Thankful Thursday

So I was going to do a big post about my bread class I took from Mary at Chattavore but some things went wrong. First of all the pictures I did get were awful. I was nervous. I haven't actually hung out with Mary in a while, and I also didn't look like an idiot while preparing food in front of her. Plus I forgot my mixing bowl. Seriously. Somebody find me a brain. Then of course my camera battery died. No pictures of Mary, or me, or finished bread. Well except for the one she took.



Yep looks good doesn't it. I baked bread Tuesday, and added a little honey since I was using all whole wheat flour. It is sooo good. Another loaf is rising now. Ellis snarfed down several pieces as soon as it was baked, so we already need more.

So I am thankful for Miss Mary, and here kindness in taking much of her Friday to teach me how to properly bake a loaf of bread. Including mixing bowls, spoons, and hand kneading. Yeah it is nice to use the kitchenaid, but I tell you, use your hands and you will have a better loaf of bread. It also is relaxing, and how it used to get done. Talk about channelling Carolyn Ingalls.

Yep my goofy self was very proud!

Never mind those bruises on my arm. Brian doesn't sling me around for kicks, I have a bad habit of running into clothes racks at work. Goofy, yes we have established that by the above picture.

I am thankful that after a few weeks, the children are getting it back together. I had a fear for a few weeks that I would never have control over my household again. As of yesterday everyone was getting back to their sweet selves. Thank the Heavens above. Seriously.

Amen.

Lastly I am thankful for this summer. It has been dry, and my yard is burnt to a crisp, but even through the heat the days have been sunny and beautiful. We can still go outside in the mornings, and in the late afternoons and enjoy it.  It is much harder to deal in the winter, when it doesn't get warm enough to really spend much time out. I will take the heat any day.

Thankful thankful Thursday. Have a good day.

Weekly Menu: July 25th-Sunday 31st

Monday: Crock pot red beans and rice, homemade jalapeno (from garden) corn bread (freeze leftovers) recipe (leaving sausage out) Also I used non cured organic bacon
Tuesday: Homemade Mac & Cheese with zucchini and squash, pw recipe veg from farmers market
Wednesday: Roasted chicken legs, leftover mac & cheese, green beans pastured chicken, farm fresh green beans
Thursday: Chicken Wings and oven fries. If anyone has a good buffalo sauce recipe let me know. That is still in the works. pastured chicken, farmers market taters
Friday: Skillet lasagna (one pot dish) recipe
Saturday: Chicken Parmesan, sauteed zucchini and squash, pw recipe farmers market vegs
Sunday: Leftover night.

Thankful Thursday

I am most thankful today for friends that I don't feel like I need to keep my "pride guard" up around. If I don't have the gas money this pay period I say it, if I felt like flinging my lumpy milk that was supposed to be yogurt across the room I can tell them about it. I don't have to have hair done and makeup on to be seen in public with them. Not every moment of our time together needs to be a Kodak moment. I am thankful that I have real friends who are real people. Long live pony tails.....

I am thankful that Brian and I took a huge risk in our minds and got a puppy. It was a very difficult decision. We loved our last dog so much, and he drove us to the brink of insanity at the same time. He was a big hearted jack Russell terrier (or terror depending on the day) named Roger. Everybody that ever met the dog in spite of themselves loved him. I got to adopt him when Brian and I married, he went quickly from my step dog to my baby. He passed away when I was pregnant with Lainey, God love that dog. We miss you brubra buddy.

I want to post a pic of ole Roger, but his pics are on our external hard drive, and I have no freaking clue how to operate that. Just know that a pic of him is still on our fridge. Love that dang dog.

Anyway, as I was saying I am thankful we have gotten our puppy Fisher.

Fisher has brought so many good things into our lives in one weeks time. First of all he is very good.

Good boy Fisher, kissy kissy, okay I will stop...

We are getting outside much more now. Not that we already didn't spend time out, but Brian and I sat on the back porch for a good while after dark the other night talking while Fisher ran around. It was nice to sit out there, we don't do it nearly enough.

