Christmas wishes to melt your heart

Me: So, Dandy, what are you hoping that Santa will bring?
(long long wait)
Dandy: What I would most like, more than anything, is a picture of my old best friend from the orphanage and some news about him.
(he tears up, and continues)
I feel bad, being so happy, and he is so . . . so alone.

Dandy drives me to my wit's end with his poor choices and bad behavior, but his heart? His heart is full of all the right stuff.



:: one year ago today: and home again and yes, please, we'd love it if you prayed for us today
:: two years ago today: Mrs. Mama and EWwwwwww

:: read the rest of Christmas wishes to melt your heart :: view less

coveting a Kuhn Rikon

One of my Thanksgiving guests inadvertently left behind one of these

and I am in love with it. It's a Kuhn Rikon Durotherm 1.1 -Quart Cook & Serve Pan and one touch was all it took. It is perfectly balanced and very heavy and it doesn't scorch and it is just so pretty. If there is a cook on your Christmas list, and you like them a whole lot, and you have loads of spare money sitting about, get them this pot.

In the meantime, my forgetful cousin can be assured that her little pot is being tenderly cared for until it can be reunited with her. And I have been given an opportunity to work on resisting the spirit of covetousness; I'll get started on that tomorrow.



:: one year ago today: Jenny Linsky how we love thee
:: two years ago today: nifty resource and snow report

:: read the rest of coveting a Kuhn Rikon :: view less

sleep-helping

So, after 3 days of busyness, we were finally tucked into our beds, nicely snoozing, when I hear a little voice from the doorway:

Dandy: Mom?
Me: Mrmrph.
Dandy (in a wee little voice): I forgot what it was that you had asked me to do.
Me: What?
Dandy: Mrmrph.
Me: You're asleep. Go back to bed.

Little footprints go up the stairs and I hear him crawl back into bed. Isn't that just the sweetest? He had been so focused on staying on task and helping mom that it carried over into his sleep-walking.

He got the whole day off today: nary a chore or responsibility for him, and precious few for me. Occasionally I hear a piece of pie calling me, and I do obey that. And the little kitty has required petting, as have the bunnies, so I buckled down and took care of them. All other chores are postponed indefinitely.


:: one year ago today: CNN/You Tube debates and Ron Paul's Statement of Faith

:: read the rest of sleep-helping :: view less

Thanks Giving

I meant to take an 'after' picture but I forgot, but this is what seating for 27 looks like, in case you wondered.

We had a merry time. The food was good, if I do say so myself, the designated helpers were efficient, and we gathered around the table only 20 minutes past schedule.

This was the biggest sit-down meal I have ever done. It got a little dicey at the serving up stage, and we all agree that we need a second oven, but it worked.

Nobody spilled anything; only one dried leaf caught on fire from the votives; we had several leftover pies; and plenty of turkey (we did a 22 pound and a 12 pound). Clearly I am blogging this for my own record-keeping, as I'm sure no one is really that interested. 15 pounds of potatoes is not enough. We could easily have eaten 20 pounds and I had wanted to have potato leftovers.

We were especially happy to have a distant cousin (my second third cousin once removed, to be precise) join us as well as Dad's care-giver, whom we all like tremendously and have made an honorary uncle. The new cousin attends our local university and snowboards skies (sorry Jason) and brought his own guitar and played games and we all liked him a lot.

We had a poetry reading from our poet-in-residence, a trek into the 100-acre woods, an impromptu musical interlude, games played in front of the fire, lots of snuggles on the couch, and a great deal of silliness, as usual.

1. pumpkin soup - me
2. spinach rolls - Mom
3. deviled eggs - Harrison & me
4. finger snacks - Uncle Chuck
5. hot cider - Harts
6. mashed potatoes - me
7. brined turkey - me
8. dressing - me
9. squash-squish - Mom
10. creamed onions - Mom
11. black-bean pumpkin casserole - me
12. ambrosia salad - Mom
13. waldorf salad - Greg
14. green bean casserole - Kayti
15. cranberry sauce & relish - Greg
16. rolls - Christy
17. cornbread - me
18. Martinelli's - Aaron
19. wine & good (aka dark) beer
20. apple pies - Aaron & Marina
21. pumpkin pies - Carol
22. gluten-free pumpkin pie - Schmitts
23. pecan pie - me
24. ice cream
25. whipped cream
26. coffee

:: read the rest of Thanks Giving :: view less

just watch this

:: one year ago today: read the original and turkey curry salad and Thanksgiving Hymn Sing
:: two years ago today: How Snowy Is It? (cute kid pics)

:: read the rest of just watch this :: view less

sweet

:: read the rest of sweet :: view less

works for me: stocking stuffer ideas

Stuffing those stockings always seems so easy in theory and challenging in deed. Here are some ideas.

