Posts Tagged ‘cooking’
Lots of you wanted the potato soup recipe that I used the other night … so here it is! :)
6 medium potatoes, peeled and chopped
2 1/2 C water
1/2 C chopped onion
2 chicken bouillon cubes
1/4 tsp. pepper
1 C shredded cheese
1 12-oz. can evaporated milk
In a 3.5- or 4-quart slow cooker, combine potatoes, water, onion, bouillon cubes, and pepper. Cover; cook on low for 9-11 hours or high 4-4 1/2 hours. Stir cheese and milk into soup. Cover, cook on Low 1 more hour or on High 30 minutes more. Mash potatoes slightly.
Lucas sat down on our living room floor this morning and drew a school bus! Pretty good, huh? He *loves* school buses, and I keep thinking about how he’ll be riding one before we know it. He keeps telling us that he has to be 10 years old before he can ride one, though! :)
How are you guys doing today? I totally slept like *crap* last night. And I’m a “single mom” from now until Sunday, when Jeff gets home from Texas. Pray for me! LOL! :) I think that I’m totally going to crash at some point today. I’d *love* to take a nap this afternoon, but I don’t know whether that’s possible with Meredith not taking naps anymore. She gave up naps when she gave up her crib (Lucas did the same thing). But it’s a tradeoff … she does *really* well now with falling asleep at night! Anyway, I’m *so* tired today that I’m not expecting to get a whole lot done. I’m not awake at all. I *have* to put in a few loads of laundry and do the dishes, though, because we have no plates on which to eat!
Speaking of food … one of Lucas’s preschool teachers asked him yesterday what he ate for Thanksgiving dinner. Lucas responded, “Crackers.” LOL! :) Yes, that’s true … we did have crackers and cheese … but he sure ate a lot more than just that! His teacher said that she wishes she had thought of that ~ it would have made cooking much easier! :) I made some potato soup from scratch last night, and it was *so* good. It was a slow cooker recipe that Carol gave me a long time ago, but I turned it into a top-of-the-stove recipe. That’ll be lunch today, along with some rosemary-olive oil bread! Yum!
I apologize for my cranky blog entry yesterday, but I sure felt better after venting. It was just one of those days. My post was very real, actually. Lots of times, I feel like I’m *always* writing sunny and cheery things here (or not truly expressing what I’m feeling because I don’t want anyone to think that I’m a bad mom). So it felt good to get some frustrations out for a change.
I’ve been up cooking since 7:30 this morning and am *loving* every minute of it! The cranberry sauce (recipe from Carol) is done, as are the pumpkin pies, most of the veggie and cheese tray, and the Thanksgiving Cake (a traditional family recipe). This afternoon, I’m going to prepare my grandma’s mashed potatoes for baking tomorrow. Aside from that, the vegetables can be done tomorrow right beforehand, and the crackers just need to be placed onto the tray along with the with dip. Yay for being prepared! :) I absolutely *love* the day before Thanksgiving. It’s *so* much fun to be at home cooking up a storm!
Stopped by Big Lots this morning to get a few things (I secretly *love* Big Lots ~ OK, so it’s not a secret anymore!). I was out of shampoo and conditioner and found some VO5 Moisture Milks Strawberries & Cream for only 79 cents apiece. What I *really* wanted was the Suave kind, but I haven’t seen that for a while in our stores. I always loved the fragrance and how it made my hair smell like strawberries all day long!
By the way, I’m still knitting but have hit a snag (pun intended!). I can cast on just fine and knit the first row, but every row past that is *so* freaking tight. Also, it seems like the first half of the stitches look just fine, but then the yarn becomes *very* dense ~ like something is getting twisted? I have no clue. I’m going to play around with it some more later, but the rest of today will be spent cleaning!
One final note: my *sincere* sympathies go out to Rachel, who lost her grandfather on Friday. I was *so* sad to hear that news. I know what it’s like ~ my grandpa passed away back in February. My heart really goes out to her. It’s hard to think about how he won’t get to see this Thanksgiving.
You may be wondering why I recently uploaded pictures of our dirty stove to Flickr. I love Mr. Clean Magic Erasers *so* much that the company actually mailed me a box full of free goodies! Included were the supplies for conducting a test to see whether Mr. Clean Magic Erasers clean things around the house better than “the leading brand,” which is Clorox spray cleaner with bleach. We’ve been using Mr. Clean Magic Erasers for a long time now ~ well, ever since having children! LOL! :) They’re wonderful. No need to convince me that they absolutely rock. But they sent a new fragrance that I hadn’t tried yet … Citrus & Light. Mmm, very nice for the kitchen! It was fun trying something new! There was a nice letter from a lady on their marketing staff, too.
