Oy Tannenbaum

For years we had an artificial Christmas tree, and I was fine with that, except that it shed more than a real one, and was a pain in the tuckus to put together each year. When it finally bit the dust a few years back, we decided to buy real ones from then on. It is a tradition in my family to pick it up the Sunday after Thanksgiving. Every year though, we end up with a tree that is wayyyy too big for our house. Last year's giant, unfolded not unlike the Christmas tree from the National Lampoons Christmas movie, knocking things over, and spreading it's limbs like Virginia creeper into the crevices in my piano. The giant killer trees come with their own set of challenges, like falling over if you look at them wrong, and breaking nearly all of the ornaments we own when they do fall over. In the last 3 years we have lost over half of our ornaments.We bought a huge base last year in hopes of keeping it upright (after our tree had already fallen over twice).


This year we decided that a smaller tree would be best (along with origami ornaments). We wanted something less than 7 feet tall, and less than 8 feet in diameter. We checked our local home improvement store first, but their trees were a little sad looking, and reminded me of Charlie Brown's pathetic little tree. So we went to our traditional lot, run by our local Lions club. I like balsam firs, my husband likes anything under $30, which means they are usually pretty ugly. Since I am the one who has to decorate it, my choice won. We found one that was just about 6 1/2 feet tall, and maybe 4 feet in diameter, all in all a pretty great tree.


Usually we have to haul the tree to the car by ourselves, but we had just come from our annual family portrait sitting, so we were dressed up. We got the royal treatment, they wouldn't even let us handle it for fear of us getting sap on our fancy duds. The young men working the lot, trimmed the trunk, clipped off the bottom branches so I could use them to decorate with, and rigged our tree to the top of our van. We were on our merry little way before you could say Jack Frost.


We live about 7 minutes from the Christmas tree lot, and since my husband was driving I decided to check the messages on my phone. I had gotten a text informing me of the birth of my newest nephew. It came with a picture, so of course I had to text back and congratulate the proud parents. I was very excited, and had just announced to the kids that they had a new cousin when we pulled into our driveway. My husband opened the garage, and started to pull in when we heard a loud "THWAK CRUNCH". We looked at each other puzzled, then realized at the exact same moment that it was the tree crunching into the garage! In the excitement of learning of our newest little relation, we had completely forgotten about the tree.


We jumped out to assess the damage, the top of the car was a little scratched up but nothing major, there were some dents and gouges just above the garage door, easily fixed by some wood putty, our beloved tree? About 18 inches shorter than when we bought it. Nothing that couldn't be salvaged, I was just hoping for one that would be taller than me. the upside is that I don't need a step stool to decorate it . The downside is that I have an excess of lights now. Good thing we wanted a small tree right?

Keeping up with the Jones's

Last Halloween my youngest child dressed up as a magician, not because he wanted to particularly, but because the costume (and it was elaborate) was on sale for about $11 at my local Costco. It was adorable and he actually loved it once he got used to the idea. But he let me know that what he really wanted to be was Indiana Jones. I told that I would do my best to make him Indy for the next Halloween.


Since that time not a week has gone by that he hasn’t dressed up in his own version of Indian Jones in anticipation for this year’s candy laden holiday. He dons head to toe brown clothes, including socks and shoes. We had to hide the braided leather belts, because he was using them as whips. He also loves the Lego version of the Indiana jones video game.

So in the meantime, I have been doggedly pursuing the elements of the perfect Indiana Jones costume. I found the brown pants, the brown shoes, and the shirt he wore, and even by a stroke of luck found an Indy hat at the craft store. I plan on making him a whip out of braided brown material, in hopes that he can’t hurt anyone with it. He even chose a blue skull Halloween bucket because apparently in the latest movie, there was a blue Crystal skull. I was thinking I had gotten everything my pint sized Indy would need, then my son asked about his jacket. I had been looking for the past year for just such a jacket with no luck. I tried to convince him that Indiana spent plenty of time sans leather Jacket. I found pictures online of Indie in action in just his shirt and pants, no jacket, to prove my point. But my Indy Devotee was not buying it.

So, I started looking for suitable material that could be made into faux leather for the jacket, (which really is saying a lot, because sewing clothes is my least favorite thing to do, give me curtains any day!)I had no luck.  I looked online, even deciding that purchasing a tan canvas jacket might do the trick, but was having no luck finding anything remotely close. And then, I was wandering through the toddler section of my local target, when I spotted it, the perfect accessory to my little guys dream costume. A pleather jacket in brown, and even though he is technically a small in the boys department, their 5T fit him (may even get another full years wear out of it). I bought it for him (it was even a reasonable price). He tried it on, proceeded to run around the store yelling “Yippee!” I proclaimed him the best Indiana Jones in History, and he was happy.

I had succeeded in making my little mans perfect wish come true; he was going to be exactly what he wanted for Halloween. I was even starting to relax a bit, and congratulate myself for getting costumes ready so early (the resident punk rocker and ninja were much easier costumes to procure). Then yesterday he asked his favorite question; “When is Halloween going to be here?” I told him it was in just a few weeks. He replied: “Cool, I am going to be Iron Man this year.”

Making my cake and eating it too

Last week I attended my first cake decorating class. I was so excited to go, and I actually learned a few new tricks (ok one is to help you smooth out a cake, and let me tell you, I wish I had known about it like 5 years ago when I was up literally all night making my friends daughters wedding cake, it would have taken me maybe an hour, instead of over 6 to smooth it).


The class was filled with the usual suspects, everyone from housewives, to professionals in the wedding business looking to expand their products. There was even one guy who works in two bakeries, and it was almost as if he was there to try and trip up the teacher. He kept finishing her sentences (incorrectly I might add) and giving us the scientific reasons behind using the cake bands, etc… (ok I will admit, that part was cool). Anyway, I was digging everything until we got to the part about the frosting.

I make buttercream frosting with actual butter (go figure) and it is really, really good (I get asked for the recipe all the time) I use it for everything from frosting brownies to cakes to cookies. So when the Wilton instructor said we would be using shortening instead of butter (gag me with an off set spatula) I tried convincing her that butter was so much better, and that I do NOT eat trans fats in any form, she told me politely that if I wished to continue with the class, I would have to use the wilton method, which includes butter flavoring and merengue powder. So not wanting to waste my long awaited opportunity, I sucked it up and accepted the inevitable, shortening was going to be a part of my life for a few weeks (according to her, real butter frosting is really hard to work with. It is?? Not so much). Which brings me to my next realization; I would certainly not be wasting my home cooking skills by baking a cake from scratch, only to be covered in congealed vegetable oil. SO I am using a cake mix , which after learning how to bake my own scrumptious cakes, taste rather like play dough to me. Which brings me to the actual frosting in class, when she added the merengue powder, I thought it would be a benign little ingredient, but not so much. It made the frosting taste like, well eggs, and the texture was more like a royal icing than a butter cream.

We made a torted cake with our appetizing frosting and chocolate pudding for the filling. We actually got to eat the cake (ok it was sort of tasty), and then this week we will bring our own unfrosted cake and decorate it ourselves. Then she told us what we would need for the next class, and well it is a good thing that the class was around my birthday, because I told my husband to think of it all as a sort of late birthday gift, the supplies were pricey (I think I spent my Christmas money too). I had actually purchased the class kit years ago, so I thought I could use it, but now they teach using different techniques, so my stuff is obsolete (except for my tips) I ended up getting a new kit, plus a lazy Susan, merengue powder, a cake transporter and gobs of other things I will probably never use after the class). But with all of that, I am still excited to learn new things, and hopefully make wicked cool cake designs for my kids.

Now what to do with my cake from this week. Anyone want a play dough flavored cake covered in trans fats and eggs? Anyone? Anyone?

Guilt schmilt

Oh no you say? Two posts in one day? I know, I know, I don’t post for a month then all of a sudden I have diarrhea of the computer. Well actually I wrote my earlier post days ago, but blogger wouldn’t let me post it, so I had to let it chill for a while, then lo and behold it let me post today, so I figured I would strike while the iron was hot.


I just thought I would update all on my earlier declarations of resolutions. I have officially and finally signed up for cake decorating classes and they start next week. Well the first one at least, we will be out of town for part of July so I will have to do the second course some time later in the fall, but at least I am whetting my whistle and taking that first step. I am super excited to learn techniques that will hopefully save me hours while decorating cakes and cupcakes.