The kids love him. Like, a lot. You could call it obsession. I have to get them to give Fisher a break. But he is so good with them, he has not even gave them a warning yet. Which I am impressed. Our 9 week old dog has more grace with them than I do...

You might wanna note his cuteness now. I can't get any good pics of him really, because when I go to snap he charges me for pets and hugs. Sweet boy.

Having a pet, and I particularly think a dog changes you, and I think for the better. It also teaches. My kids are having to learn to care for another living thing that is fully dependent on us. It is teaching them boundaries, because they would drive the dog bonkers otherwise. It is teaching them responsibility. Feeding, watching, play time (which is currently not an issue anyway), taking out to go potty. They will have a dog to grow up with, a best friend, someone to play with.

He is giving me the chance to love another dog again. It has been over two years since Roger passed, and I am more ready than I thought. Isn't it crazy how you can love a pet with your whole heart? They are like parts of your family.

Basically this has been a million times better experience than I thought it would be. I am thankful for Fisher buddy.

Have a good Thursday. Try to not be to negative, and for goodness sake quit complaining about the heat, unless you are one of the poor souls who have to work in it all week.

First Dentist Trips

A year ago Ellis had his first trip to the dentist. He did great, but didn't really want to take the picture. I have kept it on the fridge because it is so funny to me.

This picture is nothing compared to Lainey's today. She was straight up gangsta.

Love it. These make great refrigerator pics! Oh sis, you always take it a level higher than your brother, love you girl!

Wordless Wednesday: Slowly Ridding Ourselves of The Junk Ed

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On The Quest For Whole Foods

 So except for a very rare occasion, like last night only, I have 100% cut out refined sugar and high fructose corn syrup from my diet, and almost 95% out of the kids. The thing is that I really don't feel like I am missing out on anything. To sweeten I have been using honey or 100% pure maple syrup.

I drink hot coffee black, but with iced coffee I like a little sweet. So I have been using a little maple syrup, and it sweetens it nicely and to me I can't taste the syrupy taste. Honey is good too, but it clumps a lot, and is sweeter, which I do not prefer for my coffee. I have been using honey to sweeten my bread, and many other things.

My friend Katie took a road trip, and did some shopping for myself and another friend. Katie, Michelle, and I split a 5lb tub of honey granules, and sucanat. Sucanat is pure unrefined cane sugar. Honey granules mimic white sugar nicely, and sucanat is a great substitute for brown sugar.

honey granules

sucanat

I just got this stuff from Katie yesterday on our way to feed the chickens, so I haven't used it yet. I have had it cooked in some things though, and think it is great!

So those are the sweetening changes that I have made, and that I am about to make.

As far as cooking oils, I have also made some changes. I have used olive oil religiously for years now, but have recently learned some disturbing stuff. Once you heat it it turns into hydrogenated oil. Which I have been avoiding those like the plague since I was pregnant with Ellis, and hear I am cooking it up in my own house. Olive oil is great for salads, etc, but don't heat it! I still use it in my sauces when they are slow simmer. I am hoping that is not hot enough to do damage. Also makers of olive oil are in some deep you know what lately for their product not being 100% pure. So when Katie went to get the sweeteners, she and I decided to split a big thing of olive oil that is from Greece, and guranteed to be the real deal.

So what in the heck am I to cook with, sautee veggies, add to pancakes and bread? Okay get this-coconut oil. Yep I said it. Now it is costly and I bought the cheap stuff, which I had to get at The Vitamin Shoppe, but it is still great. It doesn't break down under high heat, it has good fats, and has a ton of other health beneficial properties, all you have to do is google it.

As for canola, vegatable, or any other kind of oil, if you care about healthy forgettaboutit. Yep. I know. It stinks.

