nothing but chatter

Granola recipe-Wednesday

2011-11-09T04:47:00.001-06:00

Loose granola

4c old fashioned oats
1c chopped almonds/sunflower nuts/walnuts
1/4c brown sugar
1/4tsp salt
1/4tsp ground cinnamon
1/3c olive oil
1/4c honey

preheat oven to 300. may line large rimmed baking sheet w/foil. (I don't)
Mix oats, nuts, sugar, salt & cinnamon into a large bowl. in a sauce pan combine oil & honey. bring to a simmer on stove over medium heat. Remove from heat & stir into the oat mix-stirring well.

Spread mixture onto baking sheet. stirring occassionally , bake for30 minutes. let granola cool COMPLETELY & enjoy. I store this in a tightly sealed glass canister. can be eaten w/milk as cereal or over top of yogurt, ice cream or peanut buttered apples/celery.

Frugal Tip Tuesday-couponing w/sales

2011-11-08T04:28:00.000-06:00

bargain shopping report for this week:

we do as much as possible of our grocery shopping once a week, sometime over the weekend.
we combine childcare & home groceries at the time of purchase, divide them when we get home between the 2 kitchens.
we are getting back into couponing & stocking up by stacking sales+coupons.
our coupon percentage is going up the more I learn.
I am taking a break from making our dishwasher & laundry detergents.

this week we got:
36 items but I will only list the sale/coupon ones to try to keep it from being too boring ;)

cascade d/w pacs 5.99 on sale - .75 p&g coupon--for childcare
bounty select a size paper towels 2.19-.25 coupon--for childcare
bounty regular paper towel .99-.25 coupon --for home
4 varieties of chex cereal - 2.25 each on sale-2.25 Fareway coupon-$4 HyVee coupon-2x1.10 manufacture coupons making them .14 EACH :D best score!--for chex mix, puppy chow, trail mixes for both home & childcare
2-12 oz fastco cottage cheese on sale 1.28--for childcare
3 Mrs Grimes Chili beans on sale .58 each--for home
Durracell batteries 3.59+.75 coupon--for home
4 meat counter boneless skinless chicken breasts 1.79/# --2 for each kitchen
2 purina dog treats 3.28+3.39 -$1 coupon--for home
betty crocker 10# potatoes on sale 1.99--for both kitchens
2 pillsbury brownie mixes on sale 1.67--for home

I hope to snap a couple of photos next week to keep the entries interesting.

Menu plan Monday

2011-11-07T04:59:00.001-06:00

all meals for childcare

Monday:
b- toast from homeade bread + grapes
sn- muffins & juice
l- add rice to leftover creamy chicken & corn soup & veggie tray
sn- cheesy quesadillas & juice

Tuesday:
b-homemade pancakes, eggs & fried potatoes
sn-muffins & juice
l-browned hamburger, mashed potatoes, homemade applesauce, homemade bread
sn-pizza rolls & juice

Wednesday:
b-build your own burritos(eggs, tortillas, potatoes)
sn-muffins & juice
l-tuna sandwiches on homemade bread, veggie tray, grapes
sn-build your own parfait (yogurt, grapes, pears & homemade granola)

Thursday:
b-muffins & applesauce
sn-cheesy quesadillas & juice
l-homemade chicken nuggets, fried potatoes, fresh pears & homemade bread
sn-veggie tray & homemade cocoa

Friday:
b-homemade pancakes, eggs & homemade applesauce
sn-grilled cheese sandwiches w/homemade bread & juice popcicles
l-bean & cheese quesadillas, green beans, cottage cheese
sn-ice cream cones

all subject to change at any moment ;)

five on Friday

2011-11-04T13:57:00.000-05:00

5 things that made me happy this week:

a super fun bargain shopping expedition: took 2 littles + my handful of coupons to the store that offers a one day text/coupon special. ended up w/$14.98 worth of groceries for 9.88. by far the biggest percentage off I have ever scored! Free kitty litter (sale stacked w/coupon)+canned soup for Tim's lunch/suppers minus coupon+.99 12 pack of pop= 5.10 savings :) I have done a much larger shopping trip & saved $10 before but never this much of a percentage.
remember me talking about rescuing a boatload of tomatoes from a predicted frost? this is what we brough in the house:

& I have been slowly

working my way thru them... made some salsa, eaten some fresh, then had to take a break from them. Early this week they started leaking on the floor. Yea, YUCK. So I cleaned, sliced, halved & tossed some in my 6 qt crockpot & turned them on low for a whole day. Tuesday evening, we had a bye from darts so I canned them. 2 quarts+6 half pints (jelly jars) full of stewed tomatoes :) unfortunately (or fortunately I will be thinking in later months) that didn't even put a dent in our supply. So today I started in again! I filled another 6qt crockpot & turned it on, that wasn't the bottomof the yellow milk crate so I proceeded to sort red vs green (ones that needed immediate attention vs those that could wait a bit longer) into bowls - ice cream bucket + 4 cup bowl & the milk crate is empty. the white strainer remains untouched but the basket in the middle of the pic, it was leaking too... so it got sorted.. I lost count, I think I have 6 containers from it & it also got a shower. TOMATOES!!!!!!

3. I realized today out beef goes to the locker on Monday! that means we will have a freezer full of fresh beef again in 2 weeks! YESSSSSSSSSSSSSS working up my list of cuts we want.

4. I had an interview w/a prospective childcare family this week. it was fun (albeit a bit stressful) to have that process over again but a good sign that all is not lost.

5. Looking forward to lots of family time! Attending my soon to be new nephew's baby shower tomorrow afternoon after spending the morning w/my mom & hosting lunch here @ my house w/her & my aunt!

What made you happy this week???

Menu Plan Monday

2011-10-31T12:56:00.000-05:00

childcare:
b- pancakes, oatmeal (twice), granola w/milk, cinnamon rolls
am snack-no bake cookies, banana muffins, granola w/milk, homemade bread+jelly, cottage cheese+veggies
L- pancakes+eggs+applesauce+fried potatoes, chicken +noodles+mashed potatoes+broccoli, ground beef+pasta+veggie tray+grapes, ground beef+homemade bread/butter+fried potatoes+grapes, tuna+homemade bread+mashed potatoes+veggie tray
pm snack- pizza rolls, veggie tray, banana muffins, homemade bread +honey, cinnamon rolls+homemade cocoa

Supper tomorrow night-the only night I will be home to eat-I have no idea but have lots of options in the freezer!!

we are going to try to make it thru the week w/only a gallon of milk bought for each upstairs & one for childcare. if we pull it off, it wll be the cheapest grocery week ever ;)

5 on Friday

2011-10-28T13:31:00.000-05:00

today: 5 photos of our pumpkin carving session from this morning!

When it came time to clean out the giant pumpkin this morning, the ones that were the most excited about it yesterday, skipped it today. but we still had enough to get it done. I decided that since the pumpkin was on the front step & it was nice out, we'd just go to it & do the messiness in the front yard.

it was even so warm, we quickly shed our jackets!

then we called everyone over for a group shot of the masterpiece.

this one is minus the fussies & w/Sam (which they thought was hillarious. :)

and a bonus shot of all the pumpkins/ornamental gourds we grew in the back yard this summer!!

have a great halloween weekend!!

Thankful Thursday

2011-10-20T11:15:00.000-05:00

wagon ride thru the country at sunset?! sign me up!!!

What a blast this was!!!

these are my 5 neices/nephews (so far-expecting another in January) they are my loves!!!

I truely had no idea I could love achild w/the fierceness I do for them.

Grandma said 'this will probably be the quietest we will ever see this group. they were perfectly behaved, well mannered little people the whole 4 mile ride!!

um yea, would you guess these 2 aren't blood related?!

gma, mom, Eli (on the phone, seriously??! lol)

Tim was thrilled to be along -ha! he ws there for the chili supper to follow. but he was hanging out in a tshirt & mom had 4 layers on :)

this shot needs some color balance to see the clouds/sunset appropriately!

& in the final stretch they finally understood why Great Gma had the blankets!

gma/gpa, brother Philip

When gma started playing the piano all the kids gathered around! so fun to see her share it w/another generation! I remember being right there on the floor once!!

Today I am thankful for Family!! My brother's cancer is growing, attacking the nerves in his brain that control the right arm, leg & hand. He has no grip, can't move the arm Or control the leg. he walks w/an obvious limp as he throws that leg to the side to walk on it. I am thankful we get to keep him for a while longer & that his children & wife get more time w/him as well. I am so thankful & grateful that they invited us into their chaotic & unsettled home so soon-a mere 2 days-after the doctor visit that explained these symptoms to them. Love your family, tell them you love them & appreciate every day you have with them!

5 on Friday

2011-10-14T06:06:00.000-05:00

WOW what a great couple of week's weather we've had!! it was definately an indian summer around here! back up into the 70s & 80s every day & only down to 50s at nights. crazy awesome!

so today's list is about positives from the warm up:

the tomatoes got a little bit longer to try to ripen
the pumpkins are doing awesome
we get to spend almost every morning & after nap time outside
the windows are back open again 24/7
I have a renewed ambition to get more foods preserved for winter

Race Report

2011-10-13T05:30:00.000-05:00

its alot over due but finally a report from my last race.its alot over due but finally a report from my last race. Friday night I finished packing my bags, loaded the van (how much does one girl need for an overnight stay before a race? LOL) & hit the road. I love my garmin! I always used to print a sheet of directions to go anywhere especially by myself, now I just plug in the ending address & hit 'GO!' :) I stopped twice looking for a camera battery before I finally found one. following the Garmin I found my hotel easily, only zoomed past it once ;) it won't compare to PW's hotel stay photos here by any means but it was cozy & just what I needed for a night by myself. after checking in I set back out for a convenience store to get water for the evening as well as morning & a G1 for breakfast (have found I do much better w/less in my stomach for races). However the store I chose had no G1 so I got a G2 & huge water then headed back to my room to get settled. I spent the evening snacking on the Little Ceasar's crazy bread Tim had brought home for me (carbo-load anyone?), answering Scrap Pink emails & generally chilling. I finally decided to shower about 10 then talked to Tim on the phone-he was really nervous about me being @ a mom & pop joint alone then crashed about 11:30. I slept pretty well considering my nerves.

Looking from the bathroom door& looking towards it. see, cozy, right?!

adorable handstenciled towels:

sweet little display of toiletries

Saturday morning came way too soon (as always), but after hitting snooze for a half an hour then getting text from Melissa (she & Jamie had come in WAY late & were in a room upstairs in the same hotel) I was up & around. dressed in running gear, started drinking my water, did some yoga stretches then headed out to the van to take my leftover crazy bread, get my running water bottle, etc.. met up w/the girls in the parking & rode w/them to the race. It was a great small race, a new distance for me to race (5 miles instead of 3.1) it was also my first trail run, so finihsing 19th of 20 didn't bother me in the least w/a time of 1:03:something (its been so long now I have forgotten) I thought was pretty good for this point in my training. After the awards (everyone got shirts, winners for each age group/gender got handmade birdhouses (nesting boxes) & reuseable water bottles) we headed back to the hotel for showers.

prerace photo, see the lil shower? :)

A-DORE-ABLE lil hotel!

view from across the street:

post-race, pre-shower photo: (keeping in mind we hung out for awards & had a few minutes drive back to the hotel)

Heading home, I wished I had taken time for a nap too.. I stopped twice on the way home. Once for potty + more water then the other to stretch the cramping legs. While stretching, I did some bargain shopping & got some work pants capris & some jean capris both on the clearance rack-SCORE! loaded up on junkfood (funyuns + reeses cup minis + frappuccino) & more water then hit the road to home.

Overall, it was a fun new experience! I hope to get to do more traveling next year. Tim said next time he'd make an effort to go with me. :)

I am tossing this in my Thankful Thursday category. I am thankful to be strong enough physically to run, to be strong enough emotionally to go places on my own, to have Tim supporting me even tho he was nervous, to live in a part of the country & state that I was able to find a small race in a small town w/an inexpensive hotel for my first traveling experience. Also so very thankful for the Sisterhood for being such an encouragement to get me running on day 1 & for Melissa & Jamie for keeping me running when I loose ambition!

What are you thankful for today?

Frugal Tip Tuesday

2011-10-11T05:29:00.001-05:00

Fall is full of produce! Pumpkins, Apples, Squash varieties, etc. This past Saturday at the local farmer's market I bought a quart baggie of apple chips (dehydrated slices of honey crisp apples) for $3 & 15#+bushel of mixed (golden delicious & red delicious) apples for $20 less than .50/# if I do my math right. I plan to make some crockpot applesauce & some apple pie filling both for the freezer as well as eating lots of apple snacks over the week!

the crockpot applesauce is as simple as can be! I tried it a couple of weeks ago when I got my first haul of apples from the farmer's market. peel & slice or chop apples to likeness, put in crockpot w/water, add cinnamon stick(s) (instead of brown sugar for me) & turn on. Seriously?! the peeling took the longest ;) going to try a peeler today but thinking it will be a frustrating mess since they aren't 'perfect' grocery store apples....

I cannot buy apples @ the grocery store for .50/# right now! I was over the moon excited when I saw that I really did get a deal :) I can't wait to have it in the freezer for later this winter!

Menu Plan Monday

2011-10-10T08:29:00.000-05:00

this week will be a lil crazy so no supper menus-Tim will just eat whatever he feels like & is good about it as I work m,w,f & have hunter safety course t,th. But for childcare...

B-oatmeal, build your own burrito, pancakesx2, muffins, apples(farmer's market), homemade applesauce(yet to be made), fresh pears
L-hamburgerx2, chickenx2, tuna, homemade applesauce, apples, garden green beans from freezer, spagetti squash(surprise from our garden), corn, garden pastax2, whole grain bread/butterx2, muffins, cottage cheese
SN-muffinsx2, homemade applesauce, apples+pb+raisins, pizza rolls, pb roll ups (pb+tortilla), apple juice (homemade) popciclesx2, pancakes, boiled eggs

What's on your menu this week? I hope to try some new things over the weekend but those are never planned menus.

5 on Friday

2011-10-07T08:38:00.000-05:00

today: 5 things I have learned (or relearned) about working multiple jobs.

1. the older I am the tougher it is to manage the energy. I have done this (worked several jobs simultaneously) 3 times in my life now-once in college for 3 semesters & then again a few years later. It was much easier the past 2 times! Making downtime a priority is different now.

2. shoes make all the difference! I am in desperate need of insoles at the very least for my day work & night work shoes. :)

3. I LOVE waiting tables :) I am glad I was brave enough to try it again! Its not just the tips, its the rush, the 'taking care' of others, its the making their experience a good one & yea, OK it is the tips, but just a little ;)

4. I LOVE doing childcare :) being out evenings working w/& around adults has reminded me how important my day job IS for our future adults ;)

5. I am much better about getting what needs done around the house done during the day when I can knowing I am going to be gone working 4 nights/week now & dart league the other. No more time for procrastination ;) altho, I will give big kudos to the hubby for being supportive & helpful!!

the past 2 times I juggled varying jobs, tutoring college courses, college kitchen staff, vet clinic assistant & waiting tables(pizza hut) then waiting tablesx2 (pizza hut & bar/lounge) & fast foodx2 (Hardee's & Subway) the second time. This time its childcare & waiting tables x2 (Pizza hut & Eagles). & I love it every time!!

