Happy Thanksgiving!

My Thankfulness list:

1. My God, Father, Daddy, and King
2. God’s book
3. My children (even if my mind is gone after spending 11, 9, and 7 years with them!)
4. My husband (even if what used to be cute now drives me insane! lol)
5. My parents and in-laws
6. My hair (even if it’s gray- not everyone has any)
7. My home
8. Our orphan kitten who now has a name- Sassy
9. Our bazillion barn cats who never cease to entertain
10. Our dog with an eating disorder- he can’t stop. . . . .
11. Our chickens who provide green, blue, pink, and olive colored eggs
12. Our farm life- even if it is nearly December and the corn is still in the field. . . .
13. Our rabbits who are getting friendlier by the day and will probably be their friendliest when it’s time to put them in the freezer. . . . .)-:
14. The river- which provides such a sense of peace and joy.
15. 4-wheelers that I learned to drive this year for the very first time!  Love it!!!
16. Health- we are not the healthiest family this year but we could be soooo much sicker and for that we are thankful
17. Flush toilets- even if the upstairs toilet does “burp” into the downstairs toilet
18. Fresh air
19. A freezer full of food (even if 99% of it is turkey- we will not starve!)
20. Fresh water
21. The sunshine
22. The rain
23. Cotton candy clouds
24. Peppermint Tea
25. Coffee
26. Coca Cola
27. Reeses Peanut Butter cups
28. 3-D movies (even if they do make me “car sick”- the boys loved their trip to the theater!)
29. Leaves that change color in the fall
30. Fresh mown hay
31. Newly plowed earth
32. Amber waves of grain
33. The smell of the corn going through the grain dryer
34. The sound of the grain falling into an empty bin
35. The internet (even though we still have dial-up service)
36. Cell phones
37. The US post office that can get a greeting card  to a sick friend 60 miles away  in 24 hours
38. My vehicle that can get me to the superstores in less than 20 min. when we need milk!
39. Sliced bread (have you ever tried to slice your own?  It’s not that easy!)
40. Natural peanut butter (love it!)
41. Peanut butter and banana sandwiches
42. Butterflies
43. Dragonflies
44. Baby birds
45. Ramen Noodles (the boys can cook for themselves thanks to this invention!)
46. Homemade salsa
47. Creamy hot soup on a cold day
48. Applebee’s (where friends meet)
49. Olive Garden (where more friends meet)
50. McDonald’s Playland
51. Good doctors
52. Good nurses
53. Good books
54. Hot cocoa
55. Homemade Pizza after soccer practice on Thursdays (2nd born’s favorite day!)
56. Fuzzy blankets in a cold bed.
57. Bed sheets dried on the clothesline
58. Toys that occupy young ‘uns
59. Homemade Taco’s with homemade tortillas
60. Good schools
61. Good teachers
62. Our church family
63. Taco Bell- where you can feed a family and not go broke.
64. Cheesecake
65. Fuzzy mittens
66. Snow balls
67. Those beautiful mornings after freezing rain has touched all the trees in the neighborhood.
68. Frosty mornings when the frost crystals have made beautiful designs on all the windows
69. A beautiful place called earth
70. Brand new socks
71. My Harley Davidson boots (even if they don’t go with my personal style profile- lol)
72. Crocs (they are ugly, but aren’t they the most comfortable things ever!???)
73. Beanie Babies and boys who aren’t afraid to admit they love them!
74. Little kitten paws that wake you from a nap by walking on your face
75. Good orthodontists
76. Good dentists
77. The invention of the rubberband. . . . .
78. Board games
79. Bicycles and dads who take their boys on bike rides in the summer
80. Ramps that provide hours of entertainment to wild and brave children
81. Rootbeer floats
82. Police officers who keep us safe
83. Ice cold Mountain Dew on a hot day
84. Lemonade
85. Smores made with real Hershey chocolate bars
86. Dollar Stores
87. Medicine that tastes good
88. Puffs with lotion tissues
89. Toast with real butter
90. Homemade muffins
91. The smell of bacon (oh, actually just bacon. . . . )
92. The 4-H fair
93. Steak on the grill
94. Corn on the cob
95. Axe body products that make pre-teens smell like angels
96. Game boys that provide fight-free entertainment in the car
97. Silky hand lotion that makes your hands feel soooooo smooth
98. Broken tools and electronics that the boys can tear apart and find out how they work
99. The Lego Corporation (we should own stock. . . .)
100. Friends- without them I’d go mad. . . . .

