Pages

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


Monday, January 28, 2013

Cooking 101


Occasionally, you just have to stop doing whatever it is you are doing (which was actually nothing) and make fries.  Because sometimes your kids look at you all "What?" when you are staring back at them all "What?" in the midst of a conversation about fries.

We aren't all that big on frying stuff around here.  Mostly, because it makes a huge mess.  But sometimes...you have to do what you have to do.  If for no other reason than to prove that not only is it far easier to just make your own fries, but that it is possible.

Friday, January 25, 2013

40

 
I think it's kind of creepy Google knows it's my birthday.  O.K.  Really creepy.  

 Some of the kids at school were all into it.  Someone in my 1st period gave me a laser pointer and a girl at lunch gave me her special crochet hook.  :-) 

Ryan will come home with my annual Boston Creme Pie.  Pretty sure.

The best part is we got an early release for snow.  Nothing like having a whole afternoon to be crafty on the kitchen floor in front of the heater.  Have I mentioned it's cold?  It's freakin' cold.

I have this little project going.  Ryan's gift for our 20th anniversary.  No worries...he doesn't read here.  Trying to figure out how to fit 20 years into one book.




Yeah...I know the letters are crooked.  I guess that's the kind of thing that happens when someone is all hunched up on the floor trying to be crafty.  He either won't notice or will think it's part of the charm. :-)

Tuesday, January 22, 2013

Cold


Don't know what happened to that global warning people keep talking about...it's cold.

'Tis the perfect night for homemade soup and quiet.

Tomorrow, I will get new-ish kids and that will be loud.

While I like fresh starts at school...really still just thinking about today...being home...nothing pressing...lost in my own thoughts...it's all kind of perfect.  Except for the cold part.

Monday, January 21, 2013

Halfway Through Monday


(My dad and Jac...a picture absolutely unrelated to anything other than it was taken today.)

Today has been:

1.  The best lunch with a friend I've had in a really long time.  Maybe ever.  Real.  Purposeful.  Clarifying.  Exactly on time.

2.  Decisions.  How can I get to where I know I'm supposed to be if I keep living where I'm at?  Duh.  (#2 is the ultimate result of #1 even though I was already halfway to #2 on my own.)

3.  I heard a speaker recently say "Loving people isn't a difficult process.  Figure out what they need and give it to them."  I woke up this morning reminded of that statement.  (#3 significantly impacts #2)

4.  Be careful what you ask for.

5.  What else is there?

It's halfway through Monday and the best thing I have to say is that life is complicated...because we make it complicated.


Friday, January 18, 2013

Where have I been?

The short answer:  I've been grading final exams and it's taking forever.  All of my time.

In a few hours, I'll have time to breathe again.  :-)

In the meantime, read this.  It's something to chew on...

Monday, January 14, 2013

That Moment

 That moment when all you can bring yourself to bother with for dinner is apple filled pumpkin ebelskivers and the youngest child has the nerve to say "What?  You are feeding us pastries for dinner?!"

Sigh...there's canned soup in the pantry.

That's what kind of day this is.


Monday, January 7, 2013

Cooking, Cooking, Cooking...

For no more pictures than I have, I feel like I've been cooking forever.  Note to Self: It wasn't the brightest idea in the world to put this off until a work night.  Should have done it on the weekend.  Was planning on getting everything we need for the week prepped, but I decided making enough to get us to Thursday or Friday is good enough.  This system is going to be perfect once I get it up and going.



I should first say...the top shelf of my fridge is RIDICULOUS (so I left it out).  :-)

-12 Fruit Cups, 8 oz (red grapes, pineapple, strawberries, clementines)

-8 Salads, pint (apple cider vinaigrette, kidney beans, red onion, cucumber, sugar snap peas, artichoke hearts, olives, baby sweet peppers, red cabbage, grape tomatoes, micro greens)

-Channa Masala, 1 quart and 1 pint

-Butternut Squash/Spinach/Rosemary soup, 2 quarts

-Sesame Noodle Salad with Ginger Baked Tofu, 4 pints

-2 Chicken Fried Rice (for the kids who will think channa masala is too spicy),  pints

-3 Black Bean Soup,  8oz servings

For breakfasts, still pulling pumpkin muffins from the freezer that are leftover from Christmas.



Sunday, January 6, 2013

Random, Last-Minute, Junk Journal Party

There is something to be said for being completely happy within the life you are in and knowing there isn't a thing that could be added that would make it better than it is in this moment.

Perhaps a first in a series of DIY Sundays (with my friends) at my house....













Thursday, January 3, 2013

More Words...

My Thursday Group

 (We are having trouble coming up with a name.)