So tell me, how do you juggle the varying activities in your life?

menu plan monday

2011-10-03T11:37:00.000-05:00

a little late :)

Breakfasts: pancakes+banana(twice), burritos+fried potatoes, oatmeal+apples, pumpkin muffins+apples

Lunches: leftover roast on leftover hamburger buns+leftover mashed potatoes+green beans from the freezer, breakfast (pancakes+eggs+fried potatoes+bananas), chicken+corn+apples+garden pasta, hamburger+garden pasta+green beans+apples, tuna+wheat bread+apples+carrots

Snacks: pizza rolls+milk, apples +peanut butter+milk, yogurt+bananas+granola, ice cream cones, pumpkin muffins+milk

Suppers: Tim is on his own 3 nights, pasta+meatballs+garlic bread, chicken braid from freezer group

Menu Plan Monday

2011-09-26T07:19:00.000-05:00

Working 3 nights/week has put a bit of a crimp in our suppers but we are adjusting. This coming up weekend is my annual Scrap Pink fundraiser & I will be gone from 7am Saturday until 7ish pm Sunday so absolutely no meal planning or prep from me during those times.

Breakfasts: oatmeal+grapes, pancakes+apples, muffins+pears, build your own burrito+fried potatoes, homemade cocoa, homemade cinnamon rolls+apples

Snacks: muffins+homemade cocoa, cookies+milk, pizza rolls+apples, string cheese+pears, peanut butter quesadillas+milk/homemade cocoa, chicken quesadillas+milk

Lunches: homemade chicken nuggets+mashed potatoes+apple wedges, hamburger w/garden pasta+fresh pear+fried potatoes, roast/veggies+grapes+rolls, breakfast leftovers

Suppers: leftover roast & veggies from yday's crockpot 2 ways/3days-philly cheese steak sandwich style tonight, w/mashed potatoes & gravy Tuesday&Wednesday, grilled hamburgers w/fried potatoes Thursday, & maybe grilled steaks or breakfast on Friday

I have learned I am much more efficient w/my time now that I am busier. I am a bad procrastinator when I know I have all evening to get something done & then usually still don't do it ;) I am better @ keeping up w/laundry & the baking & general house keeping w/the part time evening jobs than w/out them. What a happy surprise!

So, what's on your menu this week?

5 on Friday

2011-09-16T07:44:00.000-05:00

someone on Facebook the other day mentioned that "its nice to appreciate the warm things again" & that really rings true this week!! Tho I am not ready for the cold of winter, fall I will take. 5 warm things I am enjoying or soon will:

1. coffee/hot tea/hot cocoa-ok hot drinks in general I love!!
2. layered clothes - long sleeved tshirts, hoodies, jeans, socks & shoes
3. oatmeal for breakfast, supper or bedtime snack
4. hot comfort foods- mashed potatoes, soups, grilled cheese/tomato soup combo, roast & veggies in the crockpot
5. the warm bedroom from our heated ceiling fan-even if the living room window is still open :)

short & sweet today.

shift

2011-09-13T04:46:00.000-05:00

this year's shift from summer to fall, summer routine to school routine, camping weekends to home weekends, this past few weeks has been a bit tougher on me than normal. a few business things didn't go as planned, causing some other personal plans to fall through as well, when things don't go as planned, I tend to 'hibernate'. I hide, I sleep alot, I quit blogging, texting, posting on facebook, etc. I put on the happy face for work & when we have to go out in public; grocery shopping, working for Scrap Pink right now, Tuesday night dart league & now my part time job, but when I am home in the evenings I just sit & disconnect.

after this past weekend's many reminders of 10 years ago, I have kind of 'pulled myself up by my bootstraps' & decided to 'get back to it'. It=life. many people have not or can not, from that day, I can, should & will. things don't always go as planned, or as we like yet we need to move on, make the best of what we have been given & be thankful we have another day.

Saturday I had a very light version of the flu, tho achy & feverish I was thinkful for just the sniffles to accompany. Sunday I spent recovering; throwing in the housework when I could, cleaning the kitchen-in a couple of sessions, gathering laundry from the line tht had been out since Friday-don't judge ;) - checking on the garden, always returning to the couch & whatever movie Tim was watching at the time.

I am going to try to get back to some sort of blogging routine: menu Monday, random Tuesday, recipe Wednesday, thankful Thursday & 5 on Friday with the occassional post on the weekend.

to try to sum this entire post up into something productive, this shift in seasons has been a lil rough on me, but I plan on getting back on the ball. Do you have a shift in the year that is rough on you?

Menu Plan Monday

2011-09-12T04:21:00.001-05:00

a couple of notes about my menu:
*Breakfast, Lunch &Snacks are childcare meals that I usually eat too. *fried green beans= a bit of bacon grease in cast iron skillet, green beans & granulated garlic fried together until tenderness of choice

Breakfasts: build your own burrito, pancakes w/homemade mulberry syrup(2 days), whole grain toast w/peanut butter & homemade grape jam, homemade cinnamon rolls, each served w/a fruit or veggy.

Lunches: chicken from the crockpot, ground beef(2 days), homemade mac n cheese, mashed potatoes, corn, fried green beans, shredded beef, fried potatoes, chicken & noodles, assorted fruits

Snacks: fruit plate, veggie tray, pizza rolls, cheesy quesadillas, ice cream cones(Friday treat)

Suppers: breakfast casserole from Freezer Swap Group, beef roast w/veggies in the crockpot, roast shredded into sandwiches, hamburgers on the grill, chicken & noodles

what's on your menu this week?

5 on Friday.

2011-08-26T05:26:00.001-05:00

ok, lets see so far I have covered; summer, scrapping, running, & summer tv.... hmmmm going to go w/the seasonal shift of summer into fall.

Love the change in routine. shortly after the 4th of July we are all getting ready for a new routine, new schedule, new goals. School starts, the days get shorter, the long sleeved shirts & pants & socks w/tennis shoes come back out.
Love the inbetween, fluctuating temps. shorts & tanks one day, jeans & jackets the next. cooler early morning & evening running temps! back to sleeping w/the windows open.
Love the different produce. whether at the farmer's market or home garden or grocery store, there is a noticable difference in produce availability. canning, freezing & overal preserving & stocking for winter meals is happening.
Like that camping/boating weekends make way for more scrapping or race weekends & eventually, more quiet weekends at home. variation is good.
Love the sunshine! the curtains are open again to let the sunshine in as the heat of it isn't as strong.

I love each season for its qualities, but the changing from one to the other is also like another season all its own. What do you look forward to this season of change?

Thankful Thursday

2011-08-25T07:15:00.000-05:00

ooops, ran out of scheduled posts... throwing this one together before breakfast....

Even tho my childcare numbers are temporarily low, I am thankful for the families I do have.
I am thankful for the time I am getting for extra one-on-one time w/each of them thru the day.
I am thankful for the timeing of said 'down time' as it allows me more time to get organized, work on fundraiser details & have some quiet time.
I am thankful we are stil able to cover what needs covered plus a little extra to still do races & even an overnight stay.
I am thankful for my stock up in the pantries & freezers.
I am thankful I am able to 'let it go' & not stress it.
I am thankful for options.
I am thankful to be able to chose the families that will be the best fit for our group.
I am thankful Tim is slowly getting the 'let it go' concept.

What are you thankful for today?

Chicken Tenders-Recipe

2011-08-24T05:56:00.006-05:00

I received this recipe on a card from one of my food program sponsors & tried it out to help me do away w/over processed foods. Remember when I shared this naaaaasty video?? eeeeeewwwww!!! so no more store bought chicken nuggets for us!! This is my go to recipe for chicken nuggets, mostly made in the summer.

Chicken Tenders
1 1/2 tsp vinegar
1/2 c milk
COMBINE , stir & let set 10 minutes to thicken.
4 medium boneless skinless chicken breast halves (about a pound) CUT how you chose
2 TBS prepared mustard (I use honey mustard)
2TBS vinegar
1 TBS honey or jelly (I use honey)
black pepper to taste
COMBINE IN A large bowl, stir in milk mixture & stir. Add chicken & stir to coat, cover & let set 20 minutes.
Preheat oven @ this point to 400*
lightly spray or grease baking pan (I use a stone)
1 cup crushed pretzels or cereal (I use bread crumbs, cracker crumbs, whatever is handy)
One at a time, dip chicken pieces from milk to crumbs & place on baking sheet.
bake 18-20 minutes or until thoroughly cooked.

More recipes are available @ www.extension.iastate.edu/foodsavings/

5 on Friday

2011-08-19T05:49:00.001-05:00

today: scrapbooking/memory keeping goodies :)

1. Last week I read This post from Ali & fell in love! Then I found out there is a discount thru the end of August here! My only problem is deciding what to order one for :)

2. I started & have continued w/Creative Memories albums, pages & tape runner. I use other brands but these are my go to staples.

3. I currently have this trimmer (only mine is the old mint green) but am drooling over this one.

4. To keep my memorabelia collected in one spot, I hang one of my cloth shopping bags on the doornob to my scrap room & just drop stuff in when it makes it home w/me.

5. Crops! Oh the crops!! I am currently gearing up for this year's Scrap Pink. Am actively taking registrations as well as donations for prizes. As well as planning to attend several other fundraisers over the next 6 months!

what's your hobby? do you have 5 tips or favorites to share?

a list update:

2011-08-18T05:44:00.000-05:00

A few weeks ago, I had a mini-panic attack about what I needed to get done before starting a new baby the last week of summer vacation. To calm myself, I made a master list of what needed done by then & have been doing really good @ working on it! Here's what I have done so far this week:

*clean out pack & plays, fold down, carry outside to air out, hose down wouldn't hurt either
*~~deep clean nursery~~
*~~sort toys in play room~~
*deep clean play room
*~~deep clean kitchen/dining/bathroom~~
*~~get a couple of extra meal components in the freezer~~ (banana bread, bananas, mac n cheese & tomato sauce)
*~~sort outside toys, discard all broken pieces I haven't yet~~
*apply pressure to get compost bin & rain barrel completed
*~~balance Jan-June income sheets~~ done
*~~sort/organize Jan-June monthly paperwork~~
*hang curtains in playroom window
*finish painting dining room
*sand/paint/mount 'towel rack' for the kids individual hand towels to switch from paper towels
*make an accessable spot for the Fisher Price record player & records so we can use it during the day
*either find a new light bar for fish tank & get it running again, or clean & pack it up
*change light bulb in playroom
* shampoo ~~nursery~~ & playroom carpet

& now, the baby isn't coming. Mama couldn't leave him. I am so happy for them that she is able & willing to take the step to be that full time mama that they both need right now! So I will keep pluggin' away @ my list w/less pressure.

how are you doing on that list of yours?

Corn Muffin-recipe

2011-08-17T09:48:00.000-05:00

I tried a recipe I found on the web & am going back to my tried & true, no idea what made me venture away other than laziness, in that I couldn't find my recipe quickly. lesson learned!

Corn Muffins
425* 12-15 min

1 1/2 c cornmeal
1 c flour (I use wheat)
1/3 c brown sugar
1/3 c sugar (I use 1/4 c since I use applesauce instead of oil)
1t baking soda
1/2 t salt
MIX ABOVE in bowl #1

1 egg
1c buttermilk (I use milk + vinegar)
3/4 c oil (I use applesauce)
MIX in bowl #2

combine 2 bowls into 1 & stir until just wet.
bake @425* 12-15 min for regular muffins 8-10 for minis (what I make most)

the weekend & a recipe

2011-08-16T07:01:00.000-05:00

minus photos as I have no camera battery right now :( super sad!!

Saturday: Sammy had a checkup @ the vet, then I picked up 30+# of tomatoes @ the local farmer's market, then we spent the day @ the Iowa State Fair!! I love the state fair. The people watching, the food, the exhibits, the food, the people watching, the exhibits. We even ended up spending much of the night there too, totally unplanned LOL those darn co-workers of Tim's that keep a cup in his hand ;)

Sunday: Tim slept in... hmmmm wonder why ;) but I was up & running ready to do those tomatoes! I remembered (all too well) the misery I was in after spending 4 hours on my feet cleaning tomatoes last year so I set myself up on the living room floor w/a bowl of scalded+iced tomatoes, a bowl w/a sack in it for the compost & an empty one for the clean pieces, a towel & washcloth. I watched Knight & Day on blu-ray then Mister Eleven on Netflix stream while I cleaned my tomatoes. Then they simmered all afternoon w/veggies & seasonings to make seasoned sauce YUMMMM 3 quarts & 2 pints later, TADA! I was even pretty good @ keeping up w/my mess this time ;) planning another round each of the next 2 Sundays.

here is the recipe I use:

Seasoned Tomato Sauce
(from the ball blue book of canning)
yield: about 14 pints or 7 quarts

45 # tomatoes
6 cups chopped onions
12 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 cup olive oil
2 TBS oregano
6 bay leaves
1 TBS black pepper
1 1/2 TBS sugar
1/4 c salt (optional)
2 tsp crushed red pepper (optional)
bottled lemon juice

Wash tomatoes, drain, remove core, & blossom ends. Cut into quarters; set aside. Saute onions & garlic in olive oil in a large saucepot. Add tomatoes, oregano, bay leaves, black pepper & sugar. Stir in salt and crushed red pepper, if desired. Simmer 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove bay leaves. Puree tomatoes using a food processor or food mill. Strain puree to remove peels & seeds. Cook pulp in a large, uncovered sauce pot over medium-high heat until sauce thickes, stirring to prevent sticking. Reduce volume by one-half. Add 1TBS lemon juice to each hot pint jar, 2TBS to each quart jar. Ladle hot sauce into hot jars, leaving 1/2-inch headspace. Adjust two-piece caps. Process pints 35 minutes, quarts 40 in boiling-water canner.

linking up with the girls over at:

5 on Friday

2011-08-12T05:36:00.064-05:00

my current favorite 5s for running:

the shoes I am running in for the next couple of months
the next bondi band purchase I will make:

3. the only store I will buy running shoes from. Also a fabulous sorce of running information as well as race schedule!

4. my go to site for all things fitness, weightloss, commeraderie.

5. Currently, I participate on Iowa's Team Beef during races & plan to raise money for Iowa's food banks in their name for the Des Moines half Marathon in October.

what are your go to things, places or people for something in your life right now?

(fixed the links)

Thankful Thursday

2011-08-11T05:49:00.031-05:00

OH Brooke.. you are always keeping me thinking!!

after reading her post last Thursday about singing I really got to racking my brain about which one of my weaknesses He uses me through. At first, I couldn't come up w/one, not weakness, believe me that list was an easy one ;), no the useful weakness list, that was tough.

I am going to go w/my infertility. It has been the toughest hurdle for me to clear & on occassion, I still feel it flare up. Thankfully, He sent guidance to me through a few friends & a book just when I needed them most. Both pointed out to me how thankful, honest & patient I should be for & with what I had already. Pointing out that I was already blessed w/a good life, family & husband, but mostly my career choice. Being in the childcare field while trying to conceive was painful at first. Every child made me wonder if my child would act like, look like, talk like that. After reading the book, I became very comfortable in knowing that what will be, will be & that we truely aren't in charge of what happens & when, in our lives.