:: bath poofs
:: sweet hope chocolates
:: toy mice for humans owned by cats
:: chewies and tennis balls for humans owned by dogs
:: postage stamps for anyone off at college
:: good cheeses
:: nuts
:: Christmas ornaments for young adults
:: pocket flashlights for the cars
:: chapsticks
:: winter-weight Atlas garden gloves
:: tulip or daffodil bulbs
:: long matches
:: smoked oysters
:: woolie socks
:: Starbuck's cards
:: Trader Joe's cards
:: iTunes cards
:: pencils and erasers for school kids - especially home-schooling families
:: chocolate oranges
:: bottle of favorite fragrance
:: paint brushes & other artsy supplies (hat tip to Audrey)
:: LUSH bubble bars

edited to add: Hey, my visitor tracker is telling me that a bunch of you folks are dropping by from Rocks in my Dryer! Surely you have an idea to share. If you leave one, I'll add it to your list and link it to your site. Let's make this the longest and best stocking stuffer idea list ever!

---

My other Works for Me posts.


works+for+me

:: one year ago today: thanks giving and holiday strata and Ron Paul & Sarah Palin
:: two years ago today: the menu and we got the power!

:: read the rest of works for me: stocking stuffer ideas :: view less

Twin Brook Creamery

Wasn't I just wishing for a better milk supply? I went into my local grocery store and was amazed to find glass bottles full of milk from local hormone-free cows. Well, I suppose the cows have hormones, but just the ones God gave them, no extra ones added. I saw the bottles and the Twin Brook Creamery, Lynden, Washington label and thought, 'nice, but I'm sure they'll be pricey.' Nope, setting aside the one-time bottle deposit, each item was priced exactly the same as its Darigold counterpart.

I happily paid the deposit on the bottles and brought home whipping cream, half-and-half, and 2 gallons of cream-top milk, that's milk that has not been homogenized, so the cream floats to the top.

• I get fresher milk.
• My local grocery store and a local family of farmers get all my milk money.
• The landfill does not get any more plastic milk jugs from my house.

Now its just organic local chickens that I am wishing for.

:: read the rest of Twin Brook Creamery :: view less

egg happiness

It has taken me five years, but at last I have found a source of organic farm-fresh eggs. One of the ladies in our home-school group has extra eggs and lives directly on My Gift's commute route. When she has a dozen, she calls, hubby swings by her mailbox, and fresh eggs from happy ducks and chickens arrive at my house.

My goal is to just say no to industrialized food. Our beef comes from cow who grazes the field up the street. I buy flour from the man that mills it who buys the grain from the farmer that grows it. Now if I can just find a milk supply and an affordable source for chickens that are hormone and horror-story free . . .

:: read the rest of egg happiness :: view less

turkey soup

We cooked our practice turkey on the grill last week (speaking of turkeys, remember to thaw yours) and I casually made a soup that we all agree must be made again, and often. Here is is, lest I forget what I did.

Turkey Noodle Dumpling Soup

Boil down what is left of a turkey. Drain off the broth and then when the turkey is cool enough, pick off the meat. Pop the broth and the turkey meat back into a large pot.

In a skillet, saute together:
1 T butter
1 T olive oil
1-2 large onions - diced
2 large carrots, sliced into pennies

When very soft and fragrant, add to the broth pot. Simmer for a couple of hours.

Shortly before serving, add:
any leftover gravy to pot
1-2 C cooked egg noodles (we had some leftover)

In a bowl, combine:
1 C flour
1 1/2 t baking powder
1 t parsley
1/2 t salt
1/2 t sugar

Whip together, and then add to the dry goods (do not overmix):
1/2 C moo
1 egg

Drop spoonfuls of dumpling batter into the gently simmering soup. Cover and simmer for 10 minutes. Uncover and simmer for another 10 minutes.

For the kids, I pour a little milk into their bowls before ladling in the soup. This cools it a bit for them and adds a bit more milk to their diet. If you want to add milk before the dumplings, scald it first so that it won't separate when heated.

:: read the rest of turkey soup :: view less

The Power of God

May the strength of God pilot us,
May the power of God preserve us,
May the wisdom of God instruct us,
May the hand of God protect us,
May the way of God direct us,
May the shield of God defend us,
May the host of God guard us
against snares of evil
and the temptations of the world.

~ St. Patrick

from The Wisdom of the Celts, compiled by David Adam

:: read the rest of The Power of God :: view less

favicon weirdness

What little image do you see next to my the :: Adventures in Daily Living :: in the menu up top? You should see my favicon - the little cartoon picture of me. But for some reason, on my computer, I see Mary's (Owlhaven) favicon on my web address. I have no idea why; do you?

:: read the rest of favicon weirdness :: view less

Friday Poetry: Autumn Leaves

Here is another poem by Aileen Fisher found in I See A Poem.

