"A wicked and adulterous generation seeketh after a sign." Matt. 16:4
In my church, we talk a lot about signs. There are some signs you should heed, like the signs of the times, for instance, but, generally speaking, we hew pretty true to Matthew here and say that you shouldn't look for signs and base your decisions on them or use them to determine your path. Because, well, that's wicked. And also adulterous, apparently.
So I'm not one to consider things that happen in my daily life as "signs." Which is certainly helpful on days like today, when, if I were a believer in signs, I would have assumed I was doomed. Instead, I am able to laugh (and blog) about it all after the fact. Tra la la la la, no wickedness here!
I decided, mostly last minute, to have a brunch today. I've been craving Easter brunch recipes, but we can't really have an Easter brunch because of our church schedule, so, instead, I decided that since today is semi-annual conference day for us and church doesn't begin until noon in our time zone, I would have a brunch today. (And also, I ordered some run-on sentences, apparently.) I called a few of our friends, found a few recipes I wanted to try, and spent a few days cleaning my terribly messy house. (When there's actual mud on your bathroom floor from your son's trips into the garden before bath time, can you still really call that messy? Oh, good!) I was even a planning genius and made most of the food last night, so there would be minimal prep today. And the chopping and assembling and baking last night went splendidly. Huzzah!
Cut to this morning. J woke up at 6 am, which was early but fine because we still had some cleaning and cooking to do. At precisely 6:04, the husband's work called. Pharmacist down, husband must go into work and (praypraypray) find a replacement or (nooooooo!) work the shift himself. So off he went, leaving J and me to "clean" together, which largely consisted of me mopping and him taking everything out of every cabinet and tracking through the mopping. But whatever, we shouldered on.
Then I inspected my monkey bread, which I had left out to rise the night before as instructed by numerous recipes. Only it hadn't risen at all and instead was a mound of hard, tiny dough balls and butter and sugar. No worries! Okay, many worries, because this was my sweet, so I dumped it out, grabbed some Pillsbury mini-cinnamon rolls, broke them up and tossed them in the same pan and put them in to bake immediately in case that didn't work, because who knew if it would?? (It did, only I forgot to turn them out of the pan soon enough, so lots stuck and were lost).
No problem. We still have plenty of time! I'll just go work on the fruit salad, very calmly. J will like that, since it involves grapes he can inha--I mean, eat. And, to save time I no longer have, I'll use these handy cans of Dole pineapple chunks! Except, what to my wondering eyes should appear when I popped open the first can but a thick, furry, green island of mold! In a can! From DOLE! And these were new cans, too, not even cans of questionable length of time in my cupboard (because Lord knows I've got those). And they were brand name cans, not even questionable store brand, knock off, severe and therefore suspect sale versions (which I also have in droves, of course).
By the time J refused to go down for a nap and the husband finally got a replacement and arrived home at 9:30 am, just a half hour before guests arrived, I was frazzled. Luckily, however, I don't believe in signs, and everything else went smoothly. The ham and spinach strata, a new recipe and the one thing I was actually worried about? Lovely and yummy. The fruit salad (with the other, much inspected can of pineapple) in the trifle bowl? Great. The pseudo monkey bread? One of the little girls wanted to make sure her mom brought some home with them. The veggie squares? A hit as usual. My friends brought pina-coladas, which were fancy and delicious, and chocolate muffins which were secretly made with wheat germ and blueberries and all sorts of healthiness and were great. There was lots of food and no one cried, including me. Success!
Showing posts with label mistress of the house. Show all posts
Showing posts with label mistress of the house. Show all posts
Saturday, April 04, 2009
Friday, March 27, 2009
It must be high or low
So, anyone who knows me (or has met me, actually) can tell I'm not Domesty McDomestic. Some people mistakenly believe my outside veneer of organization translates into organization in all areas of my life. Those people have clearly not been to my house! I hate housecleaning; I don't get excited about new and different methods of spring cleaning or new sets of baskets or caddies to corral the mess. I once listened to a conversation in which multiple women explained that the last thing they would do before evacuating for a hurricane would be run the dishwasher and vacuum, and I honestly couldn't imagine doing such a thing. What would be the point? My pantry is relatively organized, but it stands alone in the disheveled sea that is my kitchen. My books are perfectly in order, but you have to crawl around and over obstacles just to get to them. And let's not even talk about my bedroom, a complete hazard. In short, my domestic victories are few and far between, largely because I don't care enough to pursue them.
Which makes strawberry freezer jam that much more rewarding. It's so easy: chop and crush strawberries. Mix sugar and pectin. Combine sugar mixture with strawberries. Ladle into containers. Wait half an hour. Put in freezer or fridge. THE END! The whole process takes 45 minutes, including the wait time. And then you get to feel all virtuous and economical and, well, domestic! It's great!
But don't get me wrong, I'm not going to turn into a domestic goddess overnight or, most likely, ever. But I am going to have some great sandwiches and pancakes!
Which makes strawberry freezer jam that much more rewarding. It's so easy: chop and crush strawberries. Mix sugar and pectin. Combine sugar mixture with strawberries. Ladle into containers. Wait half an hour. Put in freezer or fridge. THE END! The whole process takes 45 minutes, including the wait time. And then you get to feel all virtuous and economical and, well, domestic! It's great!
But don't get me wrong, I'm not going to turn into a domestic goddess overnight or, most likely, ever. But I am going to have some great sandwiches and pancakes!
Wednesday, January 21, 2009
My super human might
Casseroles are my kryptonite.
I see them and I think, ooh, carby goodness! Sounds great! It's like my good sense says look, something shiny! And then I eat some and, for a while, I'm happy and satisfied and comforted and all those good things that can come from eating old school food.
But you see, this is my critical error: I forget that all casseroles are made of cream of cream and cheese and they will, within a matter of time, make me very, very ill. Because I really can't eat casseroles; the dairy in them is somehow the worst of all dairy for me and will shortly turn me inside out.
But I forget all this, you see, until it's late at night, and I'm writhing in pain for the first time in months, and I have a visceral understanding of my folly. And then I loathe casseroles, vats of roiling lactose waiting to pounce on the absentminded, cauldrons of cheese and cream avoiding the appearance of evil but secretly, in their heart of hearts (though I doubt they have hearts, fiends!), rotten to the core. Or, at least, rotten to my core.
I am eating dry toast and 7-Up today.
The end.
I see them and I think, ooh, carby goodness! Sounds great! It's like my good sense says look, something shiny! And then I eat some and, for a while, I'm happy and satisfied and comforted and all those good things that can come from eating old school food.
But you see, this is my critical error: I forget that all casseroles are made of cream of cream and cheese and they will, within a matter of time, make me very, very ill. Because I really can't eat casseroles; the dairy in them is somehow the worst of all dairy for me and will shortly turn me inside out.
But I forget all this, you see, until it's late at night, and I'm writhing in pain for the first time in months, and I have a visceral understanding of my folly. And then I loathe casseroles, vats of roiling lactose waiting to pounce on the absentminded, cauldrons of cheese and cream avoiding the appearance of evil but secretly, in their heart of hearts (though I doubt they have hearts, fiends!), rotten to the core. Or, at least, rotten to my core.
I am eating dry toast and 7-Up today.
The end.
Friday, January 16, 2009
Measure a year
I've had some complaints about the lack of pictures on my blog, so I'm repenting. Here, then, is a year in the life of Baby J, in reverse chronological order (because I'm just repenting, not excelling) (captions below the picture in question):
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December 2008: This is Christmas morning, after J's early morning meltdown and before his bliss was complete with the acquisition of his fabulous kitchen paraphernalia.
November 2008: This picture was taken in our front yard (notice the lack of snow). Here J is trying to eat a leaf before I can snatch it away. This particular smile is one he flashes often when he's being naughty and you have caught him.
October 2008: This was his second of two Halloween costumes. Our memory card suffered a fatal error on the night of the first Halloween party, so we missed getting a shot of his clown get up (very cute, though his head looked huge in the pompomed stocking cap). The second costume was all the husband's vision and came together in one afternoon after a quick trip to Goodwill. The husband is also responsible for the very authentic hair!
September 2008: Baby J goes to his first football game at the local high school (to watch one of the Seminary boys play). It was unseasonably cold that night and then it started to rain, so we left early, after it became clear that the one blanket we had brought was not going to be enough.
August 2008: J was late to solid foods, the product of laziness on my part and some travel in July, but he took to them more or less well, particularly sweet potatoes, which he is modeling here.
July 2008: From the time he learned to sit up in June until he could crawl, MUCH later, J would spend much of his day here, on a quilt in the living room by his basket of toys. He has always been able to amuse himself for unbabylike lengths of time.
June 2008: Shortly before this, J learned how to pout, all on his own. He was in a rotten, fragile mood this day, so I just got ready to catch the pout that I knew was coming before the meltdown that was sure to follow.
May/June 2008: My mother came to save the day at the beginning of the summer term when I had to go back to work to finish out my contract. As you can see, J was horribly disappointed with this situation!
April 2008: This was just a random day on our porch. I like this picture because it chronicles the short time J spent in the Bumbo chair before his thighs were too chubby and because he looks like some sweaty old man in his too small onesie with that strained expression on his face. In fact, he's trying to escape the Bumbo by hurling his torso backwards as hard as he can.
