We're Still Here

There is not much going on around here. We're just plugging our way through the end of the year. This is not usually the most wonderful time of the year for me, so I choose to stay away from this blog. So, I'm going to hit the highlights.

• Christmas is over! Woohoo! The kids got great stuff this year. Santa knew exactly what everyone wanted. Happy children live here.
• We did a Christmas unit study the last couple of weeks. It was about the history of Christmas symbols. We're going to finish today by reading a couple of books that were recommended by the study.
• New Year's Day menu is already planned. We are having turkey, black eyed peas, broccoli rice casserole, brussel sprouts, corn bread, and pie. The baby girl has asked for chocolate pie, so I need to get on that. The big girl wants a pumpkin cheesecake like I made at Thanksgiving. We'll see.
• The big girl won second place at her youth Christmas party costume contest. She worked really hard puting her costume together. She sewed all the ornaments on her shirt, she stood still for about 30 minutes while I sewed garland on, and she held our heavy train. She was a Christmas tree. She even had presents on her tree skirt. I had pics, but they didn't turn out so well. Maybe I'll post them anyway.
• My van officially has over 100,000 miles on it. We bought it used about three years ago and it had about 60,000 miles on it. We travel and travel and travel. When I say we are always in the van, I mean we are always in the van. Except, not so much anymore.
• We had to drop dance. Money just would not let us continue. And now that gas is going to $3 a gallon and more (really, people? We haven't figured out a better way to do that? Of course not, all our green jobs went to China), it's even harder. At least we aren't in the van all the time anymore. We have days that let us breathe again. But do not think I have retired my crock pot. That will never happen. On the down side: WE MISS DANCE!!!!!! Maybe next year will be better.

That's the run down for now. Here's hoping that your new year is beautiful, prosperous, and blessing filled!!

Have a great day.

All I Want For Christmas

Most people are cruising the mall looking for that perfect gift. Some are cruising the stores just looking for a gift, perfect or not. Not me. I am cruising the Rainbow Resource catalogue looking at curriculum. This is where I get that warm fuzzy feeling. I love, love, love to look at curriculum. I think next year may be a little different for us. Hopefully, not different as in this year where getting started on anything has been a struggle for me. We are going to pull out some oldies but goodies, and try some different things. Here's the run down:

For the baby, I think we are going to concentrate on reading comprehension and spelling for language arts. I have a SpellWell curriculum that I really like. I think she will, too. She will be doing Horizons math. The rest of it, she'll do with the big girl and the boy. Except maybe science. I still haven't decided what we're doing for that. I need to find out what the kids want to do and check it out.

The boy I think is in for a bit of culture shock. I am going to do some book studies for him. I have some great ones from Progeny Press that I think he will like. Getting him to read is almost as hard as getting him to pick up a pencil. I think if I have him pick some books he wants to read, it won't be so tough for him. I will have him do the grammar sections from his left over LifePacs. I'm not sure about his math yet. He enjoys the LifePacs, but I just don't know.

And the big girl. Book study guides for her this year as well. I have some great ones for her and she loves to read. I may also do some creative writing with her. Algebra for math. I will probably stick to Switched on Schoolhouse for her. That frees me up for more time with the baby.

The only thing left is history, science, and bible. For bible we are going to use Grapevine Studies. Learning the bible using stick figures is about my speed. We are bored with what we are using and the kids have asked specifically for this curriculum. Ok. I can do it. History we will either use Story of the World, or I may borrow Mystery of History from a friend. I need to sit the kids down and figure out science. At least I have part of it figured out. Back to the catalogue.

Have a great day.

For Sale

What is this you may ask. This is a fundraiser for our youth group. These are travel mugs with lids. They are ceramic as opposed to plastic. They are a little heavier than the normal travel mug. They are $11.50 each. Please keep in mind they are a fundraiser, they make a great gift, and they advertise a great group of kids. Let me know how many you want.

The kid that sells the most wins a $100 Visa gift card. The big girl would love to have that so she can get her iPod.

Have a great day.

Peter, Peter, Pumpkin Pie Eater

I just think it's funny that while my friend G is posting about her super healthy smoothies, I'm posting about pie. Really, though, the change is G has been amazing to watch and is very inspiring. There have been some nutritional changes in our home that have made a difference. But this pie is not one of them. This pie is just yummy without being the least bit good for you.

It's no secret that the holidays are not what they should be. So many issues, so little time. Except on the other blog. There's lots of time for griping over there. Anyway, this is my little bit of comfort over the holidays. I also made my brussel sprouts. I will not even tell you what response that got. On with pie!!

This came from Quick and Simple magazine. It is one of my favorites. It looks complicated, but is actually super simple. If you could see the pic! That's what got me. Hubby and I were standing in the grocery store check out line one day and there it was. All the lights went dim, the spotlight shone on the cover, the choir started singing. I didn't buy the magazine, but hubby had to pry it from my hands. A couple of days later, hubby came home with the magazine. That is one good man. So, thank hubby when you see him. He rules!! This is done in three parts, but don't be intimidated. One step at a time. It's well worth it.

