Turn it up to eleven

What to have for your eleventh birthday when it's on a weeknight and your dad won't be home in time to make your favorite fried chicken before you have to leave for your school open house:

Bacon cheese chicken made with Daiya cheddar and ranch dressing made with 1/2 mayo and 1/2 Tofutti Sour Supreme, using Mary Ostyn's ranch dressing mix
Crack Broccoli
Baked Potatoes
Daddy's Rolls
Pineapple Upside Down Cake (using cake mix)

Happy Birthday, Katherine.

Lordy lordy

I woke up in bed with a 40-year old man today. Don't worry, it was Scott. When we first met he was 24. Insert cliche about the passage of time here.

So, what do you do for the man who doesn't want a big party or like attention? You take him to see Jim Gaffigan ("Four kids? That's one way to live your life.") and you bake him a pake. Ever since Angry Chicken posted about this I've been obsessed. Instead of the cherry/chocolate combination, I'm doing a small dairy-free apple pie baked in yellow cake with vanilla frosting. I can't wait to see how it turns out.

We've been talking about getting older and how fast time goes. The other night at dinner, "In My Life" came on, and I said, "This is one of those songs that I thought I got as a teenager but really makes me weepy now. 'Landslide' is another one." THE VERY NEXT SONG was "Landslide." Scott: "Wow, Pandora's getting a little too on the nose." Me: "What channel did you select? Morose Songs That Make Sarah Cry?"

Happy birthday, Honey. I'm so glad to be going through life with you.

Housekeeping

I am not dead. But I was on vacation and at a family wedding, so all that travel made wish I was. Nothing kicks 'my babies are growing up' mooniness to the curb like 40 hours together in a minivan.

I missed the chance to tell you about the Pittsburgh Pirates' first ever allergy awareness night, which was on August 10. They now have a peanut-controlled section. Go Bucs!

The FDA just approved the first talking epinephrine auto injector by Sanofi-US. It's called Auvi-Q, and the part I am super excited about is that it is the size and shape of a credit card and the thickness of a smart phone, which makes it way easier to carry in a pocket. Like, say, the jeans pocket of a teenager who doesn't want to be seen lugging a traditional EpiPen around. Awesome.



And! Mylan Specialty is offering a free EpiPen four pack to schools across the country through their EpiPen4Schools program. All this allergy-related news makes me feel hopeful, unlike the mountain of laundry in my basement.

Freezer Pickles

We used to belong to a big city CSA, back when our neighbor commuted and brought us the veggies on her way home.  Now she lives in the city full time and we bum produce from our friends with gardens.  Luckily, the CSA posts all of their newsletters online.  I searched all the way back to 2008 to find my favorite refrigerator/freezer pickle recipe.  Here it is for you to enjoy and for me never to lose again.

"Fresh Cucumber Pickles:  Cut 3-4 cucumbers and a medium onion into a large bowl.
In a sauce pan place 1 cup vinegar, 1 cup of sugar, ½ cup of water, 2 tsp. of salt, 1 tsp dried dill weed.  Heat until the mixture comes to a boil stirring often.  Pour over cucumbers and onions.  When cooled I place in a large 1 ½ quart jar and place in the frig.  Will keep for about 2 weeks.  We eat ours quick.  After you finish the first batch you can still use the liquid for another time."--Kretschmann Farms


Edit:  Here's their fresh dill spears recipe, too.  "Fresh Dill Pickle Spears:  Slice 1 or 2 cucumbers into spears and place in a glass quart jar with a few sprigs of fresh dill, or dill seed.   Then heat 1/8 c salt, 1/4 c vinegar, and 2 c water to boiling with a cut-up clove of garlic.  Pour this over the cukes and when it cools, refrigerate."

Ever hear of...

...origami?*

This girl has.  I love her.



*Random 80s TV commercial reference:

Midsummer update

Dairy-free goodness:

Chocolate Moon Pies are dairy free (don't know about vanilla or banana flavors).  This. is. EPIC.