March 2008: In the early months, we were still going out to eat a lot what with the two paychecks and the very portable baby. This picture was taken on the porch of a restaurant called Taco Boy down the road at Folly Beach. There were no tables inside and so we sat out, but it got, once again, a lot colder than we expected, so here J is bundled in all the blankets we had in the car and all the clothes we could find to put on him from the diaper bag.
February 2008: I don't know how many hours J spent like this, swaddled in his Miracle Blanket, bouncing vigorously in his bouncy chair as we tried to put him to sleep. Sadly, too much of that time was spent with him looking just like this: cranky and awake.
January 2008: Because of his jaundice, J spent extra time at the hospital under the lights. Because of his size and his protective eye gear, he looked like a giant vacationing among the other tiny little sick babies in the nursery.
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December 2008: This is Christmas morning, after J's early morning meltdown and before his bliss was complete with the acquisition of his fabulous kitchen paraphernalia.
November 2008: This picture was taken in our front yard (notice the lack of snow). Here J is trying to eat a leaf before I can snatch it away. This particular smile is one he flashes often when he's being naughty and you have caught him.
October 2008: This was his second of two Halloween costumes. Our memory card suffered a fatal error on the night of the first Halloween party, so we missed getting a shot of his clown get up (very cute, though his head looked huge in the pompomed stocking cap). The second costume was all the husband's vision and came together in one afternoon after a quick trip to Goodwill. The husband is also responsible for the very authentic hair!
September 2008: Baby J goes to his first football game at the local high school (to watch one of the Seminary boys play). It was unseasonably cold that night and then it started to rain, so we left early, after it became clear that the one blanket we had brought was not going to be enough.
August 2008: J was late to solid foods, the product of laziness on my part and some travel in July, but he took to them more or less well, particularly sweet potatoes, which he is modeling here.
July 2008: From the time he learned to sit up in June until he could crawl, MUCH later, J would spend much of his day here, on a quilt in the living room by his basket of toys. He has always been able to amuse himself for unbabylike lengths of time.
June 2008: Shortly before this, J learned how to pout, all on his own. He was in a rotten, fragile mood this day, so I just got ready to catch the pout that I knew was coming before the meltdown that was sure to follow.
May/June 2008: My mother came to save the day at the beginning of the summer term when I had to go back to work to finish out my contract. As you can see, J was horribly disappointed with this situation!
April 2008: This was just a random day on our porch. I like this picture because it chronicles the short time J spent in the Bumbo chair before his thighs were too chubby and because he looks like some sweaty old man in his too small onesie with that strained expression on his face. In fact, he's trying to escape the Bumbo by hurling his torso backwards as hard as he can.
March 2008: In the early months, we were still going out to eat a lot what with the two paychecks and the very portable baby. This picture was taken on the porch of a restaurant called Taco Boy down the road at Folly Beach. There were no tables inside and so we sat out, but it got, once again, a lot colder than we expected, so here J is bundled in all the blankets we had in the car and all the clothes we could find to put on him from the diaper bag.
February 2008: I don't know how many hours J spent like this, swaddled in his Miracle Blanket, bouncing vigorously in his bouncy chair as we tried to put him to sleep. Sadly, too much of that time was spent with him looking just like this: cranky and awake.
January 2008: Because of his jaundice, J spent extra time at the hospital under the lights. Because of his size and his protective eye gear, he looked like a giant vacationing among the other tiny little sick babies in the nursery.
Thursday, January 01, 2009
And a happy new year!
Nothing momentous to report as the new year rolls in, just a few tidbits:
We celebrated with some friends last night, and after some yummy chicken taco soup and salad, there were many fireworks, set off by the husbands/dads. Baby J was fine for a while, if a little jumpy, but then melted down after one very, VERY loud offering that went off a little too close. Then it was a race against time, to see if, with much consoling and cuddling, he'd manage not to cry at every single firework display that followed and make it until the end of the show. He did, barely, but was not happy, by the end sitting there with a perma-pout that threatened to erupt into tears at any moment. It didn't help matters that it was freezing cold here last night, for the first time in ages, so he was wearing more clothes than he ever has and was wrapped in a fleece blanket besides. Baby J does not enjoy wearing socks since he so rarely has to and was particularly put out by the fact that we made him wear a hat. I stopped short of gloves, not wanting to fight that battle, too, and just insisted that he keep his hands in his pockets while I held him. AND, on top of all that, we kept him up a little past his bedtime! Bad parents!
J also played with a puppy yesterday, to his endless delight. We think he might have a word for dog, since he kept saying something very specific in reference to the little black miniature poodle. He liked the dog to be close enough to pet (or hit rather hard in his enthusiasm) but not close enough to get licked, which he did not enjoy. J also got nipped on the finger by Oreo, the puppy, who was also a wee bit too enthusiastic to see him, but after a few tears, J was ready to forgive and forget. In addition, J got to crawl around outside in the grass AND ride in a swing, so it was a happy day, if a terrifying evening.
As for me, today was triple coupons, so I went in the wee hours of the morning to stock up, this time on shampoo/conditioner, toothbrushes, cooking spray, sugar, and meatballs. Yes, meatballs, which I plan to use for Baby J's birthday or for the husband's sports fest, if he decides to have one. I was so early I had to wait for the official triples time to roll around, because even if you're a store that's open 24 hours, as this one is, your day apparently doesn't officially start until 7am. Slackers! Today we (Baby J and I) also got some sippy cups since we are soon making the move away from bottles and formula and toward milk and sippies. Once again, a whole new world of products to contend with. This time I read reviews online and consulted with friends before heading out to confront the bewildering options (showing I've grown at least I little during this whole "mom" thing). He uses take and toss sippy cups already for water, but I wanted something semi-insulated for milk and something new and FABULOUS to take the place of the bottles, which he will certainly miss. But it will be so great (for us) not to have to deal with formula when we go to England, and I KNOW they have whole milk there! We may keep a bottle for rocking to sleep purposes, but perhaps not, depending on how the great sippy transition proceeds. Da da da DUM!!
We celebrated with some friends last night, and after some yummy chicken taco soup and salad, there were many fireworks, set off by the husbands/dads. Baby J was fine for a while, if a little jumpy, but then melted down after one very, VERY loud offering that went off a little too close. Then it was a race against time, to see if, with much consoling and cuddling, he'd manage not to cry at every single firework display that followed and make it until the end of the show. He did, barely, but was not happy, by the end sitting there with a perma-pout that threatened to erupt into tears at any moment. It didn't help matters that it was freezing cold here last night, for the first time in ages, so he was wearing more clothes than he ever has and was wrapped in a fleece blanket besides. Baby J does not enjoy wearing socks since he so rarely has to and was particularly put out by the fact that we made him wear a hat. I stopped short of gloves, not wanting to fight that battle, too, and just insisted that he keep his hands in his pockets while I held him. AND, on top of all that, we kept him up a little past his bedtime! Bad parents!
J also played with a puppy yesterday, to his endless delight. We think he might have a word for dog, since he kept saying something very specific in reference to the little black miniature poodle. He liked the dog to be close enough to pet (or hit rather hard in his enthusiasm) but not close enough to get licked, which he did not enjoy. J also got nipped on the finger by Oreo, the puppy, who was also a wee bit too enthusiastic to see him, but after a few tears, J was ready to forgive and forget. In addition, J got to crawl around outside in the grass AND ride in a swing, so it was a happy day, if a terrifying evening.
As for me, today was triple coupons, so I went in the wee hours of the morning to stock up, this time on shampoo/conditioner, toothbrushes, cooking spray, sugar, and meatballs. Yes, meatballs, which I plan to use for Baby J's birthday or for the husband's sports fest, if he decides to have one. I was so early I had to wait for the official triples time to roll around, because even if you're a store that's open 24 hours, as this one is, your day apparently doesn't officially start until 7am. Slackers! Today we (Baby J and I) also got some sippy cups since we are soon making the move away from bottles and formula and toward milk and sippies. Once again, a whole new world of products to contend with. This time I read reviews online and consulted with friends before heading out to confront the bewildering options (showing I've grown at least I little during this whole "mom" thing). He uses take and toss sippy cups already for water, but I wanted something semi-insulated for milk and something new and FABULOUS to take the place of the bottles, which he will certainly miss. But it will be so great (for us) not to have to deal with formula when we go to England, and I KNOW they have whole milk there! We may keep a bottle for rocking to sleep purposes, but perhaps not, depending on how the great sippy transition proceeds. Da da da DUM!!
Saturday, December 06, 2008
Get your motor running
Baby J and I are alone this weekend, as the husband has motored off to a conference in Florida for a few days. And when I say "motored," I mean motored, as in drove his motorcycle some 8 or 9 hours down to Orlando. Honestly, I cannot think of a more boring prospect, but he was giddy with the excitement of packing his backpack and saddlebags (which makes me think we are living in the wild, wild west whenever he says it) and taking to the open road, so more power to him. I am, of course, praying fervently for his safe travels, for everyone else on the road to be extremely attentive and courteous, and for good weather. Join me, won't you? I'm also slyly hoping that the vicissitudes this little trip will quell his desires to take any long distance motorcycle treks for pleasure, something he hints at repeatedly. We shall see....
