Valentine's Day Countdown

We are ALWAYS counting down to something at our house.
Currently, we are counting down to the next time I teach piano lessons (so Teresa can play with my students), Super Bowl, when our supper guests will arrive next weekend, and probably several other things I don't remember or I am just not aware of yet.
I came across this Valentine's Day Countdown craft from catholicicing.com today.  Teresa and I put it together this morning and she can't wait to take off the first link tomorrow!  It comes with 14 Bible-verse links, so I just added another one that says, "What do I LOVE most about my family?" to the chain so that we don't have to wait one more day to start!
Follow the link to get it all printed and done for you.  All you have to do is cut and fold the strips into hearts (fold in half and then staple the top).  Be sure to link each folded heart before you staple it into a heart shape.  I ALMOST made this mistake . . . but maybe I'm the only one without that foresight.
Despite the blog's name, it is not necessary for you to be Catholic to make this craft.  I promise. :o)
Now, off to find out more about St. Valentine so we can put a little meaning into our Valentine's Day celebration beyond balloons and chocolate!  Only 15 days left!

Name-Your-Own Chicken

 

We tried something new tonight.  It was consumed without complaint by all, from youngest to oldest at the table.  (To be fair, the oldest only complained one time in our marriage, and, well, I don't see that happening again. . . .) :o)

I have found that my pickier two middle children are more apt to try new things when they help in the prep work and they were more than happy to help with this one.  Nathan got to pound the chicken with the meat tenderizer and Teresa got to crush the crackers (both done in gallon size Ziploc bags--NO mess!)

I am calling this Name-Your-Own Chicken because I took it out of the Sept. 2012 Ladies' Home Journal last fall, probably--appropriately--sometime around September

In the magazine it is called "Mrs. Potter's Chicken."  The person renamed it in honor of the woman who shared the recipe with her.  Previously, Mrs. Potter named it "Marie Murphy's Chicken" in honor of her friend.

So, call it what you want, but I do suggest you try it!

 

1 sleeve Ritz crackers, crushed

3/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

1/4 tsp black pepper

Chicken breasts to fill 9x13 pan (sliced in half, if necessary, and pounded to about 1/4 inch thick)

2 T butter, melted

 

Heat oven to 425. Spray pan with cooking spray and set aside.  Combine cracker crumbs, Parmesan, and pepper in a shallow dish; set aside.  Pound each chicken piece to about 1/4 inch thick.  Coat chicken in melted butter (I use my glass pie plates for these sorts of things), and then dredge in cracker mixture, pressing crumbs firmly onto each piece.  Lay chicken in pan in a single layer.  Sprinkle any excess coating over the top.  Bake for 15 minutes or until golden and cooked through.

 

 

$100

Yesterday Nathan's class celebrated their 100th Day of School.  Nathan brought home this paper:

I was so proud of him and totally didn't expect this sort of serious answer from him.
I would have expected something closer to his brother's answer two years ago which was, "I would buy 100 cheeseburgers at the Chelsea Bar." 
We all have our priorities!

January 26

Here we are.  January 26.  A year ago our lives changed forever with a phone call.  We had just seen our nephew Luke at our baby's baptism on January 1.  We would never see him on this earth again.  Our family had just heard Jesus words, "Let the little children come to me."  One of those children was now in his arms.

I share this song today because I love the first line.

"Everybody's got a story to tell.  Everybody's got a wound to be healed."

Some are called to bear deeper wounds than others and somehow God gives them the grace they need to live each day.  May God's abundant peace be theirs. . . all of ours as we take our wounds to be healed.

All he has to worry about . . .

Calving has begun at our farm.  Our first baby arrived a little over a week ago.  We had a set of twins earlier in the week, and now the boys have their long awaited bottle calf to feed.  Rachel loves watching the cows on the monitor in her room/our office and can now say "Moo." 
Most people start calving in late February or March to avoid the coldest months of the year, but after David built a large barn to house the mamas and babies several years ago, he moved the start of calving back to January.  There were other reasons, too, for this decision, but those aren't important right now. 
What's important is what my husband declared he has to worry about this time of year.
Earlier this week, David was telling me how he likes this new calving schedule . . . I missed a little bit . . . and then he finished with, "All I have to worry about is how far to keep my barn door open at night."
I couldn't just let that comment go.