Autumn Leaves

One of the nicest beds I know
isn't a bed of soft white snow,
isn't a bed of cool green grass
after the noisy mowers pass,
isn't a bed of yellow hay
making me itch of half a day --
but autumn leaves in a pile that high,
deep, and smelling like fall, and dry.
That's the bed where I like to lie
and watch the flutters of fall go by.
~ Aileen Fisher

. . . flutters of fall.





Here is the coding if you want a button with a link to this week's round-up.

<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://brimstonesoup.blogspot.com/2008/11/poetry-friday-changing-light-original.html"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://lh5.google.com/image/chndlrsblog/RmBFj-SN_DI/AAAAAAAAB34/at3HZsHcKd0/poetry%20friday%20button%20-%20fulll.JPG" alt="" border="0" /></a>


:: this post is part of the Friday Poetry roundup hosted by Holly Cupala.

poetry

:: one year ago today: our refuge and strength
:: two years ago today: more lovin''

:: read the rest of Friday Poetry: Autumn Leaves :: view less

Ore Ida's Steam n Mash Potatoes

As a member of SheSpeaks, I occasionally get a sample of a new product to try. The most recent was Ore-Ida®'s Steam n' Mash™ Russet Potatoes.

For 3-4 bucks, depending on where you shop, you can pick up a 24 oz (1 lb 8 oz) bag of frozen peeled and chunked potatoes with a little bit of salt and some additives (flavoring and preservatives). You then microwave them, mash them, add butter and milk, and you are good to go.

On the table they looked, smelled, and tasted exactly like real mashed potatoes, because they are actually real mashed potatoes. They were yummy and we gobbled them up. No complaints there.

I had a little bit of trouble with the microwaving, as some parts of the bag remained frozen whilst others were cooked to mush, this in spite of the fact that my microwave does indeed rotate.

My chief complaint though, is price. I can buy a 50 pound bag of potatoes for $5.00 if I buy off the farm. Even if I go to a grocery store, potatoes are cheap. You can have them delivered from Huge Idaho Potato for about $1.09 a pound, including shipping! Of course these ones are not peeled or chopped, as the Ore-Ida ones are, but really, how hard is that?

In fact, if you are willing to pay an extra 2-3 dollars a pound to have them peeled and chopped, offer the work to your kid. They will learn a useful skill and you will at least keep your hard-earned dollars under your own roof.

So, though they were tasty, I really don't see the need for them either in my own life, or in our community. This is one more example of food being turned into a product that requires assembly, packaging, storage, marketing, shipping, and more storage. For what?

I'm sorry Ore Ida. Would you like me to send the free masher back?



:: one year ago today: Ron Paul in the news and U.S. Constitution - Article 1: Section 1 and Greek Potatoes

:: read the rest of Ore Ida's Steam n Mash Potatoes :: view less

works for me: Thanksgiving Checklist

I survive with lists. Here is my checklist for Thanksgiving. Yours will vary depending on what you are serving, whether or not you are having other people bring stuff, and whether or not you feel comfortable putting your guests on task. But for what it is worth, here is my big list of things to do and when to do them.

The Great Thanksgiving List
because proper preparation and planning prevents poor performance!

at least 1 week before
1. order brine
2. purchase turkey
3. if you are cooking a turkey for the first time, or trying a new method, do a practice turkey
4. press leaves for table decorations
5. polish silver
6. make & freeze pie crusts
7. finalize & delegate menu
8. clean oven
9. confirm table coverings
10. collect table decorations
11. confirm that your turkey fits in your pan
12. confirm that you have a working food thermometer

weekend before
1. clean house
2. make duty cards: door host, coffee sergeant, appetizer server, table waiters, before dinner kitchen tidier, sous chef, table clearer, after dinner kitchen tidier, garbage taker-outer, dessert server, after dessert kitchen tidier. Folks draw one card on arrival and that is their duty for the day (I assign some of them as I see fit).
3. timeline food prep
4. wash living room & dining room windows
5. figure out turkey thawing schedule
6. empty front hall closet and confirm available hangers

Tuesday
1. make mashed potatoes
2. roast pumpkins
3. make pumpkin soup
4. clean off all ancillary surfaces and tables

Wednesday
1. brine big turkey
2. set up tables
3. set tables
4. set out and label serving platters & utensils
5. set out extra platters and serving bowls for guest use
6. mix up turkey rub
7. make dressing
8. make pumpkin black bean casserole
9. mix up pecan pie filling
10. stage apple dumplings
11. lay in fire
12. clean house again
13. move living room furniture to accommodate extra chairs
14. filter and chill water for table

Thursday
1. remove potatoes from fridge
2. rub down turkey if you didn't brine
3. run & empty dishwasher
4. confirm garbage can is empty
5. sweep front porch and walk
6. stage tea station
7. sniff check animal litter boxes just in case

12:00
1. make a thermos of coffee & prep coffee maker for next round
2. make sure you have eaten something sustaining

1:45
1. confirm small lamps and candles are on/lit
2. recruit valet for parking
3. confirm dishwasher is empty
4. turn on coffee pot
5. close and latch bunny room door against visiting dogs and small children.