In the meantime, in between bouts of prayer, J and I are left to our own devices. During the day, this translates into "doing exactly what we do every day," and thus, today we have run a few errands, taken a few naps, eaten some meals more or less compliantly, played around on the floor, and gotten various Christmas packages ready to mail (nothing like waiting until the last minute, huh?). One of our errands took us near a Christmas tree selling tent, so we wandered through there to help us get into the spirit. This jaunt was not as successful as one might have hoped, since the trees were EXTREMELY overpriced and the saw used to trim them was VERY loud, leaving both J and me a little less than full of holiday cheer, but we did get to smell the pines, so I suppose it was worth it.
Our visit also had another purpose: reconnaissance. In less than a week, we are having a Christmas party at church for which I am partially responsible and, to be totally frank, everything is going along swimmingly except the decorations. Because, to repeat, I am partially in charge, and I am hopeless, completely WITHOUT HOPE, when it comes to snazzy decorating schemes. One need only look around my house at the blank walls and cobbled together furniture to see that this is true. But I did have a thought that pine garlands might be useful and seasonal, so I was pricing those while we browsed. I've been doing a lot of browsing, actually, in preparation for this shindig, hoping to get some inspiration from those who do have the decorating gene, but I'm still filled with all kinds of fear at the thought of pulling this off. My only hope lies in strategic (read: dim) lighting. Christmas lights, while all sorts of festive, also hide myriad other ills. Or so I hope!
In the meantime, in between bouts of prayer, J and I are left to our own devices. During the day, this translates into "doing exactly what we do every day," and thus, today we have run a few errands, taken a few naps, eaten some meals more or less compliantly, played around on the floor, and gotten various Christmas packages ready to mail (nothing like waiting until the last minute, huh?). One of our errands took us near a Christmas tree selling tent, so we wandered through there to help us get into the spirit. This jaunt was not as successful as one might have hoped, since the trees were EXTREMELY overpriced and the saw used to trim them was VERY loud, leaving both J and me a little less than full of holiday cheer, but we did get to smell the pines, so I suppose it was worth it.
Our visit also had another purpose: reconnaissance. In less than a week, we are having a Christmas party at church for which I am partially responsible and, to be totally frank, everything is going along swimmingly except the decorations. Because, to repeat, I am partially in charge, and I am hopeless, completely WITHOUT HOPE, when it comes to snazzy decorating schemes. One need only look around my house at the blank walls and cobbled together furniture to see that this is true. But I did have a thought that pine garlands might be useful and seasonal, so I was pricing those while we browsed. I've been doing a lot of browsing, actually, in preparation for this shindig, hoping to get some inspiration from those who do have the decorating gene, but I'm still filled with all kinds of fear at the thought of pulling this off. My only hope lies in strategic (read: dim) lighting. Christmas lights, while all sorts of festive, also hide myriad other ills. Or so I hope!
Thursday, November 27, 2008
Here a little there
When we were first married, I made Thanksgiving dinner from scratch. I don't remember all that we had, but I do know there were two pans of stuffing. Two 9x13 pans. And 10 pounds of smashed potatoes. And two pies, one fruit, one something else. And turkey. And ham. And some sort of broccoli bake and a salad.... For two people. When the husband tells this story, he says after he had eaten more than he had ever eaten at any Thanksgiving, it looked like we hadn't even touched the food. It was a lot of food, she says obviously.
This year, we ate with assorted friends, and all I made were mounds and mounds of sweet potatoes, green beans with bacon and onions, and pumpkin trifle. And we all ate our fill of many other fabulous foods and came home with all kinds of leftovers including mashed potatoes, stuffing, salad, and assorted cheesecakes. What a trade!
Well, okay, I also made a turkey. Because I love turkey and always want more leftovers and didn't want to be greedy with our friends and am obsessive about cooking like that. So, we have turkey, too, though there ended up being two turkeys at our shindig, one cooked in a bag (very tasty) and a deep fried turkey later, sort of a charcoal after dinner mint of sorts. It was good as well, but looked like the after shots of an arsonist attack.
And now for what you're all waiting for, the pumpkin trifle recipe. It's a Paula Dean recipe more or less, courtesy of a Food Network clip on Hulu.
1 30 ounce can pumpkin pie filling
1 5.1 ounce box vanilla pudding prepared
1/2 t. cinnamon
2 T. brown sugar
2 14 ounce boxes gingerbread prepared
2 8 ounce tubs whipped cream
Mix the pumpkin pie filling with the vanilla pudding, cinnamon and brown sugar. (Paula uses 1 T. cardamon and 1/2 C. brown sugar, but that seemed too much for me. She also uses slow cook as opposed to instant pudding, but I used instant and it turned out fine. Full disclosure, however: apparently Libby makes something called pumpkin pie "mix" as well as pumpkin pie filling, which I mistakenly picked up instead, so when this became clear to me, I mixed in a little extra whipped cream to compensate for the missing dairy the filling has. But this mistake also worked out just fine. Paula So.) Layer the gingerbread in your trifle dish (or glass bowl, but I finally got a trifle dish because I always want one and always talk myself out of it, which rarely happens to me with regard to kitchen items. And it was on sale!), then layer in the pumpkin mixture, then add a layer of whipped cream, and then repeat all three layers, ending with whipped cream. Sprinkle with crushed gingersnaps or gingerbread men or nothing at all. Chill as long as you have (particularly when you mess up the recipe with the pumpkin pie mix and use instant pudding, since it can be a tad runny). Reveal with a Ta Da!
This year, we ate with assorted friends, and all I made were mounds and mounds of sweet potatoes, green beans with bacon and onions, and pumpkin trifle. And we all ate our fill of many other fabulous foods and came home with all kinds of leftovers including mashed potatoes, stuffing, salad, and assorted cheesecakes. What a trade!
Well, okay, I also made a turkey. Because I love turkey and always want more leftovers and didn't want to be greedy with our friends and am obsessive about cooking like that. So, we have turkey, too, though there ended up being two turkeys at our shindig, one cooked in a bag (very tasty) and a deep fried turkey later, sort of a charcoal after dinner mint of sorts. It was good as well, but looked like the after shots of an arsonist attack.
And now for what you're all waiting for, the pumpkin trifle recipe. It's a Paula Dean recipe more or less, courtesy of a Food Network clip on Hulu.
1 30 ounce can pumpkin pie filling
1 5.1 ounce box vanilla pudding prepared
1/2 t. cinnamon
2 T. brown sugar
2 14 ounce boxes gingerbread prepared
2 8 ounce tubs whipped cream
Mix the pumpkin pie filling with the vanilla pudding, cinnamon and brown sugar. (Paula uses 1 T. cardamon and 1/2 C. brown sugar, but that seemed too much for me. She also uses slow cook as opposed to instant pudding, but I used instant and it turned out fine. Full disclosure, however: apparently Libby makes something called pumpkin pie "mix" as well as pumpkin pie filling, which I mistakenly picked up instead, so when this became clear to me, I mixed in a little extra whipped cream to compensate for the missing dairy the filling has. But this mistake also worked out just fine. Paula So.) Layer the gingerbread in your trifle dish (or glass bowl, but I finally got a trifle dish because I always want one and always talk myself out of it, which rarely happens to me with regard to kitchen items. And it was on sale!), then layer in the pumpkin mixture, then add a layer of whipped cream, and then repeat all three layers, ending with whipped cream. Sprinkle with crushed gingersnaps or gingerbread men or nothing at all. Chill as long as you have (particularly when you mess up the recipe with the pumpkin pie mix and use instant pudding, since it can be a tad runny). Reveal with a Ta Da!
Saturday, November 22, 2008
I can do anything
Here are some lessons we learned while trying to can on Friday:
Becca should remind me or I should remember to bring appropriate containers, because I have many very, VERY large bowls and very, VERY deep pots and Becca...does not. And my pots and bowls did us loads of good sitting in my cupboards at home.
Canning should never be done alone. Ever. Conversely, canning with two almost/just turned 11 month olds is not very efficient either.
Doubling recipes whilst canning can sometimes cause problems. Also, along these same lines, corn starch is utterly bizarre in large quantities.
Apple pie filling is sticky. Very sticky. And then, so too are the table, all implements within a five foot radius of the kitchen, and the aforementioned babies, not to mention one's hands, jeans, shoes, and, after an unfortunate incident with a spoon used to stir the filling, the kitchen rug.
Even the most detailed and illustrated 15 page instructions can leave much room for error. See corn starch reference above.
My mother and Becca's family used the same large Tupperware cup measure to make shaped pancakes when we were kids (okay, this one is not strictly about canning, but I can't tell you how odd it was to see that container appear while we were measuring. I could have sworn it was the exact same one from my childhood, worn numbers and all!)
We shall see how it all turns out. It may be that we need to have lots and lots of apple pies in the next little while, which won't be too bad, given it's Thanksgiving soon, but I hope not!
Becca should remind me or I should remember to bring appropriate containers, because I have many very, VERY large bowls and very, VERY deep pots and Becca...does not. And my pots and bowls did us loads of good sitting in my cupboards at home.
Canning should never be done alone. Ever. Conversely, canning with two almost/just turned 11 month olds is not very efficient either.
Doubling recipes whilst canning can sometimes cause problems. Also, along these same lines, corn starch is utterly bizarre in large quantities.
Apple pie filling is sticky. Very sticky. And then, so too are the table, all implements within a five foot radius of the kitchen, and the aforementioned babies, not to mention one's hands, jeans, shoes, and, after an unfortunate incident with a spoon used to stir the filling, the kitchen rug.
