Everyone should watch this video. Pass it on.
Tuesday, December 30, 2008
Monday, December 29, 2008
Calm - 70%. Bright - 100% (that's the TX sky for you)
As we drove home from Christmas, we wistfully watched the snow and ice dwindle and disappear, but eventually became annoyed with it once the only ice we could find was flying off the tops of semis entering the highway. By the time our windshield washer fluid was thawed enough to be effective, it was gone entirely.
We arrived home just after the sun had set, dumped everything from the van into the house, and Man popped popcorn (thanks again, Grandfolks!) and got the kids settled in front of Kung Fu Panda to calm down before bed while I farmed things out to bedrooms where we will be further sorting today. I know for sure that the thrift store will be getting a truckload of joy today or tomorrow as the new takes place of the old.
It's amazing how coming home can be so revealing. My grandparents have a very refined and organized home. I found it to be exceedingly comfortable in that there was no visual stress to be found. Everything has a place and and a purpose. Coming back here, I was struck first of all by how bare my walls are. Second, I realized that tuning out this or that pile of homeless objects wasn't doing me any favors.
I have a whole week of Man and children to help tackle this mess, as well as Man's commitment to help for a portion of each day.
All in all, visiting my family was the best Christmas gift ever, a close second being that marvelous back rub my younger sister gave me. I miss them, and love them, and have loved coming to know them better as an adult. I'm especially pleased to finally be helpful with the crossword puzzles nowadays. I recall asking my dad if I could help with the cross word as a kid. He said "the clue is ____ Lake City." I couldn't figure out what it might be. As a Mormon, of course it's a bit daft to not know Salt Lake City when you hear the clue but time and reading have helped a bit.
I hope everyone had a safe and joyous Christmas. Thank you one and all for the love and friendship we encountered during our time with you this season.
We arrived home just after the sun had set, dumped everything from the van into the house, and Man popped popcorn (thanks again, Grandfolks!) and got the kids settled in front of Kung Fu Panda to calm down before bed while I farmed things out to bedrooms where we will be further sorting today. I know for sure that the thrift store will be getting a truckload of joy today or tomorrow as the new takes place of the old.
It's amazing how coming home can be so revealing. My grandparents have a very refined and organized home. I found it to be exceedingly comfortable in that there was no visual stress to be found. Everything has a place and and a purpose. Coming back here, I was struck first of all by how bare my walls are. Second, I realized that tuning out this or that pile of homeless objects wasn't doing me any favors.
I have a whole week of Man and children to help tackle this mess, as well as Man's commitment to help for a portion of each day.
All in all, visiting my family was the best Christmas gift ever, a close second being that marvelous back rub my younger sister gave me. I miss them, and love them, and have loved coming to know them better as an adult. I'm especially pleased to finally be helpful with the crossword puzzles nowadays. I recall asking my dad if I could help with the cross word as a kid. He said "the clue is ____ Lake City." I couldn't figure out what it might be. As a Mormon, of course it's a bit daft to not know Salt Lake City when you hear the clue but time and reading have helped a bit.
I hope everyone had a safe and joyous Christmas. Thank you one and all for the love and friendship we encountered during our time with you this season.
Saturday, December 20, 2008
Tag the party crasher
Tag's friend had a party a few weeks ago where his parents rented a bouncy castle. Just today, the neighbors across the street rented one as well. We drove home from the store and ooooo-d and aaaaaaa-d at it. Tag asked if he could go play with his friends, and I said sure. He came home about 2 hours later, completely worn out from the bouncy castle and with a party favor bag in hand.
Me --> O_O
Me: Um, where were you?
Tag: At a friend's house, the one with the bouncy castle.
Me: Were you invited?!?
Tag: Sure, we went and said hi and they said we could bounce.
Me: What's that all over your face?
Tag: Oh, we ate cake and ice cream.
Me: What's that bag?
Tag: [holds it up, it has The Little Mermaid on it] Party bag with toys and candy.
Me: That's for little girls! Whose party was it? What's their name?
Tag: I don't know, but we're friends now.
Me: ............
Tag, the party crasher, crashing your parties. -sigh-
Me --> O_O
Me: Um, where were you?
Tag: At a friend's house, the one with the bouncy castle.
Me: Were you invited?!?
Tag: Sure, we went and said hi and they said we could bounce.
Me: What's that all over your face?
Tag: Oh, we ate cake and ice cream.
Me: What's that bag?
Tag: [holds it up, it has The Little Mermaid on it] Party bag with toys and candy.
Me: That's for little girls! Whose party was it? What's their name?
Tag: I don't know, but we're friends now.
Me: ............
Tag, the party crasher, crashing your parties. -sigh-
Friday, December 19, 2008
Dinner conversation
After telling Man the situation with the teacher gifts, Tag mentioned that he'd like to get his grandparents gifts as well.
Me: What would you like to give?
Tag: I think Oma should have a.....cello.
Me: Wow. A cello? That's a nice gift.
Tag: Yeah, did you know it's just a big guitar?
Me: Actually, it's a lot more like a big violin.
Tag: Oh, really? Then I want to give Oma a guitar, so she can be [dramatic pause] a rock star.
Me: [choking on my steamed corn, first imagining my mom rocking out on a guitar, then imagining her rocking out on a cello.]
Me: What would you like to give?
Tag: I think Oma should have a.....cello.
Me: Wow. A cello? That's a nice gift.
Tag: Yeah, did you know it's just a big guitar?
Me: Actually, it's a lot more like a big violin.
Tag: Oh, really? Then I want to give Oma a guitar, so she can be [dramatic pause] a rock star.
Me: [choking on my steamed corn, first imagining my mom rocking out on a guitar, then imagining her rocking out on a cello.]
Thursday, December 18, 2008
Teacher gifts
I have totally procrastinated teacher gifts. Tomorrow is the last day to give them. Ack! I had no ideas so asked the kids what they'd like to give to their teachers.
Princess: Well, Mrs. R says that her favorite thing in the whole world is [sounded like ->] Campbell's.
Me: Soup?!?
Princess: What? Weren't you listening? CANDLES.
Me: Oh, ah. Haha. Yes. That's actually a really great idea.
Princess: And then there are two PE coaches, a music teacher, the librarian, and the lady who yells at us to be quiet at the cafeteria...
And she kept listing people at school who, in my heart, I know ought to be recognized but I just couldn't think of how to do so without breaking the budget and making me crazy before tomorrow.
We'll just have to see how it turns out...
Princess: Well, Mrs. R says that her favorite thing in the whole world is [sounded like ->] Campbell's.
Me: Soup?!?
Princess: What? Weren't you listening? CANDLES.
Me: Oh, ah. Haha. Yes. That's actually a really great idea.
Princess: And then there are two PE coaches, a music teacher, the librarian, and the lady who yells at us to be quiet at the cafeteria...
And she kept listing people at school who, in my heart, I know ought to be recognized but I just couldn't think of how to do so without breaking the budget and making me crazy before tomorrow.
We'll just have to see how it turns out...
I have long wondered...
