A Meal They Will Eat

Bacon & Tomato Pasta from eatathomecooks.com

I think Sharina is to credit for linking me to this website. Tiffany is the gal that writes the blog http://www.eatathomecooks.com/. She creates a meal and shopping list each week and posts all the recipes with pictures. She's a pretty good cook and I have enjoyed the inspiration. Lately, we seem to do more crying at the table than eating. Well, Katie cries. Caroline just sits there and Andrew walks away. It's fun, dinner at our house. If we are not eating Mexican, then it's a disaster night after night. I'm getting a little sick of the drama so I determined to revamp the meal list to only things my children will eat. There went the Shrimp Tikka Masala... I'm saving the good stuff for Scott and I on the nights I have energy (or stupidity) enough to make 2 meals.
Tiffany has quite a few very simple meals with very few ingredients. I'd rather destroy the kitchen with an Emeril-inspired masterpiece, but my kids like hot dogs. Every time I serve food Andrew asks if it is hot dogs. We tell him yes. And that stuff next to it is refried beans. Suddenly, he's happy.
When I saw this recipe I figured I'd better try it out. Scott's gone tonight so I made it for the real critics. I told Andrew the bacon was hot dogs (explaining that they both come from the pig, so he bought it) and just put it in front of them hoping for the best. Andrew at 4 bowls. CareBear asked for seconds and even Katie, onced convinced it was bacon, ate her dinner. Jac destroyed 2 bowls of it herself. (Not to leave her out, but Alex is a god-send and asks for things like Shrimp Tikka Masala. 100% my child.)
The only change I made was using a can of evaporated milk instead of half and half...I forget that stuff has an expiration date on the bottom of the can. I've got a lot of it stored that needs to be used NOW. And I substituted dried basil for fresh. Oh, how I long for summer and fresh basil.
So, let me recommend to all who love to eat, this recipe from Tiffany. Good whether you have kids to feed or not.
Tiffany's photo...

I'm so incredibly angry - not a lucid post

Scott came home last night and said, "So Mark McGwire used steroids..."

If you know me, you know I am an avid St. Louis Cardinals fan and lived in the beloved city during the Mark McGwire era. I own the Wheaties box, I have the yellow hard hat from the McDonald's-sponsored section in the upper level of the original Busch Stadium, I have a framed charcoal sketch of MM pounding the ball. I love that time of my life. I love Cardinal baseball. Scott gave me an authentic Cardinal jersey with MY name on the back. I stayed all night in the frigid cold during the '96 season opener until Willie McGee finally hit that winning home run. I am a Cardinal.

And I knew, we all knew, that when the steroid use was revealed in professional sports, that Mark McGwire was a partaker. But he said he didn't and I wanted to believe him. I didn't, but I wanted to. I put all my memorabilia in a closet and I was sad.

So he comes out of retirement to coaching hitting. Nice job. Who was the piece of trash that thought spilling his guts yesterday would matter? It just makes me mad. I think it makes us all mad.

This writer in particular did a really nice job of expressing the anger.
http://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/news?slug=ti-mcgwirenew011110&prov=yhoo&type=lgns

Kudos to Tim Brown. When Scott made his (hurtful) comment, it wasn't news to me. I get ESPN updates on my phone the second they happen. I got 2 about MM. I told Scott, "I'm so mad! I don't even know why, but I am so mad." Tim Brown put sanity to my anger. The apology doesn't matter. It might have mattered years ago before younger, idiotic sports players followed his stupid example.

I don't think it would have ever mattered to me. It's not like the only thing I did for four years was follow Mark McGwire. I had a life. I served in the St. Louis Temple, I taught RS, I had an incredible job that allowed me to travel the world. BUT the great times I had in Busch Stadium (the first time was almost a religious experience) are a huge part of my memory, my life. That any of that time was spent following the accomplishments of a fraud makes me feel regret. I haven't watched much baseball since then and don't give credibility to anyone physically doing phenomenal things. (I hate Lance Armstrong.)

I look back on that day I was having lunch in the diner in Clayton, MO when Mark McGwire came in and I just want to throw up. I'm mad. I'm so very mad.

Nuclear Power

This is a bowl. It's the "everyday china" we chose/received when we got married. We've now been married almost 9 years. (wow!) This china is rimmed and trimmed with a silver band and shortly after moving into our first house, one of us (me???) put it in the microwave.

Scott did it again 2 nights ago.

I laughed (inside, of course) so hard.

There's all this crackling and popping and he says, "Oh no!"

The microwave still works and the trim has that used look, but I'm wondering, what would happen - and how long does it take - if you just leave it in there? Would there be a fire? What would explode - the microwave or the bowl? Has anyone ever died doing this? What's that show on the Discovery Channel with the bald guy with the beret that explodes everything - and fires that rifle into the block of silicone? He would know.

We have 3 sets of china and every last piece is rimmed in metal. We keep the old stoneware because it's the only microwave-proof dishes we have - and it has no bowls! We had to buy plastic stuff when the kids came (normal) and that's the real nuke-worthy stuff, isn't it? I loved it when Aunt Nicki sent the kids a full set of IKEA plastic ware. We should all invest in more Swedish designed/Malaysian made table settings.