 

Thought for the day. . .

Don’t argue with an idiot; people watching

may not be able to tell the difference . . . . . .

Mono

Just checking in to let any of you regulars know that my 1st born has been diagnosed with Mono and I have been pretty busy running to the doctor, lab, etc. lately.  My #2 kid is exhibiting similar symptoms and so I’m watching him as well. 

For those of you who are checking out this post wanting info on Mono, here it is:

Symptoms:

First born complained of just not feeling well for a couple weeks nearly a month ago.  Football practice had started and he wasn’t able to keep up with the other kids, said it “hurt to breathe”.  I just figured he was not in as good of shape as he’d thought and that he probably inherited my lack of stamina so I let it go.  The first day of school, he had a hard time getting ready to go which isn’t like him on the first day but it was also his first day at the middle school so I thought he was nervous.  When I picked him up after football practice at 5:30, he was exhausted.  He also complained of pain on the side of his neck and a headache.  His coach expressed concern because first born wasn’t even able to complete warm-ups.  The second day of school, I kept him home and took him to the doctor.  He presented at the dr office with headache, temp of 101, extremely swollen gland on the side of his neck, and his “hurts to breathe” was actually an extremely red/infected throat.  The nurse practitioner diagnosed him with tonsillitis and an upper respiratory infection, prescribed Keflex (inexpensive antibiotic), and told him to rest and drink lots and he’d be ready for football again come Monday.  Over the weekend he vomited numerous times and complained of a stomach ache and head ache and even though the “hurts to breathe” complaint subsided he was just not recovering like he had in the past for similar ailments.  Monday came and I could not get him out of bed for school- he was whiny, cried at the drop of a hat,  still complained of headache and stomach ache.  We went back to the nurse practitioner and she checked him over again.  His throat was less red, his gland was less swollen, and the stomach ache/vomitting was probably from the antibiotics.  She assured us he was recovering, just not as quickly as we had hoped.  He went back to school that Tuesday.  Wednesday he went to school an hour late, just exhausted.  He did not practice football at all that week.  By Friday he seemed better.  He spent the night with a friend that night.  He came home pretty tired but I figured he probably stayed up all night with his buddy.  Sunday, we went to church as usual.   He came to soccer practice with 2nd born and watched that.  Monday he went to school pretty okay, still very whiny and crying over the littlest things.   I went to town that day and spent the day playing catch up on errands.  At 3:00, my cell phone rang.  It was the school nurse saying that first born had stayed after for football but now was not feeling well enough to participate.  Tuesday, he made it through school and went to the chiropractor with his dad.  He was just not himself though.  When he got home, he said his left side hurt him all day at school.  I decided that this was enough.  I researched on the internet, spoke with friends who’s children had mono and had determined in my head that he most likely had it.  He went to the doctor on Wed (this week).  Doctor did a physical exam of his abdomen, checked his testicles, listened to his lungs, looked at his throat, spoke with him about how school was going, etc.  and then ordered a blood test, urine test, and a cat scan of his abdomen and pelvis.  This was at 2:00.  By 5:30, all the tests were done and he had a diagnosis of Mono with an enlarged spleen.   Prescription for steroids to help the spleen recover and strict orders for no horse play or strenouos activities were given.

