Christmastime Quote

Years ago I sent out a darling Mary Englebreit card for Christmas with the following on the front:

"I will honor Christmas in my heart, and try to keep it all the year."

- Charles Dickens

It instantaneously became one of my all-time favorite holiday quotes.  I love it so much that I keep it up in my kitchen year-round as a friendly, heart-warming reminder.  Besides, it lets me keep at least a little bit of Christmas up in my house the other 11 months of the year.

Rewind: NOVEMBER IN A NUTSHELL

Time to play catch up on the month of November...

During the months of October and November, I put Hudson in a 6 week instructional basketball league.  Around here it's called "Jr. Jazz".  I feel like a total weirdo saying this but...this was his first time in any kind of organized sport or instruction outside of P.E. at school.  Thankfully my boy didn't care one bit.  He was just thrilled to learn and play basketball every Tuesday.  He's definitely taller than most kids his age, he's a touch on the lanky/gawky side and there were kids there who had obviously played ball quite a bit in the past but he had a grand time every week.  I guess his excitement and enthusiasm made up for any lack of experience.

As I do every year, I put up a "Thankful Tree" on our dining room mirror for the month of November.  In the past I had made the tree out of paper but this year I decided to give acrylic paint a try.  It was fabulously easy - took me only 15 minutes or so to brush on - and the paint cost me $1.39...heck of a lot easier and cheaper than the $10+ I spent on paper in past years!    As for the leaves, we used to cut our leaves out by hand or crank them through my small manual die cut machine one-by-one.  It took hours every year.  This time a dear friend of mine saved the day when she took my colored card stock and had her Cricut machine do all the work of cutting out the leaves.   She just pushed some buttons, stuck the paper into her little magic box and let it do the work.  Brilliant!!  We all wrote things that we're thankful for on the leaves over the course of the days leading up to (and including) Thanksgiving.  My only complaint about this year's tree is how time consuming the removal of the acrylic paint was.  However, it's not enough to stop me from doing paint every year from here on out...it was our best looking tree yet!

Thanksgiving was spent here at our home this year.  My parents flew in for the holiday and with the two of them, the four in our family, two of my brothers and their families and my dad's sister, we hosted a total of 18 people here to join in the holiday feast.  We had a huge bird with homemade stuffing (with sausage in it...the best!) , sweet potato souffle, mashed potatoes, green salad, homemade rolls, two kinds of cranberry sauce/relish and my aunt's amazing turkey gravy.  Top it all off with homemade pecan pie and pumpkin pie squares (both with fresh whipped cream, of course) or dessert and what do you have?  Way too much food!  I stopped before I felt full and I still ended up feeling sick to my stomach for a spell that evening.  I guess it wouldn't be Thanksgiving without overeating now, would it?

Lastly we have our little family excursion up on the roof for the sunset a couple of days after Thanksgiving.  I fairly comfortable once I'm up there but the steps onto the roof from the ladder and onto the ladder from the roof seriously freak me out.  I'm getting the heebie jeebies just thinking about it.  Anyway, it started with Max taking the kids up to see the sunset and before I knew it, I was coaxed into joining them.  Claire was positively petrified at first but gradually got her courage up and while sticking close to us in general, she wandered around a bit.  Hudson, on the other hand, is too comfortable (like his dad) and his strutting around and wandering too close to the edge just about gave me a heart attack.   All I could think while standing up there with my kids was that one of them was going to slip or trip, roll down the side and fall down to the concrete below.  They'd crack their head open or break their neck and we'd end up calling 911.  Then my precious little person would spend weeks (if not months) in the hospital while I spent the rest of my life feeling guilty because I shouldn't have allowed them up on the roof.  Over anxious and paranoid?  Perhaps...but it could totally happen!  Anyway, while up on top of the house I snapped a few pics of the kids, of the sunset (trying to hide in the trees) and of the views to the North (picture with the temple) and the East (Great Salt Lake...the pine tree to the left in that shot is now gone thanks to our wind storm).  It really was beautiful up there and I'm glad I took the risk and spent the time with my family.

Well, I think that's about it for November...now to kick it into gear and stay on top of December!

Rewind: 1ST REAL SNOW OF THE YEAR/WINTER

So I know that the year started way back in January and winter doesn't officially begin for a couple more weeks but I still consider what we had at the beginning of November to be the 1st snowfall of the year and of this winter.  Mother Nature was kind enough to have the white stuff come down over a Friday night so that the kids could play Saturday morning.  They were beyond happy to get in their marshmallow-esque gear and head outside.  I joined them to help with the sledding down our little back hill and gave both kids "rides" as I pulled the sled around the backyard.  Then Max joined us and the real fun started.  He ran around the yard with the kids clinging onto the sled as he whipped them around the lawn and tried to make them fall off on the corners.  My two favorite moments were: 1) when Claire fell off the sled on one of the turns and got a face, nose, and mouthful of snow and 2) watching Max try to take a corner extra sharp to throw Hudson into the snow and slipped in the process...both he and Hudson took a good spill and we all had a good laugh.

Since that 1st storm we haven't had much of the white stuff.  Just a few inches here and there, much of it conveniently melting off and allowing us to spruce up the yard a couple more times before the real winter weather hits.  As much as I don't care for snow, I'm ready for it to stick around now that December is here....

Next up: highlights from the rest of November.

Wind Storm Cleanup

Early Friday afternoon a few of a friend's landscaping work crew showed up to start cleaning up the prickly and sappy mess that was our front yard.  I wasn't expecting them and had to run out front and make sure that they knew that our phone line was stretched tight over the roots and trunk (it's the black piping and line that can be seen in the pictures on last night's post) and that we really didn't want it getting cut in the cleanup process.  I also asked them to be careful of the viburnum bushes that we were hoping to salvage on the side and to leave behind some of the thicker branches and part of the trunk so that our firewood supply could be bulked up.  They were very kind to listen to the bossy lady of the house and then got to work.  And boy, did they ever work!

