Pantry Care & Quick 'n Dirty Meals

So, in clearing our pantry, we've found a few things we'd forgotten about, a few things we're not sure why we purchased in the first place, and it's almost a week 'til payday. Time to use and recalibrate! I hate to admit this, but I really enjoy the occasional shopping moratorium. I learn a lot about our family's eating preferences (vs. the habits, which are mostly under my control).

Some examples:
-our pasta stockpile is inordinately large. Why? It seems that since we've found rice sticks, which Zorak will also eat, we just aren't getting many requests for things like egg noodles or spirals. Well, let's use those up, and when I do the shopping again, I won't be replenishing them (except for the egg noodles - those are for me, and late at night, when all the small ones are asleep, I do love a big, hot bowl of wavy egg noodles slathered in butter and salt.)

-coconut cream and coconut milk - it's reasonably priced at the asian market, but I haven't found a good use for it, other than baking. Perhaps we could delve into more Thai recipes?

-we do fly through the veggies, and we're very low on canned veggies. Lessons learned, there: I need to keep up with those; nobody wants the beets (or the whole cranberry sauce), so I need to find recipes that will incorporate the cans we do have; and I think everyone is thoroughly sick of canned green beans.

So, here's our Quick 'n Dirty menu for the next few days (we have water with meals, unless specified in the menu, and I didn't include snacks, because we just grab whatever sounds good for a nibble):

Today:
Breakfast - sopapillas, bananas, and milk
Lunch - baked beans and cheese biscuits
Supper - salmon patties, brussel sprouts, and rice

Monday:
Breakfast - grits, eggs, bacon and sliced apples
Lunch - quesadillas, peaches, milk
Supper - potato soup and yam rolls

Tuesday:
Breakfast - oats, peaches, toast w/ cactus jelly
Lunch - leftover soup, oat bread
Supper - rice and beans w/ burnt onions and bread

Wednesday:
Breakfast - crepes, bacon, milk
Lunch - oat bread, fried cheese, bananas & peaches in milk
Supper - pork stew w/ rice sticks

What's on your menu for the week? Or, if you don't do menus ahead of time, what did you serve your family this past week? I'd love to hear about it! And I may be back w/ some pleas for suggestions on the few stray items I've yet to figure out what to do with (beet recipes, anyone? other than borscht?)

Kiss those babies!
~Dy

Mama 'Fore She Was Mama

I heard a song on the radio today that had me laughing from my toes. I think it's by Clay Walker. Two young boys, playing hide 'n seek, find a box of photographs and other momentos from their mother's days, BC. It's quite a shock for two curious little boys, but one of the sweetest lines in the song says,

We laugh and hang it over her head,
Right above her halo

I love that. How sweet that it doesn't matter what we were, 'fore we were mamas. We're mamas now, and we're loved. No?

Oh, and if anybody wants to "Holiday Up" your muffin recipes - try substituting the milk with egg nog, and add 1/4tsp pumpkin pie spice. Oh. Yeah. Good stuff.

Kiss those babies!
~Dy

Black Wednesday & Other Adventures

While we have yet to set foot in a retail shop for the purpose of procuring Christmas goodies for the children, I will be at Kroger first thing in the morning to purchase every bag of Archway Wedding Cookies available in a three-city radius.

Why? Because Archway, evil, crack-distributing corporation that it is, happens to sell my particular form of crack only this time of year. Fine. Fine, the Girl Scouts have been causing people to go into Thin Mint withdrawls seven months before the next cookie drive every year for a thousand years. It's nothing new. But you see, at least the Girl Scouts know they make a killing off pathetic addicts who buy eight dozen boxes and claim they'll freeze them to last all year. (They don't last. They do, however, taste quite nice straight out of the freezer. *ahem*) But Archyway? Evidently, the idiots manning the helm of that company have completely discounted the addictive nature and potential economic impact of this product (or, to put it bluntly, what the hell is wrong with these people that they don't send more to the stores?!?!?) There are other "wedding cookies" out there, but don't be deceived. They're all made with plain sugar and nuts. Archway, though, they've put Soilent Green or Kentucky Fried Chicken seasoning or something into theirs. There is no substitute.