Yep.
That's all he has to worry about this time of year!

 

Things I Must Do More of. . .

All those compliments that go unsaid?  I need to put more of those into words.

When someone pops into my mind who may need some encouragement?  I need to send them a note.

When people in all different areas of service help me (even if they are getting paid)?  I need to genuinely thank them.   (They like that and are usually got off guard, which is kind of fun.)

The mom holding a 1 year old in one arm and unloading the shopping cart with the other?  I need to help her out.  I liked it when the mom who had "been there" gave me a helping hand the other day.

The mom who is drowning in the "joys" of toddlerhood?  I need to tell her that it DOES get better. 

It really does.  Just last night I was thinking we are already halfway through our time with Landen living in our house!  It seems like just yesterday I so desperately wanted to send him away to Potty Training Camp and here he is reading his new Simon Winchester book about shipwrecks on the Atlantic.  I recently bought it for him, but I didn't think he'd be ready to devour it for a few years.  He finished his giant Imponderables book and started in on it right away.  (Thanks to The Corner Book Shoppe and aunt Amanda, more Winchester is on the way.  Shh. . . don't tell!) 

Speaking of which, I must read more.  Maybe Atlantic after Landen is finished!

Pinterest is Not Evil :o)

As you know, it took me awhile to jump on the Pinterest bandwagon. 
But, I am here to report that it is NOT evil. :o)  I just didn't understand it before.  And, as long as you follow the "all things in moderation" rule and don't abandon your family to fill up your boards, it can be a very useful tool in keeping house and family altogther! 
Our family just enjoyed a most fantastic weekend with aunt Angela and cousins Carter and Lily.  While they were here, we tried two Pinterest recipes with yummy results!

The first was peanut butter and chocolate covered Fritos.  Pour a bag of Fritos in a baking pan (9x13 or larger), mix up a peanut butter/sugar/corn syrup combo and prepare it on the stovetop as you would for Scotcheroo bars.  Pour this over the Fritos with mini chocolate chips.  Yum, yum, yum.  Pinterest is not evil, but this recipe kinda is. :o)

We also tried the Baked Cheese Balls by cutting up string cheese, dipping the pieces in milk, and rolling them in seasoned breadcrumbs.  We baked them on a cookie sheet at 425 for 8-10 minutes.  Our attention was diverted at the end (we did have 6 kids running around), so they ended up melted.  But, as Grandma Shirley always says, "It will still taste good!"  And they did.  Last night David requested them again.  I used cut up pepper jack cheese and panko bread crumbs.  Not accounting for a different type of cheese, different position of the oven rack, etc., I didn't keep a close eye on them.  They were melted, but still yummy.  I ate my melted crunchy cheese puddles as a topping on the fish I was eating.  I think there may be a new recipe idea there . . . .

Maybe I'll have to pin it!

Cart Contents

You can tell a lot about a shopper by his or her cart contents.  Once in awhile the cashier will even comment on mine.
"You must be making tacos tonight."
"That's a hungry baby you've got!"
I didn't receive any comments yesterday, but my cart sure warranted one.
I had fruit, vegetables, milk, baby snacks, 3 bottles of vodka and a bottle of amaretto (for David).
I think my cart said, "I am a mom and this is how I get through the day." 

I am starting a 2013 batch of vanilla to have ready by Christmas. I had the vanilla beans, but no vodka for them to swim in. 
I got home with just about enough time to drop off the groceries to their appropriate rooms and skedaddle off to pick up Landen from basketball practice and continue onto Religious Ed with the boys.  I left the bottles on top of the deep freezer in their bag.
When I got home, Teresa did an experiment to see what happens when you raise the freezer door while there is something on top of it.  The bag and its contents slid to the floor behind the freezer, and knowing the length of my arms and how much fun it was going to be to get them out, I was not too happy about it.
David came downstairs to find me on my stomach on top of the freezer, reaching with all my might and coming up with one liquor bottle after another. 
He didn't buy my vanilla making plan. 
I have to say, that is the most effort I have ever gone through for a bottle of vodka in my life!
I'm sure he would have done the same thing for his amaretto. :o)

