31st January, 2008
I finished a book. And I’d recommend it (the book, but yeah, finishing it too).
It had been so long since I had actually read to the end of a non fiction book that I was beginning to think I was just physically incapable of doing so. It was my lot. My thorn. My inescapable destiny.
But not anymore! I actually read an entire book!
And it was good.
Who knew you could read a whole book and live to blog about it?
It’s called Passionate Housewives Desperate for God by Jennie Chancey and Stacy McDonald (it’s in my sidebar). OK, I can’t stand the title, it does the book no justice at all. I wish it were something else like The Blessing of Motherhood or or You Think You’re Job Is Hard, Try Motherhood On For A While or Just Read This Book – almost anything but the title it actually is. But I digress. I just had to grow up and get past it. If you can do that too, I don’t think you’ll be disappointed. Growing up is actually fun (and the book is a great blessing too)!
It inspired me in my calling as a mother and reminded me of what the scriptures teach about motherhood. It reminded me that my job truly is a blessing and is of high importance to God, to my husband, to my children, to the church and to society. In short (I love to say that after it’s clearly taken eons to get to the place where I ironically use it), this was a great book. I’d highly recommend it!
So go buy it OK?
It’s worth the read from beginning to end.
Posted at 4:45 pm | Comment (1)
29th January, 2008
Best Brownies
I got this recipe from here. They are YUMMY! My kiddos loved em!
The only thing I had to tweak was the frosting. It was very crumbly and dry with the original recipe, so I added some milk. One of the reviewers on allrecipes said they melt the butter instead of use it softened.
This is the recipe how I made it:
Best Brownies
INGREDIENTS
- 1/2 cup butter
- 1 cup white sugar
- 2 eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
Frosting:
- 3 tablespoons butter, softened
- 3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 cup confectioners’ sugar
- About 2-3T. of milk for consistency
DIRECTIONS
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease and flour an 8 inch square pan.
- In a large saucepan, melt 1/2 cup butter. Remove from heat, and stir in sugar, eggs, and 1 teaspoon vanilla. Beat in 1/3 cup cocoa, 1/2 cup flour, salt, and baking powder. Spread batter into prepared pan.
- Bake in preheated oven for 20 to 25 minutes. Do not overcook.
- To Make Frosting: Combine 3 tablespoons butter, 3 tablespoons cocoa, 1 tablespoon honey, 1 teaspoon vanilla, 1 cup confectioners’ sugar and 2-3T’s of milk (to desired consistency). Frost brownies while they are still warm.
Enjoy!
Posted at 1:37 pm | Comments (2)
28th January, 2008
Ian’s “school” time
Because brilliancy needs an outlet,
and cuteness needs to be captured.
Posted at 10:39 pm | Comment (1)
23rd January, 2008
Easy Overnight French Toast
One of my goals last fall was to move from cold cereal virtually every morning and start making more hearty and healthy breakfasts.
Not being the kind of mom who likes to wake up at 6am to whip up some freshly cooked eggs, bacon and whole wheat sprouted green tea infused flaxseed studded bran muffins, I got busy gathering recipes I could prepare the night before and just pop in the oven in the morning.
I’ve found several we like and make regularly, including steel oats in the crock pot (the crock pot is the best kitchen gadget invented, hands down, except for maybe the coffee maker), baked oatmeal, sausage egg casserole, and our favorite, overnight french toast.
Overnight French Toast
1/2 cup butter (Don’t try to use less because it won’t taste the same – trust me)
1 cup brown sugar (Or more if you want)
2 tsp. cinnamon
12 slices of bread (If you have a Trader Joes near you, their Honey Whole Wheat bread is perfect for this – it’s not sprouty or chewy but definately naturally “dry” which works GREAT for french toast! Healthy too! Just remember though, the bread has NO shelf life, speaking from experience, so if you get it, pop it in your freezer for later or in the fridge if you plan to use it within a few days.)