Even the most detailed and illustrated 15 page instructions can leave much room for error. See corn starch reference above.
My mother and Becca's family used the same large Tupperware cup measure to make shaped pancakes when we were kids (okay, this one is not strictly about canning, but I can't tell you how odd it was to see that container appear while we were measuring. I could have sworn it was the exact same one from my childhood, worn numbers and all!)
We shall see how it all turns out. It may be that we need to have lots and lots of apple pies in the next little while, which won't be too bad, given it's Thanksgiving soon, but I hope not!
Tuesday, November 11, 2008
Day after day
My latest challenge: this year, the husband informed me that last year, everyone in his office gave office gifts, and, since he is now an actual full-time employee (as opposed to an indentured servant, ahem, resident), he wants to reciprocate this year. Which means 10 gifts of some sort of impressive quality without breaking the bank. Last year, it appears that he mostly got semi-gourmet food items (which explains why I never saw these gifts), but food alone seems so passe to me and not all that cheap, when you get right down to it, even if you make it yourself. Also, I don't really have any holiday goodies to share specialties, since most involve more than 5 ingredients, you see.
So, to solve my dilemma, I turned to the web. Actually, I was thinking of turning to the web, and, before I had even begun searching, I ran into a "Recession-Proof Holiday Gifts" guide and thought I might as well start there. And voila, before I had hardly begun to worry about all this, my problems were solved. This guide led me back to my new favorite site, Etsy.com, and a stationer there who sells downloadable templates for all sorts of gifts, including tasteful and cheerful calendars, perfect for holiday giving. The beauty of this particular e-tailer is that you pay once for the templates and then can print as many copies of the work as you want, for as many different contexts as you can imagine. Like, for instance, office gifts! And he was having a sale to boot!
So, I am combining these lovely calendars printed on the recommended cardstock with festive (and leftover) ribbon I already have, candy canes and perhaps peppermint bark, and calling the gifts done. Grand total per gift (minus the peppermint bark, which is a bit of a splurge)? $0.75. I know! Even with the peppermint bark (bought, by the way, at my peppermint bark secret store, T.J. Maxx), we're still only out about $1.50 each. And they're useful and cute and contemporary and handmade (I will make them by hand, even though I didn't design them) and include a bit of sweet because it is the holidays after all, and they are the gift that keeps on giving because I get to feel good about them for the entire holiday season AND the calendars are useful for the whole year to come. Huzzah!
So, to solve my dilemma, I turned to the web. Actually, I was thinking of turning to the web, and, before I had even begun searching, I ran into a "Recession-Proof Holiday Gifts" guide and thought I might as well start there. And voila, before I had hardly begun to worry about all this, my problems were solved. This guide led me back to my new favorite site, Etsy.com, and a stationer there who sells downloadable templates for all sorts of gifts, including tasteful and cheerful calendars, perfect for holiday giving. The beauty of this particular e-tailer is that you pay once for the templates and then can print as many copies of the work as you want, for as many different contexts as you can imagine. Like, for instance, office gifts! And he was having a sale to boot!
So, I am combining these lovely calendars printed on the recommended cardstock with festive (and leftover) ribbon I already have, candy canes and perhaps peppermint bark, and calling the gifts done. Grand total per gift (minus the peppermint bark, which is a bit of a splurge)? $0.75. I know! Even with the peppermint bark (bought, by the way, at my peppermint bark secret store, T.J. Maxx), we're still only out about $1.50 each. And they're useful and cute and contemporary and handmade (I will make them by hand, even though I didn't design them) and include a bit of sweet because it is the holidays after all, and they are the gift that keeps on giving because I get to feel good about them for the entire holiday season AND the calendars are useful for the whole year to come. Huzzah!
Friday, October 10, 2008
When good comes to bad
The Mission: design something that will house all the many cords under your desk so as to save your child from electrocution and protect the tech. Said device must be flexible in size since the number of cords varies depending on the electronics at work. The device must also allow for cords to be collected in one place but still reach the power strips and the electronics themselves.
The Stipulations: said device must be aesthetically pleasing enough not to be an eyesore in your main living space but completely unattractive to a small, curious, crawling baby who thinks cords are just the thing for teething. Oh, and apparently such a device as the one you want doesn't exist. Which makes, you know, no sense at all in this day and age.
The Challenge: visit home improvement stores and try to explain your thoughts to various employees, all of whom look at you with either confusion, condescension, or pity. Control your urges to throttle them and instead act sad and pathetic and dumb so they will help you. Count your lucky stars when one of your former students appears and, since apparently you gave him a good enough grade that he still likes you and he's wearing a name tag so it appears as if you remember his name, decides to help you figure out what sorts of materials you'll need for this contraption.
The Unlikely Suspects: after much debate and consultations with other employees (now happy to help when approached by one of their own), you decide to purchase a wire drawer (the kind meant to slide into a closet organization system) and a roll of thick vinyl shelf liner you have vague notions will line the inside of the drawer which you plan on turning upside down over the mass/mess of cords. You then use your hole punch and white ribbon to attach the tan liner to the inside of the white metal wire drawer.
The Results: a few mismeasurements and false starts later, you have a cover which has a conveniently large mesh top through which the husband can feed the cords on their way to various tech devices while at the same time has covered sides so that no cords or attractive blinking lights are visible unless one is directly on top of the device. Once all the cords are stowed away and those leaving on their way to powering the electronica are corralled with the help of a simple twist-tie, the baby shows absolutely no interest in the new addition. Success!!
The Stipulations: said device must be aesthetically pleasing enough not to be an eyesore in your main living space but completely unattractive to a small, curious, crawling baby who thinks cords are just the thing for teething. Oh, and apparently such a device as the one you want doesn't exist. Which makes, you know, no sense at all in this day and age.
The Challenge: visit home improvement stores and try to explain your thoughts to various employees, all of whom look at you with either confusion, condescension, or pity. Control your urges to throttle them and instead act sad and pathetic and dumb so they will help you. Count your lucky stars when one of your former students appears and, since apparently you gave him a good enough grade that he still likes you and he's wearing a name tag so it appears as if you remember his name, decides to help you figure out what sorts of materials you'll need for this contraption.
The Unlikely Suspects: after much debate and consultations with other employees (now happy to help when approached by one of their own), you decide to purchase a wire drawer (the kind meant to slide into a closet organization system) and a roll of thick vinyl shelf liner you have vague notions will line the inside of the drawer which you plan on turning upside down over the mass/mess of cords. You then use your hole punch and white ribbon to attach the tan liner to the inside of the white metal wire drawer.
The Results: a few mismeasurements and false starts later, you have a cover which has a conveniently large mesh top through which the husband can feed the cords on their way to various tech devices while at the same time has covered sides so that no cords or attractive blinking lights are visible unless one is directly on top of the device. Once all the cords are stowed away and those leaving on their way to powering the electronica are corralled with the help of a simple twist-tie, the baby shows absolutely no interest in the new addition. Success!!
Thursday, October 02, 2008
C is for cookie
I'm making cookies today while the baby naps. Pumpkin chocolate chip cookies, one of my tried and true fewer than five ingredients recipes. This one involves a spice cake mix (or a white cake mix and pumpkin pie spice, in a pinch. Or yellow cake mix and cinnamon and nutmeg, in an even greater pinch. It's a method, really), a can of pure pumpkin (NOT pumpkin pie filling, just pumpkin), and chocolate chips, as many as you think necessary. It's a transplanted recipe from UT that my mother called to share as soon as she found out about it because where do you think I get my love of all things simple in the kitchen??
I was going to jazz up the recipe by adding chopped pecans, but then I thought, why mess with a good thing? I may still, however, drizzle some cinnamon powered sugar glaze over them to make them more...ummm...special? shower appropriate? pretty? I was inspired by a woman in our congregation who made similar cookies and included the icing drizzle over some of them. Well, her cookies were actually three varieties, plain pumpkin, chocolate chip, and nuts, and they weren't so much drop cookies as perfectly formed circles, and they didn't so much come from a mix and a can as totally from scratch. But other than that, they were exactly the same! Regardless, the icing looked like a simple addition of two more ingredients (water doesn't count) with a big TA-DA factor (if I can do it as artfully as she did, a real question. However, I am more confident in my cooking abilities than I am in my artistic abilities, generally.) I'm sure I've mentioned these cookies before, since they are a favorite of mine, particularly once Fall has arrived and the ingredients are more readily available.
J is asleep, which is why I'm making them now, because his new crawling abilities make him a liability in the kitchen when I have to use the oven. So I'm making the cookies VERY QUIETLY so he stays asleep. I feel like all noises in the kitchen, just down the hall from his room, are amplified an hundred fold and he is not the most solid sleeper. The husband used to say, back when J was taking 25 minute naps, that the baby could "sleep through anything for half an hour" but then he would always wake up. I wanted to smack the husband every time he said this, since sad experience had taught me that the baby would, in fact, not sleep through much at all, ever. The husband would say I'm obsessive about noises (particularly those he makes), but I would say I'm just circumspect. And desperate for J to stay asleep at any cost!!!