Do babies like being kissed? I love kissing my babies, including the ones that are more like teenagers nowadays, but I've always wondered if they even care or if they hate getting their faces wet from smooches, or if they just sort of humor the lady with the food. Maybe it's just part of all the new, weird sensations they experience when they're born and it's something they just live with their whole lives.
Today I was reading a few articles with Freida in my lap. She was sort of half-heartedly watching Happy Feet and I cradled her close. After a while she looked up at me and of course I took the opportunity to kiss her forehead. Immediately her eyes rolled up in her head. After a few seconds of kissing her forehead, her hands went limp and she started to snore.
It's amazing how one little moment can make up for weeks of sickness and misery. And there's my proof that, regardless of what her initial impressions of being kissed were, she likes it now.
I wonder if humans kissing babies is anything like other creatures in the animal kingdom licking their newborn young? I think the baby and I both agree though, that kissing little cheeks is preferable to the alternative.
Ew.
.
Today I was reading a few articles with Freida in my lap. She was sort of half-heartedly watching Happy Feet and I cradled her close. After a while she looked up at me and of course I took the opportunity to kiss her forehead. Immediately her eyes rolled up in her head. After a few seconds of kissing her forehead, her hands went limp and she started to snore.
It's amazing how one little moment can make up for weeks of sickness and misery. And there's my proof that, regardless of what her initial impressions of being kissed were, she likes it now.
I wonder if humans kissing babies is anything like other creatures in the animal kingdom licking their newborn young? I think the baby and I both agree though, that kissing little cheeks is preferable to the alternative.
Ew.
.
Wednesday, December 17, 2008
Chicken soup recipe
I forgot the recipe for the chicken soup!
meat and broth from one small chicken
1 tsp ground pepper
2 large carrots
2 medium potatoes
1/3 butternut squash
1 large onion
Cook up your chicken and make stock in the usual manner. For this meal, I boiled a whole chicken and it made an enormous post of soup. You can use leftovers from a roast chicken meal, turkey leftover, or whatever. Remove the meat to a strainer (don't put your broth down the sink!!!) and return the broth to a simmer. Add 1 tsp powdered thyme, 3 bay leaves, and 1 tsp savory to the broth. Give your (cleaned up) onion and carrots a good chop (no larger than 1/2 inch dice) and put them both in a medium bowl. Drizzle with 1 T of olive oil, a few grinds of black pepper, garlic salt, and oregano. Put this on a foil-lined cookie sheet and place until a medium broil, stirring every 3-4 mins until the veggies are browned and beginning to be tender. Repeat this process with the squash (seeded, peeled, diced, oiled) and potato (peeled, diced, oiled), using the same foil for each batch but don't use any more oregano. As each batch is cooked, reserve in a bowl. Add the veggies to the broth all at once and simmer for about 5 mins or until tender but firm. Add in frozen peas, chopped broccoli florets, and chopped cabbage. Simmer 2-3 mins. Add in shredded chicken meat and heat through. Check broth, correct salt and pepper, and serve with hot biscuits.
As far as noodles or rice, just do whatever you like. I cooked some rice seperately and served a scoop of soup over a small pile of rice. Buttered noodles would also be delicious served up like this.
This whole pot of food cost me about $8-9 and is enough for three generous meals.
meat and broth from one small chicken
1 tsp ground pepper
2 large carrots
2 medium potatoes
1/3 butternut squash
1 large onion
Cook up your chicken and make stock in the usual manner. For this meal, I boiled a whole chicken and it made an enormous post of soup. You can use leftovers from a roast chicken meal, turkey leftover, or whatever. Remove the meat to a strainer (don't put your broth down the sink!!!) and return the broth to a simmer. Add 1 tsp powdered thyme, 3 bay leaves, and 1 tsp savory to the broth. Give your (cleaned up) onion and carrots a good chop (no larger than 1/2 inch dice) and put them both in a medium bowl. Drizzle with 1 T of olive oil, a few grinds of black pepper, garlic salt, and oregano. Put this on a foil-lined cookie sheet and place until a medium broil, stirring every 3-4 mins until the veggies are browned and beginning to be tender. Repeat this process with the squash (seeded, peeled, diced, oiled) and potato (peeled, diced, oiled), using the same foil for each batch but don't use any more oregano. As each batch is cooked, reserve in a bowl. Add the veggies to the broth all at once and simmer for about 5 mins or until tender but firm. Add in frozen peas, chopped broccoli florets, and chopped cabbage. Simmer 2-3 mins. Add in shredded chicken meat and heat through. Check broth, correct salt and pepper, and serve with hot biscuits.
As far as noodles or rice, just do whatever you like. I cooked some rice seperately and served a scoop of soup over a small pile of rice. Buttered noodles would also be delicious served up like this.
This whole pot of food cost me about $8-9 and is enough for three generous meals.
Dinner was quick, cheap, and easy.
I love quick, cheap, and easy.
Here's the breakdown:
Wheat rolls from Wal-Mart's day old bread section - 10 rolls for $1.50
Turkey deli meat - 2.88 per pound
Cheese - (mine was pepper jack, the kids had mozzarella) which evened out to about $3.52 per pound.
They get wrapped individually and heated through until the cheese was gooey, and served with a small bowl of leftover chicken soup. Each sandwich cost roughly $0.80. My meal rule has been "serve up 6", 2 for Man, one for Princess, Tag, and Me, and split the last one between the two little girls. Those numbers will change drastically over time, but for now it's nice to keep it simple.
Tonight, dinner is costing about $7. (fast food costs us about $25 and we're often still hungry afterward) It would have been less expensive to make up more rolls, but since we're using leftovers, I needed to change up the meal so the littles don't get bored too quickly. Freida loves the soup. We dish up the veggies and chopped meat, cool it off, and she gets instant finger food.
Is there any interest in hearing about meals like this? I try to keep each meal under $10 for the 6 of us, and we very often have enough leftovers for lunches and breakfasts the next day.
Here's the breakdown:
Wheat rolls from Wal-Mart's day old bread section - 10 rolls for $1.50
Turkey deli meat - 2.88 per pound
Cheese - (mine was pepper jack, the kids had mozzarella) which evened out to about $3.52 per pound.
They get wrapped individually and heated through until the cheese was gooey, and served with a small bowl of leftover chicken soup. Each sandwich cost roughly $0.80. My meal rule has been "serve up 6", 2 for Man, one for Princess, Tag, and Me, and split the last one between the two little girls. Those numbers will change drastically over time, but for now it's nice to keep it simple.
Tonight, dinner is costing about $7. (fast food costs us about $25 and we're often still hungry afterward) It would have been less expensive to make up more rolls, but since we're using leftovers, I needed to change up the meal so the littles don't get bored too quickly. Freida loves the soup. We dish up the veggies and chopped meat, cool it off, and she gets instant finger food.
Is there any interest in hearing about meals like this? I try to keep each meal under $10 for the 6 of us, and we very often have enough leftovers for lunches and breakfasts the next day.
pics
My poor, sleeping beauty. She has been a huge help to me. I've spent a lot of time reading with her and doing girl scout stuff. She's also conversing on a lot more mature level lately, despite the continued need for speech therapy.