9 eggs
2 cups of milk (Any range of fatness you prefer)
Melt the butter in the microwave or stovetop. Add the brown sugar and stir. Spread evenly in 9×13 dish. Layer the bread on top, breaking pieces to fit the pan when needed. Beat the eggs and milk then pour on top slowly, covering all the top pieces with liquid. Sprinkle the top with cinnamon. Cover and refrigerate overnight.
Next morning, preheat the oven for 350*. Remove cover and bake for 40-50 minutes until done.
When done, flip dish over onto another 9×13 or larger dish, or long plate. The sugar and butter caramelize and serve as the topping.
This recipe is so yummy and filling! Enjoy!
For more ideas, check out Rocks in My Dryer.
Posted at 7:26 am | Comments (5)
15th January, 2008
How to make a cheap and sturdy bulletin board
If you ever checked into purchasing a large, classroom size bulletin board, then you know they aren’t cheap! Woah Nelly! We’re talking a hundred dollars and up for about a 4′x8′ size. I had hoped to get one second hand from a school sale, but never figured out how to get in on those.
So hubby came up with this fantastic idea (that was actually his bosses idea) that’s both SUPER inexpensive and works great!
First he got some drywall. Drywall is very cheap and easy to push tacks into. The only drawback is the weight – it is heavier than cork, but unless you have aluminum siding walls, it shouldn’t be a problem. We actually had two small pieces leftover from a bathroom remodel my husband did! When put side by side (see pics below) they are approximately 2 1/3′ H x 3 3/4′ L.You can buy drywall at Home Depot or any other building supplies store. They come in a few different sizes and can be cut to the specs you desire (which is another plus of the do-it-yourself board!).
Next we bought a few yards of burlap to cover it. You could really use any light cotton type fabric, but burlap is godd because it hides tack holes and doesn’t “fray” like other fabrics. In fact, when I was googling for price comparisons of homemade to store bought boards, I ran across this site that sells burlap covered bulletin boards! HA!
To secure the burlap to the drywall, hubby cut it to the size we needed and stretched it over tightly. Then he stapled it (with a staple gun, not a desk stapler) securely to the back, being careful not to allow bunching so that the panel will hang flush.
Then he screwed it into the wall at four points (you can see them in the pics) in order to secure it, along with the second panel alongside it, and wala! Bulletin board!
A good, sturdy bulletin board similar in size can cost as much as $200. That doesn’t include tax or shipping costs! The one we made was approximately $15 for the drywall and another $5 for the burlap.
Isn’t that cool?!
O.K. here’s how it looks with nothing on it (forgive me for the poor picture quality).
I had just taken our easy, peasy and somewhat cheesy Jesse Trees and winter “decor”.
Closer up (ahhh….burlap…..such a “modest” board…..hehehe).
And size perspective.
Please let me know if you make one – I’d love to see pictures of it!
For other great ideas, head on over to Rocks in My Dryer!
Posted at 10:10 pm | Comments (5)
15th January, 2008
Nothing like a tent and a good book
Listening to Grandma S read “I Love You This Much” on tape
while enjoying the new tent from Grandma J.
Grandmas are a blessing!
And grandpas aren’t too bad either. ;)
Posted at 10:16 am | Comment (0)
14th January, 2008
Have routine, will change it
I think I’m suffering from writer’s block. It’s preferable to losing brain cells, though I’m sure that’s the more likely culprit.
In either case, I’m posting our recent schedule change (#4,478) because, well, it’s our daily routine and who wouldn’t be fascinated by it? I know I spend hours just staring at it in awe.
