kabob

Every year when I was a kid, and the snow was melting and the grass was starting to show, and the flowers were starting to bloom, my sister, Jeigh, and I felt the need to appease the summer gods by showing them how ready we were for summer to come. We did this by dressing in shorts and short sleeved shirts, putting our hair in pony tails, and going outside in the melting snow barefoot to do "the dance" (this dance, by the way, is beyond description. But it was similar to this) It didn't feel like spring to me until we had done that.
Now, as an adult, I still feel the urge to do the summer dance in spring, especially when the forecast is calling for snow this weekend. ugh. The summer gods are unhappy and they must be appeased.
I was happy, then, when Calvin, who was in charge of making the menu for this week, chose kabobs. Everyone knows that kabobs must be cooked on a barbeque. There's just no other way to have them. So instead of performing the ceremonial dance, we had our first barbeque of the season (with many more to come I'm sure.)
Don't they look delicious? I can assure you, they were. I used bbq sauce and a few tablespoons of orange juice concentrate for the marinade. It was one of the simplest dinners to make: chicken chunks, mushrooms, green and red pepper, mushrooms, and zucchini, marinaded in a bowl for an hour or so and then handed off to The Hubby for grilling. We also threw together a salad to round out the meal a little, but honestly, we mostly chowed down on these.

Sorry some of the pictures are a little blurry, it was getting dark.

But Bogey approves!

And also didn't know the meaning of pacing himself.

Calvin decided to appease the summer gods by turning his skewers into spears and doing the "hunting wild animals" dance. I bet they liked that.And Dev may or may not be the cause of the snow forecast for this weekend. Does she not know that any sign of weakness angers the summer gods?
Of course, we finished up the meal with a round of s'mores, but I didn't take pictures of that. If I did, I'd get chocolate all over the camera. And that would be a waste of chocolate.

I'm hoping our stunt is enough to keep the weather warm for the rest of the season. No more snow! Boo! down with snow! Up with blooming flowers!

Now we are so happy, we do the dance of joy!

I've done my part to please the summer gods. What have you done?

appetite

In case you don't know, I'm pregnant.
I hope you were sitting down so the shock of this new revelation didn't hit you too hard.
yup. Preggers.
By the end of this summer, I'll be the mother of four beautiful children.
I am not one of those people that has a terribly hard time being pregnant. I get nauseous, but not super sick. I don't really throw up. I get tired, but not irrationally so.
My belly does get HUGE, but that's a post for another day.
I've been thinking today about my appetite. Or more aptly, my LACK of appetite. I hate trying to eat when I'm pregnant. All I can think about is food, and what I want to eat. I think I've got it--THE thing that sounds good. And maybe, even, it is the thing that I wanted, but there is something about it that makes it, just....not as good.
In fact, not much tastes truly terrific to me during this gestational time. I eat to survive, but the glory and beauty and pleasure of it is gone. It's sad, because I am one of those people who truly dines. (I'm the slowest eater in my family. Always the last at the table.)
SO nine months of no appetite is rough,
But I do have something to look forward to.
That first meal.
Mothers, you all know what I'm talking about right?
That first meal after the baby comes. While you're in the hospital. After you're stitched up, and cleaned up, and the nurses come and put warm blankets on you, and take the baby to clean it up and dress it for you, they ask that beautiful question:
"What would you like to eat?"

Right after Calvin was born, they brought me a turkey sandwich, with lettuce and tomato and pickles and extra mayo, coleslaw and a veggie soup on the side, and a chocolate milkshake (can you hear the hallelujah chorus?)
After nine months of just eating to survive, FINALLY the bon appetit was back in full swing!
That may be the best meal I've ever had in my entire life. Fabulous doesn't even begin to describe it. It was HEAVENLY!!!
I would go through nine months of no appetite just to have a meal taste that good again.
I'm already anticipating that first meal this time around. What will it be? It doesn't matter. I can't wait.

And in totally unrelated news, I finally got my pictures to download, so here are my cute little raspberry plants that poked out of the ground a few weeks ago:

aren't they cute?

And here's my peach tree all a'bloom.

awesome, eh? I love spring!

Nothing to say

I've been trying to post pictures of my raspberries and peach tree for the past two days, but for some reason, the pictures won't download.
Bummer.
so now I have nothing to say.
Except that my peach tree is blooming
and my raspberries are coming back in a big way,
but you can't see them.
Sorry.

