While I was waiting for the boys to be ready for their first room inspection I sang this song...
(to the tune of Do your ears hang low, do they wobble to and fro... )
Is your room picked up?
Did you think to dust the desk?
Did you check your suit?
Did you toss your trash?
Did you make your bed?
Did you vacuum the floor?
Are your shoes in a row?
Is your room picked up?
Did you think to clean the crack*?
Did you close your drawers?
Can you see your chest*?
Did you stack the books?
Did you wash the glass*?
Are your shoes in a row?
*crack=space between bed and wall
*chest=chest of drawer cleaned off
*glass=windows and mirror cleaned
I think we could do a couple more verses... the closet, the bathroom...
Sunday, March 30, 2008
Thursday, March 27, 2008
salmon and cilantro
I tired a new recipe tonight; Broiled salmon with cilantro. I've pretty much decided that anything with cilantro is fabulous so when I came across a salmon recipe that looked really easy I went for it.
Several years ago I found 'The Best American Recipes' by Fran McCullough and Molly Stevens at our closest outlet mall and bought it, for $3! I'm usually attracted to cookbooks with lots of pictures and this one has none so it surprised me that it looked so interesting to me. I also like cookbooks that are a bit chatty and this delivers that. Since then I have found another year at the local library. In it I found one of my favorite soups ever; Fresh Corn Soup. The cookbooks have been published every year since 1999. The authors try hundreds of recipes that were published that year, either in cookbooks, magazines, internet, backs of boxes, etc. and then compile about 110 of their favorites. The edition I have 2005-2006 has 7 recipes I have tried, all of them good.
Pyllo cheese straws-good
Tuscan bean and mushroom soup-good, my boys even ate it
Alice Waters Coleslaw-great-it has cilantro
Greek Radish salad-My husband loves radishes, I was surprised that I liked this salad.
Watermelon Salad-I loved this; reducing watermelon to use for the dressing was great.
Tomato couscous salad-was pretty good with store bought tomatoes with garden grown it would be fabulous.
Last nights' Salmon with cilantro was great; and if I'd actually followed the recipe it might have been better.
1/4 heaping cup chopped fresh cilantro
1 red onion, finely chopped
4 plum tomatoes, peeled, seeded and diced (I neither peeled or seeded them, and I used 5)
Juice of 1 lemon
salt and pepper
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1 1 1/4 pound salmon fillet, skinned and thinly sliced (mine was from the freezer so was not thin, but I think it would be better if I'd gotten the thin.)
Make the salsa with 2 tablespoons cilantro the onion and tomato, and leomin juice, season with salt and pepper. Set aside for 30 minutes
Preheat the broiler. Lightly brush a rimmed baking sheet with olive oil.
Mix remaining cilantro with the mayonnaise in a small bowl and season with salt and pepper.
Arrange the salmon slices on the baking sheet so they overlap. Spread the cilantro mayonnaise on top of the salmon. Broil until the mayonnaise is bubbling and lightly golden and the salmon is done, about 1 minute. (My salmon was thick so I cooked it for 4 minutes then turned it over and added the mayonnaise and finished cooking it.)
I've bought the ingredients for 4 more recipes:
Overnight macaroni and cheese-tonight; it calls for 2 cups heavy cream, so is not on our diet. I'm trying to include a few kid friendly foods since I've noticed Jeffrey isn't eating very much of our rabbit food. I actually made mac and cheese from a box this week, yuk, but they liked it and I wasn't even tempted. Tonights' will tempt me.
Cod foil dinner with ginger, orange and cumin
Crispy chicken breasts stuffed with spinach and goat cheese
Lemon chicken with croûtons-tonight, basically baked chicken with lemons inside served on sour dough croûtons .
I also ordered another volume of this cookbook, so more fun is on order.
Several years ago I found 'The Best American Recipes' by Fran McCullough and Molly Stevens at our closest outlet mall and bought it, for $3! I'm usually attracted to cookbooks with lots of pictures and this one has none so it surprised me that it looked so interesting to me. I also like cookbooks that are a bit chatty and this delivers that. Since then I have found another year at the local library. In it I found one of my favorite soups ever; Fresh Corn Soup. The cookbooks have been published every year since 1999. The authors try hundreds of recipes that were published that year, either in cookbooks, magazines, internet, backs of boxes, etc. and then compile about 110 of their favorites. The edition I have 2005-2006 has 7 recipes I have tried, all of them good.
Pyllo cheese straws-good
Tuscan bean and mushroom soup-good, my boys even ate it
Alice Waters Coleslaw-great-it has cilantro
Greek Radish salad-My husband loves radishes, I was surprised that I liked this salad.