I was going to jazz up the recipe by adding chopped pecans, but then I thought, why mess with a good thing? I may still, however, drizzle some cinnamon powered sugar glaze over them to make them more...ummm...special? shower appropriate? pretty? I was inspired by a woman in our congregation who made similar cookies and included the icing drizzle over some of them. Well, her cookies were actually three varieties, plain pumpkin, chocolate chip, and nuts, and they weren't so much drop cookies as perfectly formed circles, and they didn't so much come from a mix and a can as totally from scratch. But other than that, they were exactly the same! Regardless, the icing looked like a simple addition of two more ingredients (water doesn't count) with a big TA-DA factor (if I can do it as artfully as she did, a real question. However, I am more confident in my cooking abilities than I am in my artistic abilities, generally.) I'm sure I've mentioned these cookies before, since they are a favorite of mine, particularly once Fall has arrived and the ingredients are more readily available.
J is asleep, which is why I'm making them now, because his new crawling abilities make him a liability in the kitchen when I have to use the oven. So I'm making the cookies VERY QUIETLY so he stays asleep. I feel like all noises in the kitchen, just down the hall from his room, are amplified an hundred fold and he is not the most solid sleeper. The husband used to say, back when J was taking 25 minute naps, that the baby could "sleep through anything for half an hour" but then he would always wake up. I wanted to smack the husband every time he said this, since sad experience had taught me that the baby would, in fact, not sleep through much at all, ever. The husband would say I'm obsessive about noises (particularly those he makes), but I would say I'm just circumspect. And desperate for J to stay asleep at any cost!!!
Tuesday, September 23, 2008
Knocking on heaven's door
This is turning out to be a busy week, hence the short or limited posts. Yesterday was spent prepping for the coming week, which entails two church functions, one service project, one wedding, and one birthday party in addition to the daily Bible study lessons and, you know, living.
For one of the church functions, tonight's, I'm doing both refreshments and a presentation. The former I remembered and have ready; the latter slipped my mind until this afternoon, so I fit in prepping what I was going to say as I was baking fruity oatmeal bars and making a curried chicken cheese ball (don't mess!). The cheese ball was a success, though I won't do more than taste, lactose depository that it is, but I'd had visions of my grandmother's cheese ball for some time, so I decided now was the day to make it. My mother helpfully provided the recipe, after my father wondered why in the world I wanted it. As I informed him, I have just a few untainted memories of my maternal grandmother, and most of those involve food that she made (her spinach fettucine is one of my greatest lactose laments), so we have to honor our sometimes dubious heritage where we can. The oatmeal bars were a new dish, though I messed up and doubled the recipe but only bought one can of cherry pie filling, which was definitely not enough. What to do? I improvised with some leftover strawberry freezer jam (berries, sugar, and pectin. What's not to love) and some frozen mixed berries, thawed, heated, and thickened with cornstarch. And the new and improved berry oatmeal bars are quite tasty, if I do say so myself (I had to try them. What if they were vile??). Once again, necessity and invention and all that.
Getting ready for tonight was complicated by the fact that J peeed on me not once, not twice, but THREE times today, the third time soaking the outfit I had just then put on for tonight. Granted, this kind of fountainworks hasn't happened for a long while now, so we were due, but each time he let loose today, he giggled uproariously right before, leading me to the terrible conclusion that he has learned to pee on command. And he thinks it's funny. Heaven help me!
For one of the church functions, tonight's, I'm doing both refreshments and a presentation. The former I remembered and have ready; the latter slipped my mind until this afternoon, so I fit in prepping what I was going to say as I was baking fruity oatmeal bars and making a curried chicken cheese ball (don't mess!). The cheese ball was a success, though I won't do more than taste, lactose depository that it is, but I'd had visions of my grandmother's cheese ball for some time, so I decided now was the day to make it. My mother helpfully provided the recipe, after my father wondered why in the world I wanted it. As I informed him, I have just a few untainted memories of my maternal grandmother, and most of those involve food that she made (her spinach fettucine is one of my greatest lactose laments), so we have to honor our sometimes dubious heritage where we can. The oatmeal bars were a new dish, though I messed up and doubled the recipe but only bought one can of cherry pie filling, which was definitely not enough. What to do? I improvised with some leftover strawberry freezer jam (berries, sugar, and pectin. What's not to love) and some frozen mixed berries, thawed, heated, and thickened with cornstarch. And the new and improved berry oatmeal bars are quite tasty, if I do say so myself (I had to try them. What if they were vile??). Once again, necessity and invention and all that.
Getting ready for tonight was complicated by the fact that J peeed on me not once, not twice, but THREE times today, the third time soaking the outfit I had just then put on for tonight. Granted, this kind of fountainworks hasn't happened for a long while now, so we were due, but each time he let loose today, he giggled uproariously right before, leading me to the terrible conclusion that he has learned to pee on command. And he thinks it's funny. Heaven help me!
Thursday, September 18, 2008
Say you, say me
So I had my first triple couponing experience today. It was...umm...sort of successful. I mean, I got a lot of deals and spent $35 on $149 worth of groceries, which was not bad for my first time through. I stocked up on some staples, like rice and kleenex and toothpaste, but I was disappointed that some of my information (gotten online, my own fault) was out of date so some of my best deals didn't actually exist. I learned a ton, however, about how to do it better next time, and now I've got a stash of coupons started for next time so I'll be better prepared. The tripling lasts through the weekend, so I may make another pass after I've sorted out my stash and verified prices at the store's own website (clever, that, huh?) so I can save time.
This morning's visit was complicated by a few factors, not the least of which was that I took J, and it was breakfast time for him. So he kept sucking on a bottle that was too full for him to actually lift up and drink until I padded the shopping cart seat with the seat cover and turned it into a little bed for him in which he could recline and drink as we rode around. He was much happier then, at least until he got a dirty diaper, and I made him sit in it until we were done (it was my last pass, promise!). Bad mommy! But I had fun because I met up with a couple of friends of mine there and we traded coupons and deal advice, which made the whole outing more enjoyable all around.
But here is what I have learned: I need more coupons! Not just more, but more of the ones I like. So it's back to the recycle bins weekly for me, it appears. I need to get on some sort of schedule so I maximize my time and minimize my exposure to the sun. One bin is near our church and is in the shade, so I can pull up there and leave J in the car with the AC on and the door open in the shade right next to the bin while I search, my favorite set up by far. There are others, but they are in less ideal places, requiring early morning or late evening runs. But, this is the only way, short of paying for coupons, and I'm not adept enough at this yet to make that worth my while.
This morning's visit was complicated by a few factors, not the least of which was that I took J, and it was breakfast time for him. So he kept sucking on a bottle that was too full for him to actually lift up and drink until I padded the shopping cart seat with the seat cover and turned it into a little bed for him in which he could recline and drink as we rode around. He was much happier then, at least until he got a dirty diaper, and I made him sit in it until we were done (it was my last pass, promise!). Bad mommy! But I had fun because I met up with a couple of friends of mine there and we traded coupons and deal advice, which made the whole outing more enjoyable all around.
But here is what I have learned: I need more coupons! Not just more, but more of the ones I like. So it's back to the recycle bins weekly for me, it appears. I need to get on some sort of schedule so I maximize my time and minimize my exposure to the sun. One bin is near our church and is in the shade, so I can pull up there and leave J in the car with the AC on and the door open in the shade right next to the bin while I search, my favorite set up by far. There are others, but they are in less ideal places, requiring early morning or late evening runs. But, this is the only way, short of paying for coupons, and I'm not adept enough at this yet to make that worth my while.
Thursday, September 11, 2008
The tough get going
I think I mentioned before that I am attempting to make up for no longer having an income by become an economizing queen. Right now, what I am is an economizing lady in waiting, perhaps, or untitled noblewoman. I have a ways to go, you see. But the desire is there, so today I moved on to a new phase in my quest to become frugal royalty: I searched through recycle bins.
So one of the keys to grocery savings is coupons. Duh. And one of our local grocery stores routinely doubles coupons and periodically triples coupons, sometimes on items that are already on sale. In other words, if you play your cards (or coupons) right, you can get items for free or for very, very cheap. Sign me up, right? The catch is, you need coupons to play. Now, there are coupons available online, but for some reason every second time I try to print them, my computer or the site or both decide that isn't happening, no way, no how, which is VERY frustrating. And there are coupons available in many grocery stores themselves, from little machines (which I now know are called Blinkies) near the products in question. However, you can only get so many here since they are on a time delay (smart people, no?) and you can only wander the store for so long before you start to look like a vagrant. (Having a child helps here, particularly one who likes to pull the coupons, but even an infant gets you lots of leeway in how long it should take you to do things). And I've done this a few times but it's a bit time commitment with limited pay-off.
Enter community recycle bins. Here conscientious folks bring their papers and included in them are the Sunday paper coupon inserts, the coupon gold mine. But you have to be willing to fish through the bins for them, and, today, after learning that a triple coupon weekend is fast approaching, I was. So I set out after seminary with J in the car to the closest bin to see what I could see.
My trip was hampered by a number of factors: there was an accident (involving a school bus!) on the main road between me and the supermarket (but I know many detours, never fear); it was get-to-school time so there was a lot more traffic than I'd bargained for to begin with; it had rained recently, so some bins were virtually impossible to use, unfortunately; and this was my first time, so I wasn't entirely sure what I was looking for at first (aren't the Sunday papers the ones with the comics?). However, I persevered. When I got to the bins, I left J in the car right next to them and started pulling stuff out and bringing it to him. No one was around except for several strange men lurking behind the Piggly Wiggly, just...standing there...watching me intently. Now, I ask you, what are you men DOING, lurking and staring at women and their children getting papers out of recycle bins at 7:30 in the morning? It's creepy! And it really cramps my style, what with being afraid you're going to come abduct my child when I turn my back! So, I was only able to work for a few minutes before I called it and left.