Ummm...occasionally we have guests. :-)



Wednesday, January 2, 2013

Revelation

I love it when I get a good idea.  I actually thought it was my idea when it came to me in the middle of the night.  Was crazy excited about it until I went on the internet this morning and discovered I've evidently been living under a rock.  Wait.  Still excited.  Because that means there is a ton of inspiration out there.  It seems to be all the rage these days (if you live in Pinterest-land) to do a "once a week" sort of thing on Sunday, store all the meal options up in jars (either individual serve or family size) and then just pull out what you need whenever you want it.

Here's what I like about the idea:

1.  Thinking about having to make breakfasts and lunches everyday fall in that same category as thinking about poking my eyes out with a stick.  Doing it all on a Sunday is far more favorable.

2.  I have this giant cupboard devoted to 5 million pieces of plasticware.  The only guarantee in there is that whatever container you choose, finding  the lid for it isn't going to happen.  Oh.  It's also all going to jump out at you whenever you open the door.  Gonna get rid of all of that and put my jars in nice little lines.  All the lids are the same.  I already own all the jars I'll ever need.

3.  The food is far more appealing when you can just take out a salad and eat it vs. knowing you are going to have to drag out 5 million items, chop them up, etc...  I'm thinking there will be far less waste this way.  (We seem to forget we have produce and a lot goes to waste.)  And, my kids are into convenient food and this method will hopefully encourage them to reach for fresh fruits and veggies instead of a peanut butter sandwich or bowl of cereal.  They eat too much of both.

I'm going to be bummed if this solution doesn't live up to what I've made it in my mind.



 Cucumbers, sweet peppers, sugar snap peas, red onion, celery, spinach and quinoa.  Dressing from a jar.  Next time I'll just make it...being lazy tonight.

30 minutes and breakfast/lunch is done.  For the rest of the week.  :-)  I like.

Tuesday, January 1, 2013

Resolutions 2013

My mom made the obligatory black eyed peas for New Year's.  She kind of goes all out with the "Southern fare" theme every year.  This year, it was all vegan except for one of the pots of collards and the ribs (obviously).  :-)  She sent the leftovers home with us.  It seems worth mentioning nobody realized it was mostly vegan which means it is possible to cook tasty Southern food without animals in it.
 


Resolutions this year are not as clarified as I'd like them to be.  Maybe, they are supposed to be that way.

1.  My verse for the year is Lev. 11:45.  I really feel like I have two verses, but this one is plenty for the moment.

2.  Feed my family good/nutritious food all the time.  Or, maybe most of the time?  I generally feel like I'm doing good if I can get it together for dinner and mostly have no idea what they eat the rest of the day.  You will probably be surprised, but the whole idea of figuring out three meals per day is crazy to me.  I leave really early in the morning and thinking about breakfast is beyond my scope of reason.  Lunch...who cares about lunch?  Dinner is where it's at.  Going to commit to figuring out breakfast and lunch the day prior.  So, tomorrow is quinoa w/peanut butter, applesauce and cinnamon (Happy Herbivore) and lunch is hummus, pita and fresh vegetables.  Going to try this for 3 weeks and then reevaluate if I can do it long term. 

3.  This reading plan.  I'm a little ADD (surprise!) and this plan is very different than anything I've done before.  Change is good, though, right?  Going to try it for 3 weeks and then reevaluate.  There's sort of a theme with this year's resolutions.

4.  Read 1 book (written for adults and intended for "fun" reading) each month during the school year.  I've had (for the past 3 years) a ban on reading for fun during the working months.  Because I don't have any self-control.  Going to try and reintroduce the idea into my life.  Yeah...obviously the 3 week thing is in effect.  Because if I stay awake reading all night, it will be evident after 3 weeks I have not yet gained enough self-control to be trusted with books when I'm expected to spend some time out of the daylight hours working.

5.  Loosely follow Flylady.  Let us be real, here...I really do  mean "loosely".  Because the Fly Lady is crazy and I suspect doesn't have (and maybe never did have) kids or any other pressing things she'd rather be doing than cleaning/organizing/talking about cleaning and organizing...  I've probably mentioned cleaning is at the bottom of my priority list.  As a result, I end up talking about cleaning too much.  Because everything is out of control, all of the time.  So, my "plan" is to at least think about what Fly Lady says I should be doing each day. O.K...seriously...I don't mean that loose.  But, I'm not going to get all crazy with it either.  Because I have stuff to do.

6.  When I get all frustrated and crazy and can feel the escalation going from 0 to 100 lickety split and am getting all resentful I'm doing everything and nobody else is doing anything, blah, blah, blah..., I will go on strike and leave them to their own devices.  Giving myself permission for that now.

Words for 2013

Happy New Year! 
 
Seriously?  The best New Year's Eve activity ever.  :-)