I wonder sometimes if pursuing the art of cake decorating is frivolous, but then I think, I deserve to do something frivolous in my life. Usually it is filled with the needs and wants of others, so I am ignoring the niggling’s of guilt that are starting to creep in, and am planning to enjoy myself thoroughly.

Also I am going to my first official concert in 14 years; there will be dozens of bands, so it should make up for the dry years. This also at first brought on feelings of guilt, I almost cancelled because my poor husband has to take my boys to a charity bowling event for my sons teachers child,(did you catch all of that?) but then I realized that basically he gets to do something fun with his boys, and he hardly gets a chance to do that so again I am choosing to ignore the guilt, and plan to have a fantastic time, and guilt be damned!

Schools out for summer (almost)

It is the end of the school year around these parts (squeal!) And time to think of the ever pressing problem plaguing our nation today, what to buy my children’s teachers? I have 4 kids, and this is the first year that they have all been in school, so I have a lot of gift buying or making to do.

A friend called me the other day and asked for teacher gift ideas, and I shared a few gifts I have done in the past. Some successful some, well, you’ll see.

I love baskets, and things that go in baskets. If my husband ever wants to win brownie points, he just has to assemble a few of my favorite things toss them in a basket, and I am happier than a kid at Christmas. So I love to give gift baskets, hoping the recipient will be at least half as thrilled as I am to give it. One year I bought small pots and seeds for herbs you would typically eat on a pizza, found some red checked napkins, and put boxed pizza dough in it, and some pizza sauce and shelf stable pepperoni for a lovely dinner (3 or 4 months down the road). Another year, I made muffin mixes and homemade jam, that was a huge hit. Last year my kids and I went strawberry picking (in the rain) the Saturday before school was out, and picked over 20 lbs. of berries, then hurried home to make jam. The teachers loved it, and it was a neat way to spend time together. (We still have 2 jars left). I would in fact be using the same idea this year, but alas the berry farm is not available for picking until the 10th and we are out on the 8th. So we will get jam just not the teachers. A few years ago, I thought I would be so clever and make the teachers soaps. We added dried herbs, and soap scents. We made extra for my husband for fathers day. We carefully put the soap in a paper sack, and put it in the closet until the big day. When he unwrapped it we discovered that all the soap had turned black from the herbs!! I was very embarrassed, and even more so when my Son’s teacher sent us a gracious thank you note for the soap. Hopefully she used it before it went bad? I have also given out sugar cookie dough, with cookie cutters, and store bought icing, and sprinkles. And my favorite was homemade salsa I canned using veggies from my garden. (some of these were Christmas gifts)

But this year, I want to do something different, but also something affordable. I looked into making my own bath bombs but couldn’t find one of the ingredients. Then I thought about just giving Starbucks gift cards, but with all of the teachers, we are talking several hundred dollars. So I am doing a couple of different things.

My older two boys are in middle school, and normally I don’t do the middle school gift thing, but they have had such amazing teachers this year, that I feel it only appropriate to thank them for their dedication. So they will be easy, each one is getting a 9x9 cake pan with my “famous” crème de menthe brownies. And so far between the 2 boys the total is 10 teachers, yikes! I will be baking all day Sunday.

My third child has a teacher that one of my older boys had, so I already know that she loves nothing more in this world than diet coke, she will be getting a 2 liter of that, and possibly one of these babies, hopefully she likes cherry...

My youngest is in preschool, and this year two amazing ladies were courageous enough to drive the preschool bus. My youngest gets dropped off at the end of my driveway, and he has caused his share of problems on the bus, so these ladies should be commended for not turning tail and running. So they are definitely getting gifts as well, nothing too swanky, because I am on a budget, but something to say thank you for not strangling my child, and not drinking on the job. But I have to be careful with their gifts because my little guy has to tote them to school. So in all likelihood his teachers and bus drivers will be getting one of THESE. Well not those exactly, but cupcakes in a jar made by yours truly.

Now to find some jars...

Oh well...

Way back at the beginning of the year, I made a New Years resolution, well several of them, but one to get out of debt, and stay that way. We were doing well, 2 paid off cars, 11 paid off debts since January, and two more tackled by the end of May. I had a budget planned out until the end of June 2011, and then…


My car started making a knocking noise. I at first thought it was the brakes, or perhaps the rotors, so I had my husband look at it. It took him less than 2 minutes. He came in ashen faced to let me know our van was shot. The strut tower had rusted nearly clean through on the drivers’ side, and was maybe another winter from the passenger side being completely destroyed as well. The metal had become twisted under the hood, and we determined we were a mere pothole away from totaling the vehicle altogether. This was certainly distressing news because we had made plans. Plans that certainly did not include a car payment. But that is exactly what we ended up with. It may seem extreme to trade it in, but it had so many other problems that we were already saving up to fix, and impending repair charges were double what the van was worth.

We were practical, and went for the least expensive car, with the features we need for our family, (that wasn’t going to leave us high and dry in 4 years like our other van did). And by a stroke of luck, it just happens to be my dream car. Yes having a mini van as a dream car does sound s bit crazy, but if you have to drive one it should be one you love methinks.

I may have mentioned before, but I am likely losing one of my Jobs in the fall, which hampers the get-out-of-debt –quick scheme just a bit, but doesn’t derail it. This week my husband was given an opportunity to take a job in his company that they created with him in mind. Of course he is flattered, but it does not come with a pay raise, and he will have to drive 20 miles further each day, which of course means more money for gas. And we have no idea if this is a dead end position or if he can move up. Which really chaps my hide, because we moved here almost 8 years ago with a promise from the powers that be that he would get a promotion? It never happened, so we have just tried to make the best of it, but we were hoping it was going to happen this year. We talked about moving closer to my husbands’ new job, then found out our house value fell again, which means we won’t be selling anytime soon.

So I have concluded that the Universe is conspiring against my well laid plans, and clearly does not trust my judgment. It certainly has other ideas about what we should be doing with our lives. I suppose I could look at this as a wakeup call, but for what exactly I am not sure.

If I sound frustrated, it is only because I am. What is that saying? I can’t win for losing? Yes, I will still be proud of us paying off what we have thus far. And yes, the debt will get paid off, possibly 3 more this year, just not as quickly as I would like. And for this micromanaging chick, being in a state of flux is scary as hell. I suppose I just need to learn to go with the flow. For now, I will count my abundance of blessings, and tighten my belt even more. And be grateful for my family, the job I still have and my husbands as well.

Ah Easter. Another one has come and gone. This year was just more eventful than usual. I had planned a big ham dinner, with all the trimmings, homemade rolls with parmesan and garlic powder on the top. (My brother, who came up with them has dubbed them “crack” rolls because they are so addicting) raspberry cheesecake, salad, mashed potatoes, and of course my version of ambrosia salad. We were exhausted the night before, so the baskets didn’t get filled until late on Easter Morning. Then we discovered that the bacon I was going to use for breakfast had been used the night before for dinner (I totally thought that we had more bacon than we did). So it prompted us to have an impromptu breakfast at our favorite restaurant for breakfast. We got there around 10:00 am which was perfect because it was on the tail end of the breakfast rush. We had a cantankerous waiter, (I think this is because he saw 4 kids and assumed we would be bad tippers, what he didn’t know is that I am a generous tipper, and will tack on more if the wait staff goes above and beyond, which sadly he did not). Everything was simply amazing.


With our bellies full, we returned home to continue the Easter festivities. I hid eggs in the back yard for the kids, talked to my Mom for a while, and then the power went out. I started to panic just a bit because I was planning on starting the ham and rolls around 2:00, so we could eat by 4:30. Well, when I called our Electric Company, they informed me that we may not even have power until then. So we decided to actually do some spring cleaning, as it was still a beautiful albeit windy day outside (which of course is what knocked out the power in the first place). Thankfully the power was only out for an hour or so, which saved us from having fruit for dinner.