So, anyway, unlike the Girl Scouts, you can't pre-order. You don't know how many you'll find on the shelves. You don't even know who will have them from year-to-year. It's like watching network television move your favorite show around until they finally kill it. It's painful. Once I'd found this year's store, I had to track down the manager, explain my twitchy plight, and beg for inside information. He then checked the delivery schedule and did a little math in order to slip me the hot tip of the week - the cookies were delivered tonight, but won't be available for purchase until tomorrow. Thank God the FDA doesn't know about these, or there'd be a limit, a three-day wait, and I'd have to get a seasonal job bagging groceries at Kroger just to maintain connections.

In other news:

A blind hem! I did it! I friggin did it! And they're gorgeous - well, for being invisible. But I DID it! Unfortunately, I did it an inch too long on one panel, and so will be reliving the joy again tomorrow. Ah, well, it was worth it. The boys helped with the measuring, marking, cutting, and layout. Somewhere in there, among four people (one of whom kept draping himself in fabric and running around, yelling "Nekkid Thomas! Nekkid Thomas!") working on one project, there was bound to be a miscalculation in there somewhere. Otherwise, the curtains look great. Woohoo!


Smidge let John read to him tonight at bedtime. I was going to slip off and put the dishes away, but how could I resist listening in on that? Looking in to see the boys huddled over a book together, enjoying one another? C'mon, sometimes a Mom just has to store that stuff up while she can. Winter's comin' - and with it, Cabin Fever. This could be the dose that gets me through to March, right?

Miss Emily pulled herself up beside the tub tonight and stood there, playing and talking with Smidge while he bathed. She stayed up the whole time, just laughing and throwing things into the tub. (We moved anything potentially dangerous, such as the clippers and the toilet brush. Right now, he thinks it's cute, but with her arm, all it's going to take is one good smack with a blunt object and all that cute-baby-girl stuff will come to a screeching halt.) Her balance is really good (she doesn't get that from me), and when she crawls now, she's fast. Alarmingly fast. Can't bake, take things down to the basement, or get something from the car without a backup watch to keep her within the safety perimeter. This little girl's going to have absolutely no trouble at all keeping up with her big brothers.

James found a copy of Frankenstein, and he's thoroughly enjoying that. His reading has brought up more questions about things like cloning, creation, ethics, and power. We've discussed some of them before, after hearing bits on the news, or reading an article in the paper, often simply after he's mulled something about a bit and needs to synthesize it. Somehow, though, fiction, far beyond news sources or everyday events, has a way of capturing all the "what ifs" that we just don't have the patience to field all the time, condensing them into terriffic plays of the imagination. He sometimes answers his own questions, sometimes makes me ask questions, and once in a while we just nod in understanding. It's a little daunting, when I think about all that the kids need to learn in the next few years. But it's good. And it's interesting. He keeps me on my toes. Maybe by the time Miss Emily is reading on her own, I'll be ready to tackle whatever she throws at me.

Man, today was GOOD. They just don't come like this all the time. But when they do? Mm, it is indeed a sweet, sweet life.

Kiss those babies!
~Dy

The week in pictures

Here's the proud boy with his first loaf of bread.



Miss Emily loves rice sticks and stiry fry!


Balto, head of QA for flooring installation...


And here, the boys are enjoying the spacious new layout. We threw the futon down on the floor for TV watching, and can stash it in the guest room when we're done. (Yeah, only one of them is actually watching TV. Seems the pad also makes a great wrestling mat and GP play area.)

Oh, and we don't usually live with newspapers and boxes piled around the living area. The overall clutter in the background is from the Blue Willow, which I was unpacking from storage when I snapped the picture! WOOHOO!

And Balto, ever so patiently letting Miss Emily play with his tail. I've got to try to get actual video of this, it's hilarious.


And that's pretty much been our week - laughing, learning, enjoying.

Kiss those babies!
~Dy

Virtual Friday

I really like Zorak's work schedule. Every other Friday, he's off, so we have an extra day to work on the house, or play with the kids. We usually blow the evenings by staying up way too late to watch Scrubbs and then a movie or two, but the time spent together is really nice. Sort of makes up for those last two years of school, where we never saw one another, even on weekends.