Now, what is on your list that I forgot to put onto mine?



:: my other Works for Me posts.
:: one year ago today: The U.S. Constitution - Preamble and the very least you need to know about Dr. Ron Paul and Thanksgiving Weekend Menu and turkey thawing
:: two years ago today: Who Loves You?
works+for+me

:: read the rest of works for me: Thanksgiving Checklist :: view less

your opinion please

I want to install a top 10 posts feature, but I can't decide which ten to include. I've got the How to Help a Family in a Medical Crisis post on the list, and the Writing & Gardening. Without over-thinking it, what posts come to mind as really good ones? Don't bother going to find it, just put in the comments whatever scraps you remember and I'll go from there.

Thanks!

:: read the rest of your opinion please :: view less

pretty

Did I ever mention that it is rather pretty where I live? This is the view off our front porch. I love the play of light in the late fall and early winter.




:: one year ago today: Thanks Giving and holiday strata and Ron Paul & Sarah Palin
:: two years ago today: The Menu and We got the power!

:: read the rest of pretty :: view less

Greek Potatoes

I've shared these before, but they are worth another posting. This time you even get a picture.

Greek Potatoes

Combine in a deep flat pan
6 potatoes, cubed
1/2 C lemon juice
1/3 C vegetable oil
1 T olive oil
2 minced garlic cloves
2 t sea salt
2 t oregano
1/2 t black pepper

Add
3 C hot water

Bake
at 475 for 1 & 1/2 hours, no lid.
Stir now and then and -- in the first hour only -- add more water if you need to.

Sprinkle with
chopped fresh parsley & a wee dash of paprika

:: super yummy with feta pie, pita, and hummus.

:: one year ago today: car report and Ron Paul: Hope for America

:: read the rest of Greek Potatoes :: view less

turkey on the BBQ grill

We are conducting a feasibility study on BBQing the turkey. We have 27 people coming to Thanksgiving Dinner (in case you missed the gazillion other times I mentioned this) and we think we need a two-turkey meal.

I rubbed it with a mixture of chopped fresh rosemary and thyme, kosher salt, montreal steak seasoning, and olive oil. Then we popped it onto the grill. We ran the heat up to about 350 and then fiddled with the burners to try to hold the heat there. We basted it a few times. At 12 pounds, it took about 3.5 hours to cook. It looked good and it tasted good. As this was just a test turkey, we didn't tie the legs up, so the pic isn't as fetching as it could be.



:: one year ago today: today's news and Friday Poetry: Robert Frost's To A Mouse and my translation
:: two years ago today: boom BOOM out go the lights

:: read the rest of turkey on the BBQ grill :: view less

from the archives

Too busy grading and mulling over local politics and fiddling with html and looking after kids to write anything interesting. Here are some bits from the past:

:: one year ago today: cold and ack and Man, Economy, & State.

:: read the rest of from the archives :: view less

Tea Fire News

Though the fire burned quite near the pretty little chapel, the chapel did not burn. Here are some good photos of the Westmont campus after the Tea Fire.

I got to talk with my niece a little bit this evening. Her dorm did not burn, though the home of a close friend burned to the ground. He is left with nothing but the clothes he was wearing. How strange it must be to go that quickly from being a person who has stuff to a person that has nothing. Imagine walking out your door and never seeing any of your things again. In a way, it would be a little bit freeing. But in another way I wouldn't much like it.

The book you were reading? Gone.
The comfy bathrobe? Gone.
The groceries in the fridge? Gone.
That end table with the nifty storage? Gone.
Financial records? Gone.
Favorite sweatshirt? Gone.

How unnerving it would be.



:: one year ago today: how to sell on e-bay and biopsy results
:: two years ago today: not quite dead . . .

:: read the rest of Tea Fire News :: view less

Santa Barbara Tea Fire: Westmont College

See this pretty little chapel? It's at Westmont College, a pretty little college in Santa Barbara California. My Mom attended Westmont, and now our niece is there too. You have heard about her, actually from her, before: Lakme's Flower Duet.

Alas, according to the news reports, this little chapel is ablaze, as are several residence halls. The students, my niece included, are sheltering-in-place in the concrete gymnasium. My sister has heard from her daughter several times this evening - they expect to spend the night in the gym. Apparently they don't realize that there are fire-fighters on campus and the buildings are burning (including Clark dorm, according to this guy). I hope that my niece merely has to endure a night or two of sleeping in a shelter and then it's back to school as usual.

Independent reporter Chris Meagher is on scene at the main gate of Westmont College in Montecito. Windy conditions are exacerbating the Tea Fire, which authorities say started early this evening in an area north of Westmont in an area known as the Tea Garden. According to Meagher's latest report, the chapel and several residences are on fire at Westmont, it is very windy, and embers are flying around everywhere.