The ham was not quite warm enough. The potatoes that I had frozen earlier in the week, took an hour and a half to reheat using a double boiler. (Yep still have no microwave, and have no plans to replace it.) The rolls were fantastic however, and the foolproof ambrosia salad was very tasty. I forgot to chill the cider until the last minute so it was a little warm, and the cheesecake (a new recipe I was trying) had overcooked. But it was the time we spent together that was what made the day special.

We headed off to bed, congratulating ourselves on having a pretty great day despite the circumstances, when we heard the dryer making a horrible grinding/screeching noise (rather like nails on a chalkboard) it had been doing it off and on, but it had a new growl to it. I went to see if I could jiggle the drum, as it sometimes stops the noise. I then restarted the dryer with the door open, which alerted me to the fact that our dryer was arcing with each turn of the drum (this was responsible for the new noise. I turned off the dryer; in time to witness the heating element was turning on by itself! We unplugged it, to prevent a fire, then tackled it this morning, and luckily I am married to a very handy man, because he was able to discover that the ball bearing in the back had seized, due to lack of lubrication, and the plastic housing had melted over it creating friction (thus causing the unpleasant screeching noise). And when we were jiggling the drum, we had caught the back of it on the heating element, so with each turn; it was catching it and causing the arcing, and the element to start up on its own. We thoroughly cleaned the inside of the dryer, found evidence of small fires caused by errant lint (scary no?), he bought more lubricant for under $4 and put the whole thing back together, which now runs like a dream.

April fools

Happy April Fools, (4 days late). I planned on blogging that day, but we were still wading through mounds of laundry from our latest trip (yes we went on another one!) I love April fools day, my little family loves to think of things we can prank each other with each year. My running joke with my husband was that each year I would tell him that I was pregnant, and each year he fell for it. Well 5 years ago the joke was on me because I actually found out that day that I was pregnant with my youngest. Needless to say, knowing he was our last, my hubby went and had the surgery and I have been unable to prank him that way since. But I still have a fun tradition of making a prankster meal. I originally got the idea HERE. We have made the fake chicken nuggets, fake carrots and peas (although the kids weren’t fooled for a minute) The the fake lemonade, and fake cupcakes.


This year’s menu was pretend meatloaf, mashed potatoes, gravy and green beans. The trick is to then make the real thing as well. To make the “fake stuff” I made chocolate rice crispy treats and formed them into a loaf pan. Then I scooped vanilla ice cream topped with butterscotch caramel (for the mashed potatoes and gravy you could feasibly use a yellow starburst for a pat of butter, but I didn’t bother. Then for the green beans, I took the green part of multi colored fruit roll ups and rolled them up, then using a pizza cutter cut the ends, and they looked like the green beans. The kids actually thought I had given them the real thing!

The food revolution

So Sunday night, I was bone tired after being in the car for the better part of the day, and was ready to hit the hay at 9:00 pm, when I saw the show “Jamie Oliver, food revolution” was coming on. Good nutrition is sort of a passion of mine. I learn new things constantly, and then incorporate them into my family’s meals. But I have to admit that some times, more often than I care to admit, my kids will eat school lunches, or the occasional fast food meal. The school lunches are usually not too bad, but because of the socioeconomic state of my area, all of the schools in my area receive free breakfast, this is where my hackles go up. They serve things like margarine on “wheat” bread, which in my mind is like serving plastic on glue; the bread is as close to being wheat as I am to being Julia Roberts. It is brown this is true, but is really just a slightly darker version of wonder bread. And margarine, well I personally think margarine is up there with crack as far as how bad for you it is. Needless to say, it is not a popular breakfast. They also serve things like cereal bars, honey nut cheerios, trix, and golden graham bars, held together by marshmallows. Wow, really, let’s just inject sugar into their veins and call it good. Don’t get me wrong, I get that our school children need the food, for many kids the breakfast and lunches they eat at school, are the closest thing to nutritious food they will eat all day, and for far too many they are the only two meals they will get in a day. So I understand that the food program is important, but really do we have to feed them crap?


This is where Jamie Oliver comes in; the premise of the show is that he goes into the schools in Huntington West Virginia to change what the kids eat into something nutritious, and stripped of chemicals and additives. If you are not familiar with Jamie, he is also known as The naked chef, I at first thought that meant he cooked naked, but he actually is passionate about whole, real food, and teaches people how easy it really is to cook that way.

My kids of course, have eaten some of the food served at their schools, despite having had breakfast at home most of the time, but because of the stripped down way we eat as a family, they will often report a chemical taste when they have eaten the school breakfasts. Now I am not a complete NAZI as far as food goes, if you read my blog you know that I love to bake, and cook, and yes sometimes it is fun to have a treat, but I do my best to make it with fresh, or at the very least whole ingredients, and personally I would rather have one of my whole wheat brownies than any mix you could buy. And they are occasional treats, not a nightly or even weekly event.

Inspired by the food revolution show, my oldest son, who was entering a drawing for Google’s “Doodle for Google” decided to scrap his original idea of making the word Google be all sorts of various art elements, and instead decided to do a commentary on the school food. He is at an age where taking your own lunch to school is tantamount to kissing your Mother in public, so he buys most every day, but he makes the healthiest choices he can at school. He has seen Super Size me twice, and it really made an impression on him, so much so that he boycotted meat for nearly a year. He is also very aware of what he puts in his body, and is constantly asking about the nutritional value of various foods we eat. Of course like any teenager, he loves food, but he does his best to make the better food choice. He told me he is concerned about going into High School next year because of the things he has heard about the food. (In my high school we got served chic filet, and had a little Debbie station, delicious yes, good for you? Not so much). The upside is, he is open to taking left overs for next year, or at the very least packing his lunch, because the High schools have microwaves so you can warm up your own food.

My youngest little boy is in his first year of preschool, and we noticed some severe behavior problems when he started school, despite my efforts of feeding him a nutritious breakfast each morning, he was eating the school breakfast (they called it their snack) the preschool food menu was even more appalling than the older grades. They were serving things like sugary cereals, chocolate/chocolate chip muffins, and flavored milk. Finally after the umpteenth note home about his behavior, I told the teachers that under no circumstances were he to eat the school “snack”. I started packing him food that I find acceptable, and guess what? His behavior improved dramatically. It is tricky sometimes to send food in because he is a super picky eater, but we have managed to come to a compromise on what he loves and what I approve of.

My middle boys will more often than not take a homemade lunch. Yes they do get the occasional treat in their lunch, but again I do my best to make the healthier choices, like whole grain pretzels, or organic chips. Whole grain tortillas, made with canola oil, organic yogurts etc...

So back to the entire reason I wrote this, I hope Jamie Oliver succeeds, he is trying to change the way we feed our precious children in this country. He knows that most of what is served in school lunchrooms across the nation is worse than many fast food chains. And much of what is served in school cafeterias, most adults wouldn’t touch with a ten foot pole. A few of the points he brought up in Sunday nights show made me examine some of my habits a little more closely, and there is definitely room for improvement. I went to THIS site and “signed” the petition for change in our schools.

Do I feed my kids pizza? Yes I do, but it is usually the homemade variety, with fresh ingredients. I also give them chicken nuggets and French fries, but the nuggets are coated in whole wheat, and lightly “fried” in olive oil, the French fries are baked in the oven. I will get off my soap box in just a minute, I am just a girl who is trying to feed her family the best way she can, and yes it is on a budget. And I just think good nutrition should not be a luxury few can afford. It should be accessible to all who want it.

So with all that being said, I am making a renewed effort to feed my family with the freshest ingredients possible, with as much homemade as possible. I know I have gotten lax this past year, and have bought my share of preservative laden foods; even things that I, previous to Sunday thought were “healthier” because of the companies that made them. I was really inspired by the show, and am making my own pledge to give my kids bodies the best chances they have to grow and be healthy. Of course I won’t be perfect in this, but my goal is to, more often than not, make the better choices when it comes to feeding my family.

You can find more informaiton about the show HERE

Birthday bugs

Today we are celebrating round these parts. The little boy I tend turned 3 yesterday, and because he was home with his parents on his actual Birthday, we decided to have our own little celebration today because I will be out of town for his party. Making special cakes for my loved ones Birthdays is a personal tradition. Last week, I asked him what kind of cupcakes he wanted, and he said “Lady bugs!” He has been very interested in bugs and Dinosaurs for the last few months, personally I am glad he said ladybugs and not dinosaurs, those would be much trickier.