Anyway, first I used both products to clean soap scum off two tiles they provided. The Mr. Clean Magic Eraser worked *so* much better, although I wonder whether the tiles were actually covered with a soap material or whether it was some kind of “simulation.” Regardless, I’ve used Mr. Clean Magic Erasers in our bathroom, and they work like a charm.
Next, I used the Crayola marker that they provided to draw on each tile. Both products worked exactly the same to remove the red marker, although I think that the Magic Eraser was a bit neater (no spray everywhere). Also, they provided me with a box of Crayola crayons to draw on a blank wall to see which brand removed the crayon marks better. Without a doubt, it was the Mr. Clean Magic Eraser. Lucas went through a phase (around age two) when he colored on everything ~ most often, our walls. For a while, Mr. Clean Magic Erasers were the only thing that saved my sanity! LOL! :)
The company even sent me a wooden spoon with a recipe card attached. The directions said, “Use the enclosed wooden spoon to prepare Mr. Clean’s chili recipe and make a mess!” LOL! :) So, I did. (Well, I actually made my own chili recipe with ground turkey.) I then did a test to see which product cleaned our dirty stove better. Honestly, they both did a good job, but I think that the Mr. Clean Magic Eraser did a little bit better. We usually use a liquid flat-top stove cleaner, but the Mr. Clean Magic Eraser was much more convenient. The only thing that I’m wondering is whether Mr. Clean Magic Erasers could be manufactured with antibacterial properties? That would be super nice for the kitchen and bathrooms, in particular.
My favorite Mr. Clean Magic Eraser fragrance is the Meadows & Rain. So refreshing and makes our house smell *so* good. We also use the liquid cleaner (diluted) in order to wash things around the house, such as wood floors and kitchen tile. One thing I noticed in the marketing information they sent me, though, is that there’s also another fragrance: Lavender Vanilla & Comfort. I *definitely* want to try that one but haven’t seen it in our stores yet. Also, I didn’t know that Mr. Clean Magic Eraser Wipes existed. That’s awesome! The website also gives good tips for how to use everything.
It was *so* cool to receive a free “test” in the mail. Just a note ~ the company isn’t paying me to review these products on my blog. I just wanted to share the results of the test because I am a sucker for nifty cleaning supplies (and these work wonderfully). I highly recommend Mr. Clean Magic Erasers to anyone ~ especially to those of you out there who have children! :)
I felt so overwhelmed on Saturday. Between freelance assignments with looming deadlines, my ever-growing to-do list, longing for a little bit of a break, and not being able to accomplish much lately, it just all kind of “hit the fan.” I sat down and wrote a blog entry, mentioning at the end that my husband would be in Baltimore all week for a business trip.
A few hours later, my mom called. I knew that something was up, because my parents don’t usually call us on Saturday mornings. She asked me, “Do you have anyone to watch the kids while you go to your doctor’s appointment on Monday?” I said no, that I was just going to bring them with me (ugh!). That’s when my mom replied, “Well … would you like to have a babysitter?” Kind of puzzled, I said, “Uh … sure!” And then she said, “Well … *I* can babysit, if that would be OK!” Huh? My parents live in Indiana! All I could say was, “What?”
That’s when my mom told me that she was going to hop a plane the very next day and stay with us until Thursday. She mentioned phrases such as, “doing the dishes,” “working on some laundry,” “babysitting the kids,” “fixing some meals,” and so on. My eyes immediately welled up with tears. I kept saying, “Oh my God!” over and over. I just couldn’t believe it. We got off the phone, and I just burst into tears. She had absolutely *no* idea how much I needed something like this and what *perfect* timing it was. Jeff said that it was an answer to his prayers, too, because he was concerned about me having to watch the kids all week by myself. I was simply on cloud nine. We hardly *ever* get to see our families. Read the rest of this entry »
Our town celebrated its 399th birthday this weekend. The theme of the event was, “The River and Its People Before 1609″ (with “river” referring to the Hudson River). On Friday, our town’s farmers’ market hosted a special “Harvest Dinner” with Native American-themed dishes made by town residents. I put together some corn salad, and it turned out pretty well. For just a few dollars, we sat down inside our town’s historic train station and enjoyed a Native American meal with friends and neighbors. (And the maple syrup upside-down cake was heavenly! I *must* get that recipe!) Several musicians also played the drums, and Lucas and Meredith took part by shaking some maracas! We really had a nice time.
