our Amazing Vacation.

Destination #1 - Suquamish, Washington

It had been waaaay too long since I had seen my sis. It had been seventeen months, but who's counting? I love my sister like nobody else and it was so good to spend several days with her. She got us these cute matching shirts that proclaim our love for the earth. But her dishwasher was broken while we were there and I must confess that one time we just didn't give a hoot. We got out some paper plates.

This isn't the best picture, but it's as good as it gets with these six little munchkins. When's the last time you tried to take a pic of six children ages six and under?! It's no easy task. We spent the four days we were together looking at all of these children running around and just laughing outloud. If you ever would have told us that we would have six children between us, we wouldn't have believed you. Really. We still don't believe it actually. But this photo proves that it's true.

Destinations #2 and #3 to come soon...

Corn and Pasta Salad

2010-06-29T10:09:00.000-04:00

I have the same rule for recipes and restaurants. If I don't like them I'll give them one more try. But no more. I'm so glad I gave this salad a second try. I loved it this time around.

Corn and Pasta Salad
from The Way We Cook

1 T. plus 1/2 t. coarse salt, or more to taste
2 c. tiny pasta shells (I only had the regular on hand)
8 ears fresh corn, kernels removed from the cobs (I actually used frozen from last year and it worked too!)
1/4 c. cider vinegar, plus more to taste
1 T. Dijon mustard
1/2 t. freshly ground black pepper, or more to taste
1/2 c. canola oil
1 red bell pepper, cored, seeded, and finely chopped
1/2 red onion, finely chopped
4 scallions, finely chopped
3 T. chopped fresh parsley

Bring a large saucepan of water to a boil, add 1 T. of the salt. Add the pasta shells, and when the water returns to a boil, reduce the heat to medium-high and simmer for 6 minutes. Add the corn and cook for 2 minutes more, or until the pasta is tender but still has some bite.

Drain in a colander, shaking it to remove the excess moisture. Transfer the shells and corn to a large bowl.

In a small bowl, whisk together the vinegar, mustard, remaining 1/2 t. salt, and pepper. Gradually whisk in the oil in a slow, steady stream, until the dressing emulsifies. Pour the dressing over the warm pasta and stir gently to coat the shells.

Add the bell pepper, onion, scallions and parsley. Add more salt and pepper and another splash of vinegar, if you like.

Cover tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1 hour for the flavors to mellow before serving.

Oatmeal Crispies

2010-06-29T10:01:00.000-04:00

More on our Amazing Vacation to come, I promise. But first I need to share a couple of recipes with you. I can't stop making these cookies or the next recipe I'm going to post. They're just too good.

Oatmeal Crispies

(from Pioneer Woman, I think)

1/2 c. butter

1/2 c. shortening

1 c. sugar

1 c. brown sugar

2 eggs

1 t. vanilla extract

3 c. quick-cooking oats

1 1/2 c. all-purpose flour

1 t. salt

1 t. baking soda

1/4 t. ground nutmeg

1/4 t. ground cinnamon

1 bag butterscotch chips

1. In mixing bowl, cream shortening and sugars. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.

2. Beat in vanilla.

3. Combine the remaining ingredients (except chips); gradually add to creamed mixture. Stir in butterscotch chips.

4. Drop by cookie scoop 2 inches apart onto ungreased baking sheets.

5. Bake at 350° for 10-12 minutes. Remove to wire racks to cool.

SWAGGER WAGON

2010-06-26T23:41:00.000-04:00

I may not have a true Swagger Wagon since I drive a Honda Odyssey and not a Toyota Sienna. But do you see how cool it is to drive a mini-van?

And, yes, I'm on mountain time. I totally cannot sleep so I'm watching mini-van commercials. How pathetic is that?

The Amazing Vacation Part 1 - Getting there is half the fun

2010-06-25T13:18:00.004-04:00

People had one of two reactions when we told them we were taking a cross-country road trip as a family. It was either, "Oh, that sounds so fun!" or it was "Good luck with that." Most people had the latter reaction. We couldn't figure out why. We had a blast on our roadtrip, despite the fact that we had three young boys with us. And we would do it again in a heartbeat.