I had visions in my head of creating elaborate ladybugs with red and black frosting and black licorice rope, but it would be very time consuming, and most likely not turn out well. Then I decided to try making them out of gum drops and jelly beans. I figured that like their orange counterparts, that red gum drops would be uber popular. I would be wrong. So I had to settle for a small tub of assorted gumdrops. I did manage to find 13 red ones in it, then just tried to make other bugs with the different colors, after my first few other bug attempts, I gave up and just made different colored lady bugs. I did manage a terrible butterfly, and a mediocre spider, and a pathetic bee. Those disasters will get eaten by the kids, because all they care about is the sugar anyway.

Completely by coincidence, he is getting a ladybug game from me for his birthday. We have one and he LOVES it (which I suspect is why he chose ladybugs as the theme). That and one of those cool wooden block do-hickeys that are attached with rubber bands, to keep little hands occupied for hours. (I found it at the cracker barrel on my trip last weekend). Happy Birthday little friend!

Road tripping, and hurdles

Last weekend my family and I headed off for a road trip to Ohio to participate in my friends wedding. Never having been farther East than Chicago, I was nervous about the drive. I have had acute anxiety for about 15 years. It started when I was pregnant with my oldest child, and has never let up. I grind my teeth in my sleep as a result, and constantly have a surge of adrenaline coursing through me. You might imagine that this makes relaxing and sleeping difficult, it does indeed. It also prevents me from driving on certain roads, and to certain destinations. As a result of this, I have never even driven past O’Hare airport, even driving there has been an exercise in major self talk “ You will be fine, just breathe, relax, stay in the right lane…” etc... Exhausting!


Now recently, my anxiety levels have decreased dramatically, I am still under stress, in fact more now than ever, as I found out that I am losing one of our sources of income starting in June. Usually this would have me in a fine tizzy, but I have just taken it in stride. The only thing I can attribute it to is acupuncture. I told my Chiropractor about the relief from the stress, and he was surprised as well, but pleased none the less. Along with the absence of the anxiety has been the absence of the tightness in my throat (most likely a form of anxiety in itself). So eating and drinking has been comfortable again.

So that is why when my husband announced approx. 150 miles from home that I really needed to drive because his arm was completely asleep (he had pinched a nerve while driving). He announced this at a rest stop, as he headed to the bathrooms. I initially told him I couldn’t possibly handle it, feeling the familiar pricks of panic set in, then I remembered that the severe anxiety that had handicapped me for the last 15 years, was just a memory, only showing up when absolutely appropriate (like when I thought I had lost my cell phone on the trip, that has our navigation on it) So by the time he came back from the restroom, I told him that I would in fact be able to drive home.

After a quick potty break, I was ready; I put in some Bob Marley, because being able to sing to something familiar helps keep me calm. So off I headed, and surprise of all surprises, my anxiety only resurfaced when the brilliant driver in front of me cut off the Semi next to them, and nearly caused an accident.

My husband, bless him, kept his mouth shut about me being able to do it all along, we both know that wasn’t true, because I have had to pull over at exits and ordered him to drive before. Instead he just smiled each time I passed an exit that led to some attraction, I had previously been unable to drive to. I noted the different highways we traveled over, and asked him if this one led to the raceway, or to the zoo, or to six flags he just said “Yep” to which I replied “Huh? Who knew?” Certainly not me.

I have in the past taken baby steps towards being able to drive to Chicago, I have forced myself to drive through rush hour in Denver, and Salt Lake City, and a few other big cities while on trips, but since I actually lived in few of those cities, it was sort of like slipping on a comfortable pair of shoes. Chicago has been a whole different ball of wax for me. I can get there by train with little difficulty, but the traffic has always deterred me, or seriously made me a nervous wreck, even while being a passenger.

So does this mean I can drive to Downtown Chicago? I hope so, now driving through the actual city, well that is another matter altogether. But for now, I will hold on to this accomplishment like it is the blue ribbon in a bake off. It may seem small, but it is a HUGE accomplishment for me.

Happy St Patricks' day

I love St Patricks’ day, it always says spring to me. And it actually feels like spring here in my neck of the woods, which makes the day all the sweeter. Each year I look forward to corned beef and cabbage, with red potatoes, and sometimes I even make Irish soda bread, or biscuits. This year I will be doing neither, my kids really don’t like corned beef soup. At first they did, but eventually their taste for it dropped like flies. So this year I decided to make Reuben’s instead. I LOVE Reuben’s, they are perhaps my favorite of all the deli sandwiches, and since the kids aren’t huge fans of the holiday meat, I have NEVER made these tasty treats for them. I did however make them when I worked as a barista in Colorado, which is coincidently where I fell in love with them. And the kids agreed to try them this year, I have a feeling they will absolutely love them, if not more sauerkraut for me. (Plus they haven’t actually figured out that we are still having, a form of corned beef and cabbage.


One thing that will remain the same is the St Patty’s day dessert. If this holiday were to have an official dessert, I would hope it would be my family’s favorite; crème de menthe brownies. These little gems make me take the Lords name in vain, they are that good! The reason I believe these puppies are so tasty, is the layers on them. You start out with a standard brownie recipe (mine is called “the best brownies ever” recipe). Cook them according to directions, and then let them cool. While they are cooling, you make a luscious buttercream frosting and flavor it with peppermint, and color it green. You slather it on the cooled brownies (I like to make a layer as thick as the brownie itself) then you melt chocolate chips and butter together to make a sort of ganache, which you spread over the brownies. This you let set up for several hours till firm, or if you are completely impatient like me, you put the whole thing in the freezer for 30 minutes or so until firm, yes the chocolate will get a little white, but you will not care once you try one. Our family loves these so much, that they beg for them throughout the year, now usually when we have a special dessert for a specific holiday, I will not make it more than once a year, but these babies, have also earned a spotlight for Halloween as well. Only then I make orange flavored butter cream frosting, and of course use orange food coloring. They are divine either way.



Crème de menthe brownies

(Best brownies ever recipe)

3 eggs

2 C sugar

1 t vanilla

1C butter softened

1 ¼ C flour (I use whole wheat, but they taste great either way)

¾ C cocoa powder (I use half regular cocoa and half extra dark,. But they taste great either way)

1/2t baking powder

1/2 t salt

Melt butter and set aside. Beat eggs into a froth. Add sugar and vanilla. Beat until thick and light. Add butter, mix completely, then add rest of ingredients. Place in a 9x13 pan and bake at 350 for 30 minutes. (I take mine out a little before they are completely done for a softer edge). Let brownies cool until they are room temperature.



Crème de menthe frosting

1C butter softened

2t vanilla

3T milk

1 dash salt (about ¼ t)

Approx. 16 oz. bag powdered sugar

2t peppermint extract

Green food coloring,

Beat butter till light, add vanilla and powdered sugar, then milk and salt. Beat till light and fluffy then add peppermint extract. If frosting is too thick add ½ t milk at a time until desired texture is achieved. If frosting is too thin, then add ¼ C of powdered sugar at a time until favorable texture is reached. Frost cooled brownies.



Chocolate topping

1C chocolate chips (I use semi sweet)

6T butter

In small sauce pan melt together butter and chocolate chips until well blended. Spread over frosted brownies, smooth and let cool. (You can put the brownies in the freezer or fridge until the chocolate has set up). Enjoy!

Pi, Sponch, Canelitas, and blackmail, all in a days work

So Sunday was pi day. (As in π 3.1415926535…). My son mentioned that they would be celebrating at school on Monday, and that if he wanted he could bring in donuts for all the kids (because of their circular shape…). Ever thoughtful, he of course just figured 3 dozen donuts (yep have to buy for the teachers too, and of course a dozen is cheaper than individual donuts) would be like $5. When I broke it to him that each dozen is about $7, and it would be around $21 plus tax and really I couldn’t justify spending that much right now, he just sort of shrugged. I thought the matter was settled until last night that is.

So I get my acupuncture last night, I come home to find that my hubby has cleaned up and gotten the kids into jammies, and they are just killing 10 minutes till bedtime. Bedtime comes and goes, kids are snuggled in their beds when my thoughtful donut loving son comes out again… “Hey Mom, can I please bring in donuts tomorrow?”