Pumpkin-Cheesecake Pie

Crust:

1 cup chocolate grahams, crushed
2 Tbsp unsalted butter, melted

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. In an ungreased 8 inch springform pan or 9 inch, deep dish pie pan, stir together graham crumbs and butter with fork until moist. Press mixture down with your hands to cover bottom of the dish. Bake crust 10 minutes. Cool on wire rack.

Cheesecake Filling:

8 oz. cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup sugar
1 egg, slightly beaten
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 cup diced, candied ginger (optional)

Raise oven temp to 425 degrees. Beat cream cheese (because it was bad, sorry couldn't help it) with an electric mixer until smooth, a few lumps is fine. Beat in egg, vanilla, and candied ginger (they were bad, too LOL). Spoon mixture into cooled pie crust.

Pumpkin Filling:

3/4 cup sugar
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp ground ginger
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
1/4 tsp ground allspice
15 oz can pure pumpkin, not pumpkin pie filling
1 cup light cream or evaporated milk
3 large eggs, lightly beaten (they weren't as bad as the cream cheese-giggle, giggle)
whipped cream, for garnish (optional)
chocolate chips or shavings, for garnish optional)

In a speparate medium bowl, whisk together sugar, salt, and spices. Add pumpkin, cream or evaporated milk, and eggs. Whisk gently until smooth, trying not to incorporate too much air. Carefully spoon pumpkin mixture on top of cheesecake layer.

Place pie in oven and bake 15 minutes. Turn oven down to 350 degrees and bake another 30 to 40 minutes. The pie is done when it looks set but still wobbles slightly in the center when you jiggle it. Remove pie from oven and let cool to room temp. Refrigerate until serving time, or at least 3 hours. Top with whipped cream and chocolate shavings if desired.

You know I cannot leave well enough alone so here's some things I do. If you don't have time for the crust or have a pie pan, buy a pre-made crust. Just make sure it's a large crust or deep dish. This pie can get pretty tall so you will need the room. I don't add candied ginger because I would only be buying it for this pie. I'm sure it's wonderful with it, but I can't comment on that. If you have pumpkin that you have made, use it. I bet fresh pumpkin would do amazing things for this pie. I use evaporated milk. I don't use all of the can, but I save the left overs and use them to make mashed potatoes. That's how my mom used to make potatoes and they are so yummy. One thing you can do to add to the cheesecake layer is chocolate chips. Add them after you mix the cream cheese layer and before you add it to the crust. You could even add them to the pumpkin pie layer, too. Good grief, that's good. I don't have all those spices for the pumpkin layer, but I do have pumpkin pie spice. That's just all those spices together in one layer. I add the amounts of the individual spices and add that much pumpkin pie spice.

That's it. It looks like alot, but it really isn't. One step at a time. I will say it's a really long three hours waiting for this pie. I make it the day before, put it in the back of the frig, and try to forget about it until it's time to eat. That's the hard part.

Merry CHRISTmas. Have a great day.

Ketchup

Not really. Just catchin' up. I know it's silly, but it's been awhile. I feel like it's been forever to tell you the truth. Hubby has been hogging the computer playing poker and since we have dial up, it's one at a time. We are supposed to get high speed one day. All the equipment is in, they just haven't "turned the box on", whatever that means. I told hubby he needs to go do it, and let's get going, but something about keeping his job, blah, blah, blah. I quit listening when he said no. I depise being told no, but somebody has to be the practical one. Anyway, on with the show.

1. We get to see the new Harry Potter movie tomorrow. We are so excited. We wanted to let the crowds die down, so to speak, before we went. I hear parts of it are a little dark and may not be appropriate for younger kids. Well, I have two and they are going with. Not much I can do about that. I'm certainly not going to leave them home alone. So, off we go.
2. I got to go on a youth retreat last weekend. It was amazing. The big girl says each time we go to Warren Willis, where the retreat was and where she went to summer camp, she loves it. They do an amazing job offering programs to help get you motivated in your walk with Christ. Our last night, I had the kids walk the Maze of Silence. That is a very intense experience. You follow the maze in to the center, praying and pondering all the things that keep you from connecting with Him. When you reach the center, you give it all to God to take away. You pray on your way out from the center, reveling in the love, grace, and mercy that God gives you in exchange for your trouble. Tears poured down my face while I walked. So much pride to be involved with this group of incredible young adults.
3. Thanksgiving is only a couple of days away. I could say so many things, but instead I will say that I am looking forward to this week more than I have in years past. Hubby is on vacation so we get to spend lots of time with him. We even managed to get a project done around the house today. And, of course, hubby got some poker played. I'm starting to not like that the way he doesn't like Facebook. Now I get it. It took awhile, but I get it.
4. We splurged and bought a mixer. I am so loving that thing. They had one on sale, I had coupons, and I got Kohl's cash. We turned around and used the Kohl's cash, with more coupons, to buy Christmas presents. The mixer was one thing that was keeping me from making bread. I am not a good kneader. I am a great cook, but my bread sorely lacked. Not anymore. I have made four loaves so far and cannot see buying bread again in the near future. Our next big thing we want is a mill. If we could grind our own flour, that would make even more nutrient rich bread. We'll get there, one step at a time.
5. Last Friday was our annual Thanksgiving potluck at the park. I was a litttle disappointed by the turnout. I missed a couple of regulars that haven't been there, but I still had a great day. I made three pounds of turkey meat balls and still managed to run out before a couple of late arrivals got there. Not too bad for a low turnout. I just want to take a quick second to say that I miss my friends that haven't been coming. I know you have your reasons, and if there is something that we need to talk about, something that I can do to help you, please let me know. We can find a way, whatever it is.
6. Last weekend while the big girl and I were gone, hubby and the other two kids watched a Star Wars marathon. I am not much of a Star Wars kind of gal and the only time they get to watch is when I'm not home. Yeah, that doesn't happen very often so they took full advantage. They watched all 800 episodes, or however many there are. This weekend is a Lord of the Rings weekend. I am loving that, let me tell you what. Right now is the big battle scene in The Two Towers. Just waiting for something to blow up. Any minute now...