This is the monster wet-dry vac that helped so much a couple nights ago. We're taking the neighbors a box of truffles as a thank you for helping us out and letting Tag play at their house for two days straight over Thanksgiving while their grandkids visited.
This poor child has been the most sick of all the kids. She's been coughing for about 3 weeks and had the worst fevers. She's still napping twice a day. This is how she drinks hot cocoa.
This was supposed to be a Christmas gift for Freida. Tag got ahold of it and put carrots in the little pop up parts and we couldn't get the carrots out without taking the whole thing apart. We're still missing one piece so two of the heads don't work quite right, but Tag likes it at least as much as Freida anyway. We might just give it to him and have him buy her a new gift.
Believe it or not, she was just standing there with her mouth open. She's playing so much nowadays with her face and voice, just like Tag did.
My sweet, pretty girl. The teacher told me yesterday that she's reading at a 3rd grade level now.
What do you know... fall has finally arrived. It's only mid-December.
A small sample of the water issues. I found more wet padding in the girls' bedroom closet today.
Cute baby, with a very runny nose. Imagine that times 4 kids and two parents, and go buy some stock in Kleenex.
When this tissue box emptied, she loved putting her toys in it and walking around with it in her hands. She gathered quite the collection.
What happens when milk sits in the same cup for a couple of days? It becomes sour cream. Not that we tasted it.
This is the monster wet-dry vac that helped so much a couple nights ago. We're taking the neighbors a box of truffles as a thank you for helping us out and letting Tag play at their house for two days straight over Thanksgiving while their grandkids visited.
This poor child has been the most sick of all the kids. She's been coughing for about 3 weeks and had the worst fevers. She's still napping twice a day. This is how she drinks hot cocoa.
This was supposed to be a Christmas gift for Freida. Tag got ahold of it and put carrots in the little pop up parts and we couldn't get the carrots out without taking the whole thing apart. We're still missing one piece so two of the heads don't work quite right, but Tag likes it at least as much as Freida anyway. We might just give it to him and have him buy her a new gift.
Believe it or not, she was just standing there with her mouth open. She's playing so much nowadays with her face and voice, just like Tag did.
My sweet, pretty girl. The teacher told me yesterday that she's reading at a 3rd grade level now.
What do you know... fall has finally arrived. It's only mid-December.
A small sample of the water issues. I found more wet padding in the girls' bedroom closet today.
Cute baby, with a very runny nose. Imagine that times 4 kids and two parents, and go buy some stock in Kleenex.
When this tissue box emptied, she loved putting her toys in it and walking around with it in her hands. She gathered quite the collection.
What happens when milk sits in the same cup for a couple of days? It becomes sour cream. Not that we tasted it.
Tuesday, December 16, 2008
Every thorn has its rose - Just like every dawn has its night.
My sweet grandmother gave me a gift subscription to Better Homes and Gardens which I'm LOVING with every perfectionist fiber of my being. I'm mature enough at this point to not go crazy over the perfect homes and remodels that cost more that we used to make in an entire year, or sofas that cost 6 months worth of groceries. What I'm focusing on is enjoying the beauty of the photos, my own takes on their very hip recipes, and all of the genius, GENIUS I say, organization solutions. I feel like I did the first time I went inside The Container Store. The only thing that would have completed the experience was maybe an angelic choir or bronzed man servants straightening shelves instead of the local work-to-learn college population.
Anyway, I bundled the girls up and headed out to my local thrift store to see about finding some solutions related to suggestions I particularly loved. It was bitterly cold, especially since we havn't been in cold country in a very long time, and I was told that yesterday is likely to be the coldest day of the year. After scoring a couple of finds, I headed home and made some delicious chicken soup (roasted the veggies before adding to soup -- oh my. yummy stuff) and from-scratch drop biscuits. After dinner we found that while we were happily enjoying our meal that the toilet had been running that whole time. There were about two inches of standing water in the bathroom and the water had already made it into two bedrooms. I started bailing water into the bathtub while Man made dams out of towels to bar the water's progress through the house.
Things I'm thankful for:
1. We were home when it happened. It could have been much worse.
2. We didn't lose any possessions.
3. Our kind neighbors were blessed to own a wet-dry vac, as well as the kindness to lend it to us. (I showed up on the door step, wet and shod in flip-flops. I'm sure it looked pathetic. We ended up vacuuming at least 8 gallons of water out of the carpet alone.)
4. Replacing the padding won't be nearly as expensive as we thought it might be.
5. There is concrete beneath the carpet, rather than floor boards. I'm sure that this caused the water to spread further, but padding is cheap compared to floor boards.
6. The landlord was very reasonable and sympathetic, even apologizing for my inconvenience despite the fact that it was my kid who used too much toilet paper, resulting in the incident in question.
7. This didn't happen the day before Christmas, or some other mightily inconvenient day.
8. That we don't have a basement!! Oh, what a nightmare that would have been.
I ranted and raged about how every time I try to get this house together and try to make sense out of our stuff, something dumb like this happens that puts me behind a whole week. And it's true. I've sprained my back, gotten sick, gotten pregnant, Tag gets an asthma attack, last week Pebbles had a fever of 104.6° and just laid on the floor for a couple of days, the kids get sick in the messy sort of way, or............. the list goes on. (no, I'm not pregnant now. this is a 7 year list)
So, I got the above mentioned blessing last night, after hours of back-killing water sucking on the very day I set out with hope and determination to make a house of order. I felt like I was being punished for my hope. Man sighed, shook his head, and said "God doesn't punish people for buying cannisters. This stuff just happens."
Me: " But if we had chicken nuggets for dinner like I had planned, none of this would have been nearly so much of an issue."
Man: "Thank you for dinner. It was delicious."
Me: [hugging my poor, patient Man]
Universe - 158 Me - 0
Except, now I have cannisters.
Anyway, I bundled the girls up and headed out to my local thrift store to see about finding some solutions related to suggestions I particularly loved. It was bitterly cold, especially since we havn't been in cold country in a very long time, and I was told that yesterday is likely to be the coldest day of the year. After scoring a couple of finds, I headed home and made some delicious chicken soup (roasted the veggies before adding to soup -- oh my. yummy stuff) and from-scratch drop biscuits. After dinner we found that while we were happily enjoying our meal that the toilet had been running that whole time. There were about two inches of standing water in the bathroom and the water had already made it into two bedrooms. I started bailing water into the bathtub while Man made dams out of towels to bar the water's progress through the house.
Things I'm thankful for:
1. We were home when it happened. It could have been much worse.
2. We didn't lose any possessions.
3. Our kind neighbors were blessed to own a wet-dry vac, as well as the kindness to lend it to us. (I showed up on the door step, wet and shod in flip-flops. I'm sure it looked pathetic. We ended up vacuuming at least 8 gallons of water out of the carpet alone.)
4. Replacing the padding won't be nearly as expensive as we thought it might be.
5. There is concrete beneath the carpet, rather than floor boards. I'm sure that this caused the water to spread further, but padding is cheap compared to floor boards.