Not having my own children, I feel I am better able to care for others as I have more energy, time, patience & true love to share. I have had other providers point out to me that if I had my own kids, I'd be tired from the infant overnight stage or from the activities of the older stages, I'd be frustrated w/the childcare children breaking my kids' toys, parents as well as children, not respecting our privacy, home or lifestyle. At first, I took offense to those statements but the longer I am in the field, I can really see the validity to their points, all spoken from experience that I didn't consider at the time. Without my own children to care for during work hours, I don't feel guilty for hugging another child, nor is there a child of my own to feel threatened or jealous.

I have talked about how my neices & nephews have taught me how to love like I didn't think I was able. This is what I meant by that. I thought I'd never know true child-'parent' love & vise versa but they've shown me how easy & awesome that feeling is whether they are part of my body or not. I couldn't love those 5(almost 6) children any more had they been mine from birth. I get to be the 'fun' aunt with boundaries & send them home before they get grumpy from being worn completely out. HAHA ;)

I have also used my infertility experience to point out the blessings that are children to a parent that's having a rough moment, day, week or time. Many times, I gently remind them when they are complaining about no 'me time', how hard it is to clean around them or how they watch nothing that isn't child appropriate on tv, just how willingly I'd give up all of those things I currently have to be in their shoes. I am also respectful enough to acknowledge that they'd probably give up a lot to be in my shoes even if just for a few minutes or days.

Coming to terms with my infertility was probably the most freeing part of my life so far. I am very blessed to have been able to apply many of those lessons to other parts of my life. I've since been able to roll with the punches of other challenges of 'every day' life much easier than I would have without the lessons of patience, acceptance, & knowing when to give it all over to Him. Rarely do I stress anything for very long these days. Everything happens for a reason, even tho it might be a bit of time before that reason shows itself, I am very aware of 'letting things go as they will' these days. Oh how much less of a bratty teen would I have been had I known this back then ;) I try very hard to be an example of how to let Him handle things to those around me.

To say I am thankful for the infertility is by far a stretch but I am definately thankful for the lessons I have learned from it. THIS is how I think He works through my weakness. What is your weakness you are thankful for?

more food.

2011-08-10T09:03:00.000-05:00

I absolutely love eating fresh summer veggies!! This is the easiest time of year to eat healthy! The fruits are cheaper in the grocery store & the veggies are plentiful at the farmer's market!

this was my lunch on Sunday. From the farmer's market: 2 kinds of tomatoes, onions & cucumbers, topped w/some Babybel Gouda Cheese, sea salt & pepper. The first bowl was so good, I had to have a second! :)

Wow, sorry for all of the food posts this week.. guess its what's on my mind right now.

Frugal Tuesday

2011-08-09T05:07:00.002-05:00

Another thing checked off my 'learn how to' list! My grandma & I froze 9dozen ears of corn on Saturday. For no more work that there is to it I was exhausted that night & sore the next day! Pretty excited to have those 10 -2cup bags of corn in the freezer tho!

To start out, Grandpa & I shucked the corn while Grandma was getting the pans & bowls gathered up. This is our first bowl of shucked corn.

Grandma blanched it & dipped it in ice water then I went to work cutting it off the cob. I finally got to use my new pampered chef tool just for this job :) I love a good tool & this one ROCKED!!! Here I am figuring out a rhythm to the job.

This is the first pot of corn, probably pretty close to 4 dozen ears in here. Amazing how little corn there actually was!

While it simmered on the stove in butter & water, we ate lunch. (sorry no photos of that as the battery on the camera was acting up & I was lucky to get what I got) Lunch at their house is always better than home! Fresh tomatoes, onions & cucumbers, leftover sloppy joes & corn of course :) YUUUMMMMMMMM!!

Here's Grandma @ the stove w/our second batch of corn. By batch I mean second bag of 5 dozen ears. We did keep a dozen on ears to eat this week but looks like we got the same amount of corn in the pans. We ended up w/about 36 cups of corn bagged, labled & in the freezer! YAY! That will taste amazing in December!

ETA: linking up w/

How was your weekend?

Menu Plan Monday

2011-08-08T05:26:00.001-05:00

I don't think I did so well following the menu last week, but I still cooked what we have so I still count that as a pass.

this week:

Breakfasts: build your own burritos, cheese quesadillas, pancakes, french toast, granola w/milk, toast & gravy

Lunches: homemade mac n cheese(put some in the freezer), ground beef, smoked pork loin (leftover from Sunday), bean & cheese quesadillas, pasta, garlic buttered baggettes, farmer's market veggies (tomatoes, cukes, zucchini, carrots, potatoes, peppers), sale fruits (grapes, blueberries, peaches)

Snacks: veggie tray, fruit tray, build your own parfait (yogurt, fruit, granola), muffins

Suppers: kabobs w/farmer's market veggies & sirloin tips from freezer, salad w/farmer's market veggies, grilled burgers, breakfast(biscuits & gravy), fried okra, corn on the cob, cuban sandwiches

the to-do list for this week is: make & freeze mac n cheese, do zucchini again w/different seasoning for more flavor, bake muffins+some for freezer, mix up a batch of pancake mix, find english muffin bread recipe, bake double batch of granola

what's on your menu for the week?

2 week list update

2011-08-04T07:28:00.003-05:00

Last week I Had a mini-panic attack about what I needed to get done before starting a new baby in a couple of weeks. To calm myself, I made a master list of what needed done by then & have been doing really good @ working on it! Here's what I have done so far this week:

*clean out pack & plays, fold down, carry outside to air out, hose down wouldn't hurt either
*~~deep clean nursery~~
*sort toys in play room
*deep clean play room
*deep clean kitchen/dining/bathroom
*get a couple of extra meal components in the freezer
*~~sort outside toys, discard all broken pieces I haven't yet~~
*apply pressure to get compost bin & rain barrel completed
*~~balance Jan-June income sheets~~ done
*~~sort/organize Jan-June monthly paperwork~~
*hang curtains in playroom window
*finish painting dining room
*sand/paint/mount 'towel rack' for the kids individual hand towels to switch from paper towels
*make an accessable spot for the Fisher Price record player & records so we can use it during the day
*either find a new light bar for fish tank & get it running again, or clean & pack it up
*change light bulb in playroom
* shampoo ~~nursery~~ & playroom carpet

how are you doing on that list of yours?

Thankful Thursday

2011-08-04T05:59:00.031-05:00

Last week I highlighted a few things I am thankful for every day. Today I am going to continue the run of thankfulness, this time, random things around the house.

1. the free wood pile we pick from when getting ready to go camping. It wasn't free to start w/. Tim worked some snow days w/a local tree trimmer & friend when he couldn't get to work to earn this wood for us to use for camping.

2.The bottle water delivery I am still able to justify in the budget.

This is one summer month's worth of drinking water.

3. the yard that gives us enough room, sun & shade for a small garden area. I didnt' think it was possible & now that I have played w/it this year, I know next year will be bigger & better! So far, we've picked 2 yellow cherry tomatoes & have 3 ornamental gords growing happily in the heat wave.

4. The clothesline! its not pretty to anyone but me. Infact, Tim hates that it leans so much but it works for me. maybe I'll let him cement it in the ground this fall, then again, maybe not, I'd love for him to cement a rod into the ground below the ground level that the pole can slip on to but doesn't stick up far enough to become an injury issue for the childcare yet will allow me to remove the clothesline for the winter.

5. Yes dirty laundry is a blessing to be thankful for! this pile shows that we have had a great weekend at the lake as well as a few work clothes from the Friday before.

What are you thankful for today?

5 on Friday

2011-08-04T05:35:00.001-05:00

a fun list today, my summer tv shows :) DVR'd of course!

1. Burn Notice

2. Covert Affairs

3. Suits

4. White Collar

5. Flashpoint

I usually take the summer off from the tv relationship, however, now that we have a few DVRs in the house, I am rarely w/o anything to watch & am doing a great job of keeping up on my shows this summer. Thankfully, their season is during my other shows' off season :) Do you watch anything in the summer? Soon I will be talking about what to wach this fall & winter.

WITL a day's report

2011-08-02T21:58:00.000-05:00

Remember this project? I have not been very consistant about following along but here's a sample of a page for our Friday. Recycling day, my coffee on my keyboard, our field trip to HyVee, visit to the chiro, grocery shopping @ Fareway, picking up Sammy's prednisone from the vet, our drive thru supper on the way to the lake, our home away from home campground, sunset on the lake & me @ the end of the crazy day.

some days the past week I've been really good, others not so much, today, not at all! super crazy this time. I willhave to get ink & photo paper to print them this weekend & work on them next week. I just might jump around & do pages for the days I did well on. :)

pancake mix

2011-08-02T05:31:00.000-05:00

For Christmas, Mom did up a bunch of mixes w/handmade recipe book including recipes for each mix, for each of us 3 'kids' out of a book her aunt gave her one year for Christmas. AWESOME! I FINALLY begged & pleaded long enough for the mix recipes that she just let me borrow the book! :)

I love having the pancake mix the most! so here it is:

Pancake Mix

10 cups all purpose flour (I use 1/2 unbleached & 1/2 whole wheat)
2-1/2 cups instant nonfat dry milk
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup baking powder
2tablespoons salt

combine all ingredients in a large bowl. stir until blended & put in an air tight container. (I put it all in the storage container & shake it up) Label & use w/in 8 months. Makes 13 cups of mix.

to make a batch of pancakes:
1-1/2 cups pancake mix
1 cup water
1 egg, slightly beaten
3TBS oil

combine in a medium bowl (I use the pampered chef 8 cup mixing 'cup', mix a double batch & put remaining mix in the fridge for the next day)Let rest 5 minutes. cook on a hot oiled griddle about 3-4 minutes per side or until browned to your liking. Usually makes10-12 4" pancakes.

can also be used to make:
*Onion Rings*
preheat oil in deep fryer to 375. Make batter w/ice water. Dip thinly sliced separated onion rings into batter, then fry about 2 minutes until golden.

*Golden French Toast*
2 eggs beaten
1cup milk
1cup pancake mix
10 slices bread
butter for grill

in medium, shallow bowl, combine eggs, milk & mix. Blend well. Dip bread slices into the bater & cook on hot buttered briddle about 3-4 minutes until lightly borwned on both sides.

*Puff Oven Pancakes*
4TBS butter or margarine
4eggs
2/3 cup milk
2/3 cup pancake mix

preheat oven to 450. put 2 TBS butter or margarine each into 2 9-inch pie plates. Put in preheating oven to melt. In a blender, combine eggs, mik & mix. Pour batter into pie plates. Bake about
18 minutes or until pancake are puffy & browned. Do not open oven while cooking.

2 week list

2011-08-01T05:16:00.020-05:00

I have a brand new itty bitty starting August 15th. EEEEEEEEEEEEEK!!! he was born 5 weeks early, so he's coming oh, about, 5 weeks earlier than I had planned. I had planned to get him in October, after we were comfortable in our new school schedule, instead he's starting the week before school starts. The good part about it is that he's only going to attend full 2 full days, 2 half days & get to spend the 5th w/his daddy, so there really isn't any need to stress. but every change, addition can cause some stress. So to take my mind off of it, ease some of the stress, ease the transition into having him, I decided to follow several bloggers' ideas of a 2 week master list of what needs done around the house to feel ready.

*clean out pack & plays, fold down, carry outside to air out, hose down wouldn't hurt either
*deep clean nursery
*sort toys in play room
*deep clean play room
*deep clean kitchen/dining/bathroom
*get a couple of extra meal components in the freezer
*sort outside toys, discard all broken pieces I haven't yet
*apply pressure to get compost bin & rain barrel completed
*~~balance Jan-June income sheets~~ done
*sort/organize Jan-June monthly paperwork
*hang curtains in playroom window
*finish painting dining room
*sand/paint/mount 'towel rack' for the kids individual hand towels to switch from paper towels
*make an accessable spot for the Fisher Price record player & records so we can use it during the day
*either find a new light bar for fish tank & get it running again, or clean & pack it up
*change light bulb in playroom
* shampoo nursery & playroom carpet

Menu Plan Sunday

2011-07-31T06:43:00.000-05:00

it being summer & having varying children & activities on different days, I did allow myself some freedom from the menu last week but it was OH SO helpful to have it made up so here I go again only a lot less detailed:

Breakfasts: homemade pancakes, french toast, granola, oatmeal, all w/fruit or fried potatoes & milk
Lunches: browned ground beef, chicken, homemade corndog muffins, quesadillas+ veggie tray, fruit plate, fried potatoes, mashed potatoes+homemade mac n cheese, random pasta, homemade bread & always w/milk
Snacks: quesadillas, parfaits, cottage cheese+fruit, homemade bread/muffins
Suppers: breakfast (bacon, pancakes, eggs), hamburgers on grill, steaks from freezer to grill, chicken on grill + fried potatoes, veggies, corn on cob, homemade mac n cheese, mashed potatoes

what's on your menu this week?

5 on Friday

2011-07-29T05:57:00.001-05:00

the end of July?! what?! already?! I can't believe it!! Summer is almost over :(( I am not ready for it to go yet! I have so much left to do! *Sigh*

Five Summer Favorites:

4th of July- this is my all-time favorite holiday! parade, sunshine, food & family! think we'll add water games for the 'kids' next year.

2. camping/boating- we've done much better this year than the past 2 in keeping a schedule @ the lake, we've even been able to take a Sunday & go on an off weekend.

3. Friday Fun Days(Thanks Stacey)- getting the childcare kids out & about, learning, exploring & experiencing our small town.
4. Gardening-experimenting, learning & loving the experience.

5. Farmer's Market- whether its the big city one, our local one or a random one I happen upon, I am in love of them! Just can't get enough. the people, the vendors, the produce, the whole experience!

These are all things I have blogged extensively about but still needed te gtt them all together in one list. Next friday, I will shoot for a list of things I haven't blogged about so much! What are your 5 favorites of Summer??

Thankful Thursday

2011-07-28T05:23:00.002-05:00

after reading Brooke's thankful post here I realized, its been a while since I have blogged one myself!

My Husband-who works in the heat, cold, & everything in between to bring home a paycheck & provide. He's also very slowly coming around to my way of thinking on the organic, local, green way of thinking. You know, he had to resist for a little bit ;) He's also keeping me in line frugally on those days that I am dying for a shopping spree or want to over-stock the kitchens. He may not get it done in 'my timeline' but it does always get done! Thankful for him!

My Faith-in that I have learned not everything happens in our 'timeline' (ongoing lesson see above), that not everything we want is for the best so it might not happen, that we are not truely in charge of our lifes. Tough lessons to learn but life is so much less stressful when we just let Him have the full reigns & not fight it all so much. Thankful for Him!

My Neices & Nephews-in that I have learned to LOVE like I never thought I'd be able to. They are my hearts, but I just did a whole post about part of them so I won't bore you w/more details of them. Thankful for them!