A Reluctant Reformed List Maker

When I was in high school and college, I had my planner with me all of the time.  When I was a teacher, I had my book of lesson plans and another planner to keep everything straight.
For some reason, when I became a stay at home mom, I fell off the list/planner wagon.
I thought about it once in awhile, but for one reason, writing a list would take time and I didn't have time to blow my nose, much less put pen to paper. 
Well, I decided to give it another try and I have to say I am a believer in lists once again.
It started last week when my copy editing job picked up a bit and I had to--gasp!--budget my time!  (I'm not complaining, just saying.) 
Fridays are now my unpredictable work days.  It is still pretty flexible, but I need to plan on 1/2 to 4+ hours of editing time on those days. 
{Welcome to the world of journalism, Laura.  You can't plan ahead and you can't work ahead.  You do the work when the stories come in . . . and they won't always come in when you expect or want them to!  This unpredictability is a main reason why I hadn't ventured into the world of journalism prior to this.  But, it's good for me.  Knocks me out of my comfort zone just a bit.  I'll adjust.  I've already learned a lot and am thankful to the editor for her patience with me these first weeks!}
Oh, where was I?  Yes, lists.
I now start my day with a list.  It's not anything pretty--just a list of things I want to get done.  It can be anything from ordering something for church online to dusting the living room. 
When you are a wife, mom, or woman at all, it seems we can do a lot of stuff in a day and then look back and think, "What did I do?"  Now I look at my crossed-off list and see that, yes, even though the toilet looks pretty ugly at the end of the day, I really did scrub it at the beginning of the day.  It wasn't just in my imagination!  I really DO accomplish some things around here!
What's next for today?  Teaching Rachel to not jab her little pointy fingers up my nostrils.  Ouch.

Kids in the Kitchen--LOVE!

Let me clarify, kids in the kitchen who are fighting, chasing each other . . . I don't love that so much.
BUT--if they are cooking, well, that I LOVE!

Landen and Nathan have both taken a turn making Microwave Apple Crisp.  All I have to do is peel/core the apples and take the finished product out of the microwave at the end of our meal!
You can find a photo of the finished product on www.allrecipes.com.  (Blogger is not letting me upload photos . . . grrrr.)

Microwave Apple Crisp

4 large apples, peeled, cored, and sliced
1/2 cup butter, melted
3/4 cup brown sugar
3/4 cup quick cooking oats
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp allspice
1/2 tsp nutmeg (just because I love nutmeg with my apples)

Spread apples evenly in a lightly greased 8 inch square pan or a glass pie plate.  In a medium bowl, mix together the remaining ingredients and spread over the apples.  Microwave on high for 10-12 minutes or until apples are tender.
Serve with whipped cream or ice cream on top.

Happy Birthday, Luke.

I can't listen to this song without thinking of our dear nephew and cousin Luke.  I am not home yet, but HE IS! 
Happy Birthday, Luke.

Happy Year

It is usually around this time of year when I impart some type of profound wisdom upon my blog readers.  Here it is.  It is a lesson I learned from 2012 and I'm putting it here mostly to remind myself in case I forget. 

 

When you stop trying to make everyone happy, everyone is happier--especially YOU.

 

I doesn't happen immediately.  At first, some people are going to be disappointed or even angry with you, but once they know where you stand, all of that will turn to respect (or maybe just a quiet withdrawl from your social circle, which is OK, too.)

 

There you have it--my wisdom for the year. 

Have a happy one!

 

Taco Meat Loaf

I am terrible at meal planning--and coupons, too--but that is another post. 
I just can't plan a week, or six hours, ahead of time what I am going to want to eat for supper.  Just ask my kids.  They will still ask me at breakfast time what we are going to have for supper, as if I had become a meal planner since the previous inquiry.  Unless I have something going in the crock pot to cook all day, my answer is, "I don't know yet!"  I just can't live under that kind of structure. I don't want to be hungry for tacos, only to have salmon on that day's menu.   Thankfully, being at home and having a freezer that always full of beef, and now pork, chicken, and seafood options, allows this flexibility so I don't have to. 
Yesterday I was hungry for meat loaf and tacos.  Why not combine the two?  I found a recipe on cooks.com and tweaked it a bit to fit our family.