Frozen cherry-berry/lemonade drinks at McDonald's are dairy free, and the smoothies can be made dairy free. A very nice employee showed us how the machine works without our asking.  Each flavor has its own tube.   The yogurt is piped in from its own tube into the cups, so there is no worry of cross contamination.  Just ask for a smoothie with no yogurt and extra ice.

When the kids cashed in their summer reading tickets at Taco Bell, the young woman behind the counter lectured another employee on the severity of food allergies and how the dairy-free order we placed must be handled with extra care.  
I am LOVING all of these young people (because I am old) in the work force who understand food allergies.  I predict even more understanding as the years go by.

Checked off of summer to-do list:

library summer reading program

two weeks of VBS

blueberry picking--twice

wild blueberry, raspberry, and blackberry picking

swimming in the neighbors' new pool

swim lessons
cleaning out stuff and making over $200 at a yard sale

amusement park

reading
reading
reading
lots of origami and crafting

replaced twenty year-old leaking fridge

cookouts

fireworks

fourteen-year wedding anniversary

Looking forward to more of the same, plus:

vacation

family wedding

turning in our Barnes and Noble reading lists

putting bunk beds in the boys' room

getting AC installed!

summer birthdays

county fair

getting my computer back from the clutches of my children

One day more

• It's the last day of school.  I am so happy that one child is finished with this year and so sad that the other one is leaving such a perfect teacher/classroom experience.  *sigh*
• I was so anxious about how naptime would go this year, as we're down to just one napper.  I assumed the middle two would spend the afternoon tearing each other apart until the eldest got home.  Instead, they became best buddies and played together so well.  Naturally now I'm moony about the fact that the Kindergartner will be in school all day next year and so this little window of sweet afternoon playtime is at an end.  
• Also, our favorite preschool teacher is moving.  CAN NOTHING STAY THE SAME?  (Answer: no.)
• My parents recommended the 25th anniversary special of Les Miserables, which I thought I'd watch while folding laundry.  The six-year old came in and started asking lots of questions.  "That man went to prison for 20 years for stealing a loaf of bread.  Javert wants to take him back to prison.  Uh, the foreman fired Fantine because... he didn't like her.  Uh, she's working on the street... selling things.  Uh, she's dying, but that nice man will take care of Cosette.  Uh, Mama's crying because the music is so pretty and she's emotional about the end of the school year.  So, you want to watch Clutch Powers?"

Kickin' it old school

Why yes I did buy some prune juice on sale with coupons, thank you for asking.  Time for a depression-era-type recipe, yes?

Prune Coffee Cake, adapted from Cooks.com and Paula Deen

EDIT:  YES, IT HAS FLOUR.  My copy/paste skillz are lacking.

2 c. FLOUR
2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1 1/3 c. sugar
1/4 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. each of nutmeg, cinnamon, and allspice
1/2 c. shortening or coconut oil.  Or lard.  Whatever.
1 c. prune juice, divided
2 eggs

Mix all dry ingredients; add shortening and 3/4 cup prune juice. Beat for 2 minutes. Add remaining prune juice, vanilla and eggs. Beat for 2 minutes more. Bake in 9 by 13 inch pan at 350 degrees for 35-40 minutes.

Glaze
1 cup powdered sugar
1 T. plain soymilk
1 t. vanilla
dash of salt
Stir ingredients together. When the cake comes out of the oven, immediately spread glaze on top.

Today

Anyone else go to your child's end-of-the-year preschool party and realize that the ball00n artist greeting you enthusiastically was the guy who offered your junior high boyfriend a dollar to break up with you so he could date you?*  Just me?  OK then.








*My boyfriend refused, by the way.  And no, I don't condone dating in middle school.

Split pea soup my children will eat

I meant to post this after Christmas.  Then after Easter.  Now, Aldi has Easter hams on clearance for $5 off and it's 40 degrees outside. Soup time!