6. The landlord was very reasonable and sympathetic, even apologizing for my inconvenience despite the fact that it was my kid who used too much toilet paper, resulting in the incident in question.
7. This didn't happen the day before Christmas, or some other mightily inconvenient day.
8. That we don't have a basement!! Oh, what a nightmare that would have been.
I ranted and raged about how every time I try to get this house together and try to make sense out of our stuff, something dumb like this happens that puts me behind a whole week. And it's true. I've sprained my back, gotten sick, gotten pregnant, Tag gets an asthma attack, last week Pebbles had a fever of 104.6° and just laid on the floor for a couple of days, the kids get sick in the messy sort of way, or............. the list goes on. (no, I'm not pregnant now. this is a 7 year list)
So, I got the above mentioned blessing last night, after hours of back-killing water sucking on the very day I set out with hope and determination to make a house of order. I felt like I was being punished for my hope. Man sighed, shook his head, and said "God doesn't punish people for buying cannisters. This stuff just happens."
Me: " But if we had chicken nuggets for dinner like I had planned, none of this would have been nearly so much of an issue."
Man: "Thank you for dinner. It was delicious."
Me: [hugging my poor, patient Man]
Universe - 158 Me - 0
Except, now I have cannisters.
Sunday, December 14, 2008
Trading
Tag: Mom, I don't want these Cheetoes.
Me: Sorry to hear that.
Tag: Here, I'd like to share with you. [hands me his bag of junk food]
Me: Well, that's awfully nice of you. [he watches intently as I take one bite]
[Then he runs off to grab a bag of Doritoes and brings them over.]
Tag: Now, you should eat these. [He opens them for me.] And now since I shared with you, you should share with me.
[He runs off with the Doritoes, and I inhale some chips from laughing.]
Me: Sorry to hear that.
Tag: Here, I'd like to share with you. [hands me his bag of junk food]
Me: Well, that's awfully nice of you. [he watches intently as I take one bite]
[Then he runs off to grab a bag of Doritoes and brings them over.]
Tag: Now, you should eat these. [He opens them for me.] And now since I shared with you, you should share with me.
[He runs off with the Doritoes, and I inhale some chips from laughing.]
Friday, December 12, 2008
Friend's child
Some of you know my friend and some of you don't, and in the interest of protecting her privacy I can't give a whole lot of details.
The generals are these: her daughter has been diagnosed with terminal brain cancer. She has been estimated to have 6 months to live.
The only thing my friend has asked is for friends to send a few cards to her daughter over the next few months. What child doesn't like getting mail? If you want to send her something (a card, pictures), I would be happy to forward it to my friend. If you don't know what my current address is (and who could blame you) email me and I'll send it to you.
And, Friend K family, know that my readers pray for you as well.
The generals are these: her daughter has been diagnosed with terminal brain cancer. She has been estimated to have 6 months to live.
The only thing my friend has asked is for friends to send a few cards to her daughter over the next few months. What child doesn't like getting mail? If you want to send her something (a card, pictures), I would be happy to forward it to my friend. If you don't know what my current address is (and who could blame you) email me and I'll send it to you.
And, Friend K family, know that my readers pray for you as well.
Thursday, December 11, 2008
There is no humor today
There will be humor again. But not today.
When you learn that a friend's child is dying and you're half a country away, what do you do? What can you do?
When you learn that a friend's child is dying and you're half a country away, what do you do? What can you do?
Wednesday, December 10, 2008
Cooking from scratch
I'm not dieting. Every time I think "I should diet" I immediately crave a bowl of ice cream or a bag of PB M&M's. Or anything with 40% sugar, 40% fat, and 20% refined flour.
So instead of dieting, I'm changing how I eat by baby steps.
I've long found it remarkable how different pre-fab food is from it's homemade counterpart. I found that to be unquestionably true concerning beans cooked from scratch and now I know for sure that the same could be said of garbanzo beans. I've also found a section in a local grocery store that has whole grain/legume combos with no spices or preservatives that cook up (with a little help from my spice cabinet and a fresh chopped veggie) into something far tastier and healthier than Rice-a-Roni.
And do you know how much less expensive it is to buy dried grains and legumes? It's expensive time wise, but crockpots cure that issue. Just soak overnight then throw into your slow cooker in the morning with spices. Easy.
And let's have a cheer for steamed veggies. I can have a couple of medium wedges of steamed cabbage in a day for either a snack or as a side dish for about 80 calories (1/4 of a small cabbage plus one tsp melted butter) and it's delicious. A heaping serving of broccoli is about 50 calories and doesn't need butter at all. Quinoa also has about the same calorie count as basmati rice, but it has tons more nutrition. I do prefer the texture of the rice, but they also mix pretty well.
This week's goal: increase fiber through plain low fat veggies, fruits, whole grains, and legumes. Sounds like a big goal, but so far it has been very simple. Lunch = more lentil/quinoa pilaf, an apple, and broccoli.
And if you've been following my blog for a while, you'll know that I'm anything but consistent. So the dieting updates won't last long.
But I'm not dieting. Dang it.
So instead of dieting, I'm changing how I eat by baby steps.
I've long found it remarkable how different pre-fab food is from it's homemade counterpart. I found that to be unquestionably true concerning beans cooked from scratch and now I know for sure that the same could be said of garbanzo beans. I've also found a section in a local grocery store that has whole grain/legume combos with no spices or preservatives that cook up (with a little help from my spice cabinet and a fresh chopped veggie) into something far tastier and healthier than Rice-a-Roni.
And do you know how much less expensive it is to buy dried grains and legumes? It's expensive time wise, but crockpots cure that issue. Just soak overnight then throw into your slow cooker in the morning with spices. Easy.
And let's have a cheer for steamed veggies. I can have a couple of medium wedges of steamed cabbage in a day for either a snack or as a side dish for about 80 calories (1/4 of a small cabbage plus one tsp melted butter) and it's delicious. A heaping serving of broccoli is about 50 calories and doesn't need butter at all. Quinoa also has about the same calorie count as basmati rice, but it has tons more nutrition. I do prefer the texture of the rice, but they also mix pretty well.
This week's goal: increase fiber through plain low fat veggies, fruits, whole grains, and legumes. Sounds like a big goal, but so far it has been very simple. Lunch = more lentil/quinoa pilaf, an apple, and broccoli.
And if you've been following my blog for a while, you'll know that I'm anything but consistent. So the dieting updates won't last long.
But I'm not dieting. Dang it.
Tuesday, December 09, 2008
All I want for Christmas is the Taj Mahal
I asked the kids what they wanted for Christmas, and since I'm so organized I immediately lost the list. When I asked a second time, I found that the first try was just a warm up.