I couldn't believe how fast they had that trunk stripped of branches.  Then they removed the three tops of the tree (the trunk started as one, split into two, and then topped off at three) which were collectively HUGE.  It took 3 guys yanking and pulling on the pieces to get each hauled away from against the house.  By the time they called it quits in the late afternoon much of the tree had been cut up and hauled away.  All that was left was the ginormous base of the trunk (to be removed sometime this week), a pile of branches and a few thick chunks of trunk.

After a period of windy-ness on Saturday morning and early afternoon, Max ventured out to take care of as much of the remaining tree as he could and to clean up the rest of the yard.  Can I just say now that I'm a lucky girl?  He seriously slaves away in the yard and NEVER complains about it.  Anyway, he sawed off some more of the trunk, got the aforementioned pile of branches and the big trunk pieces out into the road, filled several bags with pine cones, dirt, branches and leaves, and pretty much had our yard looking perfect again by the time he called it quits that night.  All except for that pesky tipped-over tree trunk.  As we went to bed last night we read online that a new storm with high winds (not as high as Thursday's) was due to arrive Sunday evening.

Yesterday morning we got to church a little bit late and sat down just in time to hear the bishop saying something about only holding the first/main meeting and the rest of church was cancelled.  I quietly confirmed with the people sitting behind me (happened to be our landscaper friend) that this was indeed the case.  They said that they didn't want to be alarmists but wanted to be prepared for the new storm.  All of our church's congregations in the area (a number of cities involved) were asking that all able bodied men and teenaged young men/boys  go out and help clear all loose debris from the neighborhood and the surrounding area in preparation for the forecasted storm.  Anything that could be blown away in strong winds needed to be secured to removed...everything from plant matter to vinyl siding to trampolines and swamp coolers.  After the meeting was over we all got into good work clothes and headed out to get some things done.  The kids and I helped our neighbors move a pile of roof shingles to a sheltered area where it won't blow away and picked up pieces that hadn't been collected yet.  Max, on the other hand, geared up and went to the church to join the brigade of men, women and teens that were heading out to clean up.  They had a number of open-bed trucks, SUV's and trucks with trailers, and other hauling vehicles to take away everything they could over the course of the day.  A crew of 5 or 6 men and teenagers showed up here and took everything but the heavy trunk pieces away from our place.  In driving around with the kids later, I saw crews of 10+ people working on bigger piles and jobs.  I can't tell you how impressed I was with all of these people and what they did for their neighbors, friends and even complete strangers.  Fallen trees were cut up and hauled away, trees that weren't down but were in danger of coming down oin the new storm were felled and removed and after every single job, these people jumped up and headed to the next house that needed help.  And all of this while it snowed a bit off and on and in freezing temperatures.  Max came home in the late afternoon soaked, dirty and covered in sawdust (as I'm sure many other men did, too).  Ah, the bond of a man and his chainsaw.

I learned on the news in the afternoon that the national guard had been called to aid in the cleanup effort.  The line to get into the local landfill (normally closed on Sunday but open all day for free yesterday) was literally miles long and people had to wait for hours to empty their loads.  Due to the huge number of people and vehicles involved in the cleanup effort, other landfills in the area opened for free and the city started designating other places as temporary dumping grounds...the high school, parks, church parking lots.  Once left there, crews from the city and national guard were using tractors to load up side-dumping trailers which in turn took the debris to the landfills.

As yesterday's light turned to evening and then night, I started doubting the forecastedwe live amongst amazing people who will put their plans and lives on hold at a moment's notice and step up to help each other out should anything happen.  In the end, last night's "storm" wasn't all that bad.  As a matter of fact, I think it was downright good as the preparation for it it brought people together and left us all with a great feeling of love, concern and appreciation for each other.

DECEMBER: IN LIKE A LION...

Wait...isn't that supposed to be March's thing?  Well, this year December most definitely took that title.

Disclaimer: This is going to be long and wordy.  Don't feel like you have to read all of it.  Just know that I will know if you don't and I will surely be offended.

In the wee small hours of this past Thursday, a much anticipated wind storm blew through the area.  A little bit before 4:00 a.m. Hudson came and crawled into bed with us after having a bad dream.  The three of us were lying there listening to the wind when and extra strong gust of wind came through and the whole house shook.  I commented that it was certainly a strong one and Max then shot of out bed and ran to one of our front windows.  He hollered back, "It came down!"  I had zero inkling as to what he was talking about so I asked him just what it was that came down.  His response?  The giant pine tree in our front yard.

The pine tree...much happier and alive back in May 2009.

It landed across the front lawn and came to rest right against the house next to my office window.  No wonder the house rattled!  Amazingly enough, Claire slept through everything, including being moved to our room for safety (her bedroom window is on the windy side).  She gradually woke up and joined the rest of us and our rapidly beating hearts.

Max headed out front at about 4:30 a.m. in the scary winds to assess the damage.  Incredibly enough, the only damage to the house was a bent gutter.  No broken window(s), no siding gone or problems with the roof.  In the process of checking things out, Max slipped on some ice and put a nice hole in one of his shins (not kidding...missing a lovely chunk - stitches not a possibility).  I also joined the ranks of the injured (though far inferior to the aforementioned impressive leg) when I was holding open one of our side gates for Max to bring the garbage cans in.  The wind blasted said gate, throwing me back and sandwiching my lower leg and ankle in between it and a low brick wall.  Ouch.  After our fun outside, the rest of the morning was spent trying very unsuccessfully to go back to sleep.  The kids were pretty wound up - especially Hudson who asked, "Why is Mother Nature doing this?!"  Finally around 6:00 Max took the kids downstairs to play a video game while I slept a bit off and on.  That lasted until the power went out around 8:00...it stayed out the whole day.

We had already determined that we were keeping Hudson home from school and later found out that they cancelled shortly after class started anyway.  It's crazy...I know people here who have never seen the schools close for snow, even when huge storms hit.  But Thursday the whole district was closed due to wind.  The day was filled with building Legos, doing a few chores, hand washing Wednesday night's dinner dishes, forgetting that the power was out and trying to turn lights on when entering dark rooms, making phone and receiving phone calls (thank goodness for our land line...our cell phones were sketchy at best most of the day), folding a bit of laundry and keeping the fridge and freezer closed as much as possible.  I also ventured outside with Max and Hudson on separate occasions to snaps some pictures of the tree and our yard.  When I took Hudson out the winds had calmed a bit but were still strong enough to make it hard for him to keep his footing.  You should be able to click on the collage below to get a closer look...