That's it in a nutshell. I'll try not to stay away as long next time. Remember what my mom says: You are what you eat, you big turkey. Thanks for that, Mom.

Have a great day.

Halloween 2010, in Pics

Last year we happened upon the mall during trick or treat hours. It was quite by accident since I was headed in to get something I had a coupon for. I called hubby, who was waiting in the van, and he brought the kids in. This year, we had the inside scoop. That and it was the day before, so that meant another day to get candy. Ok, you are not hurting my feelings. We met some friends, ended up hanging with more friends and participated in a scavenger hunt. That was fun. Anyway, they also had a Michael Jackson impersonator and his zombie dancers. The dancers were really good and so was the impersonator guy. At one point, he threw his glitter glove into the audience. Guess who caught it? The big girl, that's who. I have to clarify and say that she was talking to her friend S and it actually hit her. I'm glad he didn't throw a brick. That would have been painful. I like people that take these things seriously. I wish I could remember the name of the store. I would promote them just for getting into the spirit of things, so to speak. That's the big girl and the baby walking by.

This is our motley crew we started with. The tall girl is the big girl's friend S and she went as Lady Gaga. Fits doesn't it? She made that costume. You should have seen her shoes. People would ask S what she was. As soon as she said Gaga, you could see their eyes light up. My favorite part of her costume: the turtle hat. We picked up our other friends a little later during trick or treating. We were hoping that our friend M, who recently started a candy business and has a kiosk in the mall, would hand out her candy, but no. She handed out that other junk.

This is Ichabod. I have said it a million times, but I will say it again: creative people piss me off. I know, I know, whatever. Anyway, Ichabod had little holes in his head and Tootsie Pops for hair. Our friend, ST, had this at her vehicle for trunk or treat. It was self serve. You just walk by and pull a lollipop out of the head. How cute is he? I think I may have an Ichabod of my own next year. I may not be able to create, but I can copy! Tootsie rolls, marshmallows, and tooth picks. That's it.

And that's it for me. I finally got pics up, I blogged, and now I need to write. I also got tagged! I am so excited about that. It's a blog thing where one blogger answers questions, then comes up with their own questions and tags fellow bloggers to answer them, and so on. I will get that up as soon as I can.

Have a great day.

Punkins, Punkin

That's me in the patch. I meant to crop the pics before I posted, but as behind in blogging as I am, you're lucky I posted pics at all. We went to a pumpkin patch in a little town north of us that donates to a ministry that out church is part of. That wasn't the only reason we went there. We went there because they have great pumpkins. The ministry part was a bonus and a nice surprise for us. We loved their pumpkins. I loved their pumpkins. This is my favorite time of year. I love to decorate for Halloween more than I love to decorate for Christmas believe it or not. I need to bring our little guys in and make them pretty on my island. We'll see how that goes with all the other stuff I want to do. Once again this year I roasted the seeds from the pumpkin we carved. They are so gosh darn good. I just cannot keep away from them.

This is our pumpkin. The last few years we have done the elaborate stencils that took forever, but this year hubby wanted to go old school. Since we didn't carve until Halloween about 3 hours before our trunk or treat at church, I was ok with that. That and the old school carving is just fun. We had seen a story on TV about a man that sculpts pumpkins (and he's allergic to them, go figure) that was really incredible. If I had any kind of artistic talent, I would have done that. But, alas, I don't know how to sculpt and wouldn't even know where to start.

This was one of my favorite pumpkins. I had to point it out to our whole family. This is the butt pumpkin. C'mon, I know you want to giggle. Just let it out. For a little bit of toilet humor, and because it was just funny, right behind the butt pumpkin were pumpkin seeds. It looked like this little guy just couldn't hold it any more. I was going to get a picture, but hubby was against it. Fine, take a little fun away. That won't stop me from blogging about it, though. "I know," he said. "Blog away." Love that man, even in his fuddy duddy moments.

I am way digging the warty pumpkins. I got a warty one, just not one of these warty ones. I don't know what kind they are, I just know they're cool. I had to get a pic of these two. They almost look like two friends posing.

That's all for the pumpkins. Up next is the kids and trick or treating. Love the candy, hate the candy. That's a mamashublog if ever here was one.

Have a great day.