Watermelon Salad-I loved this; reducing watermelon to use for the dressing was great.
Tomato couscous salad-was pretty good with store bought tomatoes with garden grown it would be fabulous.
Last nights' Salmon with cilantro was great; and if I'd actually followed the recipe it might have been better.
1/4 heaping cup chopped fresh cilantro
1 red onion, finely chopped
4 plum tomatoes, peeled, seeded and diced (I neither peeled or seeded them, and I used 5)
Juice of 1 lemon
salt and pepper
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1 1 1/4 pound salmon fillet, skinned and thinly sliced (mine was from the freezer so was not thin, but I think it would be better if I'd gotten the thin.)
Make the salsa with 2 tablespoons cilantro the onion and tomato, and leomin juice, season with salt and pepper. Set aside for 30 minutes
Preheat the broiler. Lightly brush a rimmed baking sheet with olive oil.
Mix remaining cilantro with the mayonnaise in a small bowl and season with salt and pepper.
Arrange the salmon slices on the baking sheet so they overlap. Spread the cilantro mayonnaise on top of the salmon. Broil until the mayonnaise is bubbling and lightly golden and the salmon is done, about 1 minute. (My salmon was thick so I cooked it for 4 minutes then turned it over and added the mayonnaise and finished cooking it.)
I've bought the ingredients for 4 more recipes:
Overnight macaroni and cheese-tonight; it calls for 2 cups heavy cream, so is not on our diet. I'm trying to include a few kid friendly foods since I've noticed Jeffrey isn't eating very much of our rabbit food. I actually made mac and cheese from a box this week, yuk, but they liked it and I wasn't even tempted. Tonights' will tempt me.
Cod foil dinner with ginger, orange and cumin
Crispy chicken breasts stuffed with spinach and goat cheese
Lemon chicken with croûtons-tonight, basically baked chicken with lemons inside served on sour dough croûtons .
I also ordered another volume of this cookbook, so more fun is on order.
Saturday, March 22, 2008
procrastinator
I learned something about myself this week; I will even do housework instead of preparing a talk for church. I was asked to speak on the Atonement for 15 minutes tomorrow 3 weeks ago. The last couple of days were crunch time and I actually cleaned my bedroom and 2 bathrooms and the kitchen and the living room. Now, some of those rooms are often clean but with me gone for a week they were in pretty bad shape, but cleaning my room is BIG. I moved 3 dressers, a set of shelves, and ALL the stuff off the floor (except for a few things in my husband's corner) and only have 1 of my three dressers to clean off. (Everyone laughs at me for having 5 dressers in my room but 2 of them ARE really nightstands, well someone else might call them dressers but they fit next to the bed and are used as night stands....)
(The camera is still camping so no pictures.)
(The camera is still camping so no pictures.)
Friday, March 21, 2008
my birthday
This year my birthday fell on Idaho, I mean I was in Idaho on my birthday, away from my husband and young children, but I had my 3 older children with me and all of my grandchildren, so it was great.
One thing I did right when I was young was to cook with my kids and teach them how to make pasta. I hardly ever make homemade pasta anymore but all 3 of the older kids do. So Reed came over and made 3 pounds of fettuccine and we worked together on the sauce. One of my gifts from Melissa had been a can of smoked salmon; so we made a white sauce with butter! onion, garlic, 2 cans of smoked salmon, and Parmesan cheese. It was delicious and we ate all of it. We also ate the salad that The Pioneer Woman Cooks posted the week before. Let me tell you, although very good her recipe makes enough to feed the whole congregation at church. The only thing large enough to mix it in at Liz's house was a tall kitchen garbage bag; I promise it was a new one. We ate it for 3 days and there was enough for a family meal when I left. We used the smaller amount too; for example when she said to use 1/2-1 head of cabbage we used 1/2. I decided to not put the cilantro in the salad dressing thinking we might have some left over, (didn't, and should have tripled the dressing recipe) . The first day there was only one bunch of cilantro in the salad; the second day I added the second and it tasted so fabulous. We added some chicken to it for our lunch the second day and loved it. I'm fixing an adaptation of it for Easter; cutting way back on the amounts since the boys won't eat it. Hey go over to Pioneer Woman cooks for a picture and the recipe.