Princess:
Barbie
Bratz dolls
Stuffed animals
1st grade level books
jewelry
A doll school (instead of a doll house)
Gloves
Makeup
Fake glasses
New shirts
the Tinkerbell movie
a lap top computer
a bouncy ball
Tag:
calculator
race track with cars (he had one, but we've lost about 1/3 of the pieces)
fan with a spray bottle attached
toy house with people and furniture
water colors
lamp
remote control car
my own little couch
my own little exercising bike
my own keyboard
tool box with play tools
curtains for my room with Lightning McQueen on them
a mouse pad (at this point he had started just looking around the living room for inspiration)
gloves
a pen
hair paint
his own shelf
bouncy ball
My Christmas shopping is officially complete, including a couple of items from the above lists (definitely not a lap top computer or a couch) and now I'm waiting on Amazon to deliver.
Wrapping, on the other hand, is an entirely different blog post.
Princess:
Barbie
Bratz dolls
Stuffed animals
1st grade level books
jewelry
A doll school (instead of a doll house)
Gloves
Makeup
Fake glasses
New shirts
the Tinkerbell movie
a lap top computer
a bouncy ball
Tag:
calculator
race track with cars (he had one, but we've lost about 1/3 of the pieces)
fan with a spray bottle attached
toy house with people and furniture
water colors
lamp
remote control car
my own little couch
my own little exercising bike
my own keyboard
tool box with play tools
curtains for my room with Lightning McQueen on them
a mouse pad (at this point he had started just looking around the living room for inspiration)
gloves
a pen
hair paint
his own shelf
bouncy ball
My Christmas shopping is officially complete, including a couple of items from the above lists (definitely not a lap top computer or a couch) and now I'm waiting on Amazon to deliver.
Wrapping, on the other hand, is an entirely different blog post.
Friday, December 05, 2008
Update on "Hawaiian" recipes
The coleslaw was gross, but I actually really liked the meatballs. It was a better balance of sweet and tangy than I thought it would be.
But don't waste your time on the coleslaw.
But don't waste your time on the coleslaw.
Computer, the continued story.
Man came home yesterday with a grin on his face. "How's the new card doing? Is it awesome?"
I sort of stared at the computer screen for a moment, wondering what it would look like if the new card were in and working. "Mm, it didn't work."
He took only a moment to realize that I had put the old card back in, and then set to with asking what things I tried in order to get it to work. And now I'm really glad I did all that troubleshooting garbage. When he said "did you try..." I was able to say "yes!"
He was so focused on the computer all night last night that he didn't even eat dinner with us longer than 3 minutes. Which is saying something for a one handed man eating bbq chicken. He tried to talk to me about it throughout the evening, but I was preoccupied with less technical things, such as cooking, getting the kids ready for bed, and preparing my home for a free carpet cleaning. Besides that, I honestly don't know enough about computers to really be helpful. His questions and statements were not the teaching sort, they were the focused, competent sort that quickly flew between hardware, software, and maybe even silverware or wererabbit for all I kept up with him. I'm not sure if he wanted me to help or if he was simply trying to include me in a process he enjoys.
He seemed so preoccupied though, that after a while I came up with a great idea.
"Honey, why don't you try adjusting the tacheon radiofrequency for endothermic propulsion? That might help the phasonic wavebrights malappease the monochipistic hampsters that are messing with the system."
"Yeah," he said. "That might work."
Then he looked up at me and grinned, and we nerdily shared a snorty laugh.
I'm so white and nerdy. Bwahahaha-snort-hahaha. Ahem.
So, the end result was that about 30 mins after I went to bed last night, he said that he tampered with it so much both physically and with internal settings of some sort that the motherboard finally waved a white flag and gave up the ghost.
Now, I know what some of you are thinking: now we know! He did do it on purpose! He asked if we might spring for a new motherboard/processor, because that's all it would need to be a perfectly good computer. I pondered that. After 7+ years, I know him well enough to see when disappointment is real, and he was genuinely upset that this purchase didn't behave very well.
I know what others of you are thinking: if that computer is fried, how are you posting this? We're working with his laptop for now. Imagine my chagrin, to have to watch The Office and The Daily Show on this little thing with the laptop sized speakers. -sigh- Poor me.
(that was sarcastic, btw)
We've been burning the candles we got yesterday and Pebbles is so fascinated by these things. She knows that fire is dangerous and hurts, so every time I pick up the little candle tin she gets anxious and yells "watch it, finger! [which actually sounds like "finker"] Fire's hot and hurts fingers!" So I decided to mess with her and run my finger through the flame. She squeaked. "Issa hurt? Hurt finger? Don't hurt, finger!" Then she blew it out, made a really awesome "ack! uh-oh" face, then said "can I have some more fire?"
I think we have a little pyro in the making. She's right next to me, laughing about some hair she accidentally singed and now she wants me to give her some paper.
I sort of stared at the computer screen for a moment, wondering what it would look like if the new card were in and working. "Mm, it didn't work."
He took only a moment to realize that I had put the old card back in, and then set to with asking what things I tried in order to get it to work. And now I'm really glad I did all that troubleshooting garbage. When he said "did you try..." I was able to say "yes!"
He was so focused on the computer all night last night that he didn't even eat dinner with us longer than 3 minutes. Which is saying something for a one handed man eating bbq chicken. He tried to talk to me about it throughout the evening, but I was preoccupied with less technical things, such as cooking, getting the kids ready for bed, and preparing my home for a free carpet cleaning. Besides that, I honestly don't know enough about computers to really be helpful. His questions and statements were not the teaching sort, they were the focused, competent sort that quickly flew between hardware, software, and maybe even silverware or wererabbit for all I kept up with him. I'm not sure if he wanted me to help or if he was simply trying to include me in a process he enjoys.
He seemed so preoccupied though, that after a while I came up with a great idea.
"Honey, why don't you try adjusting the tacheon radiofrequency for endothermic propulsion? That might help the phasonic wavebrights malappease the monochipistic hampsters that are messing with the system."
"Yeah," he said. "That might work."
Then he looked up at me and grinned, and we nerdily shared a snorty laugh.
I'm so white and nerdy. Bwahahaha-snort-hahaha. Ahem.
So, the end result was that about 30 mins after I went to bed last night, he said that he tampered with it so much both physically and with internal settings of some sort that the motherboard finally waved a white flag and gave up the ghost.
Now, I know what some of you are thinking: now we know! He did do it on purpose! He asked if we might spring for a new motherboard/processor, because that's all it would need to be a perfectly good computer. I pondered that. After 7+ years, I know him well enough to see when disappointment is real, and he was genuinely upset that this purchase didn't behave very well.
I know what others of you are thinking: if that computer is fried, how are you posting this? We're working with his laptop for now. Imagine my chagrin, to have to watch The Office and The Daily Show on this little thing with the laptop sized speakers. -sigh- Poor me.
(that was sarcastic, btw)
We've been burning the candles we got yesterday and Pebbles is so fascinated by these things. She knows that fire is dangerous and hurts, so every time I pick up the little candle tin she gets anxious and yells "watch it, finger! [which actually sounds like "finker"] Fire's hot and hurts fingers!" So I decided to mess with her and run my finger through the flame. She squeaked. "Issa hurt? Hurt finger? Don't hurt, finger!" Then she blew it out, made a really awesome "ack! uh-oh" face, then said "can I have some more fire?"