We drove from Indiana to Seattle in three days. We got to see Indiana, Illinois, Wisconsin, Minnesota, North Dakota, Montana and Washington on our way. (The capital building above is in Bismark, North Dakota.) We didn't have time to stop and see all of the people we knew in those states (although that would have been fun) but we did get to catch up with my cousin and his wife and our two friends in Bozeman. We absolutely fell in love with Bozeman. If we have a summer home there when we're independently wealthy, don't be surprised. And don't be surprised if we go there again someday and never come back.

My tips for long trips with children are:

Keep some things special that are just for road trips. In our family the things that come out when we're on road trips only are the DVD player for the car and fruit snacks. It's amazing how much our children look forward to these two things since they get to have them at no other times.
Provide a bag of new goodies for the children to do. We checked out the dollar spot at Target before we left and stocked up on sunglasses, coloring books, glow sticks and other miscellaneous stuff that our boys found really exciting. They each had a bag filled with things to do. It kept them occupied for hours.
Learn how to geocache. (In case you haven't heard of this, it's a treasure hunt all over the world where things are hidden based on latitude and longitude. Google it.) Some friends taught us this fun activity and we bought this gps before we left. It met our needs perfectly because you can just turn it on wherever you are and it points you in the direction of the closest caches. Some are right at rest stops.
Take things for rest stops that will get out some energy. We didn't have room for bikes but did take scooters and bocce ball.
Let your children take a few special things from home. For our children that is stuffed animals, but it varies from child to child and family to family what will make them feel better when they're tired and homesick.
Don't try to rush. If someone needs to go to the bathroom, stop. If someone needs a break, stop. We had an itinerary that we hoped to make, but knew that it could very well change with three young children and we were okay with that.
Enjoy each other. The nice thing about a road trip is that it's just your family in the car together. Make it fun and your family will want to do it again and again.

I've Missed You

2010-06-24T21:43:00.000-04:00

We're back from our Amazing Vacation. Lots of amazing things to tell you about in the next few posts. But I just wanted to let you know that I've missed you. I've missed these little babies too, but I've reunited with them now. You're next. Just give me a little time to recover from our 30 hour drive home. I'm tired.

Tres Leches Cake

2010-06-07T11:21:00.000-04:00

Excuse me for a few hours. I need to go work off this cake. It is so filled with calories and fat, I hesitate to share the recipe with you. But it is so good. Cut the pieces small and try it. Thankfully I took it somewhere and most of it didn't return home with me. This cake would have been lingering on my hips for years if the whole thing would have been in my house!

Tres Leches Cake
recipe from Everyday Food (June 2010)

1/2 cup butter, melted and cooled
1 1/2 c. all-purpose flour
1 t. baking powder
1/2 t. coarse salt
5 large eggs
1 cup sugar, divided
1 t. pure vanilla extract
1 can (14 oz.) sweetened condensed milk
1 can (12 oz.) evaporated milk
1 c. whole milk
2 c. heavy cream
5 c. fresh fruit (optional), such as oranges or berries, for serving.

1. Preheat oven to 350°. Lightly butter a 9x13 baking dish. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt. In a large bowl, using an electric mixer, beat eggs and 3/4 c. sugar on high until pale and thick, about 4 minutes. Add vanilla and beat to combine. With mixer on low, gradually add flour mixture and beat to combine. With a rubber spatula, fold in melted butter until incorporated. Transfer batter to dish and bake until top is golden brown and a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean, 30-35 minutes, rotating dish halfway through. (Note: My cake was done in 23 minutes.)

2. In a medium bowl, whisk together milks. Poke warm cake all over with a fork, then pour milk mixture over top and let cool to room temperature, about 1 hour. Refrigerate.

3. Just before serving, whip cream and 1/4 c. sugar to medium peaks. Spread whipped cream evenly over cooled cake. Top with fruit if desired.

12 Years

2010-06-06T21:20:00.000-04:00

Currently our anniversary has more symbolic importance to me than my birthday. Maybe it's because I don't remember being born and many years of my life just kind of blur together. But I remember the day that I met Rob (time #1), the day that I met Rob again (a year later) and when we began dating, got engaged and were married. We've had a lot of fun over the past 12 years of marriage and I hope that we have many, many more years together. I tend to not write about Rob on here as much as I write about my children, myself, food and my garden. But I love him like crazy and I got so lucky. Really.