Yesterday morning, there was a 5K race to honor one of our town’s longtime residents who passed away several years ago. Then, the kids enjoyed a bunch of activities at the playground. They could make corn husk dolls, play some Native American games, do a scavenger hunt (which Lucas *loved*!), make some crafts, and of course play on the swings and slides. Around noon in our town hall, there was a slide presentation about what life was like in this area before Henry Hudson arrived. We didn’t go to that, but we did enjoy a wonderful picnic lunch with friends and neighbors at the playground’s pavilion. Hot dogs, coleslaw, macaroni salad, squash casserole, more corn salad, peaches, chips, mint brownies, lots of drinks … it was *so* relaxing to just sit, talk, and hang out.
Afterward, we drove over to our town’s volunteer fire department because they were having an open house. They let the kids climb into the fire trucks, touch anything they wanted, etc. They were *so* good to Lucas and Meredith. There was even a remote-controlled dalmatian (named “Patches”) in a fire truck! We got to see the department’s brand-new fire engine, and they also led us through the “Family Safety House.” It’s a trailer that simulates a home environment and helps people learn more about fire safety. The “house” could simulate a hurricane or tornado situation, even. Lucas and I went into the bedroom area, and they flipped a switch that caused the “house” to fill up with smoke. One of the firefighters taught Lucas about crouching down low on the floor, feeling the door to see whether it’s hot (the door actually had heated coils inside to simulate a real fire situation), and then finding another way to get out. Lucas learned how to open the door and climb out the window. It was really a terrific learning experience for the kids (and a wake-up call to us, because we need to buy one of those safety ladders to keep upstairs and choose a meeting place in our yard). Makes you think more about term life insurance, too. But you hope that those things will never get used, of course. Then, Luke and Meri got to dress up as firefighters! I couldn’t stand the cuteness! :) The firefighters were *so* good with the kids and even gave them coloring books.
I didn’t take too many pictures for some reason, but there are a few up at Flickr. It was a great day ~ and we didn’t even spend a dime! Amazing! Next year is our town’s huge quadricentennial ~ 400 years old. That event will include fireworks (most likely) and will celebrate Henry Hudson’s arrival. I can’t wait to volunteer for that event and help out as much as I can. I got to design a brochure for this year’s event, which was totally an honor and lots of fun.
A *very* happy second wedding anniversary today to our good friends Sara and Matt in Wisconsin! And a *very* happy third birthday today to Amanda, the daughter of an online mom friend of mine (Carrie in Massachusetts). And a *very* happy 33rd birthday today to one of my oldest friends, Carrie (we went to school together from kindergarten all the way through high school!). Lots of special reasons to celebrate today!
I’m doing a bunch of cooking today for two families in our church. One family has a daughter who has been battling leukemia for several years now (ugh ~ I just *cannot* imagine what they’re going through), and our moms’ group is helping them by bringing meals over to their house. I’m also preparing a meal for Karen, a fellow moms’ group member who just had a baby girl not too long ago (but unfortunately with some health problems). I made a huge batch of pasta salad (not sure what else I’m going to make, though), and for their dessert I made some chocolate-peanut butter fudge from Rachael Ray’s latest magazine issue. (Talk about a sugar attack … two sticks of butter, an entire jar of creamy peanut butter, six ounces of chocolate, three cups of powdered sugar … need I say more?) Bring on the diet pills! LOL! :)
I’m also trying to get our house clean (the downstairs, anyway!) for Thursday, when some members of our moms’ group come over for brunch. It’ll be a small group, and I think that one of the other moms suffers from anxiety, as well, so we’re going to share our experiences. I’m really looking forward to it. I get to cook again ~ and I think that I’m going to make that zesty brunch quiche that I blogged about the other day.
P.S. My husband’s root canal was scheduled for today, but his dentist went into labor! So, therefore, his appointment will have to be rescheduled. Oh, come on … why can’t she perform a root canal in between contractions? haha :)
My parents are celebrating their 35th wedding anniversary today! Back on August 4, 1973, they tied the knot in a little church in Nashville, IN ~ the same town where Jeff and I got married in June 2000. They honeymooned in Gatlinburg and Pigeon Forge, TN, and today they’re jetting off to Las Vegas for a fantastic anniversary vacation. I hope that they take *lots* of pictures, because I can’t wait to see them! They’re going to visit with our cousin Jo, who lives in Boulder City, and they’re also going to see the Grand Canyon ~ including stepping out onto the glass Skywalk on the canyon’s west side. I sure hope that they have safe travels and enjoy themselves. Thirty-five years is quite a milestone!