It's such a pity, as it is such a pretty campus and she has been so happy there. My Gift From A Generous God grew up in California. He says that the news reports and pictures always make it look worse then it is. Here's hoping he is right.

update:

Link to map of Westmont campus.

Latest from Westmont:

WILD FIRE AT WESTMONT

Conditions on campus improved to the point where staff were able to get food from the Dining Commons and bring it to the gym, where the community is sheltered in place.

Conditions in the area may make it possible now to leave the campus for a Red Cross shelter, but that option is still being explored.

Firefighters are currently attempting to put out several fires at Clark Hall. Structures lost to or significantly damaged by fire include the Physics Building, the 'old Math" building, Bauder Hall and the Quonset Huts.

Again, we are grateful that no one has been hurt on campus, and everyone is safely in the gymnasium and in good spirits.

And the latest from my sis: beloved niece and friends has been picked up from campus by family member of one of friends and is out of the fire area.

PS. And the pretty photo of the pretty chapel? The credit for that goes to my second cousin, Brad Elliott. uhm, Brad, is it okay if I use your pic?



:: one year ago today: collapsible blogrolls
:: two years ago today: ACK

:: read the rest of Santa Barbara Tea Fire: Westmont College :: view less

Blog Template Conversion

Okay, so I am about to do it - I'm going to install a whole new template and try to preserve my widgets.

START - 9:54
Step 1. In 'Edit HTML' view, download full template (in case I have to revert to the last working copy).
Step 2. Using Notepad copy both the full template (with widgets expanded) and each and every widget. Switch over to 'Page Elements View' open the widgets in HTML view and then cut and past them into notepad. Why are we doing this? Because the template download just saves the placeholders for the widgets. The actual widget content -- the coding -- is contained in the little boxes accessible only via Page Elements view.

There will be some widgets that don't let you see the HTML. Don't worry about these. Either blogger will manage them or they are easy to reinstall. I'm just trying to not misplace any of the custom HTML that I am using.

I realize that when I install the new template, all my widgets will be deleted. But I can easily cut-and-paste them back from Notepad, so I'm okay with this.
STOP 10:19

Download neo, locate and open with Notepad. Click on Layout, then edit HTML and then cut and paste neo in from Notepad. Now my blog looks like this:

Oh my. Second thoughts are settling in. But, I can fix this.

10:31: From within HTML view, find this:< and change it to say maxwidgets='3' showaddelement='yes'. This will allow more items in the top of the blog (maximum number is now set to 3) and in the Page Elements view there will be an option to add widgets. Save.

hint: you are using Firefox, aren't you? From the 'edit' menu, use the 'find' feature.

10:46 - but most of the time was spent getting Picasa to 'see' my screenshot for this blog-post.
Switch to Page Elements view. Be happy the the 'Add a Gadget' option is now available in the headers. I'm adding an HTML gadget to hold my rotating quotes.

10:52 - that worked. If you are wondering why I am staying up late, I can never sleep on nights that I teach cause I am all jazzed up and yet I am too mushy to grade more papers. So there.

Now, the rotating banners worked from within my old template, not from within a gadget, so I'll have to go find them in the Notepad copy of the old template.

OK, got it. I picked up everything between widget and /widget. I'll past it into the Neo template and take a screenshot.


That worked. The colors are ghastly, but that comes later.

Now, for layout. I liked having the new posts load on the left so that there was something to read while the rest loaded, but if neo is as fast as they say, that may no longer matter. I'll leave the columns where they are for now.

Neither the peek-a-boo posts or the comments are working. Let's fix those next. Peek-a-boo. Hmmmm, how did that work again? I'll just go reinstall it from the source: http://hackosphere.blogspot.com/2006/09/expandable-posts-with-peekaboo-view.html .

[took some time off to snuggle with my poor old dog and chat with my honey]

11:29 Peek-a-boo reinstalled and working

I can't stand the colors any longer.


11:37 better, don't you think?


I gave up on documenting the process, but it wasn't too bad and it seems A LOT faster to me now. Kim? Kate? What do you think?

:: read the rest of Blog Template Conversion :: view less

works for me: blog gadgets

Do you want some new blog widgets and have some time to play? Here is a short list of some of my favs:

I got all the coding for the peek-a-boo posts over at hackosphere.

All my pretty little icons came from famfamfam.

The coding for the rotating banners came from Vince Liu.

The very cool tabbed sidebar widgets are thanks to the very cool hoctro.

The fun "Feeling Lucky?" toy -- which is currently disabled -- came from phydeaux3(fido 3?).

The pretty label cloud also came fromphydeaux3.

The elegant and easy to install related posts widget came from Jackbook.com.

I got all the social bookmarking icons nicely packaged for me at the aptly named Social Bookmarking Script Generator.

The 3 column footer came from Technodia.

The pretty sliding photo galleries are from CSSplay.