Taco Meat Loaf
2 lbs. ground beef (or ground meat of your choice, but we always have 2,000 lbs of ground beef in our freezer)
2 8 oz. cans tomato sauce*
2/3 cup crushed tortilla chips
1/2 medium onion
2 pkg taco seasoning

Mix all ingredients together and put into two 8 inch pans.  (I use Pyrex pie plates for my meat loaf.)  Bake at 350 for about 30 minutes.  Eat one and freeze the other for next time you are hungry for meatloaf and tacos!
I served this with corn, sour cream, and instant brown rice.  Mmmmm.

*I found Rotel tomato and green chile sauce today and I will try that the next time I make this!

Alfredo Light

Tis the season to put the sugar cookies away, hop back on our treadmills, and make changes for the better.  Here's a recipe I recently tried that might help you do just that.  I actually was searching for a full-fat version (a girl doesn't have to be good ALL of the time!), but this recipe was at the top of the list so I decided to give it a try. 
I used penne regate for the pasta instead of the usual fettuccine and it was delish.  Rachel could not get enough of it  and ate it happily for three meals!  (I think we have a carb lover on our hands--another good German girl!) 
I served the veggies on the side, but as the recipe says, you can boil them with the noodles to save on time and dirty dishes.

Alfredo Light

1/2 - 1 whole onion (I used 1/2)
1 clove garlic, minced
2 tsp vegetable oil
2 cups skim or 1% milk
1 cup chicken broth
1 T flour
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese (or more if you prefer)
16 oz. dry pasta of your choice

In a medium saucepan, heat oil over medium heat. Add onion and garlic, and saute until golden brown.  Add a little bit of chicken broth to this and then add the flour, salt and pepper.  Whisk this together and allow this mixture to cook for about 2 minutes over medium heat while stirring.  Then add the rest of the chicken broth and the milk slowly while stirring frequently.  (Add a little more each time it starts to thicken until all is used up.)  After the sauce has thickened, stir in the Parmesan cheese.
Meanwhile, cook pasta in boiling water. If desired, add broccoli to the pasta for the last several minutes of cooking. Continue cooking until the pasta is al dente.
Drain the pasta and vegetables, and transfer to a large bowl. Toss with sauce. Serve.

For more tips, techniques and a photo of this recipe, click here. *I adapted my method after reading the recipe reviews.  The method on the submitted recipe is a little different and may work better for you!

Little Miss Crafty Pants

Would you look at me go!

The kiddos give me a little wiggle room, I join Pinterest and my inner Little Miss Crafty Pants reemerges.

 

At some point during the Great Christmas Vacation Clean Out, I raided the old sweater drawer.  I had almost a whole drawer full of sweaters that I had promised myself I would wear again, but hadn't . . . in a few years. 

I had seen this idea in a magazine somewhere along the line, (it is also on Pinterest), so I put a few coordinating sweaters aside to give it a try. 

I went downstairs to my jar collection and found several of different sizes.  That was not a problem.  From all of the jars I have hoarded in my basement, you would think that I canned a little more than just four pints of apple pie filling last fall.  At least some are now getting used in a re purposed way! :o)

My favorite is the fish bowl I covered using the turtle neck of the light green sweater.  I used the sweater's bottom trim to add a little more dimension.  I hand sewed the sweaters around the bottom of the jars to keep the cut ends underneath, but they could be glued.
These only take minutes to do and would be a great kids' craft, too.
Happy Crafting!

Pages Turning

I'm liking this year so far.
A lot.
I can feel fun changes coming.

Last year was a year of annoying little not-so-fun changes.  First my favorite coffee shop friend Darcie sold her business left for the Hills with her family (I still can't believe she left me!), then our doctor that we loved and trusted for 11 years decided to leave for Sioux Falls (right after diagnosing Rachel), and then my hairdresser moved . . . but just down the block. 
If Stacy had left town, too, well that may have been the proverbial LAST straw.

But, this year feels different.  I felt it when I was shopping--by myself--last week.  I somehow dodged being nominated for What's Not to Wear these past 9 years and my goal is to make sure it doesn't happen!  I wouldn't be nominated for outdated, inappropriate, or outlandish attire (I don't think).  But, I did see one episode full of boring polo shirts and plain sweaters.  I saw myself and it scared me.  Yep.  Time to spice up the wardrobe a bit.  No longer do I have to plan ahead for baby spit up.  (Although Rachel never was a spitter, bless her perfect little baby heart.) 