Today was cold-cold. Not like Michigan cold, but colder-than-Yuma cold. I'd venture to say it was close to Denver-cold (Zorak says no, but he was inside... and I'm feelin' like a weenie.) And it was beautiful. The boys were content to stay inside and play, work on their lessons, eat. Smidge really wanted to go outside to play, but not alone. So he stood in the foyer with his shoes on, hoodie in hand. He just stood there, staring at us, just waiting for someone to cave. (Nobody did - did I mention that it was kinda chilly out there?)

The kids and I found a recipe for making mulled cider out of regular apple juice, so we just had to try it. Some may poo-poo the idea that the two are even remotely similar, outside the basic apple DNA, but I've gotta say a few things in favor of this little plan: economy, year-round availability, and sheer freakin' fun. C'mon, how often do you let your kids heat a dry skillet and throw whole peppercorns in there? Or stir a handful of cloves and broken cinnamon sticks into a whirlpool in a pot? If you're eight, or six, or three, (or, um thirty-three...) that's fun! The flavor turned out pretty good, so we served it up with supper, and Zorak eyed us suspiciously. The knowledge that we'd gleaned the recipe from a website called Cooking For Engineers didn't seem to help any. (Of course, the fact that we were having a mongolian-like noodle dish for supper probably didn't help any, either.)

And now, it's quiet. We read "The Strange Dog" chapter in Farmer Boy tonight, so the boys are feeling particularly appreciative of Balto Dog. I am, too, really. For all the deer he chases away, he's really a loyal and affectionate dog, and it is nice to know his early alert systems are functional. Wish we could turn it off til the end of hunting season, but eh, can't have everything.

Zorak picked up a movie this evening, and he's ready to get started on our long weekend lounging. Time for a little touchin' base, and general appreciative sharing all around. Good stuff, this marriage thing. ;-)

Kiss those babies!
~Dy

What's For Supper?

Here, we're having potato soup, fresh salad (boiled eggs, cheddar cheese, Dubliner cheese, red bell peppers, green peppers, onions, celery, all decorated with greens), and fresh breads.

For those who are WF/GF, if you haven't tried the French Bread rolls recipe in GFG Bakes Bread, OMG - they're to die for! And even better, if you just make one large lump on a baking sheet instead of little dinner rolls, it comes out flat enough to be used for foccacia, but just thick enough to be sliced horizontally and toasted for breakfast bread or used as sandwich bread. I think I'm in heaven, and I know John is!

We had a tornado watch today. James stayed in the hallway, with full canteens and his shoes on, reprimanding me on each trip I made up and down the hall for not keeping the baby by the basement door "just in case". We stayed home, cleaning, making sure we have enough clean clothes and pre-cooked food to get us through a power outage. (I live in fear of losing power with a washer full of wet clothes. Focus on the small things and the big ones will just whiz right by ya!)

All is well, and the ground is beautiful, buried among all the leaves!

Kiss those babies!
~Dy

Missed it by "that much".

Drat. The new positions of the printer cabinet and the computer desk have left me without photo upload abilities. The cord is about two feet too short.

James made his first loaf of bread today. All on his own - prep, mixing, proofing, shaping and baking. I was there mainly to remind him not to measure right on the edge of the counter, to keep stirring, and not to measure right there, on the edge, of the counter.

He used the "Learning Loaf" from Marilyn M. Moore's The Wooden Spoon Bread Book, which is a wonderful one-loaf recipe that's easy for small hands to manipulate. The loaf turned out beautifully, not even "for a first loaf", but really nicely done. He was so proud. He ran about giving everyone a piece of bread, and while he'd originally thought he'd just eat the whole thing in one sitting (probably all alone, in the closet), the delight everybody else took in his creation called for cinnamon sugar toast all around! John is now anxious to make his first loaf of bread, and Smidge is really happy to have fresh bread any time he wants.

The others are still sick. Miss Emily has figured out what those white floaty things in the boxes are for, and she's not impressed. Thankfully, she hasn't begun Smidge's tactical maneuver of wiping the snot on a sleeve just seconds before the tissue comes within range. It won't take long, I'm sure. Right now, she's under the illusion that she can simply outpace us. It's cute, but kind of sad, because she's honestly baffled that we catch her every. single. time.

Going barefoot seems to be Miss Emily's answer to the traction issue. (Tried the shoes - she was having none of that, thank you for trying.) So, she stands at the diswasher and talks with me while I tidy the kitchen. I don't get much done, for all the staring down toward my knees and cooing to the baby, but it does make the chores a lot of fun.