The recent comments widget is from Hackosphere



:: one year ago today: snuggly kids and Grāpple: obscene apples
:: two years ago today: lovies - attachment parenting our older-child adoptees
:: my other Works for Me posts.

works+for+me

:: read the rest of works for me: blog gadgets :: view less

easy pumpkin handling

Recently, I shared two pumpkin recipes -- both excellent -- and both requiring a peeled pumpkin. Given the state of my hands (even more twisted and painful than previously reported), peeling a hard-skinned fruit is not a pleasant task.

Today I had the oven on anyway and thought I would try to find an easier way. I simply plopped a pumpkin into a pan and put it in at 350. Every 15 minutes I checked it ; after about 45 minutes it was tender enough to retain a finger poke mark, so I pulled it out and let it cool a bit.

Peeling the nicely softened and comfortingly warm pumpkin was a breeze, as was scooping out the guts and retrieving the seeds. Because it was just barely roasted, it wasn't too soft for the pumpkin black-bean casserole, and as a happy side-effect, said casserole cooked faster.

For the pumpkin soup, I can semi-roast the pumpkin, peel and gut it, and then pop it into the fridge. On the day I want to serve the soup -- ie Thanksgiving Day -- I can steam it back to hotness and let it finish cooking, and then puree and serve. I dislike pureeing it cold and reheating it, as the reheating compacts the soup and risks scorching it.

edited to add a picture of the item Margot commented about. It looks like a winner to me!

:: one year ago today: gadgets for arthritic hands and Sunday Blessings
:: two years ago today: I love Jenny!

:: read the rest of easy pumpkin handling :: view less

de-gnoming

I've been ruthlessly degnoming the blog again. It seems to load faster for me -- what do you think?

:: read the rest of de-gnoming :: view less

blue children

Dandy is singing:

Jesus loves the little children.
All the children of the world.
Red and blue and black and white . . .

"Blue?" I ask.

"Yeah, the cold children."

:: one year ago today: half-lives and other insights
:: two years ago today: calming my wild child this should be required reading for anyone with a son.

:: read the rest of blue children :: view less

Pumpkin Black Bean Casserole

This recipe derived from one I found over at FatFree Vegan Kitchen, but I added cheese and corn tortillas, making neither fat-free nor Vegan, but boy was it yummy -- we all loved it.

Pumpkin and Black Bean Casserole

Locate:
a stack of corn tortillas
shredded cheddar

Combine & set aside:
1 1/2 C cooked black beans (or 1 can, rinsed and drained)
1/2 C corn, fresh or frozen
1 onion, chopped
1/2 bell pepper, chopped
1 can of tomatoes, drained & liquid reserved

Peel and slice very thinly:
1 small pumpkin

Combine in the blender:
2 cloves garlic
1 C milk or water
3 T cornstarch
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 t cumin
1 t chili powder
1/2 t salt
1/2 t paprika
1/4 t chipotle chili powder

Layer:
corn tortillas
beans
pumpkin
cheddar
corn tortillas
beans
pumpkin
cheddar
corn tortillas
cheddar

Pour the blender contents over the top, cover tightly with foil and bake for 20 minutes. Remove foil and sprinkle with cheese. Bake another 20-30 minutes until everything is bubbly and tender.

Serve with a dollop of sour cream and a green salad.

Also, this is another dish that is fabulous topped with a spoonful of chimichurri. Not familar with chimichurri? You are missing out. Just this week we have used it on fried polenta, scrambled egg tacos, and tomato wedges. It makes a great spread for a cheese sandwich and would be great in a pita pocket.

:: one year ago today: half-lives and other insights
:: two years ago today: calming my wild child this should be required reading for anyone with a son.

:: read the rest of Pumpkin Black Bean Casserole :: view less

procrastinating

I have a large stack of essays to grade. Thus far I have purged, straightened, and re-ordered the playroom/schoolroom, the bunnyroom/storage room and parts of my office.

I really am looking forward to reading some of the essays. And I am really not wanting to read some of the other ones. I know from experience that when I do sit down and get to it I'll tell myself that I was silly to put it off this long. It's just the STARTING that is so hard.

In the meantime, my cupboards and shelves are looking much better.

:: one year ago today: ouch and biopsy and Friday Poetry: Keat's Ode to Autumn

:: read the rest of procrastinating :: view less

Christmas hinties

So, you want to buy us truckloads of Christmas presents? Here is what we would coo over:

My Gift from a Generous God says "no clothes. I hate getting clothes for Christmas." Who knew? He's so polite that he had us all fooled: whoops! He says he would love to go shopping at Manna Music for music toys or Hardware Sales for tool toys or Red Wing for new work boots.

The kids would love art classes at Pace Atelier or Launching Success gift cards and there are many book ideas on our Amazon WishList (the immersion blender kind of snuck onto the kids' list -- odd, huh?). Chickadee needs gift certificates for gymnastics classes (we are getting her a tumbling mat) and Dandy would love anything from K'NEX (already dibbed).