Split Pea Soup

1 16 oz. package of green split peas, rinsed and drained
8 cups water
1 meaty ham bone
1 small onion, chopped
2/3 c. chopped carrots
2/3 c. chopped celery
1 raw potato, peeled and chopped
2 bay leaves
1 teaspoon minced garlic
salt and pepper to taste

Combine all ingredients except salt in a large pot with a lid.  Bring to a boil over medium-high heat.  Reduce heat to a simmer; cover and simmer for 1 to 1 1/2 hours or until peas are soft, stirring occasionally.

Remove bay leaves and ham bone.  Using a stick blender, puree soup to disguise all of the vegetables and their weird textures until smooth.  Cut meat off of ham bone and dice.  Add ham back to soup.  Taste for salt and add salt if needed.  Serve with grilled cheese sandwiches, using Daiya cheese for the dairy-free sandwiches.
Edit:  I'm guessing this is about 12-15 servings?  It's enough to serve our family of 6 for two dinners, plus my parents for one meal.

Anatomy of a midlife crisis

• Stop continuously gestating and nursing for the first time since 2005.
• Get some uninterrupted sleep.
• Read books and blogs on decluttering and selling items to earn money.
• Clean childrens' rooms, packing up clothing for children #3 and #4.
• Realize that hall closet is full of 10 years of hand-me-downs.
• Decide to tackle hall closet.
• Attempt to make rational decisions about outgrown baby and toddler clothes.
• Cry while sorting clothing.
• Drive around with baby clothes in the van for a week.
• Recall every single time a mother with older children tells you how much she misses this time.
• Be terrified that this actually IS the best time in life and it's all downhill from here.
• Realize that before long you will be blue-haired widow in front pew at church. [Husband: "Wait--I'm dead in this scenario?  That is depressing."]
• Have breakdown at bible study.
• Have friends bring you a CDP the next day that includes a framed photo of your children with a beautiful quote.
• Cry, causing wisea** friends to say, "Yeah, we just wanted to make you cry again,"  to make you laugh.
• Walk around fully aware of EVERY MOMENT like old ladies in the grocery store always tell you to be for about a week.  
• Cry over every thing--even not cute things--your children do.
• Realize that people CANNOT LIVE like this without going insane.  
• Want to be back in fuzzy haze of day-to-day routine and survival.
• Hate raw feeling of every emotion being exposed and being hyper-aware that children are growing up and away from you.
• Listen to mother's wise words about how, even if you could, keeping children in their current states isn't fair to them and doesn't let them develop into their full selves.
• Let mother point out good relationship people can have with adult children *cough*you are calling your mother for help right now at the age of thirty-seven*cough*.
• Ride out the feelings for another week.
• Have husband ask you if you want more children.
• Answer that what you really want is to go back in time to when your kids were babies and relive things without being so tired and hormonal.  Husband: "...Wow."
• Work on building even better relationships with these kiddos right here! instead of being sad about the babies being gone.
• Panic about what you are going to be when you grow up.
• Decide that can wait for another day.
• Go to funeral of beloved relative.
• Have beloved great-aunt talk to you about how it's hard to be one of the ones left behind.
• Have minor panic attack.
• Realize you are not in control of what happens and can only do the best you can.
• Resolve to exercise more.

Feeding Eden Giveaway

Have you heard about Feeding Eden?  It's a new memoir about how a child's food allergies affect the lives of a family.  I'm in the process of reading it, but it's slow going for me--not because it isn't compelling but because it makes me start to tense up and hyperventilate.  Which means this book is an excellent portrayal of what it means to be a food allergy family.  Here is the author, Susan Weissman, talking about the book on YouTube.

I think it's a good read for everyone.  Food allergy parents will relate to it, of course, but more importantly,  I think it is a great chance for others to get into the head of a food allergy parent.

"We parents can't make magic.  We can't transform our children.  But we can heal with our touches, our words, and our love.  We can show them how to take their medicine.  When we do this, our children can save themselves."--Susan Weissman, Feeding Eden


The publisher has agreed to send one copy of Feeding Eden to one commenter from my blog.  Leave a comment by midnight on Sunday, March 11, saying why you'd like to read this book.  I'll announce a winner on Monday, March 12.

Prize Redraw:  Janeen!  You won!  Send me your info!