A word of advice for those going through this or something similar with your kid:  If you go to the hospital or lab for multiple tests, find out if the tests all will require giving blood or having something put into your vein.  If this is true, tell the first lab tech who works with you that you have multiple tests and what they are.  Ask that first lab tech to put /place an IV line  in the vein and leave it there until all the tests are completed.   This will keep you or your child from getting poked multiple times- they can draw blood from there and put medicine in from there.  

Wish me luck as we get the house disinfected, take all our vitamins, and help these boys recover!

Don’t Worry, Be Happy!

Okay, so I ended up reading Phillippians 4:1-9 but it started out with only 6 and 7.  These are the verses that remind us to not worry about anything but to pray about everything and God will give  us peace. 

 

Don’t Worry, Be Happy!

 

Paul was still in prison when he wrote this letter to the people of Phillipi.  Not onlly was he in prison but his whole ministry was under attack by people competing against him.  He’d been in this ministry for 20 years and things seemed pretty bad and tiring on the outside.  But the outside didn’t matter to Paul because he was filled with God’s joy on the inside!!  His God-given joy was overflowing into his letter to  the people in Phillipi, he was uplifting them like only God could have gotten him to do!  Can you imagine feeling down on yourself because life is just getting too crappy?  Everyone is bickering.  Things just aren’t looking good.  Then you receive a letter from a guy in prison who tells you not to worry, to be happy in Jesus???????  I tell you what I would either feel pretty bad or want to return the letter with a punch in the face to Paul for being so cheerful. . . . . . grrr. . . . .

 

Anyway, infectiously joyful Paul made the following points in these 9 verses:

1. Stay true to the Lord
2. People who love the Lord should settle their disagreements quickly.
3. Always be full of joy and make sure others can’t help but notice.
4. Be considerate in all you do.
5. God is coming soon!
6. Don’t worry about anything
7. Pray for everything.
8. Tell God all your needs
9. Thank God
10. God’s peace is more wonderful than humans can understand
11. His peace will guard your heart and mind
12. Keep your thoughts on what is true, honorable, and right.
13. Think about things that are pure and lovely and admirable.
14. Think about things that are excellent worthy of praise.
15. Keep putting into practice all the things Paul showed/taught by his example.

 

That’s a lot of information for 9 little verses!  Paul didn’t include any fluff here, it’s like he was so full of joy that he just had to spit it out before he burst!  Makes me think of the 13ish year old girls who can’t stop talking- it’s out of their control!  Makes me smile!

 

Dear Heavenly Father- Thank you for showing me these verses today!  What a great way to start the morning!  My mind is swirling with VBS this and VBS that- help me to stay focused on you!  Throughout the day, help me to have infectious joy!  I want to have that!  Help me to pray for everything!  Help me to worry about nothing!  Bring that peace that is more awesome than I can understand!  With all my love and thanksgiving, Amen

I’m back online!

Sorry about my absence! I thought my computer was up for the recycling bin, but low and behold it was merely a 2 minute fix that my handy dandy neighbor man corrected for us!  He deserves so much more than chips and salsa and a can of pop (which he wasn’t here long enough this time to even get any of!)  Anyway, I will try to get some devotions up for all of you later on today.  Next week I will be busy with the 4-H fair but I’m gonna try to put some stuff on here with publications dates for the future – If I can figure out how!

Time to go get #3 up for day camp!  I’m so proud of him!  He is going to daycamp without his brothers and is willingly riding in a carpool that I have not even driven for yet (today is my day)!  Kudos to #3  He’s an awesome boy!

Potato Soup

This is one of those recipes where there are not any exact measurements.  My girlfriend, T, asked me to put the recipe on my blog and she will love the fact that there are no exact measurements for anything (not)

To serve 4-6 people (approximately)

4 potatoes, peeled and cubed

1 carrot, peeled and sliced thin (optional)

1 small onion, diced (optional)

1 stalk celery, diced (optional)

Ham  or Bacon crumbles – a handful or two

2 eggs

flour

broth- chicken broth or a little ham broth with chicken broth (2-3 cups)

milk

salt/pepper

Boil your veggies until the potatoes are nearly done but not quite.   While these are cooking,  beat eggs in a shallow, small pan like a pie plate or something similar.  Add a couple handfuls of flour and mix with a fork, smashing and stiring to combine the two ingredients.  This dough should be slightly sticky but you should be able to remove the dough from your fingers by rubbing your hands together.  The drier the dough, the tougher the “rivels” will be.  Add more flour as needed to get the sticky but not “snot” texture.  Set this glob aside.