My Childcare Families-that they bring their children to me to help mold & raise into responsible, caring, & productive adults. That they allow me to work from home, make enough to help provide the life we love & I get to enjoy my job. Thankful for them

Thanks for the boost Brooke!

shopping high

2011-07-27T05:27:00.001-05:00

its a healthy one, I promise ;)

I finally remembered to photograph my goods from the past 2 Saturday's shopping trips.

the first is from the 16th & I only spent $10.25! Cukes, carrots, potatoes, jalapenos, green beans & onions. Where else can you get so much for so little??

this is my summer shopping high. I absolutely love our little local farmer's market. I love going from table to table, vendor to vendor getting to know them & their practices while I purchase their wares.

This photo is from the 23rd. I spent (and got) more. I spent $21 & got 2 kinds of bread, 4 cukes, 4 onions, 4 garlic, 2# (?) potatoes, 2#(?) green beans, broccoli, 1 zucchini, & 3 gree bell peppers.

Then, Tim bought some peaches & cream corn on the cob from a roadsite stand and then later, over the weekend, we received a bag of carrots & one of cucumbers delivered! THANK YOU!!! fresh is best :)

Frugal Changes

2011-07-26T05:15:00.002-05:00

just a list of changes I've made or continued this first half of 2011

*I made & am giddy that I can serve the homemade mulberry syrup by USDA childcare food program standards to the childcare-they don't allow any home canned goods unless frozen immediately as most canning processed involve sitting @ room temp for an extended period of time

*I am a bit addicted to the homemade granola I've been making.

*I did away w/the HFCS laden ice pops we've lived on most of my childcare career & now make juice-cicles w/100% juice (required by USDA food program)

*The only thing I serve the kids that comes in a box, is plain pasta- no more hamburger helpers, boxed mixes, or cereal.

*I broke my 'no store bought bread' rule when I received a delivery size FLAT full of various loaves of bread, hey, its FREE!! & froze most of it only pulling out sporatically. French toast out of texas toast, bread crumbs from various flavors, 'emergency' (read lost track of time & didn't start lunch in time) grilled cheese sandwiches, etc.

*I've kept homemade mac n cheese as well as homemade refried beans in the freezer.

*I've made 2 batches of homemade laundry soap this year as well as a batch of dishwasher detergent every couple of weeks.

*I've been better about closing the curtains thru the heat of the day & put up a dark blanket over a window with out treatments in the childcare.

*I've used the clothesline every possible day.

*I've gotten better about using up all leftovers rather than throwing it out.

*I've done great about having a second item ready to go in the oven when I have had to bake something for lunch or snack.

*We've used up almost all of the boxes in the upstairs cupboard! This is huge b/c it was something we kept well stocked. Now I will have to make up some homemade mixes to keep stocked for easy baking.

*I've been really good about shopping the sales (thanks to Sara!)

*I am still composting.

what frugal changes have you made this year? what do you plan to change?

Lovin' it

2011-07-25T05:31:00.000-05:00

Summer that is! We are really lovin it!! Last week was incredibly HOT as well as incredibly BUSY!!

Monday & Tuesday we hung out @ the house & just worked on getting back into our routine, baked some homemade granola, caught up the laundry, & played in the water -LOTS!

Wednesday our local theater had special showings of Cars 2. We chose the 10AM viewing as the 2PM would be smack in the middle of nap time & I am not one to interrupt nap time!

Thursday we visited the County Fair. I was in 4H&FFA & can say 'it ain't what it used to be' but we still had fun!!

Friday was our regularly scheduled Event Day. This week we went to the eye doctor. I have to admit, it was way more fun & educational than I anticipated!! :) They each got the near/far sighted exam & then got to look @ each other's eyeballs under the microscope, pretty entertaining! We all walked out w/'eyeball rings' too!

Every day upon returning there were some faithfuls that went right out to thewater play! We hope that this week is a little less busy & a little cooler too.

Menu Plan Monday (on Sunday)

2011-07-24T19:53:00.001-05:00

a couple of notes about my menu:
*B, L &Snack are childcare meals that I usually eat too. *the photo @right is of this Saturday's Farmer's Market goods (detailed blog later). *fried green beans= a bit of bacon grease in cast iron skillet, green beans & granulated garlic fried together until tenderness of choice

Monday:
B:granola+milk + choice of blueberries, bananas, strawberries
L: browned ground beef, fresh peaches, fried fresh green beans, pasta
Snack:homemade cheese its (also use oven heat to bake more granola) + 100% juice popsicles
S: leftover smoked pork loin, fried fresh green beans, corn on the cob, farmer's market dill bread

Tuesday:
B: homemade pancakes+homemade mulberry syrup, applesauce
L: homemade corndog muffins, farmer's market veggie tray (cucumbers+carrots+green peppers), homemade ranch dip, strawberries (also use oven heat to bake bread)
Snack: build your own parfaits: yogurt+granola+choice of fruit
S:leftover smoked tbones, farmer's market dill bread, farmer's market veggie tray

Wednesday:
B: cheesey quesadillas, fried farmer's market potatoes
L:homemade chicken nuggets, homemade mac n cheese (from freezer stash), corn on the cob, fried farmer's market zucchini
Snack: leftover corndog muffins, 100% juice popsicles
S: leftover biscuits & gravy

Thursday:
B: french toast+homemade mulberry syrup, bananas
L: leftover ground beef+pasta+mozerella cheeze bake, farmer's market veggie tray, fried farmer's market potatoes (use oven heat to bake bread)
Snack: build your own fruit burrito (blueberries, strawberries, peaches, bananas + yogurt + tortilla)
S: taco salad

Friday:
B: build your own breakfast burrito (tortilla+eggs+salsa/ketchup/ranch+bacon+shredded cheese+fried farmer's market potatoes)
L: bean/beef/cheese quesadillas, farmer's market veggie tray, homemade ranch dip, any fruit left
Snack: either ice cream cones or 100% juice popsicles & homemade bread w/homemade mulberry syrup

WOW! Feels good to have it down! what's on your menu for the week??

How does your Garden Grow?

2011-07-23T05:12:00.000-05:00

sick of my updates yet? I was giddy getting out & seeing the growth this week & documented it again in photos. (again)
English Ivy:

today:

Astilbe (I think) that I bought @ the Downtown Farmer's Market in May

the zuchinni & pumpkin(?) seeds we planted inside the cinder block have gone from this: to this:

to This today:

this crazy mystery plant sure is happy! even in the middle of all that grass!
2) 3) 1)

the tomatos have finally turned colors!

the zinnias I didn't think would make it after the flooding they endured!

a mystery vine pretty-ing up the corner!

another tomato plant w/babies! need to dig in & read the name stake

multi colored pepper blooming! pretty purple blooms! can't wait to see what color the peppers are!

same basic angle in order

LOOK how the cucumber has taken off!!

this surprise lil baby in that monster vine in the middle of the yard, any guesses? pumpkin? watermelon?

the peek-a-boo mystery vining plants

from this <~~~ to this ~~~~>>

ITS BACK!

2011-07-22T05:14:00.001-05:00

a week in the life is BACK!!!!

the basics are here, her plan for this year is here. IF you want, you can read about my past experiences here, here & here. (LOOKS LIKE I didn't blog the completion of the 2nd one... need to look for that!) I seriously, honestly, truely w/all my heart plan to stay on top of it this time.

Have a great weekend!!! What's on your agenda?

When its this hot...

2011-07-21T05:56:00.027-05:00

The
only
place

is the lake!!!

We were able to corral part of the boating family Sunday & venture over to Lake Red Rock for the day. We enjoyed an oddly quiet cove near the crazy busy ramp for a bit then found a quiet sandy shore to beach the boats & enjoy the afternoon!

OH how I love them!

2011-07-20T05:50:00.002-05:00

I am blessed to have brothers that have children! & doubly blessed that they invite me every year to their Vacation Bible School program. This is such a feel-good event for me! I always walk out w/sore cheeks & have blotted my eyes more than once from laughing so hard I cried. This year's program was last Friday evening.

This is a pretty cool picture they had displaying of all of their children in this year's program. They go to a small country church where everyone KNOWS everyone.

This is M. the eldest of both families. She & I share alot of similarities: eldest of 3, 2 younger brothers, brown hair, brown eyes, a lil on the dramatic side ;) but passionate almost to a fault. When we want something, don't try to stand in our way.

This is R. He's the youngest of the 3. A true stinker, a busy body, always trying to 'keep up' w/the older 2, but a sweet heart & OH so funny!! He's the first to come running when I enter the room & I better be ready b/c I am getting a big hug from him immediately. He will stop what he's doing to dish out hugs but don't ask him to snuggle for more than a couple of seconds, gotta be on the go.

This is Big-O. the typical middle child. quiet, watchful, peacemaker, sponge of the trio. latest sponge example: I overheard him using one of their Bible lessons from the week in how it pertained to him "M isn't showing compassion. I want a balloon too" after the program. He is my favorite story teller. He tells it as if its life & as if he's lived it. True old soul here folks. His heart is in the farm & he won't mind telling you how many cows he had @ check in this morning or how they need to 'get going' from a family dinner so he can get those chores done before he goes to bed. ADORABLE!

I have been blessed w/5 (& another on the way) nieces & nephews from my brothers & I couldn't love them any more had I given birth to them myself. I am viciously defensive of them yet expect nothing but the best out of them.

race review

2011-07-19T05:24:00.002-05:00

Saturday was the 2nd annual Watermelon Days 5k (we thought it was their first). It was my first time on a golf course. I am not a fan. I like the view to change, not to be able to see JUST how many more turns I have ahead of me, & to not see just to much further ahead the fast kids are getting. but it was a nice, fun, small race & I got my first bling! so its all good! ;)

here we are before, Me, Melissa & Jamie. I had no idea they were wearing red, just decided to sport my Team Beef shirt.

a shot of the Garmin on the way, since it has been YEARS since I have gone to Humeston.

Oh my, I am seeing the country side through new eyes it seems this year! I am loving & ewwwwing & awing over every sunset, every sunrise, every foggy morning, the fresh baled hay in the field, the tassled corn, what a beautiful party of the country I get to live in!!! These photos aren't great but they are the best I could do on a gravel road in the driver's seat unsure of my exact time to destination (Garmin could only get me so close) so I didn't dare stop for even a second to get a good still shot ;)

YIKES

2011-07-18T05:22:00.000-05:00

it became clearer to me last week w/each passing day that Summer is 1/2 over :(( I am so not ready for the cold that comes soon after Summer leaves . BOO!!! The countdown has begun, the countdown to be sure we suck every bit of goodie out of what is left of Summer!

3 more camping trips
at least 4 more boating trips
country fair, state fair trips
homemade ice cream at childcare & the park
4 more Friday Field Trips
lots more mornings & afternoons in the yard
more picnics in the yard
more evenings spent on the deck
more trips to the local parks for play & picnic
more early morning runs
more garden-learning
more weekend mornings on the deck
less time inside
less computer time
more blocking out the upcoming holidays
more ignoring of impending school starting

another weekend..

2011-07-15T05:22:00.008-05:00

at the lake....
*sometimes we start the day w/a beer (in each hand) & a smoke

*sometimes we take naps on the boat

*sometimes we teach the kids the tricks to fire building

*sometimes we don't realize when its time for bed

*sometimes we catch them being good

*sometimes we let the kids play crazy... 2 or 4 legged ones

*sometimes we find 'an app for that'

*sometimes we snuggle the little ones

*sometimes we laugh until we almost wet ourselves watching the puppies play

*sometimes we hang out in the water-where its usually much cooler than on the boats

*sometimes we just hang out on our boats

*sometimes we have a display of diving abilities

*sometimes we learn new things

*sometimes we dream about spending long periods of time on this<~~~~~~ looking at that~~~~>>>>>

*sometimes we stop here <~~~~~~~for this ~~~~~~> on the way home.

*but we always love our corner of the campground!

another Friday event

2011-07-14T06:18:00.000-05:00

Last Friday we got to tour an ambulance for our Friday Field Trip! They weren't very excited about going, & I think its because an ambulance usually means something bad, dangerous or serious in nature that makes most adults slow down, stop a moment & take note.

but they warmed right up w/our EMT's open, chill approach to our visit. They opened the doors, told the kids to pile in & let them ask any & all questions they could come up!

AWESOME EXPERIENCE!!!

AND we got tatoos :) SCORE!!!

I want

2011-07-11T07:30:00.000-05:00

to make one of these! here's the tutorial: http://lifeonthebalcony.com/how-to-turn-a-pallet-into-a-garden/ how freaking cool!!! it would add a lot to our little space!

what's left on your summer 'to do list'?

Harvest Chocolate Chip Bread

2011-07-10T05:15:00.001-05:00

there for a while I always won a cookbook as a door prize at a childcare training. So I have an assortment of them in my basket. I use the Connecticut Cooks for Kids put out by their food program. I use this recipe A LOT. I refer to it as our Pumpkin Chocolate Chip bread/muffins.

Harvest Chocolate Chip Bread

1/4 c margarine (or applesauce or butter)
1 c canned pumpkin (or frozen from fresh)
2 eggs
1/2 c milk
1 1/4 c sugar (if I use applesauce for butter, I cut out 1/4c)
2 1/4 c flour (I split between white & wheat)
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1/4 tsp salt
1 cup chocolate chips
1/4 c chopped nuts (optional)

Preheat overn to 350, spray loaf or muffin pans
Mix first 4 ingredients into a large bowl
Beat in dry ingredients, except for chips & nuts, until blended.
Fold in chips & nuts
Spread batter into pans
Bake until light brown (40-45 minutes for bread, 10-15 minutes for mini muffins, 20-25 for muffins)

routines

2011-07-09T05:15:00.005-05:00

I love a good routine, especially when it means not having to think about what is happening, jsut going through the motions. I joined FlyLady many years ago & learned about routines & how to keep life simple. I have strayed a bit but the basics are still alive in my days.

I still like to:

go to bed w/a clean sink
run the d/w at bed time-if its full the last time I am in the kitchen, I set the timer for it to kick on later
lay my clothes out the night before as part of my bedtime routine, sometimes that means running clothes + work clothes
clean w/baskets for other rooms instead of getting distracted when I deliver something to its home
clean the hotspots regularly
pack by a list
make a list & follow it
drink my 64oz minimum of water
take 28 days to form a good habit
work on loving myself
wear my lace up shoes for work hours & any evenings I have a to-do list
menu plan-some weeks are better than others
take the trash out before it stinks-full or not (believe it or not this was a toughy for me, hated to throw out a half full trash bag)
shop w/a purpose- if I don't have an immediate plan for it, it doesn't get bought-on sale or not

what rules do you live by?

July 8th garden update

2011-07-08T05:09:00.076-05:00

<~~~~~~~7/6/11 & 6/26/11~~~~~~~>

the wysteria vine, finally bloomed this year so now finally has pods on it

my gorgeous english ivy very slowly moving its way up the trellis

plants we started from seeds in the cinder block

same angle of the long strip of 'garden'

surprise squash plant... or maybe watermelon but I think pumpkin/squash, something Sammy pulled from the compost layer of the lasagna garden. I put a cage around it to save it from the mower :)

more surprise squash plants growing from the compost :)

grass I put around the tomatoes & peppers to help w/the weeding

surprise plant blooming, shouldn't be much longer until we learn what it is :)

the banana peppers

TOMATOES!!!!!!!

tomatoes, peppers, onions & zinnias

just a peek @ our garden areas & what a difference in a couple of weeks!

impromtu field trip

2011-07-07T06:04:00.029-05:00

When I ask the kids where they want to go play, the usually pick the school playground so that's where we went today!