I could hardly believe my eyes looking at that monstrous tree lying in our front yard (we measured last night...it was 45 feet tall without the tops that snapped off when it fell).  As you can see in the pictures, he roots that were ripped up easily stick up 12 feet in the air.  There were aspen tree branches all over the place and some were tangled in the branches of the pine tree.  We also had PILES of dirt, aspen and pine branches, and pine cones on both sides of our backyard (it's basically split by the living room addition that sits in the middle).  We feel so fortunate and blessed that greater damage wasn't done.

When the winds died down even more later in the day, I took the kiddies out on a ride to see what had happened around our neighborhood.  I couldn't believe how many pine trees and fences were down, how many roofs were missing shingles and how much debris was littering the streets and yards.  As far as damage goes, we got off pretty easy.

One of the phone calls I made over the course of the day was to my parents in California.  While we were on the phone, my mom hopped on the internet to our local news page and read a couple of articles to me.  One of them stated that there were 100+ mph winds not far from our area (= to a category 2 hurricane) at various times.  A tanker train carrying cold asphalt had been derailed by the wind, several semi trucks had blown over on I-15 and trampolines, trees, and trash cans were all over the place.  Later in the afternoon I was told by my sister-in-law that she had driven through Centerville (hardest hit) and that it literally looked like a war zone.  No wonder our mighty tree gave out!

As previously mentioned, the power went out in the morning and stayed off the entire day.  The news stations and emergency management were advising that everyone should be prepared for 48 hours without power.  Our heater had been on at times for about an hour before the outage so we were glad to have started the day around 65 in the house.  However, with the cold and wind outside, our inside temperature didn't stay warm for long.    By afternoon we were down to 57 or so...a touch too chilly even for this warm blooded California girl!  I built a fire in the kitchen fireplace and turned on the gas fireplace in the living room.  Between the two of them, the center section of the house stayed quite comfortable.  Come later afternoon I pulled out candles and flashlights and made sure we were set up for the evening and night.  My brother was fortunate enough to get power back on at his place by dinner time so the kids and I joined them for dinner and a good defrosting.  We then enjoyed our lights-out time...Hudson built Legos by the light of a battery-powered lantern, Claire went into the darkest portions of the house over and over with a flashlight, and I read by the fire and kept taking Claire's flashlight away when she wouldn't stop playing with it.  When I tucked the kids in that night (Claire in her room and Hudson in ours) it was 54 back here...a little too far down the hall from the fires to keep warm.  Brrrrrrr!  Fortunately we didn't have to pull out every blanket in the house to stay warm for the night.  Thanks to the city and emergency management crews, our power was restored around 10:00.  The heater immediately kicked on and we were downright cozy.  That was only when we were inside, though.  Within a few minutes of the power kicking on, Max was up on the roof to fix the Christmas lights that had been hurt by the tree and I was out there with him, standing below to toss new lights up to him (and to monitor his craziness and attempt to catch him if needed).

I think it goes without saying (and yet I'll say it anyway) that Thursday was one heck of a day.  And a long one at that.

P.S.  As was forecasted for tonight, the wind is blowing again as I have been typing this.  I can feel a cold draft under my desk and my window is closed tight.  It's kind of freaking me out.

Goodbye, November!

Wow.  November turned out being a serious dud in terms of blog posts.  As always, I had grand intentions and apparently made zero effort to fulfill them (though I did think about writing a number of times).  I'll post about Thanksgiving and such soon.  I know next month will be better.  Thanks in part to something I'm thankful for...the ability to write and schedule posts in advance.

Halloween 2011

We had a fun Halloween this year.  The kids didn't have school so aside from running to the store for a few things, we spent the day at home with them playing and me attempting (key word) to get some things done....

As I've mentioned in previous posts, I've kind of gotten on a kick of trying to make somewhat festive or fun things to eat for dinner or dessert on each holiday.  For this year's Halloween dinner, I went crazy with Jell-O.  A while back I got a Jell-O brain mold and with it came instructions for various brains as well as other recipes to use for the holiday.  I ended up making a cherry & evaporated milk brain that turned out a really lovely blood red and layered squares in orange and root beer.  How'd I make root beer Jell-O you ask?  There's a new flavor out there called "Mixcheif" to which you add your own soda for flavor.  Two words: DON'T BOTHER.  The box calls for using either part water and part soda or all soda for the liquids.  I chose the latter hoping to get really good flavor and even with that, it was sub-par to say the least.  Never again.  At least the brain turned out tasty enough (the kids thought it was hysterical to talk about how much they like eating brains) and the orange layered squares were downright yummy.

After our early dinner and a bit of prep time, we headed out the door to beg candy off neighbors and friends.  This year Hudson was a nerd/brainiac/fashion-challenged boy and Claire was a kitty.  Both were happy with their costumes.  I couldn't help but giggle at Hudson and Claire was just downright cute.  I tried to make Miles a real skunk this year with white stripes but he shook the spray off the second I finished then darted through the dog door, thereby wiping off much of what was left after his shake-off.  After pictures on the porch, we had fun doing a loop around our neighborhood and one just north of us and then headed down the hill to see the grandparents nearby.  The weather was absolutely perfect for trick-or-treating this year - in the 60's! - which made it even better than years past.

Both kids came home with way too much candy and both were and have continued to be surprisingly good about sharing some with their parents.  It sure is nice to be in my 30's and benefiting from trick-or-treating without dressing up or going door to door with a bag in my hand!

Carving Pumpkins

As is tradition in every normal family out there, we carved pumpkins for Halloween.  The kids and I each picked a pumpkin out of the many on our front porch (I may or may not have put the kibosh on certain ones...) to do our handy work on.  For the kids' pumpkins, Hudson and I used an online pumpkin template maker to design a face for his and Claire simply asked that I do a "flower face" for her again this year.  My pumpkin was based on an idea I found online.