Today I also learned about my new job assignment for Dakotafire and I am excited to get started on that tomorrow.  It will still be very part time, but more consistent every week.  I find it ironic how I've always loved reading small town newspapers.  I still subscribe to my hometown paper and I'm always one to sit down and read someone's local paper if it's lying around.  Even if I don't know a person in it, I always like to read the names, see who was nominated for the Homecoming court, who is celebrating an anniversary, who found themselves at the wrong end of a speeding ticket. . . . It's kind of weird, I know, but guess what??  Now my job is to take stories from several local papers, copy edit them, and post them to the web site.  Funny how little quirks turn into jobs sometimes. :)

I feel like I'm not JUST surviving anymore and it feels GREAT.  I'm enjoying it while it lasts.


Now. . . . after I get my work done tomorrow, who's up for a day of shopping and a cup of coffee?  I've reverted back to my college days and have become a Red Rooster customer again.  I love their artsy, eclectic vibe.  And they still do make the best cup of hot chocolate in Aberdeen!

Suitcase Shelves

These shelves are on their third display already, and I can't believe I haven't posted about them yet!  After I was so excited about my antique suitcase find last summer (for which I have purchased antique table legs), my friend Rose brought several suitcases from her dad's house! 

This cream colored one was my favorite of the bunch.  It had an angled top, so it wouldn't work for a table, but I KNEW it had potential.  It even still had a piece of an old paper luggage tag attached to it, really cute tan houndstooth lining, and those two neat straps to clip things to. 

Then it hit me--I could turn it into shelves! 

I couldn't get it to come apart, so I had David grind off the hinges for me. I'm not afraid to admit what is a man's job. :) 

Then, I simply nailed the two halves to the wall and filled it with stuff.

Easy as that!

The fall display really was my favorite, but I was a little bit busy last fall and failed to get a picture.  Forgive me. :)  On that one, I used mini clothespins from an office supply aisle to clip leaves to the straps.

 

 I love "junk" decorating which turns old unused things into something new and different!  I'm happy to give this suitcase new life in our home. :)

 

The Best Christmas Vacation Ever

A few years ago, when the big 3 were little and drew a closer resemblance to three fighting cats than my adorable children during their waking hours, I came across a sign that read,

 

"There is harmony in our home." 

 

HA!  Nothing could have been farther from the truth.  Complete chaos?  Perhaps.  Constant discord?  Closer.  Harmony????  Not even a little.

 

But, then came Christmas Vacation 2012-13.

 

We did have a "nightmarish" start to our vacation, but things took a turn for the better soon after that.  In the end, there was so singing around the EdenPure, that is true, but Nathan and Teresa did have many heated discussions over whose turn it was to stand in front of it.  (We actually have two heaters, but what fun is that??) 

That really wasn't part of the harmony, but stick with me . . . .

The BEST part of this break was that the kids' vacation was an "old school" one.  It all started with the bunk beds and creating a new space for themselves.  That excitement really has radiated through the entire time as they find new places to put their things.  The boys used up all of my nails hanging pictures.  Only my boys use nails to hang up a sheet of paper, but I noticed that a bit too late.  Oh, well.  The holes will paint over if we ever need to!  

The next day Nathan found the Nerf guns in the toy room that they hadn't played with all year.  That fun lasted at least two days (except for poor Teresa--she was often the hunted animal). 

After the smaller toy room had been cleaned out, Landen found a stack of unopened blank cassette tapes and they all started recording their voices on my old tape recorder (that I once received from Santa many, many years ago) and giggling at themselves. 

They did play Wii and watch TV, but it was minimal and they didn't even really ask for it. 

Today I overheard Landen say, "Nathan, please move off my chair."

Who are these children????  I don't know, but I like it A LOT!

 

It seems maybe we have entered a new stage in our family dynamic.  A more independent stage.  A "use your words instead of your fist" stage. 

Even if it's temporary, it's one I have been looking forward to. 

 

These past weeks were like being on vacation, a true "stay-cation," I suppose. 

But, you always want to end your vacation before it gets old.

We are ready to take on school tomorrow!

 

 

P.S.  Landen's bus driver (also our neighbor Camille) found the lost gift card.  No more living nightmare for him . . . for now!