There was TONS of sand play! We don't have any yet this year at childcare so its always a big hit when we go.

Lots of pal-ing around:

Shay mastered the monkey bars:

Then, after 2 very minor injuries we headed home :)

Great way to spend the morning!

4th of July

2011-07-06T13:59:00.000-05:00

WARNING: PHOTO HEAVY!!

I think I mentioned last year that the 4th of July is my favorite.. even w/my lil mis-hap on Saturday I was cleaning house & prepping for out annual post-parade BBQ for Monday! I got the important parts done & proud. here are the few shots I captured over the day:

My lil brother Jeff & his girls

our chief of police (who also is our neighbor)

I love this shot of the flags leading the parade.

ALL THOSE WHITE SHIRTS?! High School marching band YES!

SOME grocery store employees in their 'drill formation' .. quite a way to break in a new assistant manager ;)

this is a friend of the family. she re did this tractor for a project @ school

After the parade we headed down to our house for BBQ potluck. OH so much food! cheesy potatoes, green bean casserole, cornbread casserole, texas caviar, veggie tray, crackers, chips, dips, burgers & dogs, 2 pies & a chocolate peanut butter creamy dessert that we snacked on all afternoon!

tiny sampling of the food we shared after the parade

extended family sharing stories: my grandpa, his neice, my mom

Tim taught Eli how to run his new mp3 player so he played all afternoon :)

Mom again, other brother Philip & his wife Brenda

cousins on the couch

snoozers...

texas caviar! YUMMMMM

AND THEN we were off to Tim's mom's house for her potluck supper.Great aunt & Uncle & cousins

tenderness

cousins

hunting talk

just a shot that struck me

SO CUTE!

Great Aunt Darlene in the center

AND THEN we went home to CRASH & wish we had a weekend to recouperate from our weekend :) but I would do it all over again!!

How did you spend the holiday weekend?

Mulberry Syrup!!

2011-07-06T05:29:00.001-05:00

I have to admit, I am pretty stoked about my homemade syrup! Ilove it, the kids love it & a little goes a long way, now, to get Tim to try it & we'll be set. Special thanks to Julia for holding my hand via facebook while I inched thru the process.

here is my homemade 'berry bag' :) it hung from a hair tie on the can opener over night & then I cooked all the juice w/sugar.

I am so loving this time of my life where I have the internet connection to so many fun & helpful ladies to teach me how to be more self-sufficient! later this week I will share my garden, along w/my list of what I have learned in the past year.

What I learned in the ER....

2011-07-03T19:18:00.000-05:00

I had the first trip of my life to the ER on Saturday. I had my 96oz of water on Friday, 32 before & 32 after the race Saturday morning, started on a headache about noon, visited w/a friend, did my grocery shopping then took a nap to get rid of it, woke up a few hours later swearing that someone had cut the back 1/2 of my head off, it was the most excrutiating pain ever. I took ibuprofen & ate a little bit to get it moving & tried to sleep it off again. An hour later, I was done fighting & had Tim take me to the ER, nothing was comfortable; standing, sitting, laying, changing positions, crying, not crying, nothing eased it at all. Getting checked in was long & painful, but luckily they led me to a dark, cool room eventually. Doc ordered pain med, anti-nausea med, fluids & a cat scan. The wheelchair ride to the scan was horrible-not her fault just moving hurt. Once I got it all flowing & found out the cat scan came back clean, the pain eased immensely. Sent home w/orders to take tylenol & sleep .

So now that you know the back story, on to what I learned while in the ER:

never ever go alone. I might have laid there for quite a while with the orders made but no one following thru if not for Tim leaving the room to go to the bathroom & someone seeing him asking how I was doing & him saying nothing's been done yet.
if you need something, ask. I was shivering on the bed under a blanket & was strong enough to ask for a second blanket. I almost didn't b/c I thought I'd be out in a few minutes, that would have been a miserable 20.
tell them when it hurts. the EMS worker that did my IV was quick & on target but gentle he was NOT & was able to adjust as well as aplogize a little when I vocalized how much it hurt.
don't take it personally when they call your worst pain ever, 'a headache', they can't feel it, they have no idea.
be patient. someone ahead of you truely might really be critical, blowing a fuse waiting isn't worth it. Tim had a horrible time w/this.
if you have any questions about the orders, ask. The nurse was terrific with my qusetions about the meds & the dr was great about telling me how much I should have been drinking & told a story about a previous patient's scarey similar condition. He was also great about being honest about how I might feel ok to go to the party but w/in a few hours I'd be back in to see them if I went. (so I didn't go)
WIERD reactions happen. I was cold & sweating until the fluid was half gone. I can't explain it but when the fluid started, & my arm went cold, I instantly smelled rubbing alcohol.
they really do want to see you feel better. I happened to be there at the change of EMS shifts. one guy clocked in, heard about me & made me his first stop. He also gets bad headaches & wanted to be sure I had what he would want/need, a blanket & the door closed. I made sure to thank him on the way out.

I am happy to report that its still down to 'just a headache' 24hrs later. I have made sure to get lots of water today. I have taken the house chores slowly today. Partly because I am foggy brained either from the super pain meds or from the migraine & am struggling to focus & partly because I have very little energy or ambition and am scared to push too hard & fast & have it return. The only reason I am not spending the whole day in bed is that I have my family coming tomorrow for BBQ after the parade. So I am creeping along. Lets just end by saying that the flower beds aren't getting weeded today ;)

AT THE LAKE!

2011-06-30T05:32:00.000-05:00

First thing we do when we get to the lake is set up camp-this is not our camp :) We tent it. Well, Tim, Sam & I tent it. The rest of our group splits between tenting, sleeping in the suburbans or boats.

Then we all gather & maybe cook supper or just sit & chill around the fire. This is when we are all catching up on each other's weeks, or other happenings since we've been together.

Every morning is a tag team of sorts, start the fire, get the bed of coals good enough to cook on, prep the food, cook the food & eat the food :)

We are pretty blessed & very thankful for the men in our group love to do breakfast! They do most of our camp cooking in fact. LOVE IT!

AFTER clean up is complete, we hit the water! AHHHHHH a day of floating, bobbing, drinking, snackin & hanging out! RE.LAX.ING!

<-----Jeff was so proud of his new vessel he was cleaning it, I happened to catch him mid-explanation :)

We swim w/our dogs. Yes even the dogs wear life vests.

maybe even do some fishin'

adore each other's children

And before we know it, its supper time & we all head for land. Dry. Still. Land. w/showers. We have a fire & supper which usually happens to be the best food we've ever eaten!

The dogs sleep where they fall, some in the rocks, some in the grass, but yes, they all go to their beds at bedtime.

On Sunday we do it all over again, usually w/less booze, less food & almost always more sun & heat than Saturday blessed us with making us hate to leave.

The past few years we've developed a fun habit of stopping for a meal on the way home on Sunday. Here we are waiting on our supper on our last boating weekend.

We are so grateful for our fun boating family that is ever growing & changing but remaining fun & RE.LAX.ING.

how do you relax? do you have a group activity you wouldn't give up?

currently

2011-06-29T06:21:00.001-05:00

Discovering: that my line drying addiction shouldn't control my laundry habits. some days it must be done & dried in the dryer-being ok w/NOT being an all or nothing factor HELPS.

Training for: Des Moines half marathon in October by running several days/week w/friends as well as keeping up on 5k races that pop up thru the summer.

the friends that also ran the Indianola Osprey Race this spring.

Loving: that some of my little garden experiments are working even tho some are not.

Enjoying: the summer with out any itty bitties in care. No bottles to pack on walks, trips or events.
Wishing: the weather was a bit more summer like. Its fluctuated from spring to a dab of summer then right on to fall in the past month.

Counting: down the weekends until our next boating trip. Love our boating family.

Shopping: the farmer's markets as much as possible! I have done the Des Moines Downtown Market twice, our local Clarke County Market a couple of times, as well as being lucky to happen upon the Grinnell Market on Saturday.

Eating: as much as possible from the grill.

Learning: how to make, use, perserve from our environment. Step 1: mulberry syrup.

childcare summer catch up

2011-06-28T05:49:00.000-05:00

Welcome to those of you visiting from the Motherboard!! I am truely honored to have been asked by Ashley for a quote for her article!!

we have been so busy again this summer! :) I was blessed w/another provider making the initial contacts this spring for all of our summer friday outtings! she would text or facebook me w/a list or new addition to the list periodically. All I had to do was call & confirm & set dates & times! SUPER EASY! LOVED IT.

Last summer we went somewhere every single Friday & to a park to just play & picnic on another day almost every week. here's some proof, & here, here, here, & here.

so far this year we've made a couple of visits, first the post office welcomed us.

and then Pam & Heather welcomed us to Pizza Hut & even let us make our own personal pans! yummmmmy snack!!!

A few days later I learned that the theater was having a morning viewing of Kung Fu Panda 2. So we went to that on a Wednesday morning.

That Friday was our scheduled Farmer's Market lesson! this is one of my favorites both summers! maybe b/c the presentor really puts on her teacher hat & does such a super job!! Thanks again Stacey!!

from there, we went to decorate the front porch of the home of a returning soldier. We talked lots & lots about how long he's been gone from his mom & dad, what he was doing (teaching the Afgan people to farm) & that we are able to make choices thanks to others like him.

So far, that's what we've been up to this summer! We get to go to another provider's home this Friday for a carnival themed backyard party,then next week is the Ambulance & police car tour, then the firestation (which is always a big hit).

UNFORTUNATELY, it has rained so much this summer that we've either been stuck inside from the rain or have to skip the park b/c its not dried out from the last storm.. hoping that turns around soon so we can get back out there!!

WHAT DO YOU HAVE ON YOUR SUMMER AGENDA?

Menu Plan Monday

2011-06-27T06:17:00.004-05:00

I have never been good @ posting menus here but I am going to give it a shot. Before you get too confused, B(breakfast) & L(lunch) are for childcare, then S(supper will be just Tim & I & is subject to change since he does alot of the supper cooking).

Monday: B- pancakes, eggs & peaches L-homemade chicken nuggets, mashed potatoes, apples & homemade bread S-chicken sandwich/wrap (leftover smoked chicken from Sunday's supper)

Tuesday: B-popovers, cantalope L-ground beef, pasta, corn on the cob, & grapes S- pineapple pork chops (from freezer swap Sunday) + salad

Wednesday: B-oatmeal, grapes L-beef stew w/mix veggies, pears & homemade bread S-brats on the grill + salad

Thursday: B-pancakes, cantalope L-chicken, refried beans & cheese quesadillas (using leftover chicken), apples & fried potatoes S- pine apple pork chops leftovers + salad

Friday: B-build your own burrito (eggs, cheese, sausage, salsa + tortilla), pears L- leftover beef stew, homemade bread & cantalope S-usually our eat out night if we take one.

What's on your menu this week? please share!

I AM BAAAAAAAAACK!!

2011-06-26T15:36:00.002-05:00

its been a month but seems like 6 in the blogging world ;)

I am working to get back to blogging regularly. real life stuff. In keeping w/the current frugal theme I am blogging a money saving recipe.

Today we had freezer swap. I LOVE this swap! we all bring whatever we a)have in the freezer b) like to mass produce or c)whatever different dishes they'd like to share.

Today I made taco meat mix. For this, I mix browned hamburger, homemade refried beans & homemade taco seasoning. The hamburger is from our beef that's in the freezer, the beans are from the bulk purchase I made a while back from Paul's Grains that I started soaking on Thursday then Friday morning I rinsed them & started them to cook in the crockpot (high for 4-6 hours, then low until Saturday evening). I refridgerated them overnight (simply because I was tired) & 'refried' them this morning as I was browning the beef. When the beef was browning, I added 1 tablespoon of homemade taco seasoning. The recipe came from this blog.

Taco Seasoning Mix
Combine in a small mixing bowl:
2 Tablespoons dried oregno - I had ground so used just under 1 TBS
2 Tablespoons salt
1 Tablespoon garlic powder - I had granulated so just about 1/2 TBS
1 Tablespoon onion flakes
2 Tablespoons chili powder
1/2 Tablespon black pepper
Use 1-2 Tablespoons of mix per pound of ground beef, depending on how spicy you like it. I use 1TBS in the ground beef as well as 1TBS in the plain refried beans I put in the freezer.

For us at home, I also melt in sharp cheddar & warm some salsa of choice in the mix, but for others, I leave out the cheese & salsa. The seasoned refried beans I put in the freezer, I use for the childcare kids' bean & cheese quesadillas, an quick taco supper for us, or super nachos for either us or the kids.

The other girls brought pineapple pork chops, banana bread w/& w/o nuts, shredded beef w/a choice of toppings (sauce or seasoning), scalloped chicken, & beef burgers.

ETA: linking up w/

Frugal Tuesday

2011-05-17T09:08:00.000-05:00

I am a fru-fru coffee girl, but I hate the price, so its a good thing I don't have access to them on a daily basis. I was so excited to find a mocha mix recipe I like!! Learning to read packages has taught me alot about what is in our 'foods' that we don't know or need. Making this recipe, I know everything that is in my coffee.

I found this recipe on pillsbury.com & altered it a bit to fit my preferences.

4 ingredients.. seriously so simple!!

INGREDIENTS:2 1/4 cups non dairy creamer (I use powdered milk)
1 1/2 cups sugar
3/4 cup instan coffee garnules or crystals
3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa (I used baking cocoa)

mix well. store w/tight lid. spoon 1/4 cup into mug, fill w/8oz hot water.
(I use 1/8 cup mix to 12 oz water) ENJOY!!

I am linking up over @ Learning the Frugal Life.

another give away alert :)

2011-05-05T07:48:00.002-05:00

holy moly this stuff rocks!!!

http://www.wildchildgonegood.com/2011/05/reveal-party/

go see, go see! & if you enter by facebook (mention my name ;))

Give away alert!!

2011-04-25T13:57:00.000-05:00

On to bigger & better things!!

Any of you in the scrapping/crafting world have heard but I have to share that there is a CRICUT 2 coming out!!!

well, there is!! & here HERE IS YOUR chance to enter to win it!! almsot like the 'win them before you can buy them' concert tickets?! only BETTTTTTTTTTER!!!! :)

perception

2011-04-22T11:49:00.000-05:00

IS everything a matter of perception? AS IN, if we believe someone to be well meaning in their chatter, are they repeating what they are as a way of helping or hurting? IF someone hearing them talk thinks they are just gossiping, are they? IF someone looks us square in the eyes, swears on the Bible that what they are telling us is the truth, is it? IF someone else believes what they said to be false, is it? IF someone practices yoga as a simple way to relax, is that all they are doing? IF someone else believes that yoga is something entirely different, is it?