Proving that he's grown up a bit since last year, Hudson was eager to dig in and help clean out his pumpkin (once he'd gotten a quick feel for the slimy stuff inside)...no disgusted faces or complaining this time!  And he did a decent job to boot!  Claire had no issue helping out and happily helped separate seeds from the goop so that we could roast them.  Both kids wanted to cut the drawn-on faces out and aside from my cleaning up the angle of his cuts a bit, Hudson did really well and pretty much nailed it.  Claire, on the other hand, pitched a fit when I told her it might be too hard and then quickly gave up and settled for watching me when she realized I was right.  As for my pumpkin, I had fun making every little hole with the hubby's drill...power tools to the rescue!  I think all three of our pumpkins turned out quite well.  Amateur, maybe, but great for our Halloween front porch nonetheless.

In addition to the ones shown above, I also etched one of those ginormous pumpkins to last us through the month of November on our front porch (and I have one more to shave/etch).  This year's doesn't have our name on it so I can post pictures but they'll have to come a bit later as I want to get a finished shot of it out on the front porch.  It has been out there for days but it is covered in snow from yesterday...you're just going to have to come see it in person or wait for that snow to melt.

By the way, I never did roast those seeds that Claire helped sort out...  After washing them, I kept putting the job off and left them out in a bowl on the counter for a couple days.  At that point, even after another washing they reeked like nobody's business so into the garbage they went.  Maybe we'll crack open one of the pumpkins on the porch before the month is out and do it right.

Next up: Happy Halloween (over a week later)...

Leaves + Kids = Work & Play!

A few days before Halloween we had our first real leaf gathering/raking/bagging session of the fall.  In spite of the cooler temperatures in September, it seems like autumn has taken its sweet time kicking it into gear and the leaves have just recently started to flutter down.

The work started in the morning with the kids and the hubby starting to gather leaves and then covering poor Miles in them (though he didn't seem to mind too much...looked like he was ready to go to sleep).  From there it turned into the kids and dog chasing each other all over the place as the dog got a little spunky after escaping his blanket of leaves.  In the late afternoon, I called my little minions to get out front and bag leaves while I finished putting dinner together.  They are good little workers and seemed to enjoy (for the most part) stuffing the garbage can full, pushing the leaves down when it got too full, and occasionally throwing a few up in the air for good measure.

Oh - and please don't think that I didn't do anything.  I did my fair share by tying off and changing the bags in the can when they were full, snapping pictures of the kids doing the real work, and bossing them around.

Beat THIS Man's Good Attitude

I don't recall exactly what part of the New Testament was being covered on this particular Sunday, but some weeks ago in our Sunday School class the lesson touched on trials and hardships in life and how we get through them.

One man who has had cancer a couple of times (2 or 3...can't recall exactly) and lost an eye due to the most recent case commented, "You can go through a lot in life if you know there's a reward at the end."

Obviously knowing of his battles with cancer, the teacher asked in return, "What's the reward for losing your eye?"

The man only paused for a moment and then with a big smile across his face he said: "I only cry half as much."

Everyone in the class laughed and smiled.  I don't think that even one of us didn't marvel at this man's character.  Finding that kind of a positive in that kind of trial?  Now that is what I call a good attitude.

Easy Spanish/Salsa Rice

We have Mexican food for dinner at least 3-4 times a month around here.  Whether I make fajitas, soft or hard tacos, or my girlfriend's blond enchiladas, I positively love having Spanish rice with said meals.  I once made a fairly time-consuming but super delicious recipe of the stuff from scratch (thanks for sharing, C!) but considering my usual dinner time constraints (i.e. I often don't decide what we're having until an hour before), I decided to try and find something simpler.  I know that a lot of people out there probably have this exact recipe or something very similar but I figured I'd share it anyway.  I found  it on one of my favorite recipe sites:

EASY SALSA RICE

3/4 c. water

3/4 c. salsa (preferrably chunky...not super watery/liquidy)

1 c. uncooked instant rice

Combine water and salsa in a saucepan and bring to a boil.  Remove from heat, stir in rice, and cover.  Allow to sit for 5-10 minutes.  Stir and serve.

NOTES:

• I really love making this with medium (or hotter) salsa and then I get the kick I want without actually putting salsa in my fajita or taco.
• The ingredient amounts above are actually for a 1/2 recipe - perfect for 3-4 people.  If making a full batch, use 1 1/2 cups each water and salsa and 2 cups rice.

I seriously just LOVE this rice.  It's SO easy to make and can be thrown together in just a few minutes right before serving.  My favorite ways to eat it are in fajitas/tacos, on the side with enchiladas (some with each bite), and as a base with cheese, avocado, cilantro, tomato, etc. on top to each with tortilla chips.

Little Pumpkins

A couple of weeks ago, a dear friend of ours called me on a Friday afternoon and asked if my kiddies would like to come over and each pick a little pumpkin from the patch/vine they grew in their backyard.  She had already picked the big and medium ones off the vine and thought the kids would get a kick out of coming over and literally picking their own.  Boy, was she ever right!  We happened to have my nephew over to play with Claire and a friend over to play with Hudson so they got to come and join in the fun as well.  Our friend was so cute and had gloves for each of the kids to wear for protection from the thorns.

 

There were a few little ones to choose from and each child was very intent on looking them over before making their decision.  Amazingly enough, none of them had their sights on one that another was looking at.  They each bent, twisted and pulled on their pumpkins until they came loose.  Such proud and happy faces when the job was done!

One funny thing that happened is after we got the pumpkins back to our place and cleaned up, I noticed the amazing curly vine/tendrils hanging off the stem of the pumpkin picked by Hudson's friend (in one of the pics above).  I showed the friend my cool find and you know what he did?  He immediately ripped it off and threw it in the trash.  The best part of his pumpkin tossed aside.  I don't know...maybe it looked too girly or something.

Homemade Peach Jam

I just checked and in terms of posts per month, I'm still a few away from beating my record so far this year (a mind-boggling 8 posts).  That means that after this one, I still have 2 more to knock out in the next week and by golly, I am doing to do it...

Now back to business.

At the end of September and the beginning of this month, I decided to venture into unknown territory in my kitchen.  I made peach jam.  I've made strawberry freezer jam (and strawberry-raspberry...yum) and I've canned peaches and applesauce, too.  I just hadn't done cooked jam of any sort since Mrs. Cosgrove's cooking/home-ec class in high school.  And that was a while ago.

