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The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and discipline. -Proverbs 1:7

Wisdom is supreme; therefore get wisdom. Though it cost you all you have, get understanding.-Proverbs 4:7


Wednesday, February 29, 2012

Surreality





I like my life so much it seems surreal sometimes.

Mid-week happenings:

Random games of chess. Only the boys, though. The girls here do not play chess. We aren't patient like that.

Sadness. I found an egg Edith must have laid on her last day with us. My chickens don't lay during the winter, so she was signaling spring to us. Her last egg was in the fall sometime. :-(

Good mail day. Actually, there are going to be a few good mail days coming up. Ryan probably should take my card.

Dinner=spinach salad with rosemary and garlic roasted tofu and a bowl of butternut squash soup.

Amused.

This is making me laugh:

Underbelly of the Health Food Store

Tuesday, February 28, 2012

Spring!


I'm convinced it is here. Spring, that is. It's my favorite season.

It's a little early to be starting seeds, but hey...I have a ton of seeds. I'll start more later. What's the worst that can happen? The best that can happen is a better way to look at it.

Chicken shopping. I was debating on whether or not to get chicks this year. But, we lost Edith yesterday and that decided it. I'm in for 6 chicks. I need some help deciding, because I just keep looking and picking and changing my mind and looking again.

Bees. Am I getting bees?

Saturday, February 25, 2012

Saturday Night=Pizza Night

Starting tonight.





For the adults: A white bean base made with sauteed garlic, white beans, sea salt and a splash of balsamic vinegar topped with sauteed broccoli rabe, caramelized red onions and more garlic topped with roasted grape tomatoes. Sort of heavenly...I was experimenting with the broccoli rabe. I've never had it before. Turns out, I think spinach would be better. I don't like any bitterness in my greens.

For the kids (who think the idea of eating vegan is akin to being served a bale of hay for dinner): Cheese. Just cheese. I've got plans for that next week, though.

Friday, February 24, 2012

Thinking





1. I'm the kind of Girl Scout leader who has two troops (On paper. One is actually Alicia's troop.) and forgot until this morning it's "Thinking Day". Well, it was two days ago. In theory, they should go to some big "Thinking Day Shindig", but that isn't going to happen this year. The little ones thought about their world and ate French cookies. The big ones would just roll their eyes. Because the thrill of Thinking Day has evidently passed (about 5 years ago). I used to be much better at the Girl Scout thing.

2. Thinking about (and realizing) how quickly one can prepare a vegan meal if one doesn't go all crazy with it. Huh. Just throw some stuff together and call it good. (In this case, butternut squash, spinach, garlic, onion, rosemary, a splash of olive oil and a carton of vegetable broth.)

P.S. In my dream world, I'd be baking all of our bread. I'm sort of living there right now; in that dream world. We'll see how long it lasts this time.

Thursday, February 23, 2012

Just Thursday

Two days in a row, I've woke up without an alarm at 4:30 a.m. Which was supposed to happen. Today, I actually got up. And I felt awesome. All day. T'was to be expected, I suppose.






One of these things is not like the others...one of these things just doesn't belong...can you tell which thing is not like the others by the time I finish my song? (Aren't you glad I put that in your head? Now go on singing it all night...)

Clearly a pile of bridges. The other project? You will have to wait and see. Because, I have to wait and see. I mean, I know what it's supposed to be. But I'm not quite seeing it yet.


10 minute dinner. Salad stuffed red bells. Corn, pinto beans, grape tomatoes, baby spinach, red onoion, avocado, cumin, sea salt and fresh pressed garlic. I think that's it.

I was trying for another picture. One that was totally representative of how things really are. The one where one of the kids said "Doesn't Jac have Cub Scouts?" as they were munching hot dogs (because that is what they ate for dinner...hot dogs. Which evidently were disgusting, because "Alicia cooked them."). And then the mad dash to get Jac to Cub Scouts (because I always seem to forget about that and he misses) only to realize we were actually a half hour early. But, I was in my pajamas (that don't match) and just sort of dropped him off anyway. The same pajamas I was wearing when I dropped Alicia at FUSE last night. Yeah, the real picture. I asked her to take one, but she muttered something under her breath that sounded like "Why are you like this? You are always doing this stuff to us." Soo...ummm...yeah. No picture. Odds are, though, I'll still be like this tomorrow and there will be another chance.