Sometimes I don't like Facebook because we all are entitled to our opinions & beliefs as well as are entitled to put them out there whenever we feel the need or urge and some people take that to extreme. I have days, like today, where I am afraid to post anything for fear of being knocked down, argued w/, or otherwise proven wrong. Twice lately, I have posted different things only to feel challenged-for lack of a better word- in my beliefs by someone I respected. But these challenges are threatening my respect for them as I feel they are implying that their views are the ONLY views to have & therefore I am wrong in all of my thinking & doing. *sigh* I hate to dwell on the negative, I try to be cheerful & uplifting, I like to be a positive element in as many situations as possible, this recent situation, however, has me doubting myself & I hate that. I work w/children all day that are emotionally & verbally beaten down to think that their way of thinking is wrong, dumb & rediculous & therefore many times they are afraid to make a simple decision that they may be disciplined or judged for. Today, I feel that way.

This is a lot to put out there, however, I doubt the offender takes the time to read my little blog so I feel safe putting it in blogland for my few followers to read :) AND THANK YOU FOR READING & FOLLOWING!! Sometimes just typing it, getting it off my chest, also gets it off my mind & heart. I am hoping so today.

Please know I am not looking for sympathy, praise or support today, just sayin' :) thanks for letting me vent!!

Frugal Tuesday

2011-04-19T09:15:00.002-05:00

I have a few little things I do be more frugal or environmentally friendly, none of which deserves its own post as most I have gotten from other bloggers (Stacey, Shanen, Abby, & Sara --hehe almost all S's) so I will list them here:

I compost: fruit & veggie 'junk', paper towels used to just dry wet children's hands (also working to do away w/them), newspaper, junk mail all goes into a bucket
I provide cloth napkins for our home meals (not childcare quite yet)
I provide cloth diapers for my childcare kids
I recycle: plastic jugs, tin cans & cardboard
I reuse: all glass jars & lids for freezing leftovers, produce (bananas, pumpkin & squash), freezer cooking (mac n cheese, taco meat, chicken or beef broth, etc.)
I make my own laundry & dishwasher soap now-Thanks Stacey!
I cook a whole chicken once a month instead of boneless skinless chicken breasts every week-Thanks Shanen & Abby!
I carry around this aluminum water bottle
I am learning to make my own mixes: taco seasoning, ranch mix, cream soup mix, onion soup mix, mocha mix, & pancake mix.
I shop the farmer's market & Iowa food Co-op whenever possible. Shop Fresh Shop Local. From the farmer's market I am loving the hand crocheted washclothes!
I haven't bought harsh cleaning products in 3 years, vinegar, baking soda & dawn dish soap clean about everything.
I haven't bought store bread for childcare in a year. I either serve homemade bread or muffins, pita pockets, tortillas or pasta as our grain group @ meals. (tortillas are inching their way to the top of my 'to-learn' list)
have almost done away w/baggies -minus Tim's lunch sandwiches, which are fewer than they were & the occassional 'prize' found & taken home from childcare (feathers, rocks, flowers for mom) & want to invest in some reusable sandwich bags for camping, childcare & home as well.--thanks for the heads up Sara!
I have a small (HA) reusable shopping bag ~~addiction~~ collection.

Things we hope to increase or improve in the next year:

use the clothes line (just installed last night)
find a fabric softener for winter months that kills the static cling & do away w/the dryer bar
get a rain barrel
build a bigger compost bin
grow more garden
preserve/can/freeze more produce this fall than last
add to my list of homemade mixes, soaps & foods (tortillas, bagels, etc)
get all childcare children into cloth-will reduce our trash can to the SMALL one! imagine that!! a childcare home w/a small can!
finish & hang 'towel rack' I am in the process of repurposing for the kids to have their own towels & do away w/paper towels
install filter in the childcare so I can cancel the water delivery we rely on for our drinking water

No pictures but lots of links to follow! Thanks for visiting & have fun!

Linking up to Frugal Tuesdays go check out the others!!

A full weekend...

2011-04-18T13:52:00.000-05:00

full of races... not sure I will schedule like that again but both were good causes I wanted to participate in so rather than picking, I just signed up for both :)

Saturday I was up & around early nervous as I hadn't prepared at all the night before. (I usually lay everything out in order of 'application' & pack my bag of other things to take) So I was bustling around making several trips back &forth in the hall as well as, up & down the stairs. Finally appropriately dressed & packed, off I went. Stopping @ Casey's for my prerace breakfast of champions -hehe- glazed donut & black coffee :D Knowing the area I was going to, I headed north. Luckily I arrived as others did b/c I had no idea where the visitor's center was & that's where the registration had been moved to because of the weather. Walking in I saw 4 friendly faces & I instantly felt a wave of nerves move off my shoulders. Checked in, paid my fee, & joined the girls in the other room. We did some nervous chatter & stretching waiting on start time & another friend to join us. (I LOVE THESE DRAMA FREE GIRLS!!!!) We soon moved outside & to the start line. After a brief welcome & thank you we were off. all 60+ of us :) nice little race to start the year. looping through camp grounds & parking lots it was a peaceful, lovely spring race UNTIL we got back out to the main road & realized it was ALL UP HILL & Head long into the wind to the finish line. YIKES!!!!! I was super pumped I had only taken a very quick walking break around the 2 mile mark & was determined to run the rest, even if it meant up the hill. UNTIL I got just over the half way point, I gave up and walked. I was really gasping for breath & couldnt for the life of me figure out where all the wind was going b/c it certainly wasn't entering my lungs. I walked the rest .1 to the finish line. high fived the kiddos cheering for us & got my picture taken by one of those lovely friends. We stood cheering for others as we recovered until the last participant crossed the line then we headed back inside for snacks. Coffee, fruit & donuts. HEAVEN. We sat & enjoyed race talk, tips & tricks and made plans for future races w/o pressures or drama *contented sigh* adult conversation. fabulousness. We parted ways w/a feeling of content & happiness. I headed to Target for new work out shirts I found out are on sale :) I have been running in OLD tank tops & normal tshirts but decided I have earned some real work out gear for the year I have put into this new hobby. When I finally got home I scarfed down 2 pieces of bacon cheeseburger pizza from Casey's & crashed. seriously how sad! runner's high-depleted. unofficial Osprey 5k race results: 35:28-still waiting on the official placings & such.

Sunday, Sammy decided he needed out @6:30 so we got up but just long enough for that lil trip. Luckily I had taken the time to set up my clothes & pack my bag the night before, this time, because 8 hours was not enough sleep even with the nap. I was seriously dragging around this morning. This time, I made it all the way to the van before I realized I had forgotten my water bottle in the fridge. :) Another stop @ Casey's for breakfast & I was on my way. The Garmin wouldn't find any shops in the area I knew the race was in, so I did a pretty good job of winging it. Parking was alot easier than I had anticipated, so off to the registration table. Got a super cool reusable shopping bag w/my soft new tshirt & number. Back to the van to put the bag & shirt away, take some Gu (energy supplement for athletes) w/lots of water chasers, reply to some texts that came in while I was driving up & burn some nervous energy for a few minutes. Then it was back out to the streets where I found a quiet side street in the sunshine to do some warm ups & stretching OH & people watch :) nervous chatter gets on my nerves so I vow to quit it myself after listening to random stranger chatter. WHAT A GREAT RUN! I had such a great run, I think thats the first time I have typed that, I had such a great run. The sun was shining, the wind was almost nothing compared to the day before, & the course was FLAT. I listened to random music on my mp3 player & the podrunner podcast came on just as I crossed the2 mile mark & it was perfect timing to kick it in. I was very proud of the energy I had left to use for that last 1.1 mile & finish strong. Official Earth Day in the Junction race results: 33:35. 80th over all out of 259 & 26th of 52 women in my 30-39 year age group. Very good race. After I received & chugged my new plastic water bottle full of ice cold water, ate 1/2 banana, found Tim, Lauren & Hupp we walked thru the booths. Then decided on The Tavern for lunch. HOLY MOLY was I hungry! :) arriving home, Sammy demanded some fetch time & I think it was probably a good stretching time for me before I crashed on the couch.

next race.. May 14

Goals

2011-04-08T13:47:00.000-05:00

If you aim at nothing, you'll hit it every time. ~Author Unknown

I searched a couple of sites for a quote I saw a while back but can't find it. It was a bit different w/the same idea as the one above. Something about w/o goals we go no where. So I am listing some goals today:

Running: I hope to be up to 10k this fall & a half marathon by spring
ChildCare: I hope to continue with my full house & add a small simple curriculum this fall
Financial: We hope to eliminate a couple of credit lines this year
Scrapping: I had hoped to have all of 2009 scrapped by July 1 but now I see I won't even have all of the photos printed so I will say I need to have 6 months worth complete, any 6 not necessarily the first 6, and then the remaining 6 by January 1. As well as complete the childcare 2010 albums.
Garden: I hope to grow most of our summer & fall produce then can or freeze what we don't eat
Blog: I know I have slipped from my daily postings so I am going to shoot for 3 postings each week
Frugal: I hope to keep making the mixes I have started as well as adding a few more each month

What are some of your goals? How do you plan to get there?

THE CLIMB

2011-04-07T08:12:00.000-05:00

The Fight For Air Climb: March 27, 2011

Here is a collage I made of proofs saved from the website:

I was only convinced to participate as there were elevator rides down & walk to the next building I could use as recovery time between climbs. I was completely unprepared for the emotion I would feel climbing with lung transplant patients & firefighters.

Certainly reminded me to be thankful for my health.

used timing chips. I loved this company's candid photos as they shot photos as I would have, had I taken my camera :)

Firefighters waiting to enter their building.

These are all proofs from Picture Iowa, that I intend to order & scrap at a later date.

mixes

2011-04-06T13:21:00.001-05:00

Way back when I first started ChildCare I used a Master Mix for everything. It was a combo of flour, shortening, sugar, salt & probably baking powder, that I put together in a HUGE Tupperware bowl & kept on the fridge. Whenever I wanted to make anything, pancakes, muffins, cookies or drop biscuits, I pulled that bowl out & dipped from it. Adding a few other ingredients I quickly had the batter for whatever was on he menu. This past Christmas my mom did the most awesome thing for us! She made each of us 3 couples (my 2 brothers+wives & Tim&I) 6 mixes. (pancake, basic cookie, oatmeal cookie, basic cake, brownie & quick mix) DROOL INDEED!! along w/those mixes, she made us each a cookbook using those mixes w/a couple of alternatives for each mix. SO COOL, RIGHT?! Well, in true perfectionist fashion, I put them beautifully on the baker's rack in the upstairs kitchen & admired them. Did I use them? NOPE. they were too pretty w/their color coordinated fabric fluff thru te canning jar lid/ring & handmade tags & gladware containers. It was so comforting to know I had them there when I needed them. However, it was MARCH before I finally bit the bullet & pulled one off the shelf to use. :) I chose the oatmeal cookie mix to play w/first. thinking it had only enough stuff in it for one of the recipes I also picked up the can of apple pie filling (yes folks, she also included the pie filling & chocolate chips for the recipe options! So I reallllllly had no excuses for leaving them set for so long!) I whipped up the "Peach Blossom Dessert" recipe (apples instead) happily discovering that there was enough left to make oatmeal cookies too!! Whooo Hooo!! Go MOM!! So the next day I made Oatmeal Cookies too. Every week since then I have used one mix to make a meal or snack that much easier to pull together. I have 2 left on the shelf but so far my favorite is the Pancake Mix. It makes the dreamiest french toast batter! So, today, I made a huge batch of Pancake Mix to put in the pantry for later use!

I managed to borrow the mix cookbook from Mom this Sunday. Learning that she had received it as a gift from HER aunt for Christmas one year. wanna know the publishing date? :) 1978 yesssss I am way excited to be truly using something that is tried & tested & loved years ago! I have many plans to make other mixes before school is out to help w/summer cooking!

While keeping in the mix theme, I have been slurping up the Casey's White Chocolate Caramel Cappuccinos for a few weeks now. We are talking, using them as my reward on the way home from running @ the school. I would drink 1/2 that night, then chill it & warm it for breakfast. Probably not the safest but I haven't gotten sick yet ;) well, realizing how much those are running me, I decided to find a mocha recipe today. After surfing through a few, I found this one. I subbed powdered milk in place of the Nondairy creamer & added a tsp of vanilla to my cup but I am loving it!!

What mixes do you use that don't come in a box? I am getting closer & closer to having box free cupboards upstairs, downstairs (childcare) has been for almost a year.

Plans

2011-03-25T13:30:00.000-05:00

Just going to go & post like I haven't been MIA for a week ;)

How was your week?

Mine was off the charts crazy. everyone was bonkers. grouchy, whiney, irritable, short fused, impatient, tired, fussy, sick, you name it, we were THERE this week. I made a couple of tough decisions. Now to live with them. In the long run, both will be beneficial to my mind, body, as well as spirit. Both mean less stress. Sometimes letting go is just plain hard. admitting defeat.

What are your plans for the weekend?

I am participating in the Fight For Air Climb for the first (& maybe last time) this Sunday morning. I am equally excited for & scared to death of it. I am over the nightmares I think. I hope. I am totally giddy about having lunch w/2 girlfriends tomorrow @ the local art gallery. Taking Sammy on a little run in the morning mostly to stay limbered up for the climb & to burn some nervous energy I am certain will be a-plenty. Enjoying some time in the spa tub with some muscle soak bath salts.

For now I am off to fold some fresh warm from the dryer laundry on this snowy March afternoon in the silence of naptime :)

Have nothing but a fabulous weekend all!! Thanks for stopping by. I hope to be back on a more regular-ha I had typed normal- blogging schedule soon!!

respect

2011-03-17T06:50:00.000-05:00

Respect is one of the most important things to me. Respect for possessions is necessary to keep what you have nice enough to last, but respect for other people is absolute. I start teaching the little ones this as early as they understand 'its their turn, you can have it when they are finished', 'say you are sorry that you bumped him & made him fall down', wait your turn in line', 'wait for me to be done w/the current conversation before you start talking'. WOW I guess we do alot of waiting around here ;)

The reason for this post is that I attended a conference on Saturday for those of us in the Early Childhood field of work.. there were several employees from different centers & preschools there as well as a sprinkling of us home providers. That in itself is a complete change from when I started going to conferences that were 90% home providers & 10% center or preschool staff. The conference has less break out sessions=longer sessions but over all was GREAT.

The attendees, not so great. The opening speaker was a college professor & knew his stuff. However, he was a bit dry for a Saturday morning conference. The morning session I was in was a fun moving one however, girls sharing the table I was at, either didn't want to be there & were out to prove it, or were normally obnoxious. Whether I want to be there or not I refuse to drag everyone else down. I will sit quietly & dream about where I'd rather be. These girls were out right rude, loud & disrespectful to the presenters.

OK I have mulled this over long enough, the training was infact @ the beginning of the month & tho I am not over it, I am letting it go.

Today is Spring break day 1 w/a 66 degree forecast & 2 bags of cupcakes coming thru the door! THAT my friends, shapes us up into a wonderful day!! :)

Please....