For the past couple of months we've been planning a trip to IKEA for our anniversary. Chicago is a great place to go and not far from us, either. But considering our basement isn't finished and we have The Amazing Vacation coming up, sticking around here was a better option. Rob's parents had Jonah and Isaac for the weekend. We spoiled Eli more than usual. We went to Uptown Kitchen for breakfast (I highly recommend this place!), picked up a few traveling necessities and began packing and preparing for The Amazing Vacation.

Rob likes us to have our picture taken each year on our porch. Good idea, but today we had already changed our clothes and look like schmucks. Now I wish we had changed back. My favorite part of this picture is Jonah in the background trying to shoot a rubber band at us. There won't be a dull moment around here this year. Love you, Rob!

Pregnant

2010-06-03T12:58:00.001-04:00

preg·nant1 /ˈprɛgnənt/ Show Spelled[preg-nuhnt]

–adjective

1.having a child or other offspring developing in the body; with child or young, as a woman or female mammal.

2.fraught, filled, or abounding (usually fol. by with): a silence pregnant with suspense.

3.teeming or fertile; rich (often fol. by in): a mind pregnant in ideas.

4.full of meaning; highly significant: a pregnant utterance.

5.of great importance or potential; momentous: a pregnant moment in the history of the world.

My title grabbed you, didn't it? I am not pregnant, in terms of definition #1 above. But it feels like I am following a different kind of pregnancy. With my garden.

Every day I go out to check on it. How are things doing? Are there any blooms? Any weeds to take care of? When will it become fruitful? Will there be vegetables out of this great experiment? Or will it not work out?

When we are on vacation this summer that is what I am the most disappointed to be missing. After all, the most important people in my world will be in a car with me. Driving across the country at a "Reasonable but Prudent" speed. (Oh, wait, we'll only be doing that in Montana.) But my garden won't be with me. And I'll be missing important things! Growing. Blooming. Perhaps a first fruit? I'm a mom after all, and I always miss my babies when I'm gone.

First tomato blooms!

The beginning of peppers.

I'm trying out the tepee method of support for my vining plants.

Full garden, June 1

Grace

2010-06-02T12:50:00.000-04:00

This is the second year that we've had a robin nesting on top of a supporting deck beam. We can only see the inside of the nest well between two deck boards.

Earlier this spring the robin laid four eggs and three of them hatched. We loved watching them. Then, one afternoon, the nest and the babies were gone. Due to an act of boy, not an act of nature. For about two weeks straight I thought two things almost constantly:

How am I cut out to mother these three boys?
I hope that the mother robin goes far, far away.

I came to the realization that I'm as prepared to mother my three boys as anyone else would be. And taking it one day at a time with a lot of prayer will get me through. Some days are better than others.

As for the mother robin, she didn't go far, far away. She built another nest in the exact same spot and laid four more eggs.

They hatched last week. Once again we are enjoying looking at the baby birds, this time there are four of them, through the deck boards. Every single day they look different than the day before.

Thanks to this robin, I've been thinking a lot about grace. I wouldn't have given my boy another chance with a nest and baby birds so close by.

But the mother bird was much more forgiving. She cried for a day (literally, walking around our yard chirping sorrowful songs) and then went back to the work of rebuilding her nest in the same spot.

There's a lot more tenderness towards the birds from the boy this time around. And I have been taught to parent more like the robin and less like myself.

With forgiveness and grace. Even in the most challenging times.

Homemade Ice Cream

2010-06-01T07:34:00.000-04:00

We made ice cream this weekend. Jonah and Isaac don't remember ever making homemade ice cream before. Their Grandpa and Grandma have made it often, but I guess not in memorable history if you are four or six years old. Jonah asked if it was going to taste like the homemade ice cream we made in ziploc bags at his school. (He didn't care for that too much.) It didn't. This was pure deliciousness. All you have to do is read through the list of ingredients to see why. Now the boys want to make it again.