I think we have a little pyro in the making. She's right next to me, laughing about some hair she accidentally singed and now she wants me to give her some paper.
Thursday, December 04, 2008
I got my carpet cleaned for free!
And all I had to do was say "no thank you" with a smile. I "won" a drawing, which meant I could choose to receive two candles (gingerbread) and two rooms of carpet cleaning absolutely free!
How does the saying go -- "I love hard work. I could watch it all day."
I've never seen someone vacuum so slowly in my life. He was very sure to show me how much gunk is in my carpets (it's a rental, what can I say) but the price tag was hideous. By a show of hands, who here would ever spend $2100 on a vacuum? I admit that this was something of a Swiss Army vacuum though, with at least a dozen attachments and knobs and levers that kept all the kids enthralled. Pebbles spent most of the time he was here asking "is it a good guy bacuum?" and running away with a squeak.
If he had come earlier in the day I might have pretended to be more interested. "Wow, look at what it does to the living room carpet! What would it do in one of the kids' rooms? Ooooo, I'd absolutely love to see how well it cleans my couch. Can I try it on my van? Really? Oh, you're too kind."
Unfortunately, he came late in the day, and it really didn't suck the water out of the carpet at all. He claimed that it would dry in 20 mins but we're going on an hour here and it's still wet. And I'm allergic to the fragrance in the shampoo. So, sorry Pedro, there is no way I going to 1) spend that amount of money on a vacuum that 2) is so confusing that it takes a whole 30 mins to set up whereupon it 3) turns my house into merely a different sort of allergen harboring environment.
But I have gingerbread candles (which are likely from the Dollar Store) and the carpet doesn't smell like pet any more. Not bad for free, right?
How does the saying go -- "I love hard work. I could watch it all day."
I've never seen someone vacuum so slowly in my life. He was very sure to show me how much gunk is in my carpets (it's a rental, what can I say) but the price tag was hideous. By a show of hands, who here would ever spend $2100 on a vacuum? I admit that this was something of a Swiss Army vacuum though, with at least a dozen attachments and knobs and levers that kept all the kids enthralled. Pebbles spent most of the time he was here asking "is it a good guy bacuum?" and running away with a squeak.
If he had come earlier in the day I might have pretended to be more interested. "Wow, look at what it does to the living room carpet! What would it do in one of the kids' rooms? Ooooo, I'd absolutely love to see how well it cleans my couch. Can I try it on my van? Really? Oh, you're too kind."
Unfortunately, he came late in the day, and it really didn't suck the water out of the carpet at all. He claimed that it would dry in 20 mins but we're going on an hour here and it's still wet. And I'm allergic to the fragrance in the shampoo. So, sorry Pedro, there is no way I going to 1) spend that amount of money on a vacuum that 2) is so confusing that it takes a whole 30 mins to set up whereupon it 3) turns my house into merely a different sort of allergen harboring environment.
But I have gingerbread candles (which are likely from the Dollar Store) and the carpet doesn't smell like pet any more. Not bad for free, right?
I have installed a video card!
This morning we found that the UPS guy left our new video card for our computer in our driveway. I don't know why, but the poor UPS man ends up delivering into the dark of night on our street, which can be a bit distressing, as indicated by our morning surprise. It froze last night, by the way.
Anyway, Man came home right after PT because he knew about the box and I didn't, and burst in the door this morning and asked if I wanted to install a video card. Whoa, what? Yeah, he's got this thing about teaching me about computer hardware, which is cool because I like computer hardware in the sense that someone who doesn't know French likes French, or who has never tried a truffle (the mushroom sort) begins to salivate over recipes that contain said delicacy. So, my interest doesn't make a whole lot of logical sense, but it's fun, and Man loves computers so it gives us something to talk about (or, something for me to cheerfully listen to while he waxes passionately poetic)
Man put this computer together about 5 years ago, using some old parts and some new parts. It has lasted quite well despite the fact that it's now outdated and we put a big strain on it with video watching and game playing. The video card has started rebelling, completely restarting the computer when we start some videos, and we've had to dial down the quality of the graphics we have things run at.
So, Man got a twinkle in his eye.
It's the sort of twinkle he gets that makes me tense up. The sort of twinkle that transforms into a gleam, and then blood-shot eyes after hours of research, days of dreaming, and perhaps months of planning and attempting to scrape funds together. It's the same twinkle he got when he started talking up the creation of this computer. It's also the same gleam he achieved while trying to find some way to buy a piano. Those were the same blood shot eyes that eventually obtained our flat screen computer monitor. He slaves over the purchases he wants to make with an energy and determination that are somewhat disturbing to behold. But the end result is that he absolutely LOVES the thing he buys. He uses it to its full potential, uses it every day, and always delights in the fruits of his efforts.
This is partly why I don't buy him things any more. I like to give gifts, but there's no way I'm going to imitate or understand the Twinkle and therefore, for gift-giving occasions, I give him a spending limit. It's easier on everyone that way.
Anyway, so we now have the video card. He ate his cereal while talking me through portions of removing the old card (itty-bitty thing) and plugging the new card in (friggin' huge, and requires its own power supply). I opened the case and whistled. It looked like the Sahara, with piles of dead matter everywhere. I asked him if I could vacuum it out. His face reflected momentary panic, wondering if I was serious. He told me that if I did we'd have to get a whole new computer, knowing that would scare me into never doing it at all. He had to dash out the door just as I was putting in the last screw (yes, it takes two internal slots, whatever those are called) and so I flipped it on after he left. Things went great until I logged in. The computer froze up.
Something inside me froze at the same time. Crap, I thought. I wonder if I broke it.
So, I did something the pro's call "troubleshooting", which for me involved (after doing a hard shut down) wiggling the wiggly bits a little, plugging a different power supply thingy into the card, making sure all the plugs in the back were nice and tight, and taking some of the larger dust bunnies out. Satisfied that I had done everything I reasonably could to make it have a better chance at not freezing up, I turned it on again.
Nope. It froze. Actually, it froze on the login screen this time. So, I did another hard shut down (I know, I know, I didn't have a choice) hoping that may a third time would be a charm. Maybe one of these times it would just magically work long enough for me to install the new drivers and I'd be a hero!! A hero who troubleshoots for freedom and justice! A hero who wasn't afraid to go outside her comfort zone and MAKE the computer work!
After it froze the third time, I sort of puttered around the house, hoping it would unfreeze on its own. Maybe the motherboard woke up, saw the video card, peed itself, and was just standing there in shock. Maybe they just needed some time to get to know each other, like if you're the school nerd who gets assigned the star running back as a lab partner in high school. So, I waited. I did some laundry, glanced at the frozen screen, changed some diapers, looked longingly at the frozen screen, poked at the piles of stuff around my house that need to be cleaned up, then came and sat in front of the frozen screen. And sighed.
Then I shut it down and put the old card back in. Turning the computer on, I changed some settings so that not as much stuff had to load up at first, hoping it would ease start up a bit. Switching the cards again, the computer started up but beeped over and over and flashed red words on the screen: The Video Card Is Not Plugged Into Its Own Power Source. Please Turn Off The Computer And See Instruction Manual For Proper Installation
Which has led me to the conclusion that my computer is a jerk. "Proper" installation? Well, hoity-toity you snobby bot. At least it said "please."