2011-03-08T10:02:00.000-06:00

I don't beg very often but I am beggging everyone to follow these simple steps:

In blogger.com, click on Dashboard.
Select Edit Profile.
Check the box for "Show my Email Address."
Save changes.
It's that easy.

there is nothing more frustrating to me than clicking 'reply' to a comment only to find out it is marked 'no-reply' & I can't get back to you :( I don't expect everyone to check back on my blog to see if I commented on your comment & I'd love to email a reply! So please, please, (don't make me beg) please (ok now I am begging) please, go do it :)

beating the winter blues

2011-03-04T08:12:00.001-06:00

We set the date way back in January when we were all in the thick of the winter blues. It seems we are all recovered from the holidays & ready to socialize again by February as we always manage at least one get together each February.

this year we met at Rock Bottom Brewery for drinks & eats & lots of laughs!

Lance, Val, Bethany & Jeff

Nicki & Shayne & some Titan Toothpicks

Hupp & Lauren

Nick & most of the group outside after

From there we went bowling- more good times! & a stray picture of the minis of the evening.

THis weekend will be much less exciting! a training for childcare all day tomorrow & relaxing on Sunday!

Thankful Thursday

2011-02-24T06:54:00.000-06:00

A great friend posted thankful thursday as her facebook status this morning & it got me thinking. We all have a lot to be thankful for no matter how crazy, stressed, chaotic, or unfortunate our lives may seem at the time. Sounds like a great post title huh?! :)

Childcare- I am thankful for a job I love, for children that enjoy the activities I plan & for parents that bring them here.
Food- I am thankful for always more than enough food in the house. No matter how much we want to whine 'there's nothing to eat' there is always way more than enough to eat. From the mixes & recipes mom made us for Christmas, to the beef in the freezer to the farmer's market goods I froze, we have nothing to complain about.
Internet- I am thankful for the internet & all of the friends I have made & can keep in touch w/. They are a wealth of information I would have never tapped w/o the internet.
Tim- I am thankful for my husband. We have some so far. Actually grown up together b/c even tho we thought we were grown-ups @22 & 23 when we got married, we really had no clue.
Lessons- I am thankful for life lessons even tho they are hard to learn & understand, why some people feel the need to be rude, controlling, snippy, spiteful, & gossipy, how to avoid getting sucked in & worse, hurt by their actions.
Love- I am thankful for being surrounded by it when I look for it. I am thankful for being around those that share similar loves.
Readers- I am thankful for the readers I have here :) THANK YOU for stopping by!!

what are you thankful for today?

Ready.

2011-02-23T14:22:00.000-06:00

I am ready.
Ready for spring!

Ready for fresh flowers in the yard, green grass, the smell of freshly mowed grass coming thru the open windows, the curtains fluttering in the breeze around said window, tending the new garden & then eating its produce, the farmer's market, & the lack of snow gear needed by the kids.

I am ready to not need 2 shirts on every day, to not need hot tea in my hands each morning, to not be able to see my breath when I go outside, & to not crave big hardy meals every night.

I am ready to be able to spend the 4 hours between breakfast & lunch outside, and then the 2 hours between snack & the end of the work day back out there again.

I am ready to pack away the ice melt & boot trays from the entry way, I am ready to not need to mop that floor several times each day, I am ready to be soaking up some stinking sunshine, man!

I am ready for camping weekends spent on the lake & gathered round the campfire in the evenings, I am ready to be able to smell the sunshine long after its set.

Freezer Meal Swap

2011-02-21T14:49:00.000-06:00

Sorry no photos but a report is better than nothing :)

we held our first Freezer Meal Swap yesterday. I have heard a friend of mine talk about her group of mama's that gets together & makes meals ahead together & they always rave of what they do & what they get. the thought of having a good part of a meal prepared & in my freezer makes me GIDDY! So I hosted our first swap.

I made 4 pans of homemade mac n cheese, we had 2 pans of goulash, 2 bags of pulled bbq pork w/buns, a lemon chicken w/rice, a pan(or 2) of crusty tilapia, 2 pans of cheesy potatoes, 1 ice cream pie, 1 bag of frittata, 5 pans of bbq meatballs, a bag each of homemade applesauce & fresh corn, 2 pans of manicotti, 1 pan of stuffed peppers, & a bag of pierogies to swap. How fun but also how stressful to pick LOL Taking turns picking was so fun! I ended up w/a pan of peppers, tilapia, cheesy potatoes & meatballs. We had a pepper last night YUMMMMMM! I can't wait to hear how the rest of the meals went over @ home!

next month, I will take photos!! :)

playing catch-up!

2011-02-20T21:41:00.000-06:00

its been a while & I am blaming it on the lack of having my own laptop for a week. It was a sad but quick death. It just decided not to wake up one morning after its nap while we fixed & had breakfast. I had a mini panic attack & then took a deep breath & remembered to be thankful that I had talked Tim into buying 'himself' one (read-a back up for me) a year ago when mine had been in the shop. So I spent the morning fussing w/the kids, playing around, reading way more books than normal & keeping the childcare much better picked up than normal when the laptop is up & running ;) funny how that works isn't it? That weekend we took it to the store we bought it from to find out that the warranty had expired & that in order for them to accept it (to then ship it to their shop) I had to pay $50 up front. WHAT?! are you kidding me? forget it. so I walked out w/the computer protectively under my arm. :) Later in the afternoon we took it to a local lady that tore it apart & tested what she could in 20 minutes & couldn't find an answer so she'd take time Monday & get back to me. When she called she had sad news, it was the motherboard @ her best diagnosis. I could pick it up from her & send it to Toshiba directly to what she guessed would be a $600 bill in total & offered to part it out on ebay for me. I agreed & resolved to share tim's computer until the end of March when we would be a bit more financially strong. (& could pay cash rather than put it on a card)

Fast forward to yesterday: I am miserable in bed-even skipped a crop I was feeling so crappy & Tim came home from work 'after running a few errands' & surprised me w/a brand new laptop! WHOOOOOOOT my HUSBAND ROCKS!!! :) a little retail therapy (that I didn't have to stress over, during or after) sure lifted my spirits --hehe. He also noted that I had decided to buy an external hard drive for my 'next computer' & bought one too. Yup he listened AND acted on it! HELLO?!

I am surprised how many programs I had & relied on, on the old computer. I have managed to get almost all of my programs installed in the past 24hrs YAY! I have even transferred the pictures of the past month from the camera! progress freaking rocks!

hopefully there will be more frequent posts.

Because I am a Kim

2011-02-07T16:41:00.000-06:00

I have to admit I always hated my name in school. mostly because there were 4 of us in my grade; Me (Kim Rim), Kim M, Kim S & Kimberly. And all of us are January/February babies! I have been Kimber, Kimmi, Kimbo, as well as the obvious Kimberly & Kim. I bet my mom never imagined I'd have all of those names when she named me!

I don't hate it anymore :) especially since it qualifies me for a chance to win a goodie! :) hehe.

What I am

2011-02-06T19:58:00.000-06:00

after watching the SuperBowl halftime show tonight, I was reminded of watching Will.I.Am on Sesame Street last year & how much I loved this song. So I am sharing it with you right now. If you ever see this on a cd, please let me know where so I can get it for my childcare!

4 on Friday the 4th

2011-02-04T13:20:00.000-06:00

1. The local dime store has their fabric on sale tomorrow .. 60% off! I am going to buy my kitchen curtain fabrics. I have no idea of a pattern, or the amount of fabric to get but I am just going to wing it & make do :) I can do that, right?!

ok, so I would love something like this, only less colorful.

and will probably end up w/something like this in different colors/patterns, wish me luck.

ALL HELP & SUGGESTIONS WELCOME!! :)

2. That leads to the repair of my sewing machine cord that was partially chewed through by Sammy in the early days. Which we really can't complain about b/c he's only chewed up 3 important things, all being cords, & not getting entirely through any of them.

3. With a messed up week I am SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO thankful its Friday!! Monday the kids went all day even tho we started to get our blizzard, Tuesday & Wednesday they were out, yesterday they had a 2 hour delay & today back to normal. This is all fine & good but the littles are ALLLLL messed up not knowing who will be here on what days. TOday was icky grouchy crazy day & they sucked me in no matter what I did & how hard I tried to fight it! BLECK. early lunch, early nap *silence*

4. Scrapping!! I am so excited to be having company tomorrow morning to scrap! Scrapping is a therapy to me & I am happy to share it w/others that may also benefit from it. As well as get their child's books caught up :)

What are your weekend plans? anything exciting?

saving the chicken

2011-02-02T20:41:00.000-06:00

I just saved the chicken but I feel like I saved the day :)

You see, I just started cooking whole chickens this winter. I have ever only done boneless skinless chicken breasts before & not a whole lot of that. However, after watching Jamie's Food Revolution HOLY EYE OPENER! I get gaggy just thinking about a chicken nugget or other processed meat for that matter.

I learned SO much from this show, much that I didn't really want to know but that we should ALL be aware of!

So anyway back to the saving :) I have done a whole chicken in the crock pot each month for the past 2 months & it feeds the childcare for our chicken meals for the entire month. OH, how that has SIMPLIFIED lunch time prep at least once a week! Imagine, a day (or 2) of crock pot cooking for 6 meals! DREAMY right?! :) I cannot take credit for it, other than I can finally say proudly that I can follow directions. Abby talked me through my first one & inspired me to keep going. Thanks Abby!! Those turned out GREAT & even have broth in the freezer from the second one, calcium & vitamin rich broth that I know all of the ingredients.

I start day 1 by thawing the chicken in the fridge as I have lost 2 crocks in the past from putting frozen meat in them from the start. Day 2, the chicken goes in surrounded by veggies, even the ends, maybe some veggies you would think were too wilted to eat, toss them in as they are still full of nutrients, some seasoning of choice & water. I cook it on low all day. At the end of the day, I pick the meat off the bones & strain the broth putting the meat in containers for either freezer or fridge. The broth goes in a container (glass jar) for the freezer & the bones & veggies back in the crock pot. To those, I add more veggies, water & maybe some seasoning, turn it on low for the next 24 hours. At the end of day 3, I strain it again & package the broth for freezing & toss the remains. These veggies I don't compost since they were cooked with meat, they are likely to draw critters as well as stink, and finally getting to have a compost pile I am not going to do anything to ruin it. :)

This time, I had a larger chicken that I swore wouldn't fit in even the 6 quart crock pot so I put it with a little water in a 9x13 pan in the oven on 350 for 4 hours. Yea, I know, anyone with cooking experience is shaking their head thinking, "she ruined the big one". Yea I thought so too.. that bad boy was all dried out. So, frustrated, I put it in the fridge over night. This morning with renewed determination not to have wasted a good bird from the Iowa Food Cooperative, I put it in the 4 quart crock pot, okay, so it would have fit in the 6 after all, & covered it with water. I then plopped in 2 carrots broken by hand into 3 pieces each, some garlic garlic & some onion onion & turned it on high for the morning hours then down to low for the afternoon. I hoped & prayed that it was going to be 'revived' by the water & much to my delight, this evening when I opened it up & started pulling it apart there were NO wasted pieces of dried out meat *WHEW* so relieved!

This was a bigger bird so I was able to get 6 containers of meat w/a dab of broth in each, 5 in the freezer & one in fridge for tomorrow. :) all of them contain more than one meal's worth of meat. So excited to have cooked chicken in the freezer. SIMPLIFY.

The Joy of Love Project.

2011-02-01T21:59:00.001-06:00

What a fun month this could be!!

Can't wait to see what tomorrow's prompt is & share what I took for today's.

Sketchy Thursdays

2011-02-01T14:53:00.000-06:00

so for a while now I have admiring (from afar) the Sketchy Thursdays sketches. I have thought several times 'this is the week I will participate' but I never do. not sure why, I usually print them out... even take them to my scrap room but still never do them.. well, this weekend, I did this one!

here is my take on it. I love that its Hupp & Lauren @ Valentine's! so sweet! Everything from stash! "valentine" topper & journaling card w/ribbon bow from swap days, frame & heart stickers just as old, the heart paper I bought for my mom's 50th party, the cs is black bazzill, & the ribbon is Stampin Up!

I plan on sharing more pages soon!

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip muffins

2011-02-01T10:02:00.000-06:00

just a quick post today w/a recipe:

this one came out of a cookbook I have from the Connecticut Child care Food program....

Harvest Chocolate Chip Muffins

1/4 c butter (or applesauce)
1c canned (pureed fresh) pumpkin
2 eggs
1/2 c milk
1 1/4c sugar (I cut to 1c)
2 1/4 c flour (I used wheat)
2tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4tsp nutmeg (I used ground cloves on accident)
1/4tsp salt
1 c chocolate chips(I used white b/c its what was left from holiday baking)
1/4 c chopped nuts (optional-I omitted)

1. preheat to 350, spray baking pans (18 muffins, 3 loaf pans or 48 mini muffins)
2.mix top 4 into a large bowl
3. add dry ingredients until blended
4. add nuts & chips.
5. put batter in pans of choice
6. bake 40-45 minutes for loaf or 20-25 for muffins
(I sprayed but they still stuck to my mini pan so will be going back to butter)
Let me know if you try them!

Getting back...

2011-01-25T14:09:00.000-06:00

Getting back to scrapping, that is. I go in spurts. I love it & use all of my free time doing it, then I take a break, the longest break was a year. It took painting & moving into a smaller room to get back into it that time. This time, I've just struggled juggling scrapping w/running this fall & now winter. Winter is usually my big scrappy season but not so much this year. When I am not into it, I think its mostly because I have gotten caught up in the details instead of 'just doing it'. Gotten caught up in trying to make my pages look like those out & about on the internet, scrap sites, blogs & in magazines & I am not that kind of scrapper. I am not one of the scrappers that puts alot of detail on a page, I could journal & fill it or use printed paper, die cuts or other themed embellishments but not alot of 'unrelated' items on my pages. I love to look @ those pretty pages, I just can't create them. :)

So I was so glad when I came across this blog shortly after adopting 'SIMPLIFY' as my word for the year. Finallly, a site that prided itself on simple pages, made me feel like I belonged somewhere! :) I am less than a month into following & am so loving all the inspiration I have received! definately one I look fwd to in my reader!!

Right now, they are having an amazing give away for a full year of freebies! Hurry over & check it out!! it might be just what you need to get moving on your pages too!

give away alert:

2011-01-22T13:04:00.002-06:00

Check out this new stuff! its so cute!!

Food.

2011-01-21T15:56:00.000-06:00

What does the word "food" mean to you?
Does it mean simply what you eat?
Or does it mean what you fuel your body with?

Food is an important subject to me. I love to eat. I love to eat good food. I love to eat good food that is both good tasting and good for me. I also strive to feed this doubly good food to my childcare children. With some encouragement I have spent most of 2010 thinking a lot about the food we eat around here.

In the past few years, I have chosen to avoid aspertame, high fructose corn syrup, most soy & bpa from an abundance of canned products for my childcare children. This has been an educational experience for all of us. Here is what I do & why I think its 'so great' :) wow was that hard to type w/a straight face LOL
I:

Shop local when at all possible. Even if it *is* a bit pricier initially. Why? Because its local, it was picked when it was meant to be picked not 2 weeks ahead to ripen on the way to the store, I know who grew it & they will honestly tell me what they used on the dirt & plant to get it to grow, they grew it for me with love & concern with their own two hands, not just because they were paid to plant, transplant, pick, & load it, never caring where it ended up or what condition it was in when purchased. Fresh has such a better flavor! I get to help support a local producer.