This year my awesome in-laws gave me more peaches than I could have asked for.  Bags upon bags of fresh peaches from their backyard tree.  I would normally can them all but for whatever reason, this year's crop was filled with cute little miniature fruit about the size of large plums - not exactly prime for regular canning.  And so, not wanting to waste all that glorious fruit...

I made a batch of freezer jam.  I searched for recipes on the websites of canning/pectin companies like Ball and Cert-O but could not find a recipe for peach freezer jam for the life of me.  So off I went to various recipe websites and found one that had good reviews.  I had no reason to think that it wouldn't turn out well.  Wrong.  I made an enormous mistake and followed the directions and - please don't scold me for breaking one of my own cardinal cooking/baking rules - I actually purchased (complete waste of money) and used (complete loss of brain power) bottled lemon juice.  I cringe just thinking about it...  The mixture smelled good enough and seemed just fine but a while after spooning it into the little jars, I noticed sugar settling at the bottom of each one.  I knew I had made it correctly.  I had allowed it to sit long enough and stirred the living daylights out of it.  Not cool.  So I furiously dumped every last drop of the stuff back into my ginormous mixing bowl to give it what-for.  In the process, I allowed myself a little taste of the jam.  What I tasted could not be fixed by freezing, by adding sugar, or by some jam-making master of the culinary arts.  There was barely even a hint of peach flavor...it was all sour bottled lemon nastiness in my mouth.  Cringing again.  Yuck.  I seriously just got the heebie jeebies thinking about it again.

Down the drain with that batch.

Next I grew back a few of the brain cells that were lost when I purchased the you-know-what and went back to the store and read every last word on the jars of powdered pectin and boxes of liquid pectin in the store.  Guess what I found in the process.  A recipe for peach freezer jam.  Right there on Ball's jar of powdered pectin.  WHY they couldn't have the same recipe on their website is beyond me but I was happy to find it, purchase the pectin, and get the heck out of there.

Attempt number two at freezer jam was approximately one billion times more successful and tasty than the first time around.  No explanation needed.  I followed these directions and used the fresh lemons that were sitting in my fridge the whole time and it turned out beautifully.  Wonderful taste and gorgeous color...much more like it.

In addition to the batch of freezer jam, I also made 4 separate batches of cooked peach jam.  These are my pride and joy (after my children, of course, but it's a close call).  I lovingly peeled the fruit and finely chopped it by hand before taking my beloved KitchenAid immersion blender and giving it a quick pulverizing.  I think that was my favorite part.  That and using a trick from my canning genius paternal grandma.  It's a trick which many of you probably already know (stainless steel knife in the cold jar absorbs the heat from the boiling jam and the glass doesn't shatter) but I find completely amazing nonetheless.  I also loved that every single jar of the stuff sealed within moments of my turning off and removing the lid from my steam canner.

Proof of my hours in the kitchen (and some time contributed by my awesome mom while she was here...thanks, Mom!) and proof that in spite of having made that unforgivable sin of purchasing bottled lemon juice, I can make real peach jam:

The jar with the white lid is freezer jam, the others are all cooked jam. 

My only problems with the cooked batches are as follows:

a) One batch of 10 or 11 jars didn't set up for whatever lame reason.  It's fairly runny and would probably be good on rolls or pancakes but just didn't turn out like I wanted it to.

b) They are so pretty that I hate to think of giving them all away at Christmas.  So I'm not...I've stockpiled a number of jars for us to use over the coming year.

c) It really tastes so very good.  This isn't really a problem but like my issue with it being pretty - and even though there is absolutely no way that I'd ever be able to eat all of that jam - I am selfish and once again hate to think of giving them all away at Christmas.  So I'm not...

Yes, I am giving away most of the jars.  My question is this: what do I do about the jars of runny jam?  I've already given away a couple of them to understanding friends that didn't mind partaking of my kitchen failure (still don't get why they didn't set...ugh!) but I don't know about the rest.  Do I give them away at Christmas and hope that people aren't offended?  Do I dump them down the drain?  Do you want one?  Help me!

GOOD NEWS...and Two Down, One To Go

Yesterday was a really good day.  Everything went just swimmingly at my appointments yesterday.

Okay - almost swimmingly.  At my 1st appointment of the day with my Neuro, we had the one hiccup of the day when we discovered that the scheduling gal at his office had failed to order a scan of my neck.  Which the doctor had specifically stated.  In his written instructions in my chart.  On a separate line so it wouldn't be missed.  Nice.  Anyway, as for the tumor at the base of my spine, it hasn't grown since we last checked on it two years ago.  Good tumor!  The gal who mixed up my MRI order called me within an hour or so with a time to go in on Monday for the MRI on my neck.  In spite of the stinky-ness of having to have another scan, it'll be good to finally have it done and my Neuro is just going to call me that afternoon with the results so I don't have to go in for another appointment.

We had enough time after meeting with my Neuro to run a quick errand and then get a very yummy lunch at The Dodo.  It was so nice to have a break between appointments...especially considering that we got to go out to lunch without kids and actually enjoy the meal without interruptions.  Ahhhhh!  Oh - and I finished off my meal with a Valium in preparation for the next part of the day.

Next it was up to the university for the MRI on my brain.  I had been informed beforehand by a couple of people (at my ENT's and at the imaging place) that the MRI would be about 45 minutes long...just right to finish up and hurry up to the hospital for my hearing test and meeting with my ENT.  I finished up my paperwork and got changed right as the tech came to get me.  On the way back he informed me that I'd be done within 10-15 minutes.  What?!  Turns out that my ENT ordered a fairly basic scan without the usual 2nd part with an injection of contrast.  True to the tech's word, I was done in less than 15 minutes.  I totally could have done that fast of a scan without Valium.  What a waste of a perfectly good pill.

Up at the hospital my hearing test went well.  No change since last year - I have very good hearing in my right ear and I couldn't be more grateful.  As for my ENT, he was happy to tell us that the tumor in my brain/inner ear hasn't grown since last year.  Additionally, since it hasn't grown since I was diagnosed 4 years ago, he is now comfortable with extending my checkups to 18 months apart rather than a year.  I can certainly handle that!  This means that I won't have to have another MRI or appointment (besides the scan on Monday) until April 2013 and Fall 2013 unless I have problems.  Hurrah!