Me, puzzled “Wasn’t today Pi celebration day?”

Thoughtful son “ Yeah, but only one kid brought in cookies, so the teacher said we have another chance to actually bring in something round for tomorrow, because we are extending the celebration”.

Me, resisting the urge to roll my eyes as I am wont to do “So you were supposed to bring in something round that is food? You were assigned to bring it in?”

Thoughtful son (by this time it is somewhere in the realm of way past his bedtime, and I have switched to a near vegetative state for the evening). “Yeah, Mr blahdee blah (name changed to protect the innocent) said we had to bring in round food… that is treat like. “ (He added that as I glanced at the mammoth Costco sized box of Ritz crackers sitting on the table).

Me “*Sigh* Ok bud, even if I have to make 3 dozen cookies tonight, I promise you that there will be something round to take to school tomorrow.” I was so not in the mood to bake.

As soon as he was in bed, my husband asked if he could play his video game that I abhor. Sure, when he asks, it makes me sound like some tyrannical husband from the 50’s but trust me, if he thought he could get away with it, he would only play video games, and give up work, family, sleeping and eating. Recently, he caught on that I don’t mind nearly as much if he plays, as long as he will do some of the dirty work around here, like I don’t know, picking up approx. 28-36 round food/treat type items for his very thoughtful son, and sweeping a floor or two, sure it is a sort of blackmail, but it works. Win/win.

Off he went to the little Mexican grocery store 2 blocks away (The closest “American” grocery is a few miles away). He came back with delicious looking Mexican, round vanilla cookies filled with pink marshmallow goo and rolled in coconut called sponch!, and another Mexican wafer type cookies covered in cinnamon and sugar, called canelitas. I called my very thoughtful son back out of bed, and asked him to choose, ‘cause Momma needed some sugar, so whichever the loser was, was getting in my belly. He, of course, chose the pink fluffy ones (who wouldn't want sponch)? So I opened the other ones, and to my delight they were simply amazing. They taste rather like a cinnamon shortbread (shortbread happens to be my favorite type of cookie) and they are super addicting. I kind of hope pi day gets s third term in office, momma needs more cookies.

Bribery?! You bet!

Mornings around here are usually pretty hectic, with 4 kids leaving for 4 different busses between 7:00 and 8:15 every morning, plus the 2 kids I tend, and getting everyone, dressed and out the door with homework, and lunches, and instruments is tricky enough, add to that children who are fighting, and it gets pretty hairy around here. I have been pondering for a while something that might motivate my children to have more consideration for one another and be nicer in general to everyone they encounter So the hectic mornings can at least be pleasant. I came up with an idea for a “Good Manners Jar” for each of my children.


The idea is sort of like a swear jar, but instead of paying when you swear, you get paid for showing kindness and consideration to others, and using good manners in general. The kids can also lose money for being unkind, or not using manners. They get whatever is in their jar at the end of the week. I am thinking a dime for each time I catch them using nice manners, and being kind, and subtracting a quarter for poor manners. I talked to them about it yesterday, and they all seemed very excited to earn the money, however being nice doesn’t altogether appeal to them, hence the need to use bribery. I know I feel more inclined to do my Job when I get a paycheck at the end of the week.

I also got another great idea from my eleven years old teachers. In his classes, they are learning about life skills, and the kids can earn pretend money for doing jobs. They first have to interview for the jobs, with the understanding that some jobs pay more than others. They also have to budget their pretend money and use it to pay for things like sharpening a pencil, free time, and bathroom privileges, free time, they even pay taxes! I am thinking of using a similar system for my kids, so they can earn TV time, computer and video game time, or just play time. (something they believe they are just entitled to, my Husband feels the same way, so I may have an uphill battle there) but I think it is such a great idea for them to have something tangible that they have to give up in order to get the payoff. I like the idea that it teaches them to budget as well. We have given them allowance since they were each about 4 years old for chores, but it has lost its appeal, as the kids think they should earn way more than they currently do, so it has led to apathy towards their tasks. So I think I will use the fake money idea that they can cash in for their privileges. I am also in love with the idea of interviewing them for each chore; I have my bets hedged as to which kid will choose what. I wonder if it works on husbands.

Beautiful Disaster

Video for Beautiful disaster


It’s not often that a song takes my breath away, but when it happens I sit up and take notice. I heard “Beautiful Disaster” today by Jon Mclaughlin. At first blush, I loved the melody, his voice, and the haunting way he was singing. So I decided to download it. In the course of doing so I actually listened to the lyrics, and then the chills began. The song is simply beautiful in every way.


It is about every girl who doesn’t fit in, who doesn’t think she is beautiful, and because she doesn’t look like the magazine images she is bombarded with, she feels she is worthless, and doing it all wrong. The song resonates with me because it could have been written about me as a young Woman; even in part (though I hate to admit it) myself a little bit now. Not a day goes by that I don’t think of some way to improve myself physically, or mentally beat myself up for not being the magazine standard.

So bravo to Mr. Jon Mclaughlin for having such a beautiful song, recognizing the real feelings of so many young women.



Beautiful Disaster

She loves her momma's lemonade

Hates the sound that goodbyes make

She prays one day she'll find someone to need her

She swears that there's no difference between the lies and compliments

It's all the same if everybody leaves her



And every magazine tells her she's not good enough

The pictures that she sees make her cry



She would change everything, everything, just ask her

Caught in the in between of beautiful disaster

She just needs someone to take her home



She's giving boys what they want

Tries to act so nonchalant

Afraid to see that she's lost her direction

She never stays the same for long

Assuming that she'll get it wrong

Perfect only in her imperfection



She's not a drama queen

She doesn't wanna feel this way

Only 17 and tired, yeah



She would change everything for happy ever after

Caught in the in between of beautiful disaster

She just needs someone to take her home



She's just the way she is

But no one's told her that's OK



She would change everything, everything, just ask her

Caught in the in between of beautiful disaster



She would change everything for happy ever after

Caught in the in between of beautiful disaster

She just needs someone to take her home

She just needs someone to take her home

A touch of red? Or a touch of Dead...

There was much flack to be had on my family’s blog regarding Vampires and the like, but that will not deter me from professing my love for the Sookie Stackhouse novels by Charlaine Harris. To say I LOVED these books would be putting it mildly. I crawled inside them and ate up every last morsel. I then watched the first season of True Blood from HBO. (based on said novels) It was pretty good, though not as good as the books. I am without any premium channels, but I really love many of the shows offered by Showtime and HBO. So my Netflix queue is frequently filled to the brim with various TV episodes (mostly from those 2 channels).


Back to topic. I wonder if Stephenie Meyer didn’t take a gander at the Sookie novels before trying her hand at her own series. There are certainly the similarities of the Vampires being cold and hard as stone, and their hatred of werewolves. And a female lead who is lusted after by any straight male who breathes. But the similarities end there. Charlaine paints a vivid picture that draws you into the small town southern life of a girl who is just a barmaid, and a telepath, and good at both. She has adventures, and sex, lots of it. Which to be honest makes them way, way better than the twilight books.

Sookie is a hot commodity, not only for her talent of reading minds, but for her pretty face, and rockin size 10 bod. Sadly in 9 books, she never figures out that when she wears a formal, there will be blood, lots of it, and it will ruin her ensemble. She has unfailingly good manners, which frankly are in short supply these days.

For the record, I am well aware that Bill Compton, and Eric Northman, like Edward Cullen, will never love me, but a girl can dream right?

No one mentioned there would be electricity

I went to my first acupuncture appointment today. I got over my silliness long enough to wear black (hides everything right?) yoga pants and a lovely rayon shirt, that sort of gracefully covered all of my trouble spot. I thought I was clever and wore thigh high socks, thinking he would be working just above the knee, but he actually had several needles up and down my calves, so I had to take them off anyway. (phooey).


I was a teensy bit late, because I also had my first counseling session this morning right beforehand. Luckily they are two doors apart in the same complex. I absolutely adore my new counselor; it will be a good fit for what I need. I told her about my wonderful Chiropractor, and she said she wants to try acupuncture as well, and has been looking for someone who performs it. We hit it off really well, and realized we had gone over our allotted time.