When the veggies are nearly done, drain the water off.  Return them to the stove and add enough broth to cover them twice.  Throw in your meat and salt and pepper and bring to a boil.  When boiling, reduce heat slightly.  Get your glob of “rivels” and drop them into the boiling broth one glob at at time.  the globs should be about the size of grapes but can be smaller or larger depending on how you like it.  BTW- “rivels” are really just homemade noodles.  Whatever crumbs or flour remain in your pie plate should be scraped into the boiling broth as well (if there is no flour remaining, sprinkle a tablespoon or so into the broth).  This will thicken it as the rivels cook.  When the rivels are cooked through (10 min or so- test them by cutting one in half and tasting it) or when the broth gets too thick, add milk to make it the consistancy you prefer.  Serve with shredded cheese if you’d like.

There you go T!  Enjoy!

Summer Recipes

Here’s a couple recipes I like in the summer.   The skillet dinner recipe I made up while trying to get creative at a camp out.  I was tired of  wiener roasts and pudgy pie pizza.  The first time I did it, I put 1 whole pork burger in a foil packet with the veggies (or similar combination of veggies).  Because there was a lot of raw meat, I didn’t flip it over until I was sure the meat was done.  Then I flipped it to finish the veggies off.    The smoothy recipe is really your basic smoothy recipe- adjust as needed to suit your taste.  If plain yogurt is too sour for you, vanilla yogurt is great too.   You can also use any yogurt flavor that will compliment the fruit combination.   Bananas are important to make a smoothy creamy and a great way to mask the chalkiness of soy protein.  But, if you’re not into bananas, by all means eave it out!   Soy protein and eggs are the source of protein to help keep hunger away until lunch.  If you’re making a smoothy to be in addition to other breakfast foods that have protein, there is no need to include them.

 

Enjoy!

 

 

Skillet Dinner over open fire or grill

 

Per serving you will need

 

A cast iron skillet big enough to hold all the servings or heavy aluminum foil to make packets per person.  Foil to cover the pan

 

• margarine (butter burns too easily to use on an open flame)
• 1/8 – 1/4 cup meat – in bite size pieces (I prefer ground pork or sausage but anything will work)
• 1/2 of a medium potato, scrubbed and cubed or sliced
• 1/4 of a carrot, peeled and sliced
• 1/4 of an onion, peeled and sliced or diced
• 2 wide strips of bell pepper cut into chunks (I prefer red bells)
• 1/4 of a young zucchini (6-8 inch size) sliced
• 1 mushroom, sliced
• salt and pepper (or garlic salt) to taste

 

Note – the vegetables can be changed to suit your taste.

 

Rub margarine on bottom and sides of skillet or cover a 12 inch piece of foil (I do this before the skillet is warmed so I can get a nice layer of margarine to prevent burning).  Place meat in bottom of pan (it will need the most heat to cook from raw) and then add other ingredients in order.  If using a skillet, cover it tightly with foil.  If using just foil,  fold the foil as if you were wrapping something in freezer paper (pull up 2 sides and fold together.  Continue folding until you reach the ingredients.  Then fold both ends like you would a paper lunch sack.).  Place skillet or packets right on the burning logs if you can.  Or put your cooking grid as low as possible.  If using your grill, put it on high heat or really hot charcoal.  Walk away for about 15 minutes.  Remove from heat and check for doneness.  If the potatoes are soft and meat is done, you can eat!!  If not, stir and return to the fire.  Foil packets must be opened carefully to avoid tearing the foil and to avoid steam burns.  If they are not done, re-wrap tightly and turn over instead of stirring.  Enjoy!