This morning, I put Meredith onto one of our kitchen island stools in order to feed her breakfast. And that’s when I noticed a bull’s eye-looking rash on her left upper arm. CRAP. I just couldn’t believe it. First Jeff, then Lucas, and now Meredith! I called her doctor’s office immediately and took her in for a checkup. Actually, the pediatrician said that in order to diagnose Lyme Disease, the rash has to be a certain diameter. She drew a circle around Meri’s bite and said that if it gets any bigger, we should bring her back in. Her temperature this morning was 99 degrees, and she isn’t acting like Lucas was when he had it. We’re going to keep a close eye on her. When we got to the doctor’s office, it didn’t look so much like a bull’s eye anymore. So I don’t know. Hopefully it’ll be good news, but we just have to wait and see what happens. Meredith was *not* happy about being examined. She clung to me for dear life and cried a lot. But for one brief moment, she did play with the faucets in the exam room. LOL! :)
This week is going to be *very* busy. Today, I have to work on some last-minute stories for the newspaper that I do freelance work for. I’m also taking meals over to two members of our moms’ group. We need to get going with making a hotel reservation for our upcoming Montreal vacation. I have a birthday gift to purchase and wrap. I need to prepare a meal and get our house clean for some moms’ group friends who are coming over for brunch on Thursday. Saturday is our town’s historic celebration, and I’ve volunteered to make some Native American-themed dishes for that event and also for our town’s farmers’ market on Friday. Oh man … I’m tired just thinking about everything!
So last night, I had a terrible dream that all of my teeth fell out, one by one. And let me tell you how *very* glad I was, when I woke up, to discover that it was just a dream! Has anyone ever had that same nightmare before? Besides needing a trip to the dentist, I thought that I would search online to see what this dream symbolism could possibly mean. Here’s a page that describes various interpretations, from being anxious about your appearance to a fear of getting old to a fear of being embarrassed in some specific situation to a sense of powerlessness. Yeah, I guess that I’ve been feeling all of those things, to a certain degree! Interesting. But seriously … I’m going to make a dentist appointment here soon. I could have also dreamed about my teeth because my husband casually told me this weekend, “Oh yeah … I have a root canal on Tuesday.” What?!? OMG … I hope that it goes well for him and that it isn’t too painful.
Our power went out yesterday for quite a while. Most of the afternoon, in fact. Made me incredibly behind on my freelance projects, but at least today I’m making some good progress. I love when the power goes out, actually. Jeff and I sat down in the living room by candlelight, each with a good book to read. We don’t do that enough. When the power goes out, it kind of forces us to take time out from the daily grind and just “be.” It’s always weird not to hear the hum of our various computers. But silly me … I thought to myself, “Oh! While the power’s out, I’m going to vacuum real fast while I have the chance.” Duh! That kind of requires electricity.
Oh, and last night I came up with some menu ideas for this upcoming week. Thought that I would participate in “Menu Plan Monday” for the first time! Here are my ideas … just loose guidelines …
-fettuccine alfredo with shrimp (Jeff actually requested this); garlic bread
-taco salad (inspired by Christina!)
-Italian pepperoni pasta salad; fried or grilled zucchini on the side
-breakfast for dinner: zesty brunch quiche; probably some fruit salad to go with it
-soup and sandwich night: some kind of deli meat sandwich; carrot-dill soup
-Fridays are homemade pizza night (Jeff wants pineapple/apple/pepperoni, but that sounds disgusting!)
And … some very exciting news around our household … the other day, Lucas went to the potty standing up! He was *so* excited and said, “Just like Daddy!” Meredith is also showing interest in sitting on the potty seat. I think that we might be potty training two at the same time!
A friend is coming over tomorrow morning to watch Lucas and Meredith while I conduct an interview for a feature story that I’m writing for our local newspaper. I said that maybe after I get back, she could stay and have lunch with us (as a way of thanking her for babysitting). But now, I need to figure out what to serve! I swear ~ despite all of the fantastic cookbooks that we own, sometimes I just can’t figure out what to make. I know that she likes quiche, but I fixed that the last time she came over. Rachael Ray’s latest magazine has lots of awesome-sounding recipes, so maybe I’ll go through and see whether anything jumps out at me.
Speaking of food … I had *oh* such a healthy lunch today: chicken nuggets dipped in honey, Lucas’s uneaten “Cars” Spaghettios, and a bunch of sugar wafers (which I needed to buy today in order to make Martha Stewart’s No-Bake Chocolate and Peanut Butter Oatmeal Bars). Why do I do that to myself? I went to the grocery store hungry, so it was difficult not to pig out when I brought everything home. *sigh* If I keep this up, I’m going to need something crazy like Leptitrex, LOL! :)
Oh, here’s a funny story. I stopped at the post office this morning to mail an eBay package, and an elderly gentleman pointed out to me that I had a leaf or something on the back of my white skirt. I took a look, laughed, and said, “Oh, yes I do … thanks so much for telling me!” He left, and I turned back to the counter and said to our postmaster, “Hey ~ does that mean that he was looking at my rear end?” She laughed and said, “He’s a guy. All guys do that.” :D