I ended up being about 10 minutes late for the acupuncture, and then had to change into my comfy pants. So I was all wound up. He had me lay down; I was thinking he would talk me through the procedure, not so much. He went straight to putting needles in my hands and forearms, then on to my ankles, knees and calves. He hit the wrong spot in my hand at first, so it started cramping, but he moved it. So far so good, just a little zing here and there and then… He started sorting through WIRES. I asked him what they were for, he said they were to produce a mild ELECTRICAL CHARGE!!?!! I laughed nervously and said “No really, what are they for?” He said “I am not kidding.” :: GULP:: I asked if it would hurt, he said it would tingle a little.

So he put the first wire on the needles on my left arm, not bad, then on the needles in my right arm, one fell out (twice!) He talked about the Yin and Yang of the wires and all that yada yada. I said “uh huh” Like I was not a total novice at this. Then he proceeded to attach them to my legs. So far so good. At this point I asked him why Electricity was necessary, and he said it sped up the process, and helped the needles do their job more efficiently. I told him I didn’t mind staying longer WITHOUT the wires, he just laughed. THEN he turned on the juice, and said “tell me when you feel it”. At this point I was so nervous, that I was completely tense. I started to feel it really strongly in my left leg, it felt like your limbs feel when they start to fall asleep, doesn’t hurt exactly just feels strange. He left the room for about five minutes, when the needle in my right arm fell out, I called for him and he fixed it, and put it a little farther in my arm, I am not going to lie, it hurt just a bit. Then I realized that my other tender spots had gone away, and I realized I had relaxed those parts of my body. So I relaxed my right arm and the discomfort went away. I lay there for about 20 minute’s total. Did I mention that all of the wires are connected, so one false move would be kind of painful and disastrous. (That is how the needle in my arm fell out the second time.) Overall it really wasn’t bad, I have another appointment for next Saturday, and this time I will be completely prepared for what to expect. At some point he will venture over to my face, but I won’t freak out about that just yet.

There was zero bleeding, that was nice (I wore all black just in case though). I could feel the blood flowing better during the treatment. So I survived my naked knees and feet being seen by another human. And I survived needles and electricity; All without a melt down of any sort. One down five more to go.

Naked knees? Not on your life!

I had been tossing the idea of acupuncture around for a while, when I got a phone call from my friend, who after a difficult time trying to get pregnant had succeeded, and she told me it was due to acupuncture! I congratulated her, and she told me it was kind of a miracle because according to her Doctors she was in Perimenopause, and her chances of getting pregnant without IVF were slim to none. I decided then and there, that I was for sure going to try acupuncture, and see if it could help me out with any of my many ailments.


I remembered a few eons back that my insurance company used to offer a deal with participating providers for acupuncture, and general health alternatives, health clubs, yoga etc... It is not insurance exactly we just get a discount for using a participating provider. I began looking around my area for acupuncturists, and found a few but they were between 10-20 miles away. Not exactly convenient with my work and life schedule. I was hoping for something closer maybe within 5 miles or so. SO I put the idea aside for a while.

Then a few weeks ago I went to the Chiropractor, and had an adjustment done. We have been seeing this guy for about 5 years, and he is really nice, not at all like some piranha Chiropractors who try to shove all sorts of odd things down your throat, and force you to come in twice a week. No this guy is very cautious, and leaves it up to us when we want to come in for treatment. He is so good in fact, that for about 3 years I had no reason to visit him. Anyhoo, as I was leaving I remembered to get a receipt from him so I could submit it to payflex. (We are pretty new to payflex, so we never really needed a receipt before). When I got home I looked over the receipt to make sure it was ok, when I noticed that under the diagnoses codes acupuncture was listed. Now our Chiropractor does work with two other Doctors so I didn’t get too excited yet, it could be one of them who did the procedure. I decided to have my husband ask him, as he was going in for his own appointment a few days later. Sure enough this guy does acupuncture! I was so excited. I mulled over all the possible ailments I could be rid of, but then I started wondering about the price. And wondering why this guy had never mentioned that he offered other services.

I called my insurance company to see how their little savings program worked, and to see if my Doctor was a participating member. They told me he wasn’t but gave me the names of a few places close by that were willing to take 20% less than what they usually charged. I called them to get a price, and with our discount it was going to be $32. Not bad, but then I might get stuck with one of the wacky type Chiropractors. So I called my Chiropractor, and asked him what he charged out of the gate, and his regular price was $30. I told him it sounded like a good deal, and made the first appointment for this coming Saturday. I asked him where exactly the needles would go, and he said he would start simply, using just a few needles, in a few key points in the inside of my elbow area and above the knee. This is when I started to freak out just a little. It has been approximately 16 years since anyone other than my husband and GYNO, have been near my knees. I don’t wear shorts, and at the pool wear a full swim suit cover. I have always detested my knees, and to have some one look at them and above them just terrifies me, not to mention it means I have to shave above them!

I realize that he is a Doctor, and I have been going there for half a decade, and really he isn’t going to give a rats patoot about mine or anyone else’s knees, but still, no one sees me without long sleeves, and long pants, or if I am brave enough to wear a skirt, then I have opaque tights on.

I think going to any kind of Doctor where I have to show any kind of skin, is right up there with public pooping. (By this of course I mean pooping in a public restroom, not pooping in the presence of the actual public). So in preparation for my surely humiliating experience, I have been doing Pilates religiously, and then this week I started yoga again. Is it helping? Well kind of, I feel stronger, am it getting rid of the dimples and bumps? Not so much. I asked the Doctor what I should wear to the appointment, and he suggested sweats and a t-shirt. Double gasp! Wearing sweats in public? I may as well go naked! I own a few pair of sweat pants, I use them mainly to exercise in, and sleep in. To actually leave the house in a pair? Well that would be mortifying. I favor the yoga pant style, but they tend to be thin and clingy, not a good combination for an out of shape housewife such as myself. The other thicker pair I own have a small hole in the crotch, so not appropriate for public consumption.

So I hauled my husband to the mall with me on Monday to look for a pair that maybe wouldn’t look horrible. That is an oxy moron after all they are sweats. But we looked at several stores, and I couldn’t even find one pair I would wear even to a gym. Did I mention that before I get acupuncture, I have my very first counseling appointment, just down the complex from my Chiro? Yes, right before, as in I would have to actually wear the sweats to not just one office but two! And actual people would see me, and wonder why at 10:00 in the morning I couldn’t bother to put on something appropriate. And being my first appointment with my counselor, I want to make a good first impression. So I found a long sleeved shirt that is flexible and still cute, and a pair of loose dress pants that can be pulled above my knee.

I realize I should maybe have trepidation about the needles, but I don’t, not even a little bit. I am more scared of having my body seen, and if I look cute. Yes I am vain, and self conscious. I will be the first to admit it, and yes I am neurotic (did I mention the counselor?) But I have my principles. And for me, fashion will always come before function.

Mad libs and Microsoft

I tried microsoft office 2007 about 3 years ago, and absolutely loved it, and of course have lusted after it ever since. The price is a definite turn off however (between $195 for the most basic to nearly $500 for the bells and whistles). I had been saving up for it and had hoped that by last Christmas I would be able to buy it so I could do my Annual family newsletter. Alas December 1st came and went and I was running out of time, and short on funds. So I looked around online and found that I could download another 3-4 month trial. I did and was able to get my newsletter out in the nick of time. Then one of the blogs I follow had a commercial made by microsoft about Microsoft office 2010. I was intrigued and watched their little commercial many, many times before finally noticing a little logo on the bottom about downloading their beta version.

Of course I clicked on the link and immediately signed up for the Beta version. And really, I must admit that I wasn't even sure what Beta even meant, but who cared. I asked my husband later,who explained to me that I was basically one of the first to try it, and it would likely mean that they would want feedback from little old me.

I never really believed him, but then today as I was shutting down my last blog post that I had pre-written using office 2010, a little correspondance popped up asking if they could send bits and pieces of my writing to microsoft for analysis of how I used grammar check and spell check, and punctuation check ( Ok really, I am not sure if it is even called punctuation check but it sounded good). So this is my long way of telling a short story and that is this...

As I was proofreading what was on there, and making sure I wasn't about to send anything embarrassing about myself or others (I had an option of deleting any lines I was not comfortable with sharing, such as things that don't make it to the blogs), I realized that it was a collection of snippets from all of my writing, and the way it read reminded me of mad libs. It went something like this...