I am so grateful for how everything went yesterday.  Even though there was a mix-up with my scans and I have to go in for an MRI Monday, the doctor (and therefore we) are assuming that since my other tumors haven't grown, the one in my neck is likely to have stayed the same was well.  I'll definitely be posting the results once I have them.

Blessings from heaven...

Yearly Pins & Needles...Or Not

It's that time of year again.  Unfortunately I'm not referring to fall (one of my 2 favorite seasons), baking and soup season, nights wearing slippers and sweaters, or anything else that gives me the warm fuzzies.  It's time for my annual check-ups on my three remaining tumors (right side of brain/inner ear, neck, and back...all benign but can be do a lot of damage considering where they've taken up residence in my central nervous system).  While this has been part of normal for me for the past three years, the week or two before my MRI's and doctors appointments have always found me a nervous basket-case of a stressed out wreck running around on emotional pins and needles.  However, for whatever reason, I've been blessed this year and have felt totally normal and at east about the whole situation.  I still don't enjoy the MRI's (Valium and I are very dear chums) and I'm still a bit nervous about the results but I'm just not thinking about it much or finding it to be that big of a deal.  Thank the heavens above because this is way more preferable than my usual!

I had one MRI Tuesday morning that was about 90 minutes.  I was so relaxed that I actually fell asleep...and woke myself up with my snoring.  Awesome.  However, it ended up turning into two MRI's as I had to go back in the afternoon for a quick 30 minute re-do on a spot as the radiologist wanted clearer thins of the area.  I was a little worried at first when they called me back because the area they wanted re-scanned is close to where the pesky little tumor in my lower back is.  I asked the question flat out and the tech said that it was actually the area where my 2007 surgery was that they needed a better shot of.  So long as it doesn't mean that the tumor they removed is back, I'm totally fine with it.

Today is a bigger day than Tuesday way.  This morning I'll meet with my Neurosurgeon who handles my back and neck to see what the results of the other day's MRI's are.  A couple of hours later it's another Valium for me and an MRI of my brain (only supposed to be 45 minutes but I still need some help to relax) before a hearing test and an appointment with my ENT Neuro about the one in my brain/inner ear.  That one always scares me a little more since the hearing in my only good ear is threatened should that little bugger grow (for those of you who don't know, I'm stone deaf in the left ear with no cochlear life so no hearing aid, implant, etc. can help).  Even with that knowledge and fear in the back of my head, I'm still feeling okay about the day ahead of me.  Here's crossing my fingers, saying my prayers, and hoping with all the hope I have in me that none of my tumors has grown and that I get to go another year before checking again.

Wish me luck!  I'll post results tonight or tomorrow...

Tillamook Everyday Macaroni & Cheese

Back when the weather was hotter and I didn't want anything to do with a stove or oven, I made homemade macaroni and cheese one day.  This involved both my stove and my oven.  Fabulous.  But heating up my kitchen was entirely worth it because this stuff was quite tasty!  Helping increase the tasty factor was the fact that the recipe was from Tillamook, almighty creator of amazing cheese and ice cream (and other stuff, too, but those are most important around here).  I found the recipe in my beloved Sunset magazine some time ago and having always been a fan of real mac n' cheese, I decided that it was a must-try.

THE EVERYDAY MACARONI AND CHEESE

8 oz. dry elbow macaroni

2 1/2 tsp. salt

2 Tbsp. Tillamook Unsalted Butter

2 Tbsp. all-purpose flour

2 c. whole milk

1/2 tsp. salt

1/8 tsp. pepper

2 1/2 c. (about 10 oz.) Tillamook Medium Shredded Cheddar Cheese, divided

In a large pot, bring 3 quarts of water to a boil.  Add 2 1/2 tsp. salt and macaroni.  Cook according to package directions, stirring occasionally.  Pasta is done when it is slightly chewy to the bite or al dente.  Drain pasta in a colander and set aside.

Prepare sauce while pasta is cooking.  In a medium saucepan, over medium heat, melt butter.  Whisk in flour and cook 3 minutes, whisking constantly.  Gradually add milk and bring just to a boil, whisking constantly.  Reduce heat and simmer, whisking often (tired of that word yet?), until sauce slightly thickens, 4 to 5 minutes.  Add salt, pepper and 2 cups of cheese.  Stir until cheese is melted.  Remove pan from heat and fold in pasta.  Pour into prepared baking dish then sprinkle top with remaining cheese.

Bake 15 to 20 minutes (they didn't give a temp so I did 350) or until cheese is bubbly and top begins to brown.  Let sit 5 minutes before serving.

NOTES:

• I used more like 12 oz. pasta and liked the consistency...not too creamy or overbearing.
• I used 2% milk instead of whole and it turned out swell.  I'm sure it'd be a bit richer/creamier with the whole milk but it really didn't seem to be a problem.
• If you like a good, strong cheese flavor, go with Tillamook's SHARP cheese instead. While we're normally sharp cheese eaters, all we had in the fridge that day was the medium that the recipe called for....it was a little on the mild side for me. I really wish I had made it with sharp and will definitely be doing so next time.
• Lastly - sit down for this one 'cause it's a real shocker - I shredded more cheese than the recipe called for.  1/2 cup of the good stuff just wasn't enough for the top.  If you like it cheesy, don't be shy!

This recipe was a definite hit for both me and my kiddies.  Both kids were apprehensive about trying homemade macaroni and cheese but both wolfed down what I gave them (and I think Hudson had seconds).  Nothing like the real thing!

P.S.  The  weather is now PERFECT for heating up your kitchen...great recipe for the fall and winter months.

My Birthday Cake (from back in August...)

At the end of August, I commented on FB how excited I was for the birthday cake I was making for myself.  I had a few people comment that one shouldn't have to bake his/her own birthday cake but I really was beyond fine with it.  I wanted to make this cake.