But I was successful! And I'll be back, after next weekend's papers show up. And I'll let you know how the whole process goes.
So one of the keys to grocery savings is coupons. Duh. And one of our local grocery stores routinely doubles coupons and periodically triples coupons, sometimes on items that are already on sale. In other words, if you play your cards (or coupons) right, you can get items for free or for very, very cheap. Sign me up, right? The catch is, you need coupons to play. Now, there are coupons available online, but for some reason every second time I try to print them, my computer or the site or both decide that isn't happening, no way, no how, which is VERY frustrating. And there are coupons available in many grocery stores themselves, from little machines (which I now know are called Blinkies) near the products in question. However, you can only get so many here since they are on a time delay (smart people, no?) and you can only wander the store for so long before you start to look like a vagrant. (Having a child helps here, particularly one who likes to pull the coupons, but even an infant gets you lots of leeway in how long it should take you to do things). And I've done this a few times but it's a bit time commitment with limited pay-off.
Enter community recycle bins. Here conscientious folks bring their papers and included in them are the Sunday paper coupon inserts, the coupon gold mine. But you have to be willing to fish through the bins for them, and, today, after learning that a triple coupon weekend is fast approaching, I was. So I set out after seminary with J in the car to the closest bin to see what I could see.
My trip was hampered by a number of factors: there was an accident (involving a school bus!) on the main road between me and the supermarket (but I know many detours, never fear); it was get-to-school time so there was a lot more traffic than I'd bargained for to begin with; it had rained recently, so some bins were virtually impossible to use, unfortunately; and this was my first time, so I wasn't entirely sure what I was looking for at first (aren't the Sunday papers the ones with the comics?). However, I persevered. When I got to the bins, I left J in the car right next to them and started pulling stuff out and bringing it to him. No one was around except for several strange men lurking behind the Piggly Wiggly, just...standing there...watching me intently. Now, I ask you, what are you men DOING, lurking and staring at women and their children getting papers out of recycle bins at 7:30 in the morning? It's creepy! And it really cramps my style, what with being afraid you're going to come abduct my child when I turn my back! So, I was only able to work for a few minutes before I called it and left.
But I was successful! And I'll be back, after next weekend's papers show up. And I'll let you know how the whole process goes.
Tuesday, September 09, 2008
Stays mainly on the plain
I'm feeling very DIY lately, which for me is fairly crazy, since crafty and/or manually talented I am not. I have lots of ideas, sure, but never the technical skills to make them work out very well. But home ownership and motherhood are pushing me in this direction lately and what with the lack of an out of the home job, who am I to argue? So, here is one of my current projects (we are in the VERY early stages of development here, so don't get too excited or anything):
Bigger, Better Baby Bibs
The inadequate selection of bibs out there is appalling! First of all, many are small to the point of being ridiculous, like tiny little decorative neck napkins, as if anyone needed those. Second, many are not waterproof which, frankly, is just silly, particularly for an unskilled but enthusiastic water drinker like my J. Third, those that are waterproof are generally made of some thin, useless material over some emplasticated stuff that doesn't really hold up in the wash and, I ask you, who ever thought a bib that was virtually unwashable was a good idea?? Fourth, most bibs, what with their pathetic lack of absorption, seem to be designed for non-eaters, when that seems to me to be the moment when bibs become more than essential but the difference between spending hundreds of dollars on new wardrobes every month and keeping your kid in his or her clothes for at least as long as he or she fits into them. Fifth, velcro, unless VERY heavy duty, is not match for an enraged 8 month old with surprising motor skills, so something needs to be done about that.
In short (??), there has to be a better way. I have scoured the web and found lots of attempts at better products but all seem to have the same sorts of flaws, as far as I can tell, For example, someone makes full body, smock-like bibs...out of non-waterproof cotton. Or someone else makes molded or soft plastic bibs, which look cute and all but don't absorb anything, and if they have some sort of trough at the bottom, as some do, that just strikes me as a small puddle of mess my child would LOVE to exploit, something I don't need. Or there are "adult" bibs which are sterile and ugly and, while large, are also not particularly absorbent. SHEESH! So, I am on a mission to make what I want: large, absorbent, waterproof, machine washable, durable bibs. Right now, I am using this woman's idea as a model for the basic look and "improving" upon the design by adding a waterproof backing, perhaps made out of recycled plastic shopping bags (because who says this can't be an environmentally friendly project while we're at it) or vinyl place mats (I found some on huge markdown in a clearance bin somewhere). I've tracked down the knit collars, gotten some dish/hand towels to start with, and am well on my way to learning how to make plastic "fabric" from all these useless shopping bags I have lying around. So, perhaps this project will, in fact, work out. I'll keep you posted. I will not, however, be appliqueing cute little turtles on things because, seriously, who are we kidding? I will never be THAT mom!
Bigger, Better Baby Bibs
The inadequate selection of bibs out there is appalling! First of all, many are small to the point of being ridiculous, like tiny little decorative neck napkins, as if anyone needed those. Second, many are not waterproof which, frankly, is just silly, particularly for an unskilled but enthusiastic water drinker like my J. Third, those that are waterproof are generally made of some thin, useless material over some emplasticated stuff that doesn't really hold up in the wash and, I ask you, who ever thought a bib that was virtually unwashable was a good idea?? Fourth, most bibs, what with their pathetic lack of absorption, seem to be designed for non-eaters, when that seems to me to be the moment when bibs become more than essential but the difference between spending hundreds of dollars on new wardrobes every month and keeping your kid in his or her clothes for at least as long as he or she fits into them. Fifth, velcro, unless VERY heavy duty, is not match for an enraged 8 month old with surprising motor skills, so something needs to be done about that.
In short (??), there has to be a better way. I have scoured the web and found lots of attempts at better products but all seem to have the same sorts of flaws, as far as I can tell, For example, someone makes full body, smock-like bibs...out of non-waterproof cotton. Or someone else makes molded or soft plastic bibs, which look cute and all but don't absorb anything, and if they have some sort of trough at the bottom, as some do, that just strikes me as a small puddle of mess my child would LOVE to exploit, something I don't need. Or there are "adult" bibs which are sterile and ugly and, while large, are also not particularly absorbent. SHEESH! So, I am on a mission to make what I want: large, absorbent, waterproof, machine washable, durable bibs. Right now, I am using this woman's idea as a model for the basic look and "improving" upon the design by adding a waterproof backing, perhaps made out of recycled plastic shopping bags (because who says this can't be an environmentally friendly project while we're at it) or vinyl place mats (I found some on huge markdown in a clearance bin somewhere). I've tracked down the knit collars, gotten some dish/hand towels to start with, and am well on my way to learning how to make plastic "fabric" from all these useless shopping bags I have lying around. So, perhaps this project will, in fact, work out. I'll keep you posted. I will not, however, be appliqueing cute little turtles on things because, seriously, who are we kidding? I will never be THAT mom!
Friday, September 05, 2008
The rain is Tess
Because I am prepared like that, today, a few hours in advance to what is now Tropical Storm Hanna, I decided to check out our 72 hour kit. Because now is certainly the time for this, not, say, earlier in the week when then Hurricane Hanna was fast approaching and looming large and all that. Because all of the relevant products will certainly be sold out by now at my local Walmart, should I find out we are missing something DIRE. Umm, yeah, logic? Not so much. But I have all kinds of good excuses! Baby sick! Doing presentations at the local college as a favor for a prof there! Husband working at a hospital changing their storm plans (and thus ours) almost hourly! Busy, busy, busy!
Anywho, I have been meaning to do this for some time actually, since J's birth, in fact, so that I could get him all prepared for 72 hours of his own, so I am only slightly behind (read, 8 months) in my planning and acting on said plans. Going through our supplies has revealed several things to us:
1. We are really lucky the husband's parents have given us various emergency supplies over the years. Because of them, when I looked at my list and it said "triangular bandages and pins" and thought, "What?", I was soon able to replace my confusion with "Check!" because there they were, in the car kit the in-laws had bought us a few years ago. Huzzah for preparation by proxy!
2. Every single food we have in our kit is unsuitable for a baby under 12 months old. It's like we went out and found all the possible allergenic foods we could and assembled them in one place: peanut butter, nuts of all kinds, chocolate, preserved meats, fish, canned citrus juices, the list goes on and on. So it's a good thing we checked and added some squash and sweet potatoes, huh?
3. Babies need a lot of STUFF! Okay, so this is not that much of a revelation, but adding J to our supplies has taken us from one duffel and one backpack to two duffels and two backpacks and counting. Good thing he's worth it, huh?
4. If we do have a catastrophic emergency sometime, I am going to be really confused about what to do with some of the items we have. I am following many lists that are very comprehensive, but what do I need rope for? And we've got several multi-function tools that look like Rubick's cubes to me, so let's hope I don't have to use those. And a snake bite kit is very necessary here, of course, but it's very intimidating looking. As is our new buck knife! The husband is confident he can use everything we have, but what if he is on Team A at the hospital, responsible for being there during the first 72 hours of an emergency, and J and I have to evacuate to some distant locale? Then what? Clearly, we need separate kits, one with me-friendly items, but that is a project for another day.