Oh, and I cleaned the house today.
and then took a nap.
Both felt good.
and were much needed and well deserved.

For dinner tonight we got tv dinners and watched Spiderman 2.
Calvin and Dev (but mostly Calvin) have decided that Spiderman is the coolest guy on the planet.
That is, if he actually existed.
Turns out these movies aren't too scary for them to handle (minus a few parts)
and also adds fuel to the fire of their imaginations.
Calvin was jumping around pretending to shoot webs out his wrists while we were trying to get them settled down for prayers.
Bogey's new nickname is The Green Goblin.
And Dev said she's Doc Oct now.
*sigh*

But I'm still glad it's spring.

Oatmeal cookie pancakes

do your bananas get mushy? Are you tired of making banana bread? Need something new for ripe bananas? If so, then this is the recipe for you!
I am like the rest of you, banana bread is delicious and all, but I can't make it every week! My kids love fresh 'nanners, but as soon as they get spots on them, no one will eat them. I've had to get creative about using them up because (true confession) I HATE throwing away food. H.A.T.E it. It's such a waste. I can't help but think of all the people in the world who need food and I am just THROWING IT AWAY!!!! oh, such a poor, poor use of my stewardship.
Anyway, I wish I could claim that I invented this recipe. I didn't. I got it off of Food Network, although I have made some modifications that fit my family better. I'm telling you right off the bat: these are SO delicious, and so filling and so wonderful, that you may find ordinary pancakes boring after this. So proceed if you dare!
Here goes:


Oatmeal Cookie Pancakes (I would like to dedicate this post to Sarah, by the way. She requested the recipe. )

Start with all the ingredients


1 cup oats (I've used all kinds--old fashioned, quick, rolled, whatever. It all works)
1 cup flour
1/2 cup brown sugar
2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp cinnamon (mixed cinnamon and sugar works, too. Do some people keep it plain?)
1/4 c. chopped walnuts
3/4 cups vanilla or plain yogurt (food network says to use sour cream, but I usually need to get rid of the yogurt more than I need to get rid of the sour cream. That, and it's healthier.)
3/4 cup milk
2 large eggs
1 tsp. vanilla extract
2 really ripe bananas, mashed up.
3/4 cup raisins

Mix the first seven dry ingredients in one bowl. Mix the next 5 wet ingredients in another bowl. Add the raisins to the dry and mix (I don't know why you don't just mix them in the beginning when you're mixing dry ingredients anyway.)


Stir in the wet ingredients. And you'll have a bowl of mush that looks like this:


Heat your griddle to medium heat (if you cook the outside too fast, they'll be raw on the inside still.) I keep my griddle between 300 and 325 (that's farenheit, mind you. I don't have the little degree symbol thingy) Flip when they are golden brown.

Take a picture of your cutest helper while you're waiting



And there you have it




Serve with syrup and butter.

DELICIOUS!


Now, word to the wise: You should know that the batter is VERY THICK! so I use my little scoop to kind of spread the batter out on the griddle a little right as I pour it on. It won't spread on it's own, but it will cook more evenly if you help it along.
These are so incredibly filling, I have a hard time getting through just one. And you can bet you won't be hungry until lunch. The leftovers keep really well in the fridge for about a week (at least, that's the longest they've lasted at my house). The best part is, they taste fabulous on their own, too. On days when I don't have time to eat breakfast (aka Sunday morning, when I'm just glad that I'm dressed before it's time to go to church.), I stick one of these in the microwave for about 20 seconds and then eat it plain in the car. It's so good!
Also, Food Network says, "If you cannot find really ripe bananas, just nuke them in the microwave for about 15 seconds and they will become super soft for mashing." Really? Some people don't have over ripe bananas? They thrive in great abundance in our house.
Let me know what you think!

I am spring cleaning this week. It feels good to take all the extra junk that's been accumulating and get rid of it. It feels good to open the windows and let the finally warm breeze come in. I feels good to dust and sweep knowing that Spring is finally here. My thoughts are turning to my garden and being outside. I am so excited to plant my garden this year! Last year was our first year using the garden spot we did. We've been composting and conditioning the soil all winter. I can't wait to till up that ground and see how it looks! I went outside yesterday and discovered that my raspberries have spread from two plants to fifteen! Wahoo! Last year, we each had maybe a handful of raspberries apiece for the whole season. This year, we may be able to make some jam--or SMOOTHIES!
Once upon a time, I lay awake at night dreaming of the man I would someday marry or the home I would have. Now that those mysteries are solved, I lay awake at night and dream about what and how much to plant in my garden this year. Haven't slept for days, I'm so excited.