Wednesday, February 22, 2012

Simple



1. Kohlrabi, celery and beets...just a few. It's a little early, but I guess I'm impatient to turn my room downstairs into a plant nursery...which I suppose means maybe I'll have to sleep in my room upstairs. Maybe.

2. Quick dinner of stir fried vegetables and tofu with a vegan, brown garlic sauce and Basmati rice.

Vegan Brown Garlic Sauce

2/3 cup soy sauce
1/2 cup vegetable broth
1/3 cup sushi vinegar
3 1/2 tablespoons honey
1 tablespoon sesame oil
1/4 teaspoon white pepper
1 tablespoons cooking oil
3 cloves minced garlic
1 tablespoon minced ginger
2 tablespoons cornstarch
1/4 cup water

Directions:
In a bowl, combine soy sauce, broth, vinegar, honey, sesame oil and white pepper. Dissolve the cornstarch in 1/4 cup water. Heat a pan over high heat; add the cooking oil, swirling to coat; add the garlic and ginger; cook for 30 seconds. Add the soy sauce mixture and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium and cook for 1 minute. Add the cornstarch solution. Simmer until the sauce thickens.

This will make a lot. Enough for a few meals. It's kind of salty, so use sparingly. Store in the refrigerator.

Tuesday, February 21, 2012

Fat Tuesday


Pancakes = The consolation prize for those who don't get to go to the real party.

Truth be told, pancakes are better than the real party.

Actually, I'm lying. Not even if you top them with King cake filling and cherries. They're good...but no party. Give me back to back parades with Lagneaux's in between and you can keep your pancakes.

Roadtrip anyone?

Monday, February 20, 2012

Welcome to my life.


Should I explain the delay in updates?

I can't keep up the illusion of living a magazine worthy, perfect looking life everyday. I mean...I could update everyday. But, you would just be looking at pictures of my kids eating food out of a paper bag, everyone hanging out in their p.j.'s all weekend long and a whole lot of staring at facebook and/or sleeping. While I consider all of that about as good as it gets (minus the food induced guilt), it probably wouldn't translate all that well in blog land.

I have to go to work tomorrow, so that means I had to get up and do something today. It was slow moving in the beginning, but shaped up into perfection.


Really slow. Almost got really sidetracked by Parker Palmer (by choice), but the sun had a way of hurrying me along...


I love this IKEA gnome. (But yeah...he's kind of phallic looking.)




Marigold, Edith and Mollyanne...hiding behind a bush and pretending they didn't want their picture taken. But...I know they did.

This has to be the earliest ever I've been able to get out into my garden to start getting it together. I've got plans this year. Big plans. O.K...don't say it. I know I have big plans every year. But, maybe this is going to be the year?

I've been moving the chicken tractor all around so the girls can get things worked up and ready. Did I mention it's perfect out there? I really want to get something planted. It's early. Way early. Waiting is not my strength.

Wednesday, February 15, 2012

Wandering Mind...




What I should be doing: Writing and doing other homework.

What I am doing:

1. Thinking about how nice it was today and how soon it will be warm enough to get outside and play in my gardens.

2. Admiring the mail.

3. Wondering if it is possible my cat could be any fatter.

Tuesday, February 14, 2012

Joyeux St. Valentin!



The annual Valentine's Day feast. If nothing else, I will love you with food.

The last year of school Valentines...having a sentimental moment.

Monday, February 13, 2012

Happy Heart Day


This is the last year for school Valentines. I can't believe I forgot about them until sometime this afternoon. Hmm... Back in the day, I would have crafted something amazing (in January) and they'd have been ready and waiting. Such is life for the second kid.

Totally thrown together, but cute enough. I found the printable tags here. The candy planes are cute, but his class has the kind of parents who don't think kids should eat candy. Evidently ever. There was some sort of compromise where each kid is going to get one tiny piece and everyone has been instructed to not send in candy. Withholding further comment...because it's not nice.

6 Weeks

Roughly 6 weeks later, I'm back.

A lot has happened. Everything is changing. Change is good, I suppose.

The mister took a new job.

I finally decided to write that stupid thesis so I can begin my Doctoral in the fall. (This is a very long story that makes more sense now than it did six weeks ago.)

So...we're busy. What's new?