I turned it off again, plugged in the power cord, turned it back on, and it still froze.
So, since I can't live a whole day without Googling something, I put the older video card it, which gasped and sobbed when I picked it up, and now it's sort of moaning like a soul of the darned, sentenced to earthly prison for a life of mis-deeds.
Part of me wonders if, in all that research, Man came to the conclusion that if we got this video card that we'd have to upgrade something else, and thus his dominoes are in place to eventually have the computer he wants by bits and pieces.
However, that would be violating my own desire: "I'd rather be thought of as incompetent than conniving", but I'll reserve judgement until he comes home tonight and tinkers with it for a while. And now that I know a thing or two about computers (where the power button is, and how to put in a video card, go me) I'll be able to tell the difference. Watch out, computer guys, I'm armed with just enough knowledge to be annoying and condescending!
Anyway, Man came home right after PT because he knew about the box and I didn't, and burst in the door this morning and asked if I wanted to install a video card. Whoa, what? Yeah, he's got this thing about teaching me about computer hardware, which is cool because I like computer hardware in the sense that someone who doesn't know French likes French, or who has never tried a truffle (the mushroom sort) begins to salivate over recipes that contain said delicacy. So, my interest doesn't make a whole lot of logical sense, but it's fun, and Man loves computers so it gives us something to talk about (or, something for me to cheerfully listen to while he waxes passionately poetic)
Man put this computer together about 5 years ago, using some old parts and some new parts. It has lasted quite well despite the fact that it's now outdated and we put a big strain on it with video watching and game playing. The video card has started rebelling, completely restarting the computer when we start some videos, and we've had to dial down the quality of the graphics we have things run at.
So, Man got a twinkle in his eye.
It's the sort of twinkle he gets that makes me tense up. The sort of twinkle that transforms into a gleam, and then blood-shot eyes after hours of research, days of dreaming, and perhaps months of planning and attempting to scrape funds together. It's the same twinkle he got when he started talking up the creation of this computer. It's also the same gleam he achieved while trying to find some way to buy a piano. Those were the same blood shot eyes that eventually obtained our flat screen computer monitor. He slaves over the purchases he wants to make with an energy and determination that are somewhat disturbing to behold. But the end result is that he absolutely LOVES the thing he buys. He uses it to its full potential, uses it every day, and always delights in the fruits of his efforts.
This is partly why I don't buy him things any more. I like to give gifts, but there's no way I'm going to imitate or understand the Twinkle and therefore, for gift-giving occasions, I give him a spending limit. It's easier on everyone that way.
Anyway, so we now have the video card. He ate his cereal while talking me through portions of removing the old card (itty-bitty thing) and plugging the new card in (friggin' huge, and requires its own power supply). I opened the case and whistled. It looked like the Sahara, with piles of dead matter everywhere. I asked him if I could vacuum it out. His face reflected momentary panic, wondering if I was serious. He told me that if I did we'd have to get a whole new computer, knowing that would scare me into never doing it at all. He had to dash out the door just as I was putting in the last screw (yes, it takes two internal slots, whatever those are called) and so I flipped it on after he left. Things went great until I logged in. The computer froze up.
Something inside me froze at the same time. Crap, I thought. I wonder if I broke it.
So, I did something the pro's call "troubleshooting", which for me involved (after doing a hard shut down) wiggling the wiggly bits a little, plugging a different power supply thingy into the card, making sure all the plugs in the back were nice and tight, and taking some of the larger dust bunnies out. Satisfied that I had done everything I reasonably could to make it have a better chance at not freezing up, I turned it on again.
Nope. It froze. Actually, it froze on the login screen this time. So, I did another hard shut down (I know, I know, I didn't have a choice) hoping that may a third time would be a charm. Maybe one of these times it would just magically work long enough for me to install the new drivers and I'd be a hero!! A hero who troubleshoots for freedom and justice! A hero who wasn't afraid to go outside her comfort zone and MAKE the computer work!
After it froze the third time, I sort of puttered around the house, hoping it would unfreeze on its own. Maybe the motherboard woke up, saw the video card, peed itself, and was just standing there in shock. Maybe they just needed some time to get to know each other, like if you're the school nerd who gets assigned the star running back as a lab partner in high school. So, I waited. I did some laundry, glanced at the frozen screen, changed some diapers, looked longingly at the frozen screen, poked at the piles of stuff around my house that need to be cleaned up, then came and sat in front of the frozen screen. And sighed.
Then I shut it down and put the old card back in. Turning the computer on, I changed some settings so that not as much stuff had to load up at first, hoping it would ease start up a bit. Switching the cards again, the computer started up but beeped over and over and flashed red words on the screen: The Video Card Is Not Plugged Into Its Own Power Source. Please Turn Off The Computer And See Instruction Manual For Proper Installation
Which has led me to the conclusion that my computer is a jerk. "Proper" installation? Well, hoity-toity you snobby bot. At least it said "please."
I turned it off again, plugged in the power cord, turned it back on, and it still froze.
So, since I can't live a whole day without Googling something, I put the older video card it, which gasped and sobbed when I picked it up, and now it's sort of moaning like a soul of the darned, sentenced to earthly prison for a life of mis-deeds.
Part of me wonders if, in all that research, Man came to the conclusion that if we got this video card that we'd have to upgrade something else, and thus his dominoes are in place to eventually have the computer he wants by bits and pieces.
However, that would be violating my own desire: "I'd rather be thought of as incompetent than conniving", but I'll reserve judgement until he comes home tonight and tinkers with it for a while. And now that I know a thing or two about computers (where the power button is, and how to put in a video card, go me) I'll be able to tell the difference. Watch out, computer guys, I'm armed with just enough knowledge to be annoying and condescending!
Wednesday, December 03, 2008
Updates and life
Things here have boiled down to a sort of dull roar. Man signed back into work today and is wearing his sling for a while so people remember to not touch the shoulder or expect a salute or ask him to run for anything. His follow up with the surgeon was positive, with Dr C saying that he expects Man to make a full recovery, including the ability to once again do pushups. We're still very cautiously optimistic. He still hurts quite a bit, but it sure is nice to not have to dress his shoulder any more, especially the two layers of plastic we put on it for showers for two weeks. Man, that took a lot of time and silk tape.
The kids are back in school but Tag has to have a burst of steroids (5 days of orapred) because of illness + too much time at a friends' house with outside dogs + weather + us trying to keep him on as little meds as possible. Which totally backfired. -sigh- He's back on his dailies for another quite a while. Good news: he isn't reacting to the prednisone the way he did before. He's actually behaving pretty normally. Which is just staggering to me and I'm grateful.
I finally remembered that it's December, which means that it's time to get the mailable Christmas presents sent, which means I need to a) think of gifts, b) obtain or create them and c) get them mailed by early next week. Any ideas? We're talking grandparents.