I have used it sauteeing veggies, in pizza dough, and in my bread. In my veggies I got a slight taste, but I think I used too much. A little of this stuff goes a long way since it doesn't break down. I tasted it in my pizza but I think I once again used too much. I used this stuff in my bread, and it worked great can't even taste it. I had been using olive oil, but we don't want any hydrogenated oils here!

How does that bread look, yummo. Still needs work though, and my friend Mary is going to help out with that!

Oh and this is our new pup Fisher, and he has nothing to do with this whole food business, except maybe I now have the energy to deal with a puppy. I could eat him up though!

Feeding Chickens and Such

This afternoon after nap time, which both of our children refused to participate in, we went to see Brandon. Brandon is Brian's best friend. He was the best man in our wedding, and his speech had everybody laughing. He is a very lovable person, I call him Pookie. Our kids love him. My husband loves him. He is a good guy.

The kids and I have never been to his mother Miss Mary's house, and we decided to stop by today. Brandon has told us about her big garden, and since ours is mediocre at best, I wanted to check it out. Let me just say we had a blast, especially the kids. Not only does she have an awesome garden, she had a lot of chickens. The kids got to feed the chickens, and I just don't know if they have ever had a better time.

To begin to get the idea of Miss Mary's house you need to know that she has lived there for years, and raised her babies there. Brandon is 30, and the youngest of three. How long they have lived there I am unsure, but when Brandon was growing up it was country. The last 10 years the area has grown up, and became an up and coming area. To the left and right of Miss Mary's property are new fancy 300k neighborhoods.

Through the trees there some condos.

But her house is her house, as it always has been, so between the new construction there is chickens and a big beautiful garden.


Yep, apparently chicken petting isn't as unheard of as I thought.



This is Brandon, he is great with our kids.

This is Miss Mary in the background, more on her later.

Lainey even got corn in her hair.

The garden was full and awesome. It put mine to shame. The kids had fun in it too. Ellis picked cucumbers, and Lainey picked green beans.

Lainey picking green beans, she also carried that piece of paper out of her littlest pet shop all day.

Like I said Brandon and Ellis are such buddies.

Then of course we had to feed the chicken some cucumber? Yes they eat those. The kids got a particular kick out of that.

Back to Miss Mary. I was talking to Brandon as he was grilling us dinner, which included fresh squash just picked from the garden. If I had to describe Miss Mary I would say that she is: genuine, kind, helpful, and sincere. She offered to help me learn how to clean a chicken, can, and any other of those kind of things that I want to learn, and I know she meant it. She is a very "real" person. A breath of fresh air. I really am looking forward to going back.

To wrap up our wonderful Sunday afternoon, we grilled at Brandon's house, and the kids caught lightning bugs.

We didn't get home until an 1.5 hours after the kids bedtimes, after no naps and chicken feeding they were passed out. I dressed them and put them to bed dirty. Sometimes that is the best part of childhood. Being carried from a car sleepy, and going to bed all dirty. It means you had a good long day, and I miss having someone put me to bed when I am too tired to move. Baths can wait until morning, and sheet washing too.

Today was a good day.

Thankful Thursday: Belated Ed

I am so very thankful that Brian got home yesterday, and that we have family to help out in the mean time. When daddy isn't here there is a part missing from our family. We love him.

I am thankful for my beautiful children. Of course they are in the "well of course I am thankful for them so I don't mention then in Thankful Thursday" but I am just overwhelmed right now for my thankfulness for them. They are so different from eachother, but are both beautiful little people. How am I so blessed for these children to be gifted to me?

I am thankful for my job at Gymboree. What started as something to "get out of the house a little" and to "get a great discount" has turned into something more than I could have imagined. I truly like everyone I work with. Different personalities, different places in life, but all very awesome ladies. I also enjoy getting to know some of the customers, I have met some neighbors in there, and I love being around the children. I love working at the Gymbo.

That is all :) Gonna get some lunch, which I am forever grateful for that too!