One thing I did right when I was young was to cook with my kids and teach them how to make pasta. I hardly ever make homemade pasta anymore but all 3 of the older kids do. So Reed came over and made 3 pounds of fettuccine and we worked together on the sauce. One of my gifts from Melissa had been a can of smoked salmon; so we made a white sauce with butter! onion, garlic, 2 cans of smoked salmon, and Parmesan cheese. It was delicious and we ate all of it. We also ate the salad that The Pioneer Woman Cooks posted the week before. Let me tell you, although very good her recipe makes enough to feed the whole congregation at church. The only thing large enough to mix it in at Liz's house was a tall kitchen garbage bag; I promise it was a new one. We ate it for 3 days and there was enough for a family meal when I left. We used the smaller amount too; for example when she said to use 1/2-1 head of cabbage we used 1/2. I decided to not put the cilantro in the salad dressing thinking we might have some left over, (didn't, and should have tripled the dressing recipe) . The first day there was only one bunch of cilantro in the salad; the second day I added the second and it tasted so fabulous. We added some chicken to it for our lunch the second day and loved it. I'm fixing an adaptation of it for Easter; cutting way back on the amounts since the boys won't eat it. Hey go over to Pioneer Woman cooks for a picture and the recipe.
butterflies
I found this artist through meggiecat and thought Mom would enjoy seeing the hundreds of butterflies made from recycled materials and used as art.
wedding blues
Over at Evil Mad Scientist labs they show you how to make an origami led light and have a link to this cool display of balloons with LED lights. I can't help thinking how cool they would be floating on a pool during a wedding reception... Oh, wait, I won't have another wedding for ... about 13 years!
Saturday, March 15, 2008
carter
o
I'm in Idaho visiting my third grandson and his parents. He is so small and is a very good infant. It is late and I'm here to post a few pictures before going to bed. Because I told Carter's Great-Grandma that I would.
As you can tell by the previous paragraph I did try to post from Idaho but was unsuccessful; I had a hard time functioning on their laptop and internet. I'm home now and am scrambling to help Roger and Jeffrey get ready for a back packing trip that starts tomorrow morning at 4 am.
So here's just a few pictures.
Saturday, March 8, 2008
grandbaby #3
I get to go to Idaho 16 days early (You know who is happy about that!) to see my new grand baby, Carter, born at noon TODAY. The mommy is doing fine but is very tired. She woke up this morning at 3 AM 'cause it was time to have her baby; I talked to her at 9PM and she had not slept yet.
So I really wish I had finished his quilt last week.
I saved my husband's t-shirts from the thrift store because my daughter-in-law is trying not to use any plastic bags. and I had seen what was done here. I decided not to make them until I came back from Idaho since they were moving 3 days before I go there so I wouldn't see them and would have to mail them anyway. Now, however, I will see them so I should get busy and make hers and save me the $9 it would cost to mail them.
I'll get to hug my other grandson's when I go instead of waiting for August when we will drive to Amarillo, TX where they are moving to.
So I really wish I had finished his quilt last week.
I saved my husband's t-shirts from the thrift store because my daughter-in-law is trying not to use any plastic bags. and I had seen what was done here. I decided not to make them until I came back from Idaho since they were moving 3 days before I go there so I wouldn't see them and would have to mail them anyway. Now, however, I will see them so I should get busy and make hers and save me the $9 it would cost to mail them.
I'll get to hug my other grandson's when I go instead of waiting for August when we will drive to Amarillo, TX where they are moving to.
Friday, March 7, 2008
little bird swap
This will be my first swap in cyberspace/ bloggerland/ whatever it's called. We love birds and I work much better with a deadline; I keep seeing pretty birds on the internet and I tell myself to make one but never do; now I'll have too. ;=) So if you love birds and need deadlines head on over to popsiclesandlollipops.blogspot.com and sign up.
Tuesday, March 4, 2008
oven french toast
I finally tried the following recipe. I left the nuts out since Andrew doesn't like nuts. I thought it would be nice to have french toast without standing at the stove. Andrew liked them better than normal french toast; I should have turned them over half way through baking but they were fine.
Maybe I'll try the recipe again with homemade bread and fresh ground nutmeg some time next week although it dirtied more dishes than regular french toast; glad I have a dishwasher.
MACADAMIA NUT FRENCH TOAST
COUNTRY LIVING MAGAZINE
4 large eggs, lightly beaten
¼ cup sugar
¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
2/3 cup orange juice
1/3 cup milk
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
1(16-ounce) loaf Italian bread, cut into 1 -inch slices
2/3 cup butter or margarine, melted
½ cup macadamia nuts, chopped
Garnishes: powdered sugar, ground nutmeg
Combine eggs and next 5 ingredients, stirring well.
Fit bread slices in a single layer into a lightly greased 13- x 9- x 2- inch baking.dish. Pour egg mixture over bread slices; cover and refrigerate 8 hours or overnight, turning bread once.
Pour butter in a 15- x 10- x 1-inch jellyroll pan; place bread slices in a single layer in pan.