She just got up...

from her nap. Dora in one hand, Baby Alive in the other, Katie's shoes on her feet and her new hat atop her head. I love this girl! She is a real Miss Gotrocks. She is missing her pants because today her brother is learning to potty like a big boy on the toilet. Jac wanted in on the action - or rather, the reward M&M's.

Andrew's doing great, but after 6 pair of panties and plastic pants in only 2.5 hours, Mom decided Jac needed a little more personal awareness before tackling this particular challenge. I don't recall having this problem with the twins, but if Jac and Andrew are going to potty train together, we'll need tandem toilets.

Jack 2010

Only 6 more days to the return of Jack Bauer (who was named after our daughter - or was it the other way around?). Please note that Jack returns in a 2 part, 4 hour premiere on MY BIRTHDAY, January 17th. If you intend to call me to wish me a happy birthday (and at 41, do I care???), please do it before the start of the show. I'll DVR it just in case, but don't YOU be the reason I have to use it.

We're not only celebrating my birthday, but the fact that Keiffer Sutherland hasn't been in jail this year (unlike the St. Louis Cardinals outfield) so it's a big day. Feel free to call as soon as the show ends because Scott doesn't let me watch the previews for the next show. He's fun that way.

Jac in the Hat

Jac got a hat today in the mail from her Aunt Katherine the Great.

It is fabulous. And my photography skills are wanting...cell phone cameras are only for catching license plates on getaway cars. Just in case I don't get a better one later, I'm posting this cute photo of her in it. She won't take it off; she's napping in it now.

We love Jac.

January 8th Every Year

Happy Elvis Day!

We may forget many things, but in this house we remember Elvis Day.

Grandma raised us loving him.

Memaw graduated from high school with him.

Pepaw grew up in the same neighborhood.

We remember Elvis.

Alex said, "Who?"

She'll catch on.

Andrew Speak

Before going into the opthalmalogist's office today I gave everyone the "be good" speech. Very poignant speech that it is, I was unbuckling Andrew when he said, "Mama, I don't want to be good."

Thanks for the warning.

He was literally hopping in his chair once we got inside. It's like he has springs in his bum.

The receptionist said, "There's a children's table over there on the other side of the waiting area."
Jackpot.

Upon leaving Andrew SCREAMED, "NO! NO GO! I don't want to gooooooo!"

You win some, just not in my house.

Alex-isms

Don't recall exactly what she was talking about, but she said, "If you were a sewstress, you could just make one..." A seamstress? "No, a sewstress. You know, if you had a sewer like Grandma does. She has a big sewer. You could make one."
So that's been the problem. I was trying to be a seamstress. Now I'll work on being a sewstress.

The last legitimate post was on the day I fell and twisted my ankle and a lot of time has passed since then. Unfortunately, that wasn't the last time I botched my footing. I spent most of late summer and into early autumn in an air cast...which might be a better invention than sliced bread. Seems like it was September when I read a posting on Craig's List for a school that was relocating and selling off all their extra stuff. Since we home school I felt like it was important to go. My visiting teacher and amazing friend stayed with the kids while I went to this school. I wish there were words to tell you all they had. First of all, the school was HUGE. Secondly, EVERYTHING was for sale. Books and bookshelves, balls and hoops, baseball bases (yes, I bought them), tables, chairs, craft supplies, cafeteria tables. It was overwhelming, in a really good way. I found a table and chairs, loads of books, just tons of stuff and I came home to move our school into the library and officially keep it "school space." The dining room table worked fine, but it seemed like we were always moving stuff around to keep it organized. Holding school in the library would mean less physical work and, hopefully, a better learning environment. I had used the Beutler's trailer, which thankfully resides in our back yard, and upon unloading all the stuff into the garage, I put the trailer back in its place. And then I fell out of the Suburban.
Yes, fell.
I fell right on that already weak ankle and I hurt it "real good" this time.
I was alone. It was dark. The ground was wet. Scott was inside working with the television on. I had little hope. But it was still summer in Michigan, which meant that the girls' bedroom window was open so I began to yell for help. Then I used names. Katie heard me and Alex went down to get Scott. She says he waited a minute before getting up to see what I needed. Nice. I could not move and he waits to come save me. He got me back into the truck and drove me around to the front of the house where we mulled the ER possibility. I was 8 months pregnant with Andrew the last time I went to the ER. You know how everything is worse when you're pregnant? I'll never forget it and that pretty much keeps me from going back. No blood, no ER.
I sat around for a day or so and then broke down and went to the doctor. No breaks, just lots of pain. Did the same thing to my other ankle on my mission. There is nothing worse than a sprain. Pulled ligaments never heal and it will give me problems until the resurrection.

It's been a while

A week ago we were in Memphis where I had a great reunion with my sisters-in-law. Diana mentioned how much she enjoyed reading my blog and had missed the updates. I'm so grateful! I've been wanting to spend time on it again after a really hectic autumn and she inspired me. My goal is one post every Monday. Anything more than that is pure bonus.
Memphis was great and we came back fully stocked with a year's supply of Corky's BBQ sauce. Going to see family is just a cover. We go for the sauce.

A very sad picture of some great stuff.

(our camera died Christmas morning...any ideas on fixing a Sony DCR-TRV33, you call me OK?)