This cake just so happens to be one of my all-time favorites.  It's right up there with Princess Cake from Gayle's in Capitola and Banana Cake from Icing on the Cake in Los Gatos (both in my native California).  It's my Grandma B's recipe and it is the cake that I wanted for my birthday every year growing up.  It is also my dad's favorite and I do believe my other siblings requested it frequently as well.  Up unti my birthday this year, I hadn't had it since my Grandma's funeral back in 2004.  That's a long time to go without.

Now I'm not currently willing to give up the recipe...but I'm more than happy to tell you about it...

In preparing to make this cake, I called my mom.  Being sure that she had always made this deliciousness from scratch, I asked for her Angel Food Cake recipe.  She told me to go and buy whatever boxed mix was at the store.  Now I know her secret...bwa ha ha ha!  Now don't go thinking that this is just a receipe for basic Angel Food Cake.  This treat is all about the filling/frosting which -  if no Angel Food Cake is available - can easily be consumed by the spoonful.  It's a glorious combination of heavy whipping cream, crushed pineapple, gelatin, and a few other ingredients.  Did you think I was actually going to list everything needed?  I think not.

The cake itself wasn't a big deal to make.  I actually whipped it up the night before and made sure it cooled completely before I hit the sack.  In the morning I went to work on the filling.  It's not a difficult process...just a bit on the time-consuming side.  Once the filling is made, the cake is sliced in half horizontally and the filling is spread in between the layers and then over the whole thing.  Then, in order to keep it from getting melty or sliding around, it has to be kept in the fridge until serving (really should be chilled for a few hours or overnight).  I was especially thankful for my second fridge downstairs that day because between the cake pedestal and the dome, it took up a whole lotta space!

Now, before I stick the pictures in here, I must offer an apology to my friend Katie.  I had promised her a) a photo of this fabulous cake in all its glory and b) to post said picture right away.  Neither of these promises were kept.  We cut into the cake and had 2nds before thinking to take a picture and I'm just now sharing pictures of the half-eaten cake now that it's been well over a month since my birthday.  I'm really sorry, Katie...maybe next time I'll be able to keep my hand from shoveling something into my mouth before I can grab the camera.

This is a side view that almost looks like a complete cake without any damage or consumption having taken place.

What the cake really looked like once I decided to take a picture.  Those squiggly and swiped lines on the pedestal may or may not be spots where one or more people helped clean off any extra filling from where the rest of the cake once stood.

The cake was positively dee-lish-us and while the three weirdies that I live with don't love the cake as much as I do, I think I'll be making this puppy for my birthday just about every year from here on out.  Yum.  Oh - and speaking of yum, the leftovers are positively wonderful.  Every bit as good on days 2 and 3 as the original was on day 1.  Mmmmmmm.

The Scariest Thing...

I can't believe that October is already here.  Halloween is dead ahead, Thanksgiving is just around the corner, and Santa will be here before we know it (and is already in stores!).

I haven't always been a big fan of Halloween.  Of course my love for candy has been there since time began...Reese's PB Cups, 3 Musketeers, Butterfingers, M&M's, etc. (chocolate, anyone?) and as I've gotten older, I've grown to enjoy some of the cuter, less frightening or eerie decor.  I think the most frightening thing I have in my Halloween collection is a darling vintage-looking mounted ghost cut-out that sits on our piano.

Now, all the skeletons, bats, ghouls, and other creepy things aside, there is one thing about this October in particular that really gives me a fright: how little blogging I've done this year and how much I have to catch up on.  As of today, I have barely passed 1/3 of how much I posted last year.  And I thought last year was bad (less than 1/2 of the year before).  Will someone please send the blogging bug my way again so it can give me a good bite?  Or two or three...

Claire's 1st Day of School

Claire started her 2nd (and we're assuming final) year of preschool the Wednesday after Labor Day.  She could not have been more excited to get back into the swing of things.  She absolutely loves her teacher with all of her heart and making preschool even more amazing this year is the fact that her cousin Tyler is in her class.  She was so eager to get going that morning...we couldn't get in the car and get there fast enough.  However, I didn't really want to get there super early so I took her out front for the traditional back-to-school photos.  But rather than giving me full cooperation like her older brother, Claire decided to channel her inner model (or something like that) as I snapped away.

Oh well.  I may not have gotten the greatest pictures of her...but at least she was happy and every time I look at these, I get a good laugh.

Hudson's 1st Day of School

On August 22nd, Hudson started 2nd grade!  On the first days of Kindergarten and 1st grade, I followed the bus down the hill (can't not take the bus now, can we?) and then escorted him to class, making sure that he was settled in before leaving him in the teacher's hands.  He never had any issue with my leaving him there or going to school at all - just wanted a bit of a security blanket at the start of the day.

This year was different.  He expressed a little bit of nervousness about starting school again so we went down to the school a week before class was back in session to make sure he knew where his classroom was (and we happened to bump into his teacher while we were there).   That was all he needed to really be prepared.  When the big day came, he wanted me to walk him to the bus stop as always but that was it.  He wanted to go to school on his own, find his room on his own, and get settled in on his own.  My little boy isn't so little anymore and is growing up faster than I realize at times.  I was a little surprised but not saddened or worried by any means...perhaps actually relieved.  Relieved that he's not one of those kids that goes into class crying on the first day of school (or every day...we've known a couple of those), relieved that he's building up his self esteem and confidence, and relieved that  I wouldn't have to find a parking space on the craziest take-your-kid-to-school-day of the year.

Anyway...

Here's our 2nd grader, backpack fully loaded with all the school supplies I could shove in there without making him tip over backwards.  Doesn't that center picture make him look SO grown up?  He looks too big and old to be a 7 year old!

Well, that boy of mine came home completely thrilled with how his first day of 2nd grade went.  While all 4 of his closest friends were put in the class across the hall, he is glad to play with all of them during their three recesses each day and easily made new friends in his class during the first few days.  In addition to the social aspect of school, he loves his teacher, he loves having school lunch once a week, he loves learning...he just loves school!  I think it's going to be a good year - so long as his mom can survive the homework!