Cooked Ice Cream

enough for 6 qt. ice cream freezer

makes approximately 24 servings

2 T. cornstarch

6 c. whole milk

3 c. sugar

4 eggs

3/4 t. salt

1 (13 oz.) can evaporated milk

1 pint whipping cream

3 T. pure vanilla

Mix cornstarch with 1/2 c. milk. Then blend in another 2 c. milk and 4 beaten eggs. Cook in a double boiler until smooth and thick, beating constantly. Take care mixture does not lump. (Mixture should be 160°.) Beat sugar, salt and evaporated milk with whisk. Add cooked mixture and beat well. (If your cooked mixture has any lumps just add it through a fine sieve to avoid adding the lumps to your final ice cream.) Add whipping cream, remaining 3 1/2 c. whole milk and vanilla and stir well. At this point the mixture can be refrigerated until needed. Pour into freezer can and freeze.

And the winner is....

2010-05-31T18:40:00.001-04:00

No high tech for me this time. I drew a name out of a bowl, the old fashioned way.

1. All of the names

2. In the bowl for the drawing

3. Isaac, my helper, drawing one out

4. Looking at the name

5. Jen Lantz Kauffman, you are the winner! Please contact me at sarahburkstein at gmail dot com to receive your prize!

I have one more exciting book drawing in the future...coming later this summer. Until then, enjoy preserving! I'm on the hunt for strawberries before I head West. Please let me know if you see two flats I could purchase. Picking them as well as preserving them is not in my future in the next 10 days.

Quick Takes

2010-05-28T08:08:00.000-04:00

It's been a crazy week around here. All good things but all things that mean there aren't enough hours in the day to do all that I want to do. Before I begin with my weekly Quick Takes, let me remind you that there's a giveaway going on that ends on Monday. I don't care if you don't preserve a lot (give it to someone as a gift!), if you're related to me, if you read my blog once a year or if you're a total lurker who I don't know. Enter this giveaway for this great new book - I'll pick someone totally randomly and fairly. It ends on Monday.

And now, a picture guided look at what I've been up to:

1. Drool-E, who doesn't like to suck on a pacifier but finds it to be the best toy ever.

2. Puzzles with Isaac. It's his new favorite thing to do and it's been so much fun to watch him feel successful with his new hobby. Little does he know how good it is for his brain.

3. This book is begging me to keep reading, keep reading, keep reading. I hardly can each day but it's a good one.

4. Garden, round two, is in and thriving. I'm so hopeful that we'll get some good vegetables out of this major experiment.

5. I planted all of our containers this year. I had a lot of fun doing it and cannot wait to see them as they grow and become even more beautiful. It's our first year with flowers on the deck. What a difference it makes!

6. I came home yesterday to find a Demy on my doorstep. That I didn't purchase. What a wonderful surprise. Thank you, thank you, thank you! (From my parents, all of you curious people out there.) Look closely at the pic and you'll see that I can download all of my recipes (i.e. Domestic Goddess recipes) onto this touch screen cookbook that can be wiped off in the kitchen. I ♥ it even more than expected. I'm hoping to enter 10 recipes a day until it's filled with my collection. That will be the hard part. Using it is easy.

7. And last, but not least, I researched cameras to death this week, was about one hour away from purchasing this Panasonic Lumix when I got a call from my Dad. Instead of asking friends, scouring the internet and researching on-line, he went straight to an expert the old-fashioned way: A camera store. He told them what I'd be using the camera for and they said, hands down, that I wanted a DSLR. It's the fact that my kids play sports and I want clear pictures of that that made that so important. I went with the entry-level Canon Rebel and am oh, so glad, I did. I don't know what I'm doing, I am going to rely on some major help from family and friends and possibly a DSLR class, but my pics are going to be better. I can just feel it. (And please, please, please tell me you can already see a difference between the first six pics and the last one?!)

Happy weekend. Hope your life is full, busy and good.

Camera Advice

2010-05-24T13:44:00.000-04:00

All right, I need advice on a camera. Here's what I am looking for in a camera:

Crisp, clear photos
Ability to take photos of my kids during soccer, basketball, running, crawling, etc. without being totally blurry

This leads me to think that an SLR is most likely what I need. If that is the case, I can only look at very beginner SLR's (although they do get excellent reviews for photo quality). If I buy an SLR do you have a recommendation of brand or model? Do I need to get a telephoto lens right away? Or will I be able to do what I want to do with the standard lens that comes with it?

