Thursday, July 28, 2011

Quick Apron

I needed a project recently and we needed another apron. So I found an old, worn out pair of little girl capris and rearranged them. This is the result. Miss E is thrilled to have an apron that actually fits. Miss M is thinking it should be her turn next.

Tuesday, July 26, 2011

Cousins

On a recent trip to see family, the children had a marvelous time playing with cousins. They are old enough now to enjoy each other's company and get along. They didn't want to come home.

Friday, July 22, 2011

Spinach Pesto

(Original recipe found here)

2 cups spinach
1-2 tsp minced garlic
1/2 cup almonds
3/4 tsp salt
dash of lemon juice
1/2 cup olive oil

Put everything in blender. Pulse until smooth. (A food processor may work better, but mine is too small.)

Tuesday, July 19, 2011

Forbidden Island

We have a fun cooperative game we like called Forbidden Island. The premise of the game is that the players are a group of fortune hunters who have landed on an island with four treasures. The island has been enchanted (or something) to protect the treasures. Throughout the game, the island sinks. The players try to grab the treasures and get out of there before they are trapped on the sinking island. Either everyone escapes and wins or everyone loses.

I knew the kids liked the game, but I was still surprised when they made their own pretend version of it one summer afternoon. Each blanket and pillow was a piece of the island. Sometimes they'd sink and have to be fixed. Sometimes they'd sink and be gone forever. Sometimes they'd move. The kids jumped around from place to place doing whatever it was they had decided was their goal. They stayed busy for quite a while that afternoon.

Monday, July 18, 2011

The Curse of the Peach Yogurt

I seem to have been cursed. I'm not quite sure when it happened, but it was sometime after Miss M joined our family. I thought I had escaped the curse when I fled from the Midwest, but it seems to have found me again. I'm not sure I will ever understand why peach yogurt and upset tummies so often go hand in hand around here. But, for the next few days, peach yogurt is banned from the premises (or at least hidden in the back of the fridge.)

Block Sampler 1.21 ~ Dresden Plate (almost done)

I still need to finish the middle. The pattern calls for a circle of red appliqued to the middle. I think I may just turn under the middle edges and skip the red. I like it better this way.

Sunday, July 17, 2011

Thought of the day

"The saints have never been free to plan their own future, because the Lord has done it for them, usually to their extreme discomfort and always to their great advantage." ~Hugh Nibley in The World and the Prophets, page 239

Saturday, July 16, 2011

Friday, July 15, 2011

Summer Snack

One of our favorite, slightly sticky, summer snacks is frozen grapes. They are quite easy to make.

Simply wash some of your favorite variety of grapes, take them off the stem, and put them on a pan in the freezer. In a day or two, pull out a handful and enjoy a quick, bite-size popsicle. (After they are frozen, you can move the grapes to a freezer bag for easier storage.)

If you store them in a slightly accessible place, watch out for little ones helping themselves.

Tuesday, July 12, 2011

Just my size

The Professor and Young T have a running disagreement over who the Dell Mini is for. Young T is certain that since it is just his size, it must be his. Yet the Professor has the audacity to believe that because he bought it and keeps important things on in, it should be his. Each night, we usually find one of them sitting on the bed using the laptop to the chagrin of the other.

Friday, July 8, 2011

Miss M's birthday dinner

At our house, the birthday child usually gets to choose dinner on their day. Miss M recently chose one of my favorites, Chicken Tikka Masala (original here.) I wish all my children liked it as much as I do.

Chicken Tikka Masala

1 cup plain yogurt
1 tablespoon lemon juice
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper (more for spicier)
1 teaspoon freshly ground pepper (more for spicier)
1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
about 7 or 8 chicken tenders (or 3 chicken breasts)

2 tablespoons butter
2 cloves garlic, minced
3 tablespoons diced green chilies (or 2 jalapenos, chopped)
4 teaspoons ground cumin
4 teaspoons paprika
2 teaspoons salt
2 (8 ounce) cans tomato sauce
1 can evaporated milk (or 2 cups heavy cream)

Mix the yogurt, lemon juice, 2 teaspoons cumin, cinnamon, cayenne, black pepper, ginger, and 1 1/2 teaspoons salt. Marinate the chicken in this for an hour in the fridge. (I put it in a ziploc to mix and marinate.)

Grill, or cook, the chicken until juices run clear. I use a George Foreman or a frying pan with oil.
Cut into bite size pieces. (You can do this first if you want, but I prefer to do it after the chicken is cooked.)

Melt butter in a large, heavy skillet over medium heat. Saute garlic and chili peppers for 1 minute. Add 4 teaspoons cumin, paprika, and 2 teaspoons salt. Stir in tomato sauce and milk (or cream). Simmer on low heat until sauce thickens, about 20 minutes. (Sauce will be thinner if you use milk instead of cream.) Add cooked chicken, and simmer another 10 minutes. Serve over rice or quinoa or similar grain.


Thursday, July 7, 2011

Summer, so far

Summer has been busy around here. Some of our highlights:

~The Professor got to go with the young men of our church on their trip to Lake Powell. He enjoyed it immensely.

~The kids have had ear infections, stitches (in toes!), allergies, pink eye, warts, and sore throats.

~I got to spend a few days with some sister-in-laws (and some girlfriends of my brothers). We had a fabulous time.

~The kids have enjoyed the library's weekly crafts and story-times.

~We've started our job charts three different times (and fallen behind twice...).

~We took the kids to the fourth of July parade.

~We took the family up to visit Grandma and Grandpa. The kids collected eggs, transplanted squash, picked strawberries, rode horses, jumped on the tramp, and climbed trees with cousins. And we made it to my grandma's ninetieth birthday party: lots of fun with lots of people.

~Young A has started up his weekly eye therapy again.

~We've celebrated two birthdays.

~The fruit stands are opening again. I love fresh fruit season.

Tuesday, July 5, 2011

You'd think they were related...(updated)



When Young A was 15 months old, naps could be difficult. One particular day, he was extremely sleepy, so I tried to get him to sleep on any soft surface I could find--the bed, the crib, the couch. He refused. Sometime later, I found him sleeping on our pile of shoes.

Recently, we found Young T had
put himself to sleep, just like his older brother did. His ridiculous bed of choice was at the bottom of the stairs.

(If you ask my dad, I probably deserve it. As I child, I was known to sleep on the floor of my room just a few feet away from a perfectly good bed.)






Update: The Professor kindly supplied me with the appropriate picture from his childhood. I wanted to share it.