You know, Zorak rebounds from these renovation pushes much more quickly than I do. Just thought I'd put that out there. We haven't even purchased baseboards yet, and he's already dreaming of vaulting the living room ceiling, adding the den, and turning the master bath into a closet. The most encouragement I can offer him, as I rub my toes back and forth on the floor, is a weak, "Yeah... that'll be... *gulp* great." Poor guy. He needed a wife with stamina. What he got is a wife with a sense of humor. Ah, well, whatever works, right?

I got a delightful surprise yesterday morning! Just the day prior, I was thinking that we hadn't had one of those beautiful, sparkling, fog-drenched mornings yet - the ones where the barn is just a shadowy sillhouette in a shimmering pool off in the distance. I loved those last year, and isn't it about time for more of those? Well, yesterday I walked into the living room to find everything illuminated by a diffused, glowing light. Looked out the window, and there it was - a Faerie Morning! Ohhhh, coffe just tastes better in that kind of weather.

And now, as part of my plan not to drive myself into an early grave, I'm going to head to bed before midnight! Woohoo!

Kiss those babies!
~Dy

Friday already?

Tomorrow can't be Friday! It's just... just, well, there was Wednesday, I think. But where'd the REST of the week go? In hindsight, we've accomplished quite a bit, but it just doesn't feel like an entire week has passed.

We are not leaving the house next week at all, if I can help it. Ugh. Oh, poop. Nevermind. I think we have a luncheon to go to next week in Lynchburg. How much Rescue Remedy does it take to build up a good, calm level in the bloodstream? Is it too late to start putting in in our breakfast drinks?

Today was The Errand-Filled Day From Hell. *insert spooky noises, screams of tortured children, er, souls, and flames - lots of flames* Whew, we're bushed! We hit Aldi's, Wal-Mart, Lowe's, and Costco. I haven't done groceries for two weeks, and after today, I may not do them again for another two weeks. Fortunately, the Costco runs are only once a month. We are thoroughly prepared for several potential situations, however: unexpected company, growth spurts, overnight famine. Then we stopped at Me-Wa's and Me-Tae's for a visit. (We were sure Smidge was going to just walk the 50 miles to their house if we didn't go visit soon.) Had a lovely visit. Life is good. And the kidlets? Sleeping like couch potatoes after a triathalon. It's beautiful.

Productivity seems to be the theme for this fall. I have no idea how that happened, but there you have it. The boys love getting checklists each morning (I use the ones from Chart Jungle), and in the process of putting something together for them, it's inevitable that I also must have some idea what's happening. Next thing you know, Zorak's coming home and we've been busy all day long. Constructively, productively busy. With free time, even, to play in the leaves and run from the dog.

Meals seem to be coming easier, also (both ideas and timing). I've really got to thank Miss Maggie for that end of it. There's only so much you can do with hamburger, but it's evidently quite a lot more than I knew before. I need to spend a little more time stewing over lunch ideas (I really hate fixing lunch), but in general, it's getting easier to meet the needs of the crew with a good attitude and good food, you know, before nine PM - a winning combination in any book!

So in the vein of productivity, Friday will bring us more sorting, more cleaning, more decluttering. More second declension nouns, more math and more reading. We'll be spending time in the woods of New York, and on the shores of Troy. We'll probably bake some bread and paint some, erm, trim (it's okay, I laugh when I say that, too). But you never know. This is a magical season. It could happen. We'll move from Venus to Mars, and make some pottery. It will be a busy, productive day. And at the end, when it's quiet once again, I'm still going to be truly puzzled how this happened. Some mysteries are sweeter left unsolved, though, I think. (It's that, or admit that I'm getting old and uncomfortable with spontaneity. So let's stick with "mysteries", okay? Thanks.)

Kiss those babies!
~Dy

Crud.

I had an entire entry typed up and ready to go when *wham* IE experienced some "exceptional error" or "magnificent malfunction" or what have you, and shut down. I hate it when that happens.

So, where was I? I think our frog is stuck. There's a baking pan on the porch. He hopped in there a few minutes ago and seems to be making the rounds. I wish the boys were up- they'd love to be able to get up close without fear that he'll jump into the house (which he's done- he seems driven to try to get in). If he's not extricated himself from the pan before I head to bed, I'll let him out. Poor thing.