But, with December comes the advent calendar my mom made for us (which survived the move with all ornaments intact!), chocolate advent calendars from the commissary, and a sort of stumbling avalanche of busy work until some time in February when my head clears and I realize that not only has the New year gone by, but three children's birthdays. Tag's lucky, in a way, to be that far behind the pack.
Girl scout cookie season is coming up beginning Jan 21st! Let me know if you need a GS cookie fix and we'll talk. :)
We found a really cool gadget hanging up in the cereal aisle at WalMart: dinosaur sandwich cutter. Tag adores this thing. He loves the sandwiches it makes and even eats up the crusts while he watches me plate his two new friends who he will shortly devour. Last night it even got Tag and Princess to eat lasagna. Yes, we had dinosaur lasagna. It worked surprisingly well and, despite talk of biting things heads off, dinner was peaceful and bellies ended up full.
Ward Christmas party is coming up this Friday. It's a luau. Here are the recipes I signed up to make for it:
Hawaiian Coleslaw
4 cups of shredded cabbage
1 (11 ounce) can mandarin oranges (drained, liquid preserved)
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp ground ginger
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
1/4 tsp white pepper
1 cup crushed pineapple (drained)
1/3 cup mayo
1. Put cabbage into a large bowl. Combine cabbage, 1 T reserved mandarin orange juice, salt, ginger, nutmeg, and pepper.
2. Toss the oranges and pineapples into the mixture. Stir in mayo until everything is coated. Chill well before serving.
3. Serving suggestion - cut a pineapple down the middle lengthwise. Cute the insides to make a pineapple boat. Fill two halves with coleslaw.
Annie's note: that's a really expensive serving suggestion. I guess you could use the pineapple you scoop out for your recipe, though. Make sure you use real mayo, too, since it'll need that slight tang to help out the sweet.
Waikiki Meatballs
1 1/2 pounds ground beef
2/3 cup cracker crumbs
1/3 cup minced onion
1 egg
1 1/2 tsp ginger
1/4 cup milk
1 T shortening
2 T cornstarch
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 can (13 1/2 ounce) pineapple tidbits, drained - reserve syrup
1/3 cup vinegar
1 T soy sauce
1/3 cup chopped green pepper
Mix thoroughly beef, crumbs, onion, egg, salt, ginger, and milk. Shape mixture in rounded tablespoonfuls into balls. Melt shortening in large skillet. Brown and cook meatballs, remove balls. Keep warm. Pour fat from skillet. Mix cornstarch and sugar. Stir in reserved pineapple syrup, vinegar, and soy sauce until smooth. Pour until skillet and cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until mixture thickens and boils. Boil and stir 1 minute. Add meatballs, pineapple and green pepper.
Note: [modification proposed by the person who issued the recipe] I cook my meatballs on a cookie sheet for about a half hour. I then put them in a crock pot and pour the pineapple syrup mixture over the meatballs. Add the green pepper. Cook on low.
Annie's note: This recipe sounds pretty good, and I certainly agree with baking rather than frying in shortening. It seems to be missing some garlic and ground pepper, and maybe just a slight bit of chipotle seasoning. Definitely cook the pepper until tender-crisp. I'd serve this with steamed rice and pulled pork sandwiches. Apparently our bishop will be providing the pit-roasted pig.
The kids are back in school but Tag has to have a burst of steroids (5 days of orapred) because of illness + too much time at a friends' house with outside dogs + weather + us trying to keep him on as little meds as possible. Which totally backfired. -sigh- He's back on his dailies for another quite a while. Good news: he isn't reacting to the prednisone the way he did before. He's actually behaving pretty normally. Which is just staggering to me and I'm grateful.
I finally remembered that it's December, which means that it's time to get the mailable Christmas presents sent, which means I need to a) think of gifts, b) obtain or create them and c) get them mailed by early next week. Any ideas? We're talking grandparents.
But, with December comes the advent calendar my mom made for us (which survived the move with all ornaments intact!), chocolate advent calendars from the commissary, and a sort of stumbling avalanche of busy work until some time in February when my head clears and I realize that not only has the New year gone by, but three children's birthdays. Tag's lucky, in a way, to be that far behind the pack.
Girl scout cookie season is coming up beginning Jan 21st! Let me know if you need a GS cookie fix and we'll talk. :)
We found a really cool gadget hanging up in the cereal aisle at WalMart: dinosaur sandwich cutter. Tag adores this thing. He loves the sandwiches it makes and even eats up the crusts while he watches me plate his two new friends who he will shortly devour. Last night it even got Tag and Princess to eat lasagna. Yes, we had dinosaur lasagna. It worked surprisingly well and, despite talk of biting things heads off, dinner was peaceful and bellies ended up full.
Ward Christmas party is coming up this Friday. It's a luau. Here are the recipes I signed up to make for it:
Hawaiian Coleslaw
4 cups of shredded cabbage
1 (11 ounce) can mandarin oranges (drained, liquid preserved)
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp ground ginger
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
1/4 tsp white pepper
1 cup crushed pineapple (drained)
1/3 cup mayo
1. Put cabbage into a large bowl. Combine cabbage, 1 T reserved mandarin orange juice, salt, ginger, nutmeg, and pepper.
2. Toss the oranges and pineapples into the mixture. Stir in mayo until everything is coated. Chill well before serving.
3. Serving suggestion - cut a pineapple down the middle lengthwise. Cute the insides to make a pineapple boat. Fill two halves with coleslaw.
Annie's note: that's a really expensive serving suggestion. I guess you could use the pineapple you scoop out for your recipe, though. Make sure you use real mayo, too, since it'll need that slight tang to help out the sweet.
Waikiki Meatballs
1 1/2 pounds ground beef
2/3 cup cracker crumbs
1/3 cup minced onion
1 egg
1 1/2 tsp ginger
1/4 cup milk
1 T shortening
2 T cornstarch
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 can (13 1/2 ounce) pineapple tidbits, drained - reserve syrup
1/3 cup vinegar
1 T soy sauce
1/3 cup chopped green pepper
Mix thoroughly beef, crumbs, onion, egg, salt, ginger, and milk. Shape mixture in rounded tablespoonfuls into balls. Melt shortening in large skillet. Brown and cook meatballs, remove balls. Keep warm. Pour fat from skillet. Mix cornstarch and sugar. Stir in reserved pineapple syrup, vinegar, and soy sauce until smooth. Pour until skillet and cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until mixture thickens and boils. Boil and stir 1 minute. Add meatballs, pineapple and green pepper.
Note: [modification proposed by the person who issued the recipe] I cook my meatballs on a cookie sheet for about a half hour. I then put them in a crock pot and pour the pineapple syrup mixture over the meatballs. Add the green pepper. Cook on low.
Annie's note: This recipe sounds pretty good, and I certainly agree with baking rather than frying in shortening. It seems to be missing some garlic and ground pepper, and maybe just a slight bit of chipotle seasoning. Definitely cook the pepper until tender-crisp. I'd serve this with steamed rice and pulled pork sandwiches. Apparently our bishop will be providing the pit-roasted pig.
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