Do you have a camera that is NOT an SLR that would meet my needs? Is it a superzoom? What is it? Do you like it? Recommend it?

I feel like we're about to embark on a once in a decade road trip...and I'd like to get some decent pics.

Thanks!
DG

My Biggest Giveaway Yet

2010-05-24T13:35:00.000-04:00

All right, Loyal Readers, I just heard about this book for the first time on the Mennonite Girls Can Cook blog and I need to get my hands on a copy. (Maybe a friend mentioned this book to me a few weeks ago? I must have put it out of mind if that's the case.) It's a cookbook from the same publisher as Simply in Season and it is full of preserving recipes.

To enter to win a copy, please leave a comment with your favorite food to preserve. This giveaway will be open until Noon on Memorial Day, May 31.

Good luck!
DG

Quick Takes

2010-05-22T10:38:00.001-04:00

I'm freaking out about this summer. Yesterday I got a little sneak peek because Jonah didn't have school. And all I could think was...all day long with these three boys? Two of them who fight pretty much constantly? It's going to be a long one unless I can get a plan underway. Fast.
Did you watch Modern Family this week? Ironically, considering we just had our pics taken this week, it was about a family photo. My aunt Lora commented that it reminded her of me. When I told Rob he said that it reminded him of me too but he didn't want to upset me by telling me that. Truth be told, it reminded me of me much of the time as well. The hanging of the photo was right on. How am I going to live without that show for the summer?
Isaac loves dinosaurs. Loves dinosaurs. Is there anyone out there with a child past this stage who has Land Before Time DVD's? I'd love to buy some used ones.
I'm looking for avid readers! I'm thinking about starting or finding a book club to join. If this is something that interests you, please e-mail me (don't comment on here). I'd love it to be intergenerational so if you're not my age, don't let that stop you from letting me know that you'd be interested.
We cancelled our camping reservation for Memorial Day weekend. It was a (very) mutual decision with the family we were going to go with. R-E-L-I-E-F. Our camper is buried under basement stuff in the garage. We're nowhere near ready to be camping.

Jackpot

2010-05-20T13:16:00.000-04:00

I've been wanting to get some good pictures of my three boys since Eli was born. However, I wanted to take them outside which meant we had to wait for spring. I contacted Jamie to see if she'd be willing to take them for us - and she was! I'm so glad I asked her. The photos that I have seen so far have been wonderful and I cannot wait to see our proof book.

Thanks, Jamie, for a great photo session and for capturing our family of five in its complete form. I highly recommend her if you're looking for some high quality photos of your family too.

7 Months Old

2010-05-19T22:03:00.000-04:00

Dear Eli,
You are seven months old now. Your Daddy is a nicknaming guy. He was quite distressed for the first few months of your life because we had no good nicknames for you. It takes time to come up with nicknames and you now have several. We utilize your "E" whenever we can. To us you are:

E.J.
Sweet-E
Drool-E
Smile-E
Squeal-E
Squealer
E

You absolutely love your brothers. Isaac and Jonah can make you laugh like nobody else - and it's so fun to watch your face light up when they come into the room. When you see Jonah for the first time after he gets off the bus in the afternoon, you squeal with excitement. Occasionally you have quiet times with your brothers too.

And right now there's no question that you are their favorite brother. Really. They talk about it all the time.

I think you know what I mean when I say, "Do you want to swing?" Your face lights up and you kick your little legs. We go out the door and into the swing and you love it. The wind blows the little hairs on your head straight up.

You may be the third little boy in our family but you absolutely, positively are your own little guy. You have your own look and your own personality and you are one Sweet-E!

I can't get enough of you during the day. But I am happy to have you sleep at night. Really. This waking up two or three times during the night just to see me has to stop. We can play in the morning.

Love you -
Mama

Quick Takes

2010-05-14T14:20:00.000-04:00

I know you missed my ramblings last week. I just know it.