The boys are... well, they're boys. They are wonderful, active, creative, funny, exhausting little boys. I just want to snuggle them til their little eyes bulge. (...and I will luv him and squeeze him and name him George...*) Today was not particularly splendid, but it was nice and filled with many good things.

Diving Deeper- this is an issue for James. I'd love insight if any of y'all have it. For some reason (couldn't have anything to do w/ my genes, right? ha ha!) he doesn't particularly care for "mastery". He just wants to know if he can do it- is he actually, physically, technically capable? If so, then he's good-to-go, let's move on! I know I haven't relayed to him the Einstein quote about memorizing what you can look up, but somehow he senses it on a very instinctive level. How do you get a highly motivated, accelerated child to slow it down a bit, take a breath, do a little deeper? Now how do you do it without dulling his exuberance or making things feel droll?

Protecting the World- John wants to be a soldier. He says that he wants to be an Army soldier, but maybe he wants to fly planes, too. We'll see. Either way, that works. Today he saved us from flying dragons and small, multi-headed beasts. We've got to get that kid into fencing. He's downright deadly with a sword. And don't even think about trying to play dead and then jumping up and roaring because if he is anywhere near you, he will thwack you on the head with his rubber sword. His fight-or-flight reflexes are finely tuned and ready for action, but there's no flight option.

Jacob had his first M&M today. You'd think after the brownie pouncing adventure, we'd be more careful with our dainties, wouldn't you? Nope. We were camped out on the floor, enjoying math questions and M&M's when suddenly, like something out of The Swamp Thing, he emerged from under the coffee table and in a flash of Carter's prints and drool, nabbed a handful of the brightly colored treats and they were gone. (For the record, they will melt in your hand if you've previously slobbered all over it.)

Zorak was not well today. He slept for 16 hours straight. I am amazed at the body's ability to completely shut down for repairs. He's feeling markedly better tonight, and I had a serious V-8 moment when I realized, much to my embarrassment, we had the car all day and didn't go anywhere! D'oh. It was a great idea, in hindsight.

Alrighty, it's time for a Windows update to fix whatever this magnificent problem is, and then perhaps new pictures? It's been awfully quiet around here lately. Let me know if you've found us ok!

Dy
*if you can do the voice w/ the reference, you get extra points for being cool!

Wednesday Already?

Wow, the mind is still going, albeit slowly, downhill. Could've sworn it was only Tuesday.

Ah, well, we had a good day schooling: Bible, Math, Reading, Grammar, Phonics, Latin, Music (had to throw music in when I realized I'd planned to do it M,W,F.. and with today being W and all...) The boys are wonderful. I, however, am horribly behind-the-curve. Thank heaven for resiliency!

You know, we just don't "do" formal science yet. Some days I feel somewhat neglectful about that, and come next year, when we have to register with the gestapo, I'm going to have to pull something out of the hat. I am, however, fairly convinced that the Robinson way is a good idea. Besides, we watch enough bugs, discuss digestion ad nauseum (*grin*), and touch on myriad other topics regularly. They are not suffering from a lack of "formal" science. Maybe I will talk them into creating sketch journals of things that fascinate them. I did pick up a "How to Draw Insects" book last month that touches on the anatomical details in a very neat way... hmmm. Well, we have enough on our plates right now. Talk to me in August. ;-)

We hit Target today. I had to buy a few tops. Found a cute one: flourescent yellow tank with powder blue swirls all over it. The boys said it's not a top for a grownup. They laughed hysterically when I put it in the basket. They don't believe me when I tell them it's for me. When did I become too- whatever- to wear bright yellow shirts with geometric designs?

Our little frog was back tonight. John has claimed it as "the family frog". He sits at the back screen door for long stretches of time, watching it hop about, eat ants, and croak. He thoroughly loves that frog. I need to touch base with our neighbor about the tadpoles. We spent some time tonight on the internet looking up the care and feeding of tadpoles. I think we can do that. We may even have better luck than we did with the fish!

Oh, and I've got to share a recipe! Normally, I DETEST, loathe, and in general DO NOT LIKE cole slaw. (Well, except for the stuff from KFC, which is actually ambrosia, and not like cole slaw at all.) However, we had half a head of cabbage languishing in the fridge. I hate to waste food. I had nothing to prepare it with (according to the umpteen some-odd cookbooks that inhabit my kitchen.) Then I found this recipe: fresh apple-slaw.

