Bamamoma 1

Landscape Company Hired

2011-03-22T20:57:00.000-05:00

I have a landscaper. Happy about that. I think we've selected some nice elements and plant material. I wish I had more money to do it the way I'd really like but I think this can grow and I'm doing phase one in a way that it won't have to be torn out to make room for the next phases.

I'm excited that in 8-12 weeks I will have a yard!

Trees

2010-11-08T15:11:00.000-06:00

Here are some of the suggested trees for my yard:

Flowering Pear (we planted one of these in our front yard in 'bama)

Vanderwolf Pine

Canada Red Chokecherry

Bur Oak

White Fir

Canyon Maple

Landscaping Ideas - Xeriscape

2010-09-01T19:56:00.000-05:00

I am really interested in doing landscaping that makes sense for the desert, mountain area in which I live. For lack of a better place to catalog my collection of sites and pictures, I'm re-purposing this site.

I took this picture of a yard in my area that I just love. I wish it had more color but other than that, I love the use of rocks and mulch and evergreens and grasses. My front yard will be virtually flat so I'll have to figure out how to build it up in places and create the look I want.

I really like this one. It is mature and mine won't look this filled in for a few years, but this is definitely the look I'd like to shoot for.

I really like the use of color and texture in this no-turf option here.

I really like the idea of no water/no mow lawns/grasses as found here.

A little too much desert, but I like the use of grasses here.

Looking for something?

2009-06-29T09:07:00.001-05:00

If you are looking for the continuing saga of the lives of the Bamafam, you can find it at Simply Better Together.

If you are looking for tutorials on making cool things or a great new recipe or some other homemaking-related thing, you can find it at "Simply Better" at Home.

If you are looking for old recipes or tutorials or stories of our lives, they will remain here at this site until I can get them appropriately moved to one of the other two sites. (That may be never)

Enjoy!

Food Friday - Wrapped Garlic Chicken

2009-06-26T05:00:00.000-05:00

Today is the last day of YW Camp - yippee!

In honor of the camping tradition, here is a recipe you can use next time you go