5. I really, really, really don't want a real storm to hit. I'm just sayin'!
The upside of the storm's approach is that I was scheduled to speak in stake conference (multiple local congregations from the region all coming together for a meeting) and now don't have to, at least not this month. Someone really doesn't want me to give this talk: I was originally supposed to give it in January but then had J and now a tropical storm has prevented me from delivering it. Talk about acts of God!
Anywho, I have been meaning to do this for some time actually, since J's birth, in fact, so that I could get him all prepared for 72 hours of his own, so I am only slightly behind (read, 8 months) in my planning and acting on said plans. Going through our supplies has revealed several things to us:
1. We are really lucky the husband's parents have given us various emergency supplies over the years. Because of them, when I looked at my list and it said "triangular bandages and pins" and thought, "What?", I was soon able to replace my confusion with "Check!" because there they were, in the car kit the in-laws had bought us a few years ago. Huzzah for preparation by proxy!
2. Every single food we have in our kit is unsuitable for a baby under 12 months old. It's like we went out and found all the possible allergenic foods we could and assembled them in one place: peanut butter, nuts of all kinds, chocolate, preserved meats, fish, canned citrus juices, the list goes on and on. So it's a good thing we checked and added some squash and sweet potatoes, huh?
3. Babies need a lot of STUFF! Okay, so this is not that much of a revelation, but adding J to our supplies has taken us from one duffel and one backpack to two duffels and two backpacks and counting. Good thing he's worth it, huh?
4. If we do have a catastrophic emergency sometime, I am going to be really confused about what to do with some of the items we have. I am following many lists that are very comprehensive, but what do I need rope for? And we've got several multi-function tools that look like Rubick's cubes to me, so let's hope I don't have to use those. And a snake bite kit is very necessary here, of course, but it's very intimidating looking. As is our new buck knife! The husband is confident he can use everything we have, but what if he is on Team A at the hospital, responsible for being there during the first 72 hours of an emergency, and J and I have to evacuate to some distant locale? Then what? Clearly, we need separate kits, one with me-friendly items, but that is a project for another day.
5. I really, really, really don't want a real storm to hit. I'm just sayin'!
The upside of the storm's approach is that I was scheduled to speak in stake conference (multiple local congregations from the region all coming together for a meeting) and now don't have to, at least not this month. Someone really doesn't want me to give this talk: I was originally supposed to give it in January but then had J and now a tropical storm has prevented me from delivering it. Talk about acts of God!
Saturday, August 16, 2008
Wheels keep on turning
I'm sitting in my newly clean office, waiting for the husband to arrive to help me cart off three boxes worth of stuff (mostly books and papers, of course) before I have to turn in my keys today. In preparation for getting a new infusion of stuff, I also started to clean out all the boxes of class materials and notes I have in my home office so there will be somewhere to put everything.
Going through my undergraduate and graduate notes and papers was an odd experience. On the one hand, I kept having visceral memories of certain classes as I uncovered my notebooks or assignments, which was great as far as undergrad was concerned but mildly unpleasant as far as grad school was concerned. I mean, I loved, LOVED undergrad, because I'm a nerd like that, and there were fabulous moments in grad school, but most of those took place out of class. On the other hand, it was, I don't know, disheartening? to realize how much of my grad career has turned out to be absolutely useless in the grander scheme of my life. Not that I didn't know that already, but tossing folder after folder of useless information into a huge trash pile has a way of bringing that kind of realization home starkly. And when J started trying to chew on that stack of trash after it tipped perilously close to him, I thought it was a symbolic moment on many levels!
So now I'm at my work office, doing much the same thing but with better results. Because what I have here, my assignments and grading rubrics and student papers and handouts and textbooks as well as some of my personal research and writing from the last while, has, in fact, been very relevant in my life. And it's more rewarding to review the accumulated evidence of my teaching career which, unlike grad school as a whole, has been very useful in my life thus far. All of this packing, unpacking, and tossing just reaffirms the sagacity of my decision to leave behind some parts of academia (the insular scholarship or the publish or perish rat race) while embracing others (teaching and research for research's sake). I eventually ended up doing exactly what I should have been doing.
And now I'm doing something else entirely, exactly what I should be doing now. And it requires very little of anything in any of these boxes!
Going through my undergraduate and graduate notes and papers was an odd experience. On the one hand, I kept having visceral memories of certain classes as I uncovered my notebooks or assignments, which was great as far as undergrad was concerned but mildly unpleasant as far as grad school was concerned. I mean, I loved, LOVED undergrad, because I'm a nerd like that, and there were fabulous moments in grad school, but most of those took place out of class. On the other hand, it was, I don't know, disheartening? to realize how much of my grad career has turned out to be absolutely useless in the grander scheme of my life. Not that I didn't know that already, but tossing folder after folder of useless information into a huge trash pile has a way of bringing that kind of realization home starkly. And when J started trying to chew on that stack of trash after it tipped perilously close to him, I thought it was a symbolic moment on many levels!
So now I'm at my work office, doing much the same thing but with better results. Because what I have here, my assignments and grading rubrics and student papers and handouts and textbooks as well as some of my personal research and writing from the last while, has, in fact, been very relevant in my life. And it's more rewarding to review the accumulated evidence of my teaching career which, unlike grad school as a whole, has been very useful in my life thus far. All of this packing, unpacking, and tossing just reaffirms the sagacity of my decision to leave behind some parts of academia (the insular scholarship or the publish or perish rat race) while embracing others (teaching and research for research's sake). I eventually ended up doing exactly what I should have been doing.
And now I'm doing something else entirely, exactly what I should be doing now. And it requires very little of anything in any of these boxes!
Sunday, August 10, 2008
Meet at his location
One of my recent frustrations has come while I've been surfing the web via the women's blogging network. Time and time again, links direct me to people who have furnished a "nursery on a budget" and I go visit, because I'm always curious about a good bargain, and baby bargains are my current obsession. And time and time again, I'm disappointed by these people's idea of "budget." (They keep using that word but I don't think they know what it means!) When I think budget, I'm not thinking about furnishing a room for $1000 or more. Are you? In fact, I've got first hand experience with furnishing a nursery on a REAL budget. And no, it doesn't have a designer look, but I think that is more a function of my lack of decorating abilities than the cost of my raw materials.
We start with the rocker. This was, in fact, our big splurge (which we felt we could do because the husband's parents offered to help us out). We went with a Dutallier, the Lexxus of rockers, but we got ours on closeout from Burlington Coat Factory (of course!) for $220. However, before we went with a new rocker, we were given a used model by our good friends (thanks BF!). Several cushions covered in bright red pillow cases and some WD40 later, it was good as new and would have stayed in our nursery for good had not the generosity of the in-laws appeared. As it is, we still use it for rocking in our bedroom.
Next the crib. Ours is, once again, a high end model, very Pottery Barn-esque with solid wood sides and molding, but we got ours for $100 including the mattress on Craigslist from a children's boutique that was remodeling. No one had ever slept in this crib as it had just been part of a display. Some touch-up paint to cover the wear from customers was all that was required and now it's perfect. But, once again, we could have gone much cheaper. In fact, my sister bought some crib bedding from a woman on Craigslist who later called her back and asked if she wanted the crib for free since the woman wanted the crib to go to a good home and my sister and brother-in-law seemed like such nice people. My sister-in-law got her high end model for free as well from a woman at church who was moving on from children. My parents also got the grandkid crib they have at their house for free as well. Now free is REALLY budgeting.
Our dresser is a plain white, four drawer $70 Ikea dresser, not expressly meant for children or babies, but my mother glued pre-painted jungle animals (which I bought for $0.40 each at the craft store years ago for a Sunday school lesson) on the front to give it a custom look and complement our theme. Oh yes, our nursery has a theme, courtesy of our Ikea curtains ($19.99 for two panels), which have jungle animals on the borders. The curtains also gave us our color scheme: bright primary colors with white furniture.
The nursery also contains a three shelf bookshelf (free from an old roommate), a 4 tier wooden shelving unit originally intended for a bathroom ($49 from Ikea), a children's play table and chairs, and, my favorite part, a rug in abstract shapes and primary colors that's looks a little like stained glass (also from Ikea).
And done!
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We start with the rocker. This was, in fact, our big splurge (which we felt we could do because the husband's parents offered to help us out). We went with a Dutallier, the Lexxus of rockers, but we got ours on closeout from Burlington Coat Factory (of course!) for $220. However, before we went with a new rocker, we were given a used model by our good friends (thanks BF!). Several cushions covered in bright red pillow cases and some WD40 later, it was good as new and would have stayed in our nursery for good had not the generosity of the in-laws appeared. As it is, we still use it for rocking in our bedroom.
Next the crib. Ours is, once again, a high end model, very Pottery Barn-esque with solid wood sides and molding, but we got ours for $100 including the mattress on Craigslist from a children's boutique that was remodeling. No one had ever slept in this crib as it had just been part of a display. Some touch-up paint to cover the wear from customers was all that was required and now it's perfect. But, once again, we could have gone much cheaper. In fact, my sister bought some crib bedding from a woman on Craigslist who later called her back and asked if she wanted the crib for free since the woman wanted the crib to go to a good home and my sister and brother-in-law seemed like such nice people. My sister-in-law got her high end model for free as well from a woman at church who was moving on from children. My parents also got the grandkid crib they have at their house for free as well. Now free is REALLY budgeting.