Bake at 400' for 10 minutes; sprinkle with nuts. Bake 10 additional minutes. Garnish, if desired, and serve immediately with maple syrup. Yield: 6 servings.
Michelle Ettenger Alpharetta, Georgia
Maybe I'll try the recipe again with homemade bread and fresh ground nutmeg some time next week although it dirtied more dishes than regular french toast; glad I have a dishwasher.
MACADAMIA NUT FRENCH TOAST
COUNTRY LIVING MAGAZINE
4 large eggs, lightly beaten
¼ cup sugar
¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
2/3 cup orange juice
1/3 cup milk
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
1(16-ounce) loaf Italian bread, cut into 1 -inch slices
2/3 cup butter or margarine, melted
½ cup macadamia nuts, chopped
Garnishes: powdered sugar, ground nutmeg
Combine eggs and next 5 ingredients, stirring well.
Fit bread slices in a single layer into a lightly greased 13- x 9- x 2- inch baking.dish. Pour egg mixture over bread slices; cover and refrigerate 8 hours or overnight, turning bread once.
Pour butter in a 15- x 10- x 1-inch jellyroll pan; place bread slices in a single layer in pan.
Bake at 400' for 10 minutes; sprinkle with nuts. Bake 10 additional minutes. Garnish, if desired, and serve immediately with maple syrup. Yield: 6 servings.
Michelle Ettenger Alpharetta, Georgia
Monday, March 3, 2008
closet
When I got one shelf in the closet and put everything, except the chair, that had been in it back in I decided to go buy another shelf. See all that leftover space? The large rubbermaids that had been in are now empty and I have room for them under the silver shelf if I take the tin man project out of it's bag. I was very pleased at how easy it was to put the chrome shelf together and it wasn't more than a similarly sized gray metal self, that would have taken twice or three times as long to assemble.
Sunday, March 2, 2008
quiltathon
I did more sewing than usual for a week-end, maybe on the weekday quiltathon I can stay focused better. I did the borders of the green quilt and a row of extra quilting on the body. I ripped out 1 row of quiting that I did on Friday night.
I worked on the design for Liz and Ryan's wedding quilt; it's Stars at Sea by Judy Martin. Her plan is pretty small, I need a queen. I need 3 1/2 yards of white for the background and since all the rest will be scraps I'll buy it to make my life a bit easier.
I hunted the triangles I cut for an 'I Spy' quilt years ago; didn't find it but that would really work better for a second child, right? Then the first child can enjoy looking for the stuff before the baby is old enough. ;) So planned a different quilt for grandchild #4.
I made a block for a new quilt; blogged about here.
I emptied a full under the staircase closet and put one of my old metal sewing shelves in after Andrew (10) and I rearranged the shelves. It will really help to get that closet better organized. I thought a library book might be tucked away in there and the library is asking for money since we've had it for 6 months. It wasn't there. Some of the stuff has been in there since before the wedding 1 1/4 years ago and could really come back into our living space. Specifically Melissa's wedding picture and my old childhood rocking chair.
I attended church and fixed the best pot of beans I've ever had.
I really wanted to make Pioneer woman's apple dumplings. (There's a pot luck on the 15th that will get them, so we won't eat the whole batch.)
I went and got Gringo's take out for my lunch yesterday.
I baked a cake for refreshments for a boy scout meeting. At 4:30 my husband asked me to bake a cake for his meeting since it was one of the boy's birthday. The meeting was at 6. Then I felt like I should spend at least an hour doing some genealogy. That was my week-end.
Chocolate Applesauce Cake
I’ve been making this for over 30 years.
This was Reed’s favorite cake and he had it for many birthdays.
½ cup shortening (I use butter now)
1 ½ cup sugar
1 t. cinnamon
½ t. salt
2 eggs
1 ½ t. soda
2 T cocoa
2 c. flour
2 c. applesauce
1c. chocolate chips
½ c. nuts
30-40 minutes 350 degrees
8x12 pan
A very simple cake. Mix the above ingredients together using standard cake baking methodology; except the chocolate chips and nuts get sprinkled on top just before baking and then there is no need to frost it.
(And I have no idea why the font is bold in one area and not in the other and I can't get it to change; weird.)
I worked on the design for Liz and Ryan's wedding quilt; it's Stars at Sea by Judy Martin. Her plan is pretty small, I need a queen. I need 3 1/2 yards of white for the background and since all the rest will be scraps I'll buy it to make my life a bit easier.
I hunted the triangles I cut for an 'I Spy' quilt years ago; didn't find it but that would really work better for a second child, right? Then the first child can enjoy looking for the stuff before the baby is old enough. ;) So planned a different quilt for grandchild #4.