Can of worms, not opening a

When school was about to begin in the fall, a homeschooling friend of mine looked wistfully at the group of friends that includes her youngest daughter and my eldest.  She remarked on starting her twentieth year of homeschooling and how the idea of sending her daughter to school with such a good group of friends seemed like a nice idea.  I said that sometimes homeschooling seemed appealing.  Then we both laughed at ourselves for thinking the grass is greener and went our own ways.

Do you ever daydream about doing something different with how you educate your children?  Why or why not?

I hope it goes without saying that this is a chance to tell your nosy Internet friend (Me!) about what you do/think about doing, not comment on others' choices.  I'll go first.  I really admire another friend of mine who looks at each of her seven children on a yearly basis and decides what is best for them: public school, cyberschool, homeschool.  They've been in and out of the school district and are flourishing academically and socially.  I like how she views education from a consumer's point of view, although I'm sure what she does is easier said than done.*  Your turn!

*Edit: Uh, I guess I just commented on someone else's choice.  Whoops.

Toddler, diplomas

So.  There is an 18-month old in our house today.  This does not fill me with as much sadness as I would expect, probably partly because this is one of my favorite ages and he is just so much fun right now.  Such a cheerful, helpful little guy.

I continue to try to beat back the clutter in our house and either use things or get rid of them.  I want to hang my diplomas (BA and MA, not high school) up somewhere in the house.  Even when I was still working full time, I had a cubicle, not an office.  I've never hung up my diplomas, and I'm tired of them living under my bed.  My mom used to have hers up in the kitchen; my neighbor's diplomas are in her playroom.  I'm thinking over my dresser in the bedroom.  Where is/are your diplomas?

P.S. I totally stayed up late and finished Catching Fire last night.  So worth it.

True Confession

I read The Hunger Games yesterday.  The entire thing.  Holy crap.  It is so good.  Why didn't you tell me?  I know. You did.  You did.  I just didn't listen.  I'm sorry.

Thank goodness I bought the trilogy when it was on sale for the Kindle for like 5 bucks.  In, um, September.  (I don't know why it took me so long to start reading them.  I was wrong.  I see that now.) Now I can start Catching Fire today.  Ooh--if you have Amazon Prime, you can read all three books on your Kindle for free by checking them out of the Kindle library!

I'll have to have something ready to read when I'm done.  Any ideas?  I mean, besides The Unofficial Hunger Games Cookbook.  Which I do kind of want.  Is that wrong?

Also, what should I be watching now that Downton Abbey is over?

P.S.  Yes, I do have an old-school Kindle.  Talk about a surprise gift I never thought I wanted.  I was wrong.  I see that now.

Abraham Lincoln, Kindergarten style

"I’m glad I wasn’t Abraham Lincoln."

"Oh yeah?"

"Yeah. Because if I was, an actor would’ve got behind me and shot me."

CDP from SuperJules

I have a heart full of love and a fridge full of antibiotics. Ah, February. But as I was gently reminded yesterday, it is high time I wrote about my Crappy Day Present from the one, the only, SuperJules.

Let's go back to, um, mid-December, shall we?  To a time when I was losing my mind and a CDP arrived in the mail for ME.  ME ME ME.  The only unwrapped item was a container of Jules's dairy-free Candied Maple Walnuts.  I saw those and burst into tears. (Told you I was emotional.)  What a thoughtful gift. Especially as it was the time of year when every day brought more food-type goodies that Katherine couldn't eat.  You need to make these, by the way.  They are so GOOD.

 Yes, the image is sideways.  It's taken me this long to post--let's not get hung up on details.

Look at all the gifties!  In my dimly-lit dining room!

I decided that since the walnuts were for everyone, I could open one more gift the same day.  Pretty pretty salad utensils!  No more will I serve salad with rusty barbecue tongs!

Then I did kind of a twelve days of Christmas for ME thing where I opened one gift a day to get me through December.  It worked, too.  Hence, the same red tablecloth in every photo.