Our dresser is a plain white, four drawer $70 Ikea dresser, not expressly meant for children or babies, but my mother glued pre-painted jungle animals (which I bought for $0.40 each at the craft store years ago for a Sunday school lesson) on the front to give it a custom look and complement our theme. Oh yes, our nursery has a theme, courtesy of our Ikea curtains ($19.99 for two panels), which have jungle animals on the borders. The curtains also gave us our color scheme: bright primary colors with white furniture.
The nursery also contains a three shelf bookshelf (free from an old roommate), a 4 tier wooden shelving unit originally intended for a bathroom ($49 from Ikea), a children's play table and chairs, and, my favorite part, a rug in abstract shapes and primary colors that's looks a little like stained glass (also from Ikea).
And done!
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Saturday, August 02, 2008
Messing with the flavor
We've had quite a few church events this last little while and for me that usually means I've been making and taking some sort of food item. Generally speaking, I like to make something with what I've got on hand to avoid another trip to the grocery store and because it's sort of a challenge for me to see what I can come up with based on the randomness of my kitchen.
On Tuesday, I made "Berry Heavenly Trifle," or that's what it would have been called if I were the kind of person to put these things on recipe cards and give them cutesy names. However, I'm not, largely because I'm pretty sure I'll never have these particular ingredients on hand ever again, so a recipe is really moot. Indeed, that's part of the fun of this kind of cooking (though it aggravates the husband at times): the product is ineffable, never to be repeated, so enjoy it now. Anywho, this "trifle" involved layers of angel food cake (I had a random mix on hand), vanilla pudding (one box of instant plus three leftover little pudding cups the husband bought as snacks some time in the distant past), blueberries (remember when I picked them myself? Still have some), strawberries (remember when I picked those, too?), and whipped cream. I did fold the strawberries into the box of pudding because they became a bit soupy when they were defrosted and I did bake the cake, but that's about as much prep as it took. Results were yummy and plentiful.
Today, I have made pasta salad using the following leftovers: part of one bag of frozen mixed vegetables, 4 really ripe roma tomatoes, one yellow pepper, one small head of broccoli, part of a bag of shredded carrots, some frozen peas and corn, and one can of kidney beans. I also used the cannery macaroni, so I felt even more industrious than usual, given that I was using up my food storage as advised. I have to say, I don't ever use macaroni, preferring other shapes of pasta, but it works quite well in pasta salad because it's about the same size as everything else. And, of course, I used my super secret pasta salad sauce that always gets rave reviews. Oh, you want to know the secret so you can get some accolades of your own? Really? Okay, here goes: one bottle of dollar store fat-free Italian salad dressing and a couple of shakes of Mrs. Dash (table blend if you have it but regular will do). Yep, the cheaper the dressing, the better. I always have some on hand because I pick some up every time I'm in or near a dollar store. Trust me: it's the best, quickest, tastiest marinade for the money out there. Besides pasta salad, you can use it to marinate chicken or fish, as a stir fry sauce, in casseroles, as a dip alone or with sour cream, you name it. Oh, and it works pretty well on a green salad in a pinch! Use most of one bottle on a pound of pasta and lots of veggies and then bring the rest of the bottle with you to pour over everything right before you serve it at a potluck, since the pasta will absorb a lot of dressing.
I learned to make do and make up from my mother, who just this week was telling me how she rescued and turned into something edible a freezer burned bag of chicken breasts and was wondering what to do with several bags of frozen apricots she needs to use up before the next crop comes in. I remember countless times watching her create something from a random assortment of ingredients, most of which were leftovers, and then watching and laughing along with her as people sought her out for the "recipe." Some would say this ability is a skill or a talent, and I guess technically it is, but I've always felt like it was a game because I've had so much fun coming up with all these dishes alone and with my mother.
Can't wait to see what comes out of the kitchen next week!
On Tuesday, I made "Berry Heavenly Trifle," or that's what it would have been called if I were the kind of person to put these things on recipe cards and give them cutesy names. However, I'm not, largely because I'm pretty sure I'll never have these particular ingredients on hand ever again, so a recipe is really moot. Indeed, that's part of the fun of this kind of cooking (though it aggravates the husband at times): the product is ineffable, never to be repeated, so enjoy it now. Anywho, this "trifle" involved layers of angel food cake (I had a random mix on hand), vanilla pudding (one box of instant plus three leftover little pudding cups the husband bought as snacks some time in the distant past), blueberries (remember when I picked them myself? Still have some), strawberries (remember when I picked those, too?), and whipped cream. I did fold the strawberries into the box of pudding because they became a bit soupy when they were defrosted and I did bake the cake, but that's about as much prep as it took. Results were yummy and plentiful.
Today, I have made pasta salad using the following leftovers: part of one bag of frozen mixed vegetables, 4 really ripe roma tomatoes, one yellow pepper, one small head of broccoli, part of a bag of shredded carrots, some frozen peas and corn, and one can of kidney beans. I also used the cannery macaroni, so I felt even more industrious than usual, given that I was using up my food storage as advised. I have to say, I don't ever use macaroni, preferring other shapes of pasta, but it works quite well in pasta salad because it's about the same size as everything else. And, of course, I used my super secret pasta salad sauce that always gets rave reviews. Oh, you want to know the secret so you can get some accolades of your own? Really? Okay, here goes: one bottle of dollar store fat-free Italian salad dressing and a couple of shakes of Mrs. Dash (table blend if you have it but regular will do). Yep, the cheaper the dressing, the better. I always have some on hand because I pick some up every time I'm in or near a dollar store. Trust me: it's the best, quickest, tastiest marinade for the money out there. Besides pasta salad, you can use it to marinate chicken or fish, as a stir fry sauce, in casseroles, as a dip alone or with sour cream, you name it. Oh, and it works pretty well on a green salad in a pinch! Use most of one bottle on a pound of pasta and lots of veggies and then bring the rest of the bottle with you to pour over everything right before you serve it at a potluck, since the pasta will absorb a lot of dressing.
I learned to make do and make up from my mother, who just this week was telling me how she rescued and turned into something edible a freezer burned bag of chicken breasts and was wondering what to do with several bags of frozen apricots she needs to use up before the next crop comes in. I remember countless times watching her create something from a random assortment of ingredients, most of which were leftovers, and then watching and laughing along with her as people sought her out for the "recipe." Some would say this ability is a skill or a talent, and I guess technically it is, but I've always felt like it was a game because I've had so much fun coming up with all these dishes alone and with my mother.
Can't wait to see what comes out of the kitchen next week!
Thursday, July 24, 2008
Whistle while you work
So I've got a project or at least the raw materials for a project, and I'm not sure exactly what I should do. See, while I was in UT, my mother-in-law gave me four cloth napkins the husband's grandmother had found while doing some sorting/cleaning/tossing. They're perfectly preserved seventies (indeed, I wonder if they were ever even used): floral, yellow flowers with brown centers and avocado and lime green leaves on a creme background. In short, very me. In fact, they are the exact colors of our great room decor (such as it is), so I want to use them in that room, but I'm not sure how.
As with all my potential "craft" (we use the term very loosely here) projects, I have some vague ideas and minimal skills. I was thinking about framing them, but there really isn't that much wall space in here (what with all the many, many windows. And each one is a square foot at least, so that would need a lot of space. I could, I suppose, turn them into two pillows, but the one thing this room does not lack is pillows, in all shades of green. I suppose, if I did frame them, I could also put them up on the one open wall in this room, in the "dining" space, and they could tie together the two spaces even more solidly.
But framing also seems sort of...boring? Not that I couldn't try it and completely mess it up, but I'm just sayin'! So what other ideas are out there? I saw someone on Etsy who made a tray out of fabric mounted on wood, covered in glass, and framed, and that looked like a possibility, though these would be big trays if I didn't cut down the fabric. They would work as place mats, but craftwise that's kind of a cop-out, and while I am realistic enough about my skills not to dismiss a cop-out out of hand, I want to at least TRY something else.
In the meantime, the napkins occupy a place of honor on top of a pile of stuff on my dining room table. And there they will sit until I figure something out. Any suggestions, before they molder away into nothingness?
As with all my potential "craft" (we use the term very loosely here) projects, I have some vague ideas and minimal skills. I was thinking about framing them, but there really isn't that much wall space in here (what with all the many, many windows. And each one is a square foot at least, so that would need a lot of space. I could, I suppose, turn them into two pillows, but the one thing this room does not lack is pillows, in all shades of green. I suppose, if I did frame them, I could also put them up on the one open wall in this room, in the "dining" space, and they could tie together the two spaces even more solidly.
But framing also seems sort of...boring? Not that I couldn't try it and completely mess it up, but I'm just sayin'! So what other ideas are out there? I saw someone on Etsy who made a tray out of fabric mounted on wood, covered in glass, and framed, and that looked like a possibility, though these would be big trays if I didn't cut down the fabric. They would work as place mats, but craftwise that's kind of a cop-out, and while I am realistic enough about my skills not to dismiss a cop-out out of hand, I want to at least TRY something else.
In the meantime, the napkins occupy a place of honor on top of a pile of stuff on my dining room table. And there they will sit until I figure something out. Any suggestions, before they molder away into nothingness?
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