Me? I like iTunes and e.l.f. and LUSH bubble bars -- any bubble bar. There is no such thing as a unwanted bubble bar in this house.

Of course, we'd be just as pleased if you skipped all that and just gave a World Vision goat.


:: one year ago today: rice and beans, here we come and osteoarthritis

:: read the rest of Christmas hinties :: view less

price of gas

Just curious, what is the price of gas in your neighborhood? My corner store has it for $2.59.

:: read the rest of price of gas :: view less

When It Rains by Aileen Fisher

Oh it is raining. It rained buckets yesterday and is raining barrels today and we expect vats tomorrow. Our county is on flood watch and the cloud cover is so thick that there is little daylight. If we turned off the houselights it would be too dim to read inside; it's only a little after noon.

Here then is a lovely dampish poem by Aileen Fisher. I found the poem in one of the poetry books I had when I was a child: I See A Poem. Thank you Mom, for saving my best-beloved books.

When It Rains

When it rains,
when it rains,
the magpie complins,
the pathway
turns muddy and brown,
the horses look sad
but the meadow is glad
and puddles
jump ^up and _down.

~ Aileen Fisher

Here is the coding if you want a button with a link to this week's round-up.

<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://maclibrary.edublogs.org/2008/11/07/poetry-friday-round-up/"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://lh5.google.com/image/chndlrsblog/RmBFj-SN_DI/AAAAAAAAB34/at3HZsHcKd0/poetry%20friday%20button%20-%20fulll.JPG" alt="" border="0" /></a>


:: this post is part of the Friday Poetry roundup hosted by Check it Out.





poetry

:: one year ago today: because we don't have enough stress in our lives

:: read the rest of When It Rains by Aileen Fisher :: view less

oh, to be 9 again

Dandy comes in this morning with a concerned look.

Dandy: Mom, something really weird is happening to me.
Me: What?
It's happened twice now.
(His voice is fraught with worry)
What has happened?
At night-time, I am really sleepy and tired and I only want to go to bed.

Me: So what is happening that is weird?
Dandy: That. That is it. I am sleepy and tired and I can barely move my body. I think something is really wrong.
Oh honey. I feel that way every night, right about dinner time. It's called being tired -- this has only happened to you twice?
Yes.
Oh, I want to be you.

:: one year ago today: because we don't have enough stress in our lives

:: read the rest of oh, to be 9 again :: view less

Today's ToDos

We haven't had a 'home' day since last Friday, so I'm a little behind. Here is today's ToDo list:

. . . can you tell that cooking is my defense against rain? We are in a weather pattern that calls for 7+ days of 100% chance of rain . . .

• bake bread
• run all the laundry
• teach homeschool: Math, Latin, History, Language Arts, Spelling
  

[DO WHILE]

• call missing students
• ship bookmooch books
• post Friday poem
• post b-day pics
• read thesis posts for online class
• call bank re: check
• pay bills
• balance bank statements

[END DO WHILE]

• make dinner: cumin-black eyed peas, Greek potatoes, focaccia, and feta pie or meat pie (or perhaps an amalgam of both?)
• roast and freeze tomato sauce
• make pumpkin casserole - recipe coming soon to a blog near you

:: one year ago today: because we don't have enough stress in our lives

:: read the rest of Today's ToDos :: view less

under the weather

So we'll just look at
:: one year ago today: cats - very amusing
:: two years ago today: birthday report

:: read the rest of under the weather :: view less

Foreshadowing? Michelle Obama's Black Widow Dress

Hello?! ?

Michelle Obama wears a black widow spider dress to her husband's election night speech. Black Widow? Foreshadowing? Am I the only person to wonder about this?

Even though I did not vote for him -- and have many concerns about his beliefs and policies -- for the sake of their daughters, I hope that Obama lives his natural life-span.

And I am trying to take comfort in the fact that it is Obama, not Hillary; I think that at last, we may be done with the Clintons.

:: a year ago today: Doctor Dandy and pumpkin soup

obama

:: read the rest of Foreshadowing? Michelle Obama's Black Widow Dress :: view less

Kelli's article

If you know us in real life you will know that we have some really interesting people in our family. One of them, Kelli, just got an article published about her work as an intern at the Center for Justice. Go take a look.

:: read the rest of Kelli's article :: view less

Happy Birthday Dandy

He's nine. We just finished making his cake -- he wanted to bake it and hey, it's his birthday so I just say yes to practically everything today. My fantabulous best-friend baked me a yummy cake for my birthday which was still delicious five days later when I was well enough to eat it. That cake has been decreed the Official Birthday Cake for our household and that is what we made today. After it is assembled I'll try to take a pic.

He was thrilled to receive both birthday phone calls and birthday packages in the mail today. One of his gifts was 1000 Questions and Answers which has completely absorbed him It is a perfect gift for him.

We will have a small dinner party at Mom's tonight and cake and presents -- we got him some building kits to do with his Dad and a new family game and some books.