But anyway, I was thinking while I was going through all the kids' clothes yesterday how renewing and refreshing spring cleaning is--like a cleansing breath for your whole house. It occurred to me that I ought to do some soul-spring cleaning as well.
I think my soul is already in pretty good shape. I try to keep it healthy through journal writing, scripture study and prayer, but I feel a need in me to sweep back in the back corners, let more light in and take a look at my perspectives anew--A breath of fresh air for my soul.

My sisters, Creating Sarah and WriterBrained (Jeigh), are quickly making their mark on the world and becoming well known for their myriad talents. I've got to say that their success so far doesn't surprise me at all. They are both amazing people (so go check out their blogs!). But I bring them up because of something Sarah said to me (that Jeigh said to her) at the beginning of the year. Sarah said Jeigh wanted to do something that scared her, because in so doing, she learned more about herself and became a better person. Sarah confided in me that she also felt a need to try something that was on the edge of her comfort level, and thus created her blog. I have not been able to shake their words for months. I think as I have been cleaning out my house this month, I realized that maybe what I need is also something on the edge of my comfort level that will push me to excel at something and learn better who I am.
I've decided to blog. I have some good ideas to share. I want to do it more regularly. But, I have to admit that (here goes *deep breath*) I'm really busy. (Whew! Glad I got that out!) And there are some days when I can't write, or don't have time to take pictures. But I'll do better. And if I don't, that will be our little secret.

I found my camera.

It was on the top shelf of the book shelf. Way off in the corner.
Someone, who shall remain nameless (it was me), put it up there to keep grubby kid mitts off of it. Then she-who-shall-remain-nameless forgot it was up there. And it got lost.
Like Wheezy from Toy Story -------------------> shown here

I was delighted, and immediately fired up the computer to post the promised pictures. But when I turned on the camera, it told me that it was exhausted. (at least the battery was exhausted.)

Oh yeah, well, sure. I can understand that. You've been trying to survive on your own on the top corner of the bookshelf. No food. No water. No one to take pictures of. I'm sure the dust alone was almost more than you could bear. Poor, poor exhausted camera.

(see, this is how my camera feels)

So I've taken the exhausted battery and put it in the charger, and I'm happy to say that it's feeling much better tonight and will be back to its usual snappy self tomorrow (ha ha! get it?! SNAPPY self? 'cause camera's snap pictures? I'm so hilarious!)

On a totally unrelated note, I made banana bread today and we've already eaten most of it. We couldn't resist.

I lost my camera.

If I but knew where it was you would have splendid pictures of the goings-on of my life.

Like that Dev got baptized, and looked incredibly sweet in her floor-length, all white dress.

Like that Calvin may have a loose tooth and likes to show me.

Like that Bogey bonked his head on the piano and got a goose egg the size of Rhode Island.

Like that I had a birthday, and I don't think I've ever felt so old and so far removed from my youth as I suddenly do now.

But that may be because I got called to serve in Young Women. The first night I was there, and I realized I had no idea who the actors, or singers they were talking about even were, then I felt old. It may have nothing to do with now being 32. (I mean, 27)

Like that we're way into studying the solar system right now and are embarking on the adventure of making our own solar system model.

Like that Dev caught the cutest baby lizard I have ever seen in my life. Seriously, about the size of my thumb. awwww!

Like that I got a new sewing machine for my birthday and I have a brain full of tutorials to post now.

Like that we made our valentine's mailboxes out of recycled materials. Like that we made all our valentines ourselves.

Like that I made a rockin' valentine's dinner tonight--pork tenderloin (in my mind, I call it an elevenderloin every time!), roasted red potatoes that I cut into heart shapes, vegetable salad with the vegetables cut into hearts, and pears (cut in a heart shape) with an awesome raspberry sauce over it. Seriously, my kids were licking their plates. SO was the hubby. (I may have licked a little plate as well)

Like that I got an ultrasound done, and low and behold! there is a little peanut in there, wiggling and growing. (due: September 4) yes, this is an announcement.

I would be able to show you if I knew where my camera was. Have you seen it? I thought I put it right here. . . . .

(pictures to come soon. . . .I hope)

(p.s. I'm taking a poll. My playlist: annoying? enjoying it? get rid of it? what do you think?)