I read the ingredients.

I cringed. "Ewwww," I thought.

I looked for other options.

Nothing.

So.

I made it.

With a great deal of trepidation. (I even prefaced supper with a disclaimer: "The cabbage salad has not been tested on the open market, nor have its claims been verified by the FDA. You are required to taste it and report your findings back to me, and only me. Should you choose to accept this mission, nothing further will be asked of you. Should you complete this mission, you will be given fresh berries and cream for dessert, no questions asked. Thank you.")

IT WAS GOOD!! So, here it is, in case you, too, have some random cabbage languishing in your ice box.

Fresh Apple Slaw
thinly sliced, cored, unpared red apples
finely shredded green cabbage
dairy sour cream (I substituted plain yogurt)
lemon juice (just to keep the apples from turning brown)
sugar
salt/pepper to taste
poppy seed (I didn't use this- who keeps this on hand???)

In large bowl, lightly toss all ingredients until well combined.
Refrigerate at least 1 hr. before serving.

Ta-da! How easy can it get on a hot summer night? The recipe has amounts, but to be honest, I think the actual recipe would feed a large Mormon gathering- far too much food for a small Protestant family. Just wing it. Have some fun with it. Put in enough to feed your family and add enough to make it "look right". That's the stuff true Granny-Style cooks are made of!

G'nite!
Dy

What a delicious day!

The boys started the day with music lessons. An hour later, we had to stop before we fell over from hunger. (I didn't expect that they'd want to keep going like they did! I swear they are little intellectual camels!) Tonight the boys played for Daddy. (Cheryl, why didn't you beat me about the head with this whole music thang a year ago? *grin*)

It is such a wonderful feeling to pile onto the floor after supper, the baby clamboring over me, my husband sitting next to me (beaming from ear to ear), the boys proudly and excitedly playing their chosen pieces. John showed Zorak how to play B, G, and A on the recorder. Repeatedly. He was quite excited about that. James played Merrily We Roll Along and Hot Cross Buns. Then Zorak and I played for the boys (hey! we aren't half-bad!) and the boys finished the performance by showing Daddy how to clean their instruments properly before returning them to their cases. *awww* (They listened! They really really listened! Yippee!)

We did our Math (another hour, what is it with MUS? They love it! Do anyone else's children do that?), Plants Grown Up, History (will we ever be done with Egypt? Just when we think it's gone- ahhhhhh, there it is! Run Away! Run Away!)

James had already rummaged through our new Latin materials before I awoke this morning. He blew his cover when he said (in a giggly tone) before we prayed, "Oremus". Ahhh, evidently it's not too soon to begin Latin.

At six o'clock, we were still not done with school. Well, we were done, but then the FedEx man showed up with a new cursive workbook for James! He yelled out the front window, "Thank you, FedEx man!" The driver was mostly around the van already, so all I saw was his shoulders shake as he laughed. James did two pages in Handwriting Without Tears before supper. I think that's another winner.

Supper was a nice light grilled chicken (the boys made the seasoning! Yum!) with green beans, hoppin' john w/ jalapenos, lemonade... and for dessert a delicious wheatfree shortcake topped with chilled fruit and cool whip! Mmmm, there is something to be said for the cuisine that develops in muggy, hot weather.

Aside from my Bible study, which I had to sneak in during lunch time, I've not read anything edifying or enriching today. Well, nothing above a fourth grade level, anyhow. It is hot and sticky. I cannot concentrate when I can't just sweat and get it over with! (To be perfectly honest, I believe mammals ought to hibernate in humid summers. It makes the most sense, if you think about.)

Oh! And score one for the good guys! Have y'all been following the case at Cal Poly in Kalifornia? It's too funny, really. Well,no, it's sad and disgusting, but the school has agreed to settle out of court, pay court costs and legal fees, and permit the student to pass out flyers. How big of them. WOO HOO! Let's hear it for putting a little of the "sense" back in "common sense"!

While you're at it, check out Mason Weaver's Homepage and go get his book!

Alrighty, folks, it's late and Zorak wants to communicate with the outside world. Time to relinquish my spot and go find a book to curl up with... and more coffee... must have more coffee... (where did I put my cup?)