 

Pretty pretty wallet!  And for Christmas, my mom gave me a little contact case holder that matches the wallet but is pink!  So coordinated!

Wallet interior!

Pretty green clothespins!  I still haven't opened them!  I want to use them for a kids' artwork display area.

SQUEE!  BENTO CUTTERS!  When you pack lunches for your allergic child every day, this excites you!  I have wanted these for so long!

Cool flippy bag that now lives in my purse!  Doubles as ball for bored toddler!

I swear Jules wrote about these bags somewhere on her blog, but I cannot find the link.

Beautiful scarf in my favorite shade of dark pink!  This photo is horrific--trust me, it's pretty.

Socks without holes!

An upside down photo!  Focus!  It's a COUPON HOLDER!  This also lives in my purse!  I LOOVE it.  I LURVE it.  It makes me happy every day.

More socks!  Back off, preteen daughter!  These are Mommy's!

So, you can see just a glimpse how thoughtful and wonderful Jules is and why I love her from afar.  Thank you, Julia.

Fun Freebies

• Did you see that you can donate Febreze items to the troops just by clicking a button?  Swistle and SuperJules, I thought of you.
• There is a website with free printable vintage paper dolls that are, uh, out of print.  You know what they have?  The Ginghams!  I had these paper dolls!  Sarah was my favorite, of course.  I can't wait to print them for the girls.
• We've had really good luck with audio books for long drives (one of the kids can't watch anything or play games or read because of motion sickness).  We even listen to audio books at dinner sometimes.  I try to get free ones from Audible whenever they're available, but they aren't always kid friendly.  Recently I found Homeschool Radio Shows, a site that has all of these cool radio programs of books like Little Women and The Long Winter.  Awesome.
• This build-your-own cupcake printable was part of Helen's Valentine.   (All the kids play with it.)
• Have you found Made by Joel?  He seems to be everywhere right now.  We used his Dressy Cats as party favors for Helen's Hello Kitty birthday, and I am in love with his travel size paper city Paris set.  
• Aaand, that's all I've got to keep you busy on this rainy day.  Enjoy.

February 13

• Who has two thumbs and signed up to make Valentine treats for the preschool party tomorrow?  This mom!  I was going to provide strawberries, since they're healthy and vaguely heart-shaped, but that involves dragging three kids to the store in the snow and also spending money.  Hmm.  What's in the cupboard?  Red velvet cake mix, white icing, and heart sprinkles.  We have a winner!  Mini cupcakes it is.  Enjoy your sugar overload, children.
• Our kids are getting card games and a board book for the baby.  I printed out these free Star Wars Valentines for them, too.  "Our love will Endor."  Hee.  SO CUTE.
• 
• I really like Catherine Newman's heart thumbprint cookies.  Maybe I'll make them tomorrow if I have the energy/time/will to live after visiting the orthodontist's office.
• Back to forcing the Kindergartener to sign all of his Valentines.  In a loving way, of course.

Performance Review

Interviewer Number One: So, what are you going to do today?
Employee: Why do you ask?
Interviewer Number One: I just wonder what you do here all day while I'm at school doing work.
Interviewer Number Two: Yeah, I wonder that, too.
Employee: What do you think I do?
Interviewer Number One: I don't know... play with Interviewer Number Four and Interviewer Number Three when she's not at preschool, be on your computer.... and that's it.
Interviewer Number Two: And cook.
Interviewer Number One: Anything else?
Employee: Laundry, cleaning, dishes, shopping, bills, chauffeuring, paperwork, diaper changing....
Interviewer Number Two: That muffin for my snack today tasted horrible.
Interviewer Number Four: [Screeches and throws sippy cup on floor.]
Interviewer Number Three: I want it to be my birthday again.
Interviewer Number One: That shopping you mentioned, are you going today?
Employee: Yes.
Interviewer Number One: Will you buy me gum?
Employee: IF I WAS THE WOMAN I WAS FIVE YEARS AGO, I'D TAKE A NERF GUN TO THIS PLACE!
Interviewer Number One: OK, I think we've heard all we need to hear.  Thank you for your time.