I bought a satin taffeta for the jacket; it was the closest color and weight of the dress. The second
Which of course was amazing
then you cream together the butter and sugar until light and creamy, then add in your eggs and
and you have a space room
Melt Butter, add sugar and stir. Add milk and stir till warm not hot. Add marshmallows and stir till
I am finding that I am much more present in my choices when I shop. Each time something catches my
“Global bizarre” area, and had to have them. It took me a few more years to use them in the living
far away. It is unlikely that I would drive that far again for the tasty treat. So… this year I want to try my
 religiously prompt payments, of more than the minimum, with astronomical interest rates. I have a
response from my husband. I was not looking for anything big, just a “You smell nice”. Or, some other
and digging into my creative side. Or that perhaps after years, and years of excavation, I have found the
tapioca and rice. It weighs a good 2 pounds, and cost over $7! But, if I think of what a Doctor visit costs

The whole thing gave me a good laugh. Hopefully they don't think I am a crazy person over at Microsoft, and really if they do oh well. Sending it off was such a small price to pay for the use of their lovely office program.

Valentines and what not

It is nearly Valentines Day, and today is my last workday for the week, so I will be having a little Valentines party with my youngin's later this afternoon. I love to make sweet treats for my loved ones for the various Holidays, and even have signature dishes for each one, in fact if I try and change things up my kids get very mad. They often tell me that their favorite part of each Holiday is the treat that comes with it. Not everything I make for the holidays are sweets, but they are tradition round these parts to be sure.

So for today, I made my traditional Heart shaped sugar cookies for my kids and the families I work for. I make a Kool-Aid flavored buttercream frosting to top them, and then add valentine jimmies or mini conversation candies, and it is the one day each year I actually use Kool-Aid for anything. I am actually making a pitcher of it for this afternoon’s party as well. I also made truffles (a more grownup treat for the parents), well I made the recipe, they are as we speak, cooling in the fridge so I can shape them at naptime and roll them in either powdered sugar or cocoa powder. I got the recipe from THIS wonderful calendar. I have been buying the calendar for years, and she includes some fun recipes. The truffle recipe was actually on my kids "teen" calendar for February, I got a veggie bean burrito recipe, still good, just not quite as amazing as truffles.

Truffles:
3 C semi sweet chocolate chips
1 Can (14 oz or thereabouts) of sweetened condensed milk
I T vanilla (I did not add this, because I plum forgot)
Powdered sugar or cocoa for coating.


Melt chocolate chips and condensed milk together over medium heat until melted, stirring constantly. Remove from heat, add vanilla. transfer to a bowl cover and refrigerate for 2-3 hours. Then shape into balls and roll in sugar or cocoa powder. Store in tightly covered container in the fridge. Makes 6 dozen.

I look forward to the yearly traditions, as it is usually the extent of the valentine celebrations around here. But this year, my hubby and I are actually going out for the big day to a real live, make-a-reservation-restaurant! We have been together for 15 years, and have never once made a reservation to go anywhere. I am very excited; I really hope it lives up to the hype. I was so hoping it was a fancy place, but found out yesterday that there isn't really a dress code (well they want you to wear clothing). Oh well I will still get all gussied up, even if the rest of the world is casual. I have a wrap dress that has been begging to be worn since I got it in December.

RIP microwave, RIP.

I was making lunch for my little people last week, and decided to try giving the baby I tend some bite sized veggies to try (she is learning to feed herself). I popped some frozen veggies on a plate and put them in the microwave. Within seconds I was hearing a zapping noise, and seeing arcs of light. I stopped the microwave and inspected the inside for bits of food that may have fallen off the turn table (sometimes stray food has gotten zapped by our crazy microwave). I didn’t see much, but decided to do a quick microwave wipe down just to make sure it was going to operate properly. I got it all cleaned out and set about trying to warm up the veggies again. Again within seconds like beams from the mother ship, I heard the zapping and saw arcing. I opened the microwave and found blackened carrots, and part of my microwave door had melted! I also noticed tiny burns all over on the inside of my microwave, as though it had been attacking itself for a while now.


I realized that our microwave had bitten the dust. I have never been particularly fond of it, it came with our house, and we have used it even though it has little power and heats everything unevenly. The kicker is, that last summer in an attempt to revamp our kitchen and finally get our fridge in there, we had gotten an over the stove microwave that had a vent hood that needed no outside venting . (This is good because we just re-roofed our house 5 years ago, and I really didn’t want to have to mess with putting a vent on our roof). We got it home thinking it would be just a few weeks until we could install it (we just needed to build a wall, and move a gas line and add some electrical), we thought so anyway. After looking into what was required to install a microwave that size, we realized that it would also include adding an additional breaker, and since our tiny breaker box (only has 6) could not hold another one we would have to install a new breaker box, which unfortunately according to code, would require a complete rewiring of our house.. We ended up abandoning the idea entirely, because we want to sell the house and not put too much more money into it.

So here I am trying to stay on track with my budget, I have no usable microwave, and a completely brand new unusable over the stove microwave in the garage. The good thing is, since I have made my “Become financially free” declaration, I have decided that we can live without a microwave, we barely used it anyway. And when the time comes that we have saved up enough money, we plan on getting a microwave toaster oven combination anyway to save on space. The old me would have probably gone out and bought a new microwave with a credit card, but I now weigh the cost of the interest, and how much this goal means to me, and have realized that I can make this sacrifice for now. Yes, some days it does feel as though the Universe is out to get me, but really I think it is just a test to see how serious I am about eliminating the burdens.

Good thing I decided to go gluten free (ok like 99% I have my slip ups as evidenced by the cupcakes I made last week). Friday night I was overcome with a puffy feeling, I felt really awful, and knew right away what was going on, my blood sugar was high. A few years back I was diagnosed with PCOS (Poly Cystic Ovarian Syndrome) which basically means many ovarian cysts, causing hormone havoc and possibly chin and upper lip hair (oh the horror) and weight gain, and lots of pain, and irregular periods, weight gain and worst of all insulin resistance (basically pre, pre diabetes). Long story short, I went on medicine (metformin) to regain control over my blood sugar, and got some nasty side effects in return (like the inability to breathe, and constant wheezing). After 18 months on the medicine, I said enough was enough and told my Doctor I would do my best to get my blood sugar down through diet and exercise. It worked, so I went off of it, I still have some remaining health issues from the medicine, but had been fine. My Doctor was proud of me last year when I got my physical; my blood sugar was a beautiful non insulin resistant level.


Flash forward to this past few months, I started gaining weight again, and occasionally felt my blood sugar rise a little too high (I have a blood sugar meter so I can check it myself). Anyway back to last Friday, it was high for no reason, I had eaten a balanced dinner, it only had complex carbs, tons of fiber and protein, but for some reason my blood sugar spiked (I am guessing it is the carb laden rice bread, and othe gluten alternatives). So Saturday morning found me at the store getting a cart load of veggies and lean protein to get my blood sugar and gluten level back under control. I know I feel better when I eat this way, I even lost 50 pounds eating this way about 8 years ago, but for some reason, my body still wants sugary things, and wheat products, so I indulge on occasion. But really I know that I not only have to give up wheat, but most likely rice as well.

I am basically using the zone as a guide, with a few modifications. I have a list that I got about 8 years ago when I started the Zone, it is a simple 2 pages of good carbs, lean protein and good fats. It has been through the ringer, and even got partially shredded once, but I still have it. I was looking at it on Friday evening and noticed for the very first time, that small red potatoes are a favorable carbohydrate. Who knew? Not me for sure, potatoes are usually the thing that have derailed me from eating in a balanced way, they are like crack for me, but the red ones are good and don’t make me want to snort them up my nose.

Today was my first full day of Zonish eating, and so far so good, I had zero sugary things today, even though I have desperately wanted them. I know in a few days I will be craving free, so I just have to hang in till then. Tonight I made Chicken with chorizo (this was my very first chorizo experience, and WOW), tomatoes, and onion. I sautéed everything in a little olive oil, served it with baby red potatoes, and organic Caesar salad (sans the pita chips for me). It was fantastic!