I made a block for a new quilt; blogged about here.
I emptied a full under the staircase closet and put one of my old metal sewing shelves in after Andrew (10) and I rearranged the shelves. It will really help to get that closet better organized. I thought a library book might be tucked away in there and the library is asking for money since we've had it for 6 months. It wasn't there. Some of the stuff has been in there since before the wedding 1 1/4 years ago and could really come back into our living space. Specifically Melissa's wedding picture and my old childhood rocking chair.
I attended church and fixed the best pot of beans I've ever had.
I really wanted to make Pioneer woman's apple dumplings. (There's a pot luck on the 15th that will get them, so we won't eat the whole batch.)
I went and got Gringo's take out for my lunch yesterday.
I baked a cake for refreshments for a boy scout meeting. At 4:30 my husband asked me to bake a cake for his meeting since it was one of the boy's birthday. The meeting was at 6. Then I felt like I should spend at least an hour doing some genealogy. That was my week-end.
Chocolate Applesauce Cake
I’ve been making this for over 30 years.
This was Reed’s favorite cake and he had it for many birthdays.
½ cup shortening (I use butter now)
1 ½ cup sugar
1 t. cinnamon
½ t. salt
2 eggs
1 ½ t. soda
2 T cocoa
2 c. flour
2 c. applesauce
1c. chocolate chips
½ c. nuts
30-40 minutes 350 degrees
8x12 pan
A very simple cake. Mix the above ingredients together using standard cake baking methodology; except the chocolate chips and nuts get sprinkled on top just before baking and then there is no need to frost it.
(And I have no idea why the font is bold in one area and not in the other and I can't get it to change; weird.)
random
Did you know that cow's can't roll their eyes? That skill is courtesy of 8 eye muscles; cow's only have 4. And their eyes are always brown.
This random bite of knowledge was brought to you by Jeffrey.
for mel
So I started a new quilt last night. Not one on my need to do soon list even. My grown daughter is giving a lesson in church this morning about 'be true'. So I did a quilt block to illustrate 'be true.' Very difficult to do since I can draw very few things sooo I did a flower/seed packet since seeds are always true to their.... genes?
I wanted the SEEDS to be subtle but the running stitch made it a little too subtle. So maybe wrapping the running stitch will work or doing it in black or in outline? What do you think?
There are 9 be's to illustrate with a quilt block. But she'll only need one a month, so I'll have plenty of time to design the next one.
Saturday, March 1, 2008
quiltathon
Over at Judy's there is a quilting party; or a quiltathon that I just decided to participate in.
My husband and boys are gone camping today so this is a great day to quilt. Unfortunately they took the camera so I can't post pictures until they return this evening. Here are the projects I'm working on:
noon check-in
I went to the gym.
I exercised.
I stopped at an estate sale :)
I bought 3 blue and white plates.
I stopped at our quilt shop.
I bought nothing, but then spent an hour looking on line and calling other quilt shops looking for Laura Lee Fritz's newer books. I'm using the 2 books I have for the quilting on quilt #1.
So I'm quiting on that quilt until I can get the books. I'll order them as soon as I get finished writing my check-in. (I just figured out why I can't get her new books. They are not yet published. Release date is May 13!)
I ripped out the quilting I did on the green quilt (#1) last night.
My husband and boys are gone camping today so this is a great day to quilt. Unfortunately they took the camera so I can't post pictures until they return this evening. Here are the projects I'm working on:
- Green baby quilt; top is finished, borders on, sandwiched and basic quilting done, binding done. I need to finish the quilting. I know you are confused, usually the binding goes on last but sometimes I do enough quilting to get the pins out, bind it and then do more quilting. The baby this is for is due in 2 weeks. So although the front is to be a surprise I WILL FINISH THE QUILTING TODAY.
- Start a baby quilt for the grandson due in June.
- Work on the plan for the wedding quilt for the parents of #1. I give myself 5 years to get them their wedding quilt but they have been married over a year and it is time. I got their siblings done in 3 years so I guess I only have 2 more years to do this one. After reading so many blogs I think I am very slow at making these quilts but I have to stop and make baby quilts as the grandkids are born. :) Hey, I CAN post a picture of the other wedding quilts I have made! My daughter made the bed!
noon check-in
I went to the gym.
I exercised.
I stopped at an estate sale :)
I bought 3 blue and white plates.
I stopped at our quilt shop.
I bought nothing, but then spent an hour looking on line and calling other quilt shops looking for Laura Lee Fritz's newer books. I'm using the 2 books I have for the quilting on quilt #1.
I ripped out the quilting I did on the green quilt (#1) last night.
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