Some Thoughts On Family

This morning on one of the morning news shows, there was a piece on Generation X (Which I am at the tail end of) and marriage. Granted this isn't hard hitting journalism, but I found it interesting. And couldn't stop thinking about it. The whole point is that Generation X'ers are trying hard to make marriage work. Now of course these are generalizations. But as they were doing the piece it kind of reminded on my views of marriage, and some of the thoughts I have had.

Whenever I think of divorce as a subject, not divorcing Brian now we are good, I think of the complete devastation of my family. I just don't see how my kids wouldn't be destroyed. Although to an outside person our family looks a certain way, stay at home mom and breadwinner dad, our family doesn't have the 1950's aloof dad. Brian is just as involved in the raising and everyday details of my children's life as I am. We eat dinner together at the table nearly every day, unless there is some weird circumstances. He plays with them everyday. He gives them all of their baths, and is the main person in charge when they are getting ready for bed. He decided to start potty training Lainey, and started one weekend and I followed suit. He takes them to the zoo, park, or whereever, without me. He is a dad that could totally do it on his own, except for cooking that is.  Brian is a present parent.

And I am an involved mom. Obviously staying home I am with the kids every day, all hours of the day. I take them to play dates, and school, fix them 3 meals a day, teach them, play with them, and all of those things. With that being said, Brian and I both give them 100%. There is not a parent in this house hold that doesn't pull their full weight in the raising of our children, which is a big compliment to Brian as that he is out of th ehome 40+ hours a week. And we do it together. I can't imagine what it would do to Ellis and Lainey for them to all of a sudden not have that anymore. I can't imagine them not seeing both of us everyday. I seriously think because we are such good parents it would destroy the kids even more. They would have something to miss without a doubt.

As far as staying home with them, that would be over if we divorced. I would have to work. And although I am totally cool with working moms, I am also totally happy to be home with my kids. They can sleep in, play outside at their own home, take nap in their own beds, have a lazy day if tired, or take off to the pool or park if we wanna. Other than pre-school, which is important, we have a flexible life. Brian and I were just talking about the other day, how they are so lucky to be at home base so much and not a hectic schedule. Plenty of time for that when they are adults. They would have to spend hours outside of the home, with other caregivers, which is something that Brian and I both decided we didn't want being that I quit my career which I loved. I really think this would be a hard transition for my kids too.

As far as custody arrangements. As a counselor in my previous life, I never came across a kid that enjoyed switching parents. Especially the ones that did the every other day thing. They hated it. But I understand where the parents were coming from. Brian and I don't even like our children to go away for the weekend, which they have done like 5 times ever. We miss them too much. I do not see how we could ever agree to split time between the two of us.

So I constantly think about my marraige, and I don't ever want it to fall apart. It is not just about me and Brian, we are a family, and we chose to start one, and it is important to protect it. Now I am not anti-divorce. If Brian's favorite past times ever become drug use, alcohol abuse, domestic violence, fooling around, or in any way harming my children, finito. I am also pretty sure that he feels that way if I were to start doing any of those things. Having those things going on in your house can destroy a family too. I am smart enough to know you can never say never, because then you sound like a idiot. I can say it is not in my plans. I love my family. I love the blessings we have. I love that my generation is trying to keep marraige together, according to morning television, so take that statement lightly. If anything, it obviously got me thinking about it this morning.

Wordless Wednesday: Hold Your Applause Please

Victorious Day!

So I tried this recipe for the next gold fish baking round. I would like to scream from the mountains, SUCCESS. They taste slightly different, but are edible, and pretty yummy!

Smoothie break while dough chills.



preheat



Victory!

My garden is growing! Today I noticed my first tomato, and peppers. Also the cucumbers are a growing.

Mater.

banana pepper

jalapeno pepper

baby bell pepper

cucumber, and little boy hand

little boy obsessed with garden

Food growing. Interested, excited kids. Victory!

free flowers/weeds in neighboring lot

Victory!

Fun time with the kids. Best part of the day! Victory! We miss you daddy!