Shop the farmer's markets. What a fun experience! To get to talk to the 'farmers' & ask questions. They are all more than willing to tell you how to clean, prep & cook their produce. They are often times, untapped resources. I shop the local Clarke County Farmer's Market June-October, Saturday mornings & Tuesday afternoons, I also visit the Downtown Farmer's Market a couple of Saturday mornings thru the summer months & finally, I have gotten to visit the Winter Market both November & December weekends it was open. This year I hope to get to explore nearby markets too.
In peak season, get bulk purchases of tomatoes that I used for canning sauces last year (a first for me). I also bought a bulk amount of peaches & habaneros that combined, make a yummy jam/meat topping.
After the squash & pumpkins have out-lived their season of decoration on the front step, they came in one by one to be split & baked for pureeing & freezing in portions for baking with in the winter.

Join the Iowa Food Coop. This is new for me and I am loving it! Shortly after the first of the month the online cart opens as the producers have entered what they will have available for the pick up day on the third Thursday. Everything is labeled on the site; free range, grass fed, corn fed, hormone-free, Iowa grown, etc. Very straight forward. Some even have links to their websites with easy access to email the producer directly with any questions or concerns.

Today for example, our lunch was: scrambled eggs w/bits of chicken, fried potatoes, apple wedges, homemade onion bread topped w/pumpkin butter & milk. Eggs, potatoes & pumpkin butter-Coop, chicken - private purchase from a free range farmer, apple wedges & milk were the only store bought items. :)
2 mornings this week we have had oatmeal (steel cut from an Iowa farm) & the other 2 mornings we had homemade wheat pancakes. I feel great knowing I am serving them a grain item that will stick with them & isn't loaded with junk.

I order my grains (breakfast granola, steel cut oatmeal, wheat & white flour & assorted beans) from an Iowa organic farm. It is like Christmas morning for me when it arrives although I do pity my mail carrier that day.

I make all the bread I serve in my childcare from scratch. I might cheat a little by using the bread machine to mix it but then I raise it on & bake it in the oven but its still from scratch. I purposefully put each ingredient into that mixing pan. I plan to add tortillas, bagels & english muffins to my baking list this year.
Barter. I have found a couple of people willing to make noodles in exchange for a loaf or 2 of homemade pumpkin bread. (remember that pumpkin I talked about above-24cups of it in the freezer) Great trade to me! I have also bartered childcare services for beef products we didn't have in the freezer as well as jam for jam. Everybody wins.
Grow our own. We have a very small organic garden producing green beans, cucumbers, lettuce, green onions, assorted peppers & tomatoes. We hope to use the 3 sisters method in our new area this year as we are moving into the play yard & will be a little tight on space until we figure it all out.
Know our farmer. We get a full beef(460ish pounds) from my grandpa every fall. We are comforted in knowing where it's coming from, what it has eaten, how it was treated & THAT it is coming.
Be alert. I found a raspberry vine on our old property last summer that I never knew was there. I spent a couple of hours on a couple of evenings picking but then chickened out & let them dry up in the fridge instead of using them. I will change that this year.
Keep my ears open, chat it up & don't be afraid to ask. This past summer we were able to collect apples & pears from a couple's tree for free. I am ashamed to admit I didn't do anything with the pears but the apples, I cooked down, made into applesauce & froze for the childcare this winter. Later in the year, I found some mulberry trees to pick in the spring/summer for free and am hoping to find some wild plum to make jams.

Not to say I don't shop at the grocery store because I do. I do a lot. I just very much prefer to shop small, local and fresh.

win win

2011-01-16T12:11:00.000-06:00

want to help a fellow scrapper stay in business?? Everything is 1/2 price to make room for new inventory!! Only through the 18th. Just enter the code GOBIG at checkout. go, shop, save, help. we win, she wins. I love a win-win situation :) even a frugalista on a tight budget gets to shop. hehe.

Thanks for the heads up Steph!!

I tried & I failed

2011-01-15T16:49:00.000-06:00

really I did.. I tried every day to post & either couldn't come up w/anything exciting & worth reading to share or couldn't type fast enough for the unpredictable spurts of time I found to blog this week. Today I am 586 blogs behind in my reader. So spending the afternoon cruising thru them I found this post & couldn't NOT share my favorite part of it here. I firmly believe in everything posted below.

Encouraging Natural Play

* Limit or eliminate screen time: Give your children a chance to flex their own imaginative muscles. They may be bored at first. Be prepared with simple playthings and suggestions for make-believe play to inspire their inner creativity.
* Curtail time spent in adult-organized activities: Children need time for self-initiated play. Over-scheduled lives leave little time for play.
*Choose simple toys: A good toy is 10 percent toy and 90 percent child. The child’s imagination is the engine of healthy play. Simple toys and natural materials, like wood, boxes, balls, dolls, sand and clay invite children to create their own scenes – and then knock them down and start over. Avoid passive toys that require limited imagination.
*Encourage outdoor adventures: Reserve time for outdoor play where children can run, climb, find secret hiding places and dream up dramas. Natural materials – sticks, mud, water, rocks – are the raw materials of play. Playing outside helps your child sleep better at night and helps battle the obesity epidemic.
*Bring back the art of real work: Believe it or not, adult activity – cooking, raking, cleaning, washing the car – actually inspires children to play. Children like to help for short periods and then engage in their own play.
*Spend time watching your child play: This can show children that adults value their play. Fight the urge to control; allow your child to make the decisions, control the flow of the play and assign the roles. Only participate if invited.

Thanks for reading & have a great weekend!!!

hopeful

2011-01-09T10:03:00.004-06:00

today I am hopeful for a productive Sunday. Taking cues from the Frugal Trenches I am posting my list for today's hopes (& dreams) of productivity here for some accountability:

clean the upstairs kitchen (wipe counters/stove/oven door/fridge/dishwasher/sink, sweep & mop floor)
~~put away clean & sort the dirty laundry~~- even ~~started a load in the washer~~ have one put away!
~~wash bedding~~
~~carry down the ornament tote from the living room to the cubby~~
~~pack & store the tree~~
~~put pork tenderloin in the crockpot for supper~~
~~read some in my book club book~~
scrap
vac living, dining & hallway carpets
~~do 2 miles on the tread mill~~
~~water plants~~
~~upload 20:11 & last night's pictures~~
~~make rolls for supper mixing in the breadmachine raising on the stove~~
~~bake chocolate pound cake + mix pudding for topping for supper~~
~~toss the ball for Sammy-outside for 20 minutes~~ twice now
~~5 minute wipe upstairs bathroom~~

ok, now nothings getting done sitting here adding more to the list ;)
What do you plan to do today or this week?

mix & match links

2011-01-08T20:49:00.001-06:00

I have a lot on my mind & heart, a lot of great posts read in the past couple of days & instead of not doing them justice, I am listing them w/ links, here, now.

The first: THIS amazing selfless mama

Next: we had a virtual 5k today @ the 'hood in honor of our sisters & Dr. Mo running half & full marathons this weekend. I participated -there's me in the middle-allllllllll bundled up for our 8 degree run this morning.
I am super excited to have found a fun site that focuses on simple scrapping! Time to return to my simple scrapping 'roots'. I love to look @ others' detailed pages that are full of elements but I can never get that style right.
Edited to add: the new widget to the right! check it out! Gabe's Gifts, AMAZING project!!

ok so this is not everything I've been wanting to post about but its enough for tonight :)
Have a great weekend!!

up up & away!!

2011-01-07T11:42:00.001-06:00

OK so you've read my posts about joining a local running group & I so love it!! I liked running by myself w/my music but I LOVE running w/the girls! While running several nights we talked & decided we needed a goal to accomplish from all of this running. Along came the Fight for Air stair climb & the Live Healthy Iowa challenge. Altho the challenge starts first, the stair climb requires fundraising so here is a little post to jump start that action.

FIRST: some facts;

I am asking for your support because…

*Lung disease is the third leading cause of death in the U.S. and is responsible for one in seven deaths.
*Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer deaths in the U.S.
*Asthma is the number one chronic disease of children.
*COPD currently affects 10.2 million Americans.
*Air Pollution poisons the lungs of over 60% of Americans each day.

ewwwwwwwww! that makes me cough just thinking about it all!

SECOND; see those buildings up there^^? Those are the stairs we will be climbing! a little info: the first one EMC Insurance Offices, 17 floors, the second, Hubb Tower ~18 floors, the last, The Des Moines Marriott Downtown~28 floors. I will share more info on each building in a later post.

AND THIRD: This is my thermometer that is supposed to tell how well my fundraising is going :) I hope to figure out how to do a direct link @ the side of my page over there~~>> soon.

Enough business! I hope you have a WONDERFUL WEEKEND!!!!!!

I want to be...

2011-01-05T12:52:00.000-06:00

Attending the funeral for Tim's Aunt Leatrice (photo taken in March on the Left) yesterday REALLY got me thinking. And yes, it was a dangerous act on my part in a packed room, smoke produced from thinking & all ;) but I did it anyway. Everyone talked about how sweet, thoughtful, determined, caring, hard working & always THERE for everyone she was. She was the one that baked the cakes, she was the one they went to with worries, she was the one that set & enforced the rules, she was the one that worked thru things with them to help them solve it instead of doing it for them. They've learned so much from her they have only begun to realize. What a legacy she has created!

Listening to the things she taught them & helped them with sure brought home the fact that things sure have changed in society. Not necessarily for good or bad but so much faster paced, rarely do we take time to sing to & teach the words to the little ones, take the family on a horse drawn sleigh ride w/blankets, cocoa & songs, or even take time for a 75 person family dinner. TIME. She always took Time for whoever needed it. what a blessing she was to her family, altho, I am sure she looked at it in reverse, that they were a blessing to her :)

I consider myself blessed to have gotten to know a teeny tiny little sliver of her in the time I've been in the family, but that comparatively short time meant nothing to her, as I was always welcomed as I had belonged for an eternity. I know I will wonder 'What would Aunt Leatrice do?' from time to time as I tend to the littles in my care. I want to be more patient, kind, helpful, present, & over all THERE for those who need me, when they need me.

Weigh In Wednesday

2011-01-05T06:47:00.000-06:00

Ugh! I was so hoping to be able to report a loss this week w/the changes we've made in our running routine, the extra work we've added & the better eating I've been doing but nooooooooooo my body is clinging tightly to that stupid same number. Oh well, atleast is not going up!

Deeper thoughts & less whining next post :)

Simplify

2011-01-03T14:53:00.000-06:00

I must report that this Simplified year is going well already! I am letting go of unnecessary details, unnecessary stress, & unnecessary worries. I am loving the Simplified way of thinking already! I have reallly used it more than I thought in just 3 days.

Scrapping-I am back to Simply getting them scrapped, not over doing the details, no putting thos unnecessary, unrelated items on the page just b/c they are pretty.

Cooking-Simple foods. Getting further from the boxes & cans & using Simple foods to cook, bake & nurish the bodies I cook for.

Clutter-OYE! I have been able to bless 3 other homes w/multiple items each from our home THIS WEEK! just things I had stored or on hand 'just in case' & never used them, so they are on to their next home.

Dishes-Simply do it. Simply unload the dishwasher while waiting on something in the microwave or on the stove top, Simply reload the dishwasher when you take a dirty dish to the sink, Simply do it NOW.

Laundry-This will take some time as I hope to par down my closet & drawers ALOT this year. I am starting a stack for various artists to upcycle tshirts into various things, I thought I'd make a tshirt quilt but do we really need another blanket? I am getting rid of 3 this week that have been stored in totes for over a year... LOL I wear the same 5 top sets(I layer) to work in so why are there 10 in the drawer? Cross Ministries, I plan to make my first drop off of the year, the morning of the 29th!

Worries-I had a head start on this from my 'appreciate' year in 08 but I plan to continue & grow on this in '11. I plan to make a point not to worry about things I cannot control, I can better use that energy to run, or clean or organize. Simply enjoy the here & now, or sit out a situation until it heals itself, as most do. What will be will be.

Running-Simply get out there & do it! Relax & Run. Enjoy the company, enjoy the energy, Simply live it. Quit worrying about what if the group falls apart, what if I let them down, what if there becomes drama.. not that I have worried, just fleeting thoughts.

Cleaning-Simple homemade products are on my list to explore this year.

How are you coming along w/your OLW?

thank you 2010 & hello 2011

2010-12-31T22:02:00.000-06:00

I have a glorious list of things I can check off as DONE or atleast I followed my One Little Word for the year-DO- just DID alot of things I was questioning, worrying about, or just plain chicken to try :) I posted a list in November & am still in shock of all the changes I made in ONE YEAR! :) pretty intense the effect One Little Word can have on a person!

I thought I'd pick Simplify for this year's OLW as I tend to over-obsess, over-detail, over-organize, over-communicate, over-everything, everything I do. :) Picking Simplify makes me wonder what I will cut, delete, ignore in my current life & will I miss it? I can't come up w/anything else that works, or feels right so I guess Simplify picked me.

Also, in 2011 I plan to:

keep running--I love that we've started a local running group! Go Eat Pray Run! We've already set up teams for 2 events this Spring! And want to host or co-host a 5k this year! eeeeeeek!
keep scrapping--I am too far in to quit now! I'd love to get on a design team, maybe my Simplified pages will catch someone's eye
keep blogging
join a local, real-live book club--this makes me so happy to even consider- its a grown up thing I never thought I'd get to do
sew--fix the cord that was a puppy casualty ;) & get busy!
live more frugally--I try not to burden others w/our financial views as that is one thing I don't think needs discussed out of the home, simply put, we are working to become closer to debt free this year
garden & compost more, can & freeze more, bake & cook from scratch more
sort, donate, pitch, recycle more
have more Girl's Nights Out
continue in my healthier lifestyle--fruits/veggies, dairy, water, running, chiro-work on Power of 1 list
get back to yoga
get better about deadlines, turning paperwork in before its due, being more repectful of another's time
get the childcare off of paper towels--alter &hang a rack for cloth towels
switch to homemade cleansers
find a balance to Simplify it all

What is your One Little Word for the year? What do you plan to accomplish in the new year?

Power of 1

2010-12-29T09:10:00.001-06:00

New challenge! New Year! New Goals!
cruise on over to the 'hood & check it out!

the first challenge is posted already -imagine that, they r THAT good!- so here are my goals for the new year!

continue to grow our local running group of Eat, Pray, Run
participate in the Fight for Air climb in March w/our group
participate in the Healthy Iowa challenge w/our group
work w/our group & organize & hold a successful, official 5k
keep getting healthy-getting those veggies & dairy servings & exercising daily
make eating healthy a priority & natural response instead of something I have to focus on
participate in 6 5Ks & maybe a 10k this year
be able to run those whole 5Ks w/o walking breaks

OK, I think those 8 are a good start!
Thanks to our local running group, I am out there running almost every night! we are up to running 2 miles & walking 3 in intervals And plan to change that up after the first of the year, extending our running intervals & shortening our walks.