Oops!! One More Summer Collage: Cousins

I realized midday yesterday that I failed to put one more collage in my morning post.  Long after having done my post about my sister and her family coming in town, I discovered that I had  hadn't uploaded several pictures from my second camera...including a good number of photos of her kids and mine together at Temple Square in downtown SLC (I also failed to remember our trip to downtown when writing that original post!).  So, better late than never, here's the collage of our afternoon at Temple Square from way back in June:

During this day trip, we walked around Temple Square and then took the opportunity to go and take a tour of the Conference Center across the street. The end of the tour brought us to the incredible rooftop where there are gardens, trees, fountains, a waterfall, and a fabulous view of the temple. I'd been on the roof once years ago but hadn't seen the whole thing. I think we're all glad that we had the chance to do so...best part of the day as far as I'm concerned! 

Long Overdue Summer Post

Alrighty, folks.  Obviously haven't exactly been on top of blogging this summer.  Grand intentions and pathetic (non-existent?) efforts and results.  So here is our summer in a single photo happy post...

Flowers in our garden in the late spring/early summer.  I'm a touch obsessed with my white peonies and the dark blue delphinium and would check on them daily.  This year, the delphinium got to be over 5 feet tall!

Hubby got out the pressure washer one day in late June to clean off the fence and patio.  The kids had a glorious time playing in the misty spray.  The only problem is that we have irrigation water outside and we had to keep reminding them to keep their mouths closed and resist the urge to take some in (you can see in the bottom left picture that the reminders didn't always stick).

4th of July: We had some of Max's family over for a BBQ and fireworks.  In spite of the warm night, the kids "needed" to wrap up in blankets to watch them.  Maybe they're not the children of this always-warm lady.  My nephew went out and bought aerial fireworks (just became legal here) that we set off at the end of the "show".  Wish I'd had my act together to get some pictures...they were seriously awesome!

I wanted to get a wading pool for this kids this summer and lucked out at Target...a package had been opened for whatever reason and was marked down to $20 (no damage or anything missing).  It's a HUGE pool as far as the wading sort go - when I sit down in it the top edge is up to my armpits.  Unfortunately for the kids, as cool as I am for buying it, we only set it up the once.  It was there on the soft grass for a few days but then we had to empty it and take it off the lawn to avoid damage.  I hate to think of setting it up on the cement with how much they kids love jumping into it on their knees and the possibility of holes or damage on the bottom.  Maybe I'll get something figured out and fill it up for one last hurrah before the weather turns too cool.

A little robin couple set up house in the Japanese maple tree near our front door this year.  Three little chicks hatched and much to the parents' chagrin, I kept tabs on the little cuties and took pictures often.  You can see in a few of the pictures that dad and mom were keeping tabs on me in return (dad has the bright chest, mom is lighter).  Unfortunately one little chick didn't make it through the 2nd week but the other two were alive, healthy, and hopping away last time we saw them.  The chick sitting on the stepping stone in the one picture was my favorite.  It was very calm and happily sat in my hand and snuggled in  the couple of times that I held it (when it had fallen out of the nest). So stinking cute!

 What is summer without swimming lessons?  My kids both LOVE the water and were thrilled to be back in the pool in July.  I also put them in a 2nd session just before school started.  Claire is definitely progressing and easily moved from Preschool Level 1 to Preschool Level 2.  Hudson, on the other hand, is progressing but not so quickly as his little sister.  The biggest hitch for him?  He's tall.  So rather than breathe to the side as he goes, he stops, stands up, and then gets going again when he's ready...time to move this boy to deeper waters!

 Pioneer Day: It was a weekend long celebration for us this year.  We enjoyed the local fireworks show from our neighbors' backyard as always that Friday night and then had family events/dinners the next two nights.  Saturday night was at our house with part of Max's family.  The kids had a grand time lighting sparkler after sparkler after sparkler and we had a little mini fireworks show once it got dark enough (no aerials this time).

Lastly was a joint birthday shindig for Claire and me a couple of weekends ago (and her actual birthday the next night).  Pictures above are from both.  Claire's birthday is just over a week before mine so we often combine them for a little extended family party.  My favorite shot from the weekend is the one on the top right where I caught Claire's reaction when she saw her new pink scooter & helmet.  Operation perfect gift...success!

Well, that's about it in a nutshell.  Posts for Hudson's first day of school and my actual birthday (nothing big...just have to talk about my cake) to follow soon!

Rewind: We Love Our Cousins!

As previously mentioned, my sister and her family came into town and stayed with us for nearly 2 weeks back in June.  It was positively glorious having them here and while much of our time together was spent doing relatively unexciting things, we enjoyed every last second of it.  Unfortunately, neither my sister nor I thought to pull the camera out until the last day or two that they were here...at least we got a few shots.  I'm sure I've mentioned it before but don't Hudson and Becca make a cute little bestie friends/cousins couple?

We all miss them already and really, we missed them the second they pulled out of the driveway.  Then they came back a minute later (forgot something...I think it was B's kitty or blanket) and we had to miss them as they left all over again.  Lots of missing going on around here.  Want to know what I don't miss?  Even though there were two of us mommies here to do it all, I do not miss laundry for 5 kids and 3 adults (4 at times).  Or cooking for the group.  Or the incredible amounts of noise.  Or doing the dishes.  Hence our use of paper goods for a number of our meals.  In closing, I'd just like to say: I LOVE SOLO & CHINET.

Rewind: Spring At Our House

I was just glancing through all the collages I made on Picasa in the past month or so and discovered a couple that are somewhat long overdue for being posted.  They're all overdue, really, but these are a little more dated than the others.

Back in May, we spent most of a Saturday out in the yard setting up the trampoline and getting some good old fashioned weeding and spring clean up done in the gardens.  I snapped a few shots of the very happy kids jumping to their hearts' content.  After having to wait several weeks into spring for the snows to finally stop falling and really melt before we could set up the trampoline, the kids did a grand job of wearing themselves out that day.

I also took a few shots of Hudson lounging on our jungle-esque lawn in the backyard.  When we first looked up to see where he was, we could barely see little bits of him through the tall grass (see 2nd pic down on the left).  It's hard to see in the picture on the top right, but he actually picked a blade that was a good foot long...time to mow, people!

Now that the hotter summer months are here, I'm really missing those cool (or perfectly not-too-warm) spring days.  And that grass looks really inviting...