 

Breakfast Smoothies

 

To serve my family of 5

 

1/2 ice cube tray of ice

1 cup yogurt

1-3 Tbl soy protein or 2 eggs (optional- note -the eggs will remain raw)

1or more cups fresh or frozen fruit (strawberries, pineapple, mango, blueberries, whatever)

1 banana

Honey to taste

Milk or milk substitute to make desired thinness

 

Combine all in blender.  Blend until smooth.  Serve in tall glass with a straw!

Cream of Asparagus soup

Here’s another recipe w/o specific measurements for much of it.

Asparagus, chopped bite size

Mushrooms- any kind, chopped

Onion- any kind, diced

Combine at least a handful of each in a sauce pan or stock pot with at least a teaspoon of butter (the more veggies, the more butter = more soup).  Saute until nearly done (almost soft).

Add:

Chicken broth in the amount you want or have on hand.  At least 1 to 1 1/2 cups.  If you don’t have that much, add water or skim milk.  Add a splash of lemon juice, salt, pepper, and celery seed or dill(optional)

Bring to boil, reduce heat to simmer.

Combine 1 TBL corn starch with 1/4 cup water in separate bowl.  When dissolved, stir into simmering soup. Stir often. 

When soup is slightly thickened, stir in at least a 1/4 cup of half/half or milk- you can add more if want/ need it.

If the consistency is too thin, repeat the cornstarch and water step.

Serve with a sprinkle of chedder or parmesan on top!

 

Side- if you want to freeze this for later, omit the cornstarch, water, milk and cheese.  Freeze.  When ready to serve, then do the remaining ingredients and instructions.

Morel Mushrooms

I love them! My husband loves them! The kids are not thrilled with them. . . .. which means. . . . . .my husband and I get to eat all we find!!!!!

This is how I cook them-

Soak whole mushrooms in salt water. 

How much?  I don’t know. . . I put enough water in a bowl to cover them (they float, but anyway) and a hold the salt shaker  over it for a few seconds.  I stir this to dissolve the salt and put the mushrooms in.

How long?  Depends on how much time you have!  The purpose of this really is merely to make any bugs that might be hiding say, “YUCK!” and crawl out of their hiding places looking for drier, less salty places.  So five minutes to a half hour.  If you plan on cooking them later- you can refrigerate them fresh from the woods for a couple days and soak them later.

Next- slice your mushrooms the long way.  Small grays and blacks, I slice just once, but the big yellow ones can be sliced several times to get a more even cooking out of them.

Place a large skillet (size appropriate to your haul of shrooms) on the stove and turn on to medium heat.  NO HIGHER!!!  Maybe even low medium.  Add a dollup of BUTTER (you must use butter, no exceptions and you must use plenty- a nice layer of butter sizzling in the pan.  You’re not using it to grease the pan, you are using it to cook in)

Throw the sliced mushrooms into a bowl or ziploc bag and toss in some flour.  Mix them around gently until everything is well coated with flour.  By this time the butter in your skillet should be melted and hopefully just starting to sizzle.  Carefully lay mushrooms in a single layer into the hot butter.  Cook 3-5 minutes (depending on size and thickness) on each side.  You want a nice golden brown but no darker.  If your mushrooms smell like they are getting burned or it smells like burned flour, turn your stove down.  You may need more butter.

When they are golden brown on both sides, remove them to a layer of paper towels to drain.  Salt them immediately.  Wait a few minutes before tasting or you’ll burn yourself!!  Enjoy!!

 

Another way that I use Morels is in a mushroom and asparagus saute.  Saute chunked asparagus, sliced or chopped morels, chopped onion until done.  Splash on some lemon juice and drizzle some butter.  YUM!!!

Hope for Today

Strength for Today, bright hope for tomorrow. . . .

Be thankful in all things.  God IS good -all the time