Garland of hearts

I am a sucker for a good garland. And actually change them out with the seasons, and occasionally for the holidays. I blame simple abundance, for the idea that each day we can make our lives just a little more beautiful by doing simple things that bring beauty and joy to our lives. So along with the myriad of things I already was doing, changing out my garland and candles really brings me joy. So when I saw this idea, I just couldn’t help myself, so away I went to creating my hearts.


I had no thought in my head as to what they would turn out like, I thought about just copying their hearts, but came up with my own ideas that I really love. I finished the hearts this morning, and will attach them as soon as I drag out the sewing machine, or I may just sew them on by hand to ecru colored grosgrain. I am suppressing my perfectionist side and not finishing them with a blanket stitch, because then I won’t have them done by February first. They are just fine as is, and really I am pleased with them.

My completed garland. (pardon the kitchen).

I saw a fun idea for transforming a coat closet to a home office here. I already have an armoire for that, but I thought it would be such a great place to keep my sewing machine up at all times. I would sew more if I could keep it up, but as of now, it sits on an upper shelf in my linen closet, and sometimes the idea of trying to wrestle everything, just to sew makes me want to forget the whole thing. More often than not sewing projects just pile up, until the pile grows so large, that it necessitates the machine being out for several days. This of course drives my husband crazy, but he also appreciates that I can sew, just not that I do it at the dining room table. Also, the idea of having my craft/sewing supplies in one place just gets my heart in a flutter. They are currently spread out between one cupboard, ones shelf in the coat closet, and 2 shelves in the linen closet. I brought the craft closet idea up to my husband, he tried to convince me to use our very narrow linen closet for my idea, since it already has power running to it, It was a lovely thought, however the linen closet just has no room to move around in it. I wonder how he would feel if I just converted my bedroom closet? I am guessing not thrilled.


I had a different plan a few years ago, and that was to use an armoire from Ikea to house everything. I schemed, and planned, and even had a little fund started to pay for it (it was very reasonable priced) then I went to IKEA to drool at it once more, and it was sold out! Gone forever! I am still bummed about it, and check each and every time I am there for my beloved cabinet, but it is gone for good. And they didn’t even have the decency to replace it with something better, or worse for that matter.

I am pretty set on the idea of the coat closet transformation, and now just have to convince the hubby to run power to it, and put some shelves in it. Oh and find a place for the coats…

Making cupcakes, crossing off resolutions

Earlier this year, I made resolutions, and one of them was to learn how to make a chocolate cake from scratch that wasn't horrible, that wasn't the consistency and smell of play dough, and that more or less looked like the kind you could get from a store, with the added bonus of being delicious. Well yesterday I accomplished all of those things and more. I went to this blog, and made their homemade "ding dongs".

Another blog I peruse, had mentioned that they tried to make these, and they took all day, that worried me a bit, but after looking over the recipes I realized that these bad boys would maybe take 2 at the most. In reality, from the time I walked in from the grocery store to the time I ate one it was an hour and a half later. That included the cooking and cooling time.

These delectable little treasure, just melt in your mouth with a flavor, laden with chocolate goodness. The filling was absolutely delicious, and the funny thing is, it is basically a Bancroft pudding, whipped into frothy delight and put inside, I think I will use the same technique for my Bancroft pudding the next time I make red velvet cake. It would make it much more portable.

A few notes, however, the cakes took about 25 minutes to cook, not the 15 stated in the recipe, the ganache, should not be doubled. The little amount it has you make would be enough to frost at least 24 cupcakes, probably closer to 30. I doubled everything including the ganache, and frankly it is so rich, we hardly used any, plus it took over 40 minutes to thicken enough, and that included time in both the fridge and freezer. But now I have a lovely ice cream topping, just have to get some more ice cream to put it on.

Cakes filled with vanilla cream, not yet frosted

Also due to the light texture of the cake batter, I had more than enough for 24 cupcakes, some of them overflowed quite a bit, I think you could safely use a small loaf pan to put the excess batter. Or an extra muffin tin. I had enough for about 4 extra cakes. I used a medium sized cookie scoop to fill my molds.

The finished product from the inside, mmmmmm...

The kids loved these so much, that 2 of them requested these as their Birthday treat. I think the secret to wonderful cakes is Buttermilk. Seriously, I used it last week for my sons birthday pancakes, and they were the most amazing ever, then this week in these little cakes,  it has become my new kitchen staple.

Bamboo and Bunk beds

Over Christmas break, I made an appointment with my Doctor to update him on a medical issue I was having. I have been having difficulty swallowing for nearly 2 years. It isn’t every day, but when it happens it is scary. I had tried antacids to treat the symptoms but they caused their own issues. I told him swallowing had become increasingly difficult, and asked if possibly my swallowing issues could be related to stress, he said absolutely, and told me to go home for 6 weeks and do what I could to de-stress. Well my friend happened to call as I was leaving the Doctors, and I told her about all of the stress I was under, our house is very tiny, and the boys are always fighting, there isn’t really a space for anyone to go and decompress, and I was feeling overwhelmed. She suggested trying to find ways to make the house a little more user friendly, and to make it feel bigger. She also suggested that I ask my boys to come up with solutions. So we had a family meeting and I asked the boys what they needed to fight less. They gave me suggestions for bedroom changes, like a different bed configuration, and the living room to be set up differently and maybe for more places that they can call their own. I have spent the last 4 weeks pondering all of this, and putting into action all that I could. We changed around the living room, and everyone absolutely loves the new set up. We had plans to change up the bunk bed and take it from a futon on the bottom to a twin bed (really not that hard, just time consuming and could be a bit pricey). But the bunk bed we had was larger than really worked for our house, and we really wanted something smaller in general, since we have 3 kids on one large bedroom and our teenager in his tiny jail sized room, (not suitable for sharing unfortunately).

Well this past weekend, I found myself in Target and came upon clearance bamboo table runners, they happened to be the right size to make into window coverings for my living room Bow window. We have longed to cover them with something but their placement and size have made it difficult, so I am constantly on the lookout for something to cover them, that won’t get ruined by moisture, and will work hanging from the window ceiling. We had looked into custom blinds but they ran about $50 a pop, too rich for my blood. So we settled for the “temporary” paper or vinyl blinds you can find at Lowes. Well they changed how they were designed in the last few years, and they weren’t compatible with what we needed. So when I found the bamboo runner, my mind immediately went to the idea that I had found my new window coverings. I bought 4 of them.

After tossing around many ideas, like shortening them, adding ribbon, or ribbon and a button or hooks to hang them with, we decided just to drape them over our curtain wire as is. I also found new black, tab top curtains for my living room. (Years ago I found this gorgeous sheer fabric in their after Christmas “Global bizarre” area, and had to have them. It took me a few more years to use them in the living room, and really, they were just too sheer for the room and too gold, but we have been living with them for about 2 years). The new curtains were also on clearance, and I was able to get 4 pairs of curtains for around $22 total. (That is such a steal!)

So on Sunday we were hanging the special curtain wire for our new bamboo finds, and putting up our newer, warmer curtains, when we realized that due to the shape of our Bow window, we had to get one more brackets for our wire hanging system. And the only place to get them is IKEA, Which is 45 minutes away (ugh). So off we went, and, although we weren’t looking officially, we found a new bunk bed frame for $79! It happens to be silver, which is prefect since last summer I spent 2 weeks redecorating the boy’s room; complete with blue paint and silver accents (they have a space themed room). We also have needed to move our youngest from his toddler bed to something larger, but our former room arrangement couldn’t accommodate it. We were able to find a silver daybed for $29! We already had 1 twin mattress, so we just needed to find 2 more, which luckily they had on the cheap.

                                                  Our lovely new bamboo "shade"

                                                             

                                                        Wire curtain rod system

We set everything up late Sunday night, and the boys were so excited they could hardly stand it. We gained so much more space in their room. I feel so lucky to have found the exact items that we needed in one place. And yes my swallowing problems have gotten much better in the last 4 weeks, part of that is giving up Gluten, part of that has been massive organizing efforts on my part, part of it has been me re-reading Simple abundance, and being grateful for what I do have, and part of it has been finding a creative outlet for myself. All of them have contributed to a stress reduction in me.

The bunk bed for the younger boys

The daybed for our resident "Tween"