We're seriously considering driving to the West coast this summer. Why? Because we're crazy. And because I miss my sister, who I haven't seen since January 2009, even more than because we're crazy. And because four plane tickets, renting a car, paying to check bags, etc. will be a lot more money and possibly a lot more stress than driving. And because we love our mini-van so much that we want to spend two weeks in it constantly.
I never told you about my shopping trip. I found some clothes. A great relief. I went with two friends and Eli. I had split from them to change a diaper and feed him when I hear, "Sarah! Sarah!" I look and it's not the two friends I came with. No. It's two girls I went to high school with. Yes, in Boise. They live in Chicago. I hadn't seen them in sixteen years but had caught up with them in cyber-space. It was great to see them! And pretty wild too.
I am currently reading Raising Cain: Protecting the Emotional Life of Boys. Some pivotal events and conversations the past few weeks with my boys have shown me that I'm drowning in this boy-world and I need to make myself better equipped to parent boys. This book is striking a chord with me and is helping me understand boys better. One quote from this book that got me thinking, "We expect too much of boys - and we don't expect enough, " said a second grade teacher reflecting on the way our culture's view of boys often scrambles messages they get from parents and teachers. "On the one hand, we expect them to be tough 'little men' when they're really just little boys who need goodbye hugs and affection. On the other hand, when they behave in cruel and thoughtless ways, we say, 'Oh, boys will be boys.' We let them off the hook over issues of respect and consideration for others." I'm only on page 45 but this book is going to change how I parent my boys for the better.
I'm hosting Bunco next week. I know you might not believe me but I ~~hate~~ stress out when I have to host Bunco. What food to make just really gets to me. For some reason more than hosting almost anything else. I've changed my menu several times already.
Even though my first planting failed this spring, I cannot wait to plant again and get my vegetables growing. But I'm scared. When are my fellow gardeners in Indiana planting?
I'm interested in getting a different digital camera. I would like one that takes really crisp and clear photos but not a huge, professional one. Is there such a thing? Does anyone have a good recommendation?
Rob and I went out for the second time since Eli's been born last night. We went to a dinner for MEDA. I tried to pretend that we were in Hawaii but it didn't work. It still was fun to get out of the house and the Quinoa Soup that was served was exceptional.

Macaroni and Cheese - Quick and Easy

2010-05-12T11:44:00.000-04:00

I've been looking for an easy to make macaroni and cheese recipe for years. I've wanted it to not come from a box and not contain any "artificial cheese product". An uncle included this recipe in our family cookbook that's underway and I tried it out. I love it! It is easy to make, tastes delicious and my children devour it. Isaac requested it last night.

I only need to make half a recipe for our family - and we still have leftovers.

Macaroni and Cheese

18 ounces dried pasta- prepared

two cans of condensed cheddar cheese soup
one soup can of milk
1/2 pound swiss cheese, cubed
1/2 pound sharp cheddar cheese, cubed
pepper to taste

While pasta is being prepared, in large casserole place soup and milk. Stir until mixed, then add cheese and pepper. Drain pasta and immediately place into large casserole 1/3 at a time, mixing pasta thoroughly with liquid and cheese. Either bake at 350° for 30-45min, or microwave on casserole setting.

Patience

2010-05-11T12:07:00.000-04:00

When I was a girl my Mother often told me, "Patience is a virtue..." and then I would look at her and say, "That I do not possess." I have never considered myself a patient person. I do not like to wait.

This spring I've been so excited about my garden. It's been ten years since I've grown a true garden (more than tomatoes and basil) and Square Foot Gardening has inspired me to get with the program again and grow some vegetables with my boys.

Rob built some great garden beds for me a few weeks ago. And, around here, Mother's Day weekend is the mile marker for planting. Last week I took a look at the ten day forecast and all looked clear. I planted my garden. Despite the fact that Jonah and Isaac had very little interest in helping me, I had fun and accomplished this:

I planted all three of my boxes with tomatoes, peppers, herbs, squashes, beans and carrots. And they looked gorgeous.

Then it frosted Saturday night. We covered everything and our garden made it. Phew!

Then it frosted Sunday night. We covered everything and our garden got bit. Everything is gone. Now I will have to plant the whole thing again. But I'm scared so I'll be waiting awhile this time. It's just my latest lesson on the virtue that I do not possess.