Daily Routine for M-Th
*******************************
8am Breakfast/Clean up/Morning routines completed
9-10:40am Morning Session
Devotion time (20)
Hannah – Reading, Emma – Math & Copywork, I have time with Ian (20)
Hannah – English, Emma plays with Ian, I get a chore done (20)
Read aloud time on the couch with everyone (20)
Hannah – Latin, Emma – Phonics, Ian has quiet activity nearby (20)
10:40 – 11 Short Break
11-12:20 Mid morning Session
Hannah – Piano, I have literature time with Emma and Ian nearby (20)
Hannah – Piano workbook/Cursive, Emma – Piano, I have time with Ian (20)
Hannah – Math, Emma – Piano workbook and free time, Ian in roomtime (30)
12:20-2pm Lunch, chores, active play
2pm – Ian’s nap
Hannah – Spelling (10)
Hannah, Emma and I do History or Science learning (30)
Hannah – Quiet reading, Emma – Quiet reading, Exercise for me (30)
3-4pm Enrichment time
Projects
Handicrafts
Art
Games
Computer
DVD/VHS
Service
Letter writing
Play
Now, for Enrichment time, we don’t do all those things on a daily basis (I’m not insane). They’re ideas (and like most ideas, they tend to remain in the idea stage, but they sure look nice on paper, don’t they?).
Oh, and the number in parentheses is approximate time we aim to spend on each subject. Sometimes it’s more, sometimes less. All depends.
Next week, I’ll post routine revision #4,479 because frankly, historically, experientially, prophetically, and realistically speaking, I’m much better at making schedules than I am at being able to implement them.
Posted at 7:09 pm | Comments (4)
12th January, 2008
It’s Kiersten’s fault
Yesterday my girls “rediscovered” their My Little Pony ponies, castle, candy shoppe, accessories etc. etc. etc. and happily played with them for much of the afternoon.
It really was quite an elaborate set up. I should have taken a picture of it.
So, during a conversation amongst ponies, Hannah’s announced, “I’m going to go get my hair cut at the Saloon.”
Stifling a chuckle, hubby says, “Salon“.
I guess when you make a dish like Kiersten’s Saloon Beef, it shouldn’t be suprising that Little Ponies begin having their manes styled at the local tavern.
Posted at 8:19 am | Comment (0)
9th January, 2008
The Irish Cure
Today was one of those days where I repeated “This too shall pass” to myself more than once. I was ready to call it a day by 10:30am, and I didn’t even crawl out of bed until 8.
So by the time evening arrived, I decided to break out the sure cure for the bad day blues.
The Chieftans.
This band is awesome! You simply cannot listen this CD without breaking out in your own square dance and knee slapping party!
My girls, who have publicly declared their undying love of Irish music ever since were jumping around gleefully when my oldest, Hannah shouts,
“Turn up the VALIUM!!!”
And oddly, right then and there, my entire day was summed up in the sentence of a 9 year old.
Posted at 8:58 pm | Comments (3)
8th January, 2008
My son the Ant Killer
I loathe ants. I mean LOATHE. It’s totally irrational I know, but whenever they get inside our house (which is often here in Antville, CA, and anyone you talk to who lives here will tell you that there is no doubt we dwell atop the ”China” of the world’s ant population here), it takes everything in me not to freak out on the spot. It’s not because they make me squeam or elicit terror in the very pit of my soul the way big spiders or snakes do. Ants are actually pretty cool little creatures. It’s just that IN MY HOUSE, I cannot handle them. The mess, the constant stray ant after you’ve sprayed an entire bottle of Windex on them and wiped them up, for the eleventh time that day, the feeling that they will never go away for good because somehow, some say, they always find their way back in eventually, no matter what lengths you go to. It’s the realization that they will just KEEP. COMING. BACK.
Which is why I am so pleased with my son.
He just gets right down to business and won’t let those mean old ants keep threatening mommy’s already precarious sanity.
And what’s even better about that is that this is the same child who just today refused to go back in his room because he saw a piece of lint on the floor near his train track and thought it was a spider.
And no amount of showing him or rationally explaining to him that it wasn’t a “pider” would convince him otherwise.
He’s also the same child that literally had a panic attack when he saw a tiny GNAT on the OUTSIDE of the kitchen window while we were eating lunch a week ago.
He screamed, cried and flailed uncontrollably all through lunch because of it. I kid you not.
But ants?
Not a problem.
Even smashed ones on his shirt.
This is a boy who knows how to make his mama proud.
Posted at 2:41 pm | Comments (7)