I'll post pictures later in the day, so check back.

:: one year ago today: it's good to be the king
:: two years ago today: and the winner is . . . and Happy Birthday Dandy

:: read the rest of Happy Birthday Dandy :: view less

CommentLuv for Blogger is working!

It works! You have to wait for the whole blog to load, and I had to take out the Post Summary widget, but if you leave a comment CommentLuv will add to it a link to your most recent blog post.

I have to be responsible and prepare for class and feed my kids and so forth, but I do promise to degnome the blog soon so that you don't have to wait so long for a complete load.

:: a year ago today Cumin-Black Eyed Peas and growth
:: two years ago today and more

CommentLuv

:: read the rest of CommentLuv for Blogger is working! :: view less

pumpkin soup

I posted this last year too, but it is so delicious, and so easy, that I have to share it with you again.

Pumpkin Soup

Steam, then peel and blend in your blender:
1 medium sized pumpkin
2 sweet potatoes, peeled

Add:
1 cube butter
half-and-half as needed, to keep the blender from bogging down
salt to taste

Toast
1 C slivered almonds

Serve soup garnished with tosted almonds, 1 t sour cream, & nutmeg.

The trick to this soup is a good blender and to blend the pumpkin and sweet potato until they are velvety.

:: a year ago today Cumin-Black Eyed Peas and growth
:: two years ago today and more

:: read the rest of pumpkin soup :: view less

fiddling with the comments, yet again

Please humor me by leaving a comment. If all goes well, CommentLuv will link back to your most recent post.


:: one year ago today: Friday Poetry: Elsa Beskow and feta pie
:: two years ago today: A Happy Day

:: read the rest of fiddling with the comments, yet again :: view less

sermon notes

This morning we visited the church at which our kids go to AWANA. It is a Christian & Missionary Alliance Church, and as such, shows short videos of missions work during the service. The one we saw today shared the story of a young woman in Cambodia who put her faith in the Lord and then went home and burned the ancestral worship shrine. Then her mom came over and had a fit.

As I was watching I thought, "What a pity to separate someone from their cultural traditions." I have a strong negative response to image of the Great White Christian going in to save the pagans from their idols, and their poverty, and their filth, and their illiteracy, and all the other stereotypes that are just British Manifest Destiny reworked with a religious overtone. Yuck.

Then I felt guilty because I know I am supposed to think "Yeah, another person saved!"

Then of course I had to analyze my two conflicting selves. Pretty much it comes down to this: If there is no truth, then yes, it is a pity to separate a person from their cultural traditions. If there is absolute truth -- setting aside the two questions of whether or not we can know it and whether or not we as Christians do know it -- if there is absolute truth, then separating ourselves from anything in order to access truth is more than worth it.

So my first line of thought was pretty much that of an unbeliever, and my second line of thought -- the line I should have taken, and felt guilty for not taking -- is that of a believer. Once again I find the Secular Me and the Sanctified Me debating in my head.

On to other notes:

• Luke 11 7-8 pretty much come down to the idea that boldness trumps friendship. I'm not sure why this is useful to point out.


• It's a pretty big deal that dads and God share the same name: Father. It does make it simple for fathers to pray: "Lord, make me worthy of the name." Don't you think that would pretty much cover it?
  

None of these, btw, are the pastor's observations, just my scribblings that I am jotting down here so I can mull on them later.


:: one year ago today: Friday Poetry: Elsa Beskow and feta pie
:: two years ago today: A Happy Day

:: read the rest of sermon notes :: view less

Thanksgiving

I'm nuts. I just sent out eVite invitations for Thanksgiving: 28 people! If I run 3 extra tables off the end of our dining room table and into the living room, we can all sit down, in theory at least.

So, I am in full list-making frenzy. The first thing on my list was to procure turkey brine. Remember last year, when PW posted her brined turkey method and Williams Sonoma promptly sold out? I got ahead of them this year, so now I can afford to remind you. Yes it is ridiculously expensive, but if you had a taste of last year's turkey, you would concur that it is a necessary expense.

I'm running a menu list in my sidebar, and I'm sure you will soon see a to-do list over there. I'll whine and cry about all the work, but don't be fooled. I love it.

Now I need to rustle up some tables.

:: one year ago today: Friday Poetry: Elsa Beskow and feta pie
:: two years ago today: A Happy Day

:: read the rest of Thanksgiving :: view less

Halloween Pics

Twas a great Halloween, even though we didn't carve a single pumpkin. We had dinner with my sis and excellent brother-in-law who carved zucchinis for the kids. We trick-or-treated. We ate a little bit of candy. The candy fairy came and left us with The Pirates Who Don't Do Anything: A Veggie Tales Movie, though not before she kindly put the Reese's Peanut Butter Cups into my private candy stash. Isn't she just the sweetest?



:: a year ago today: why I like November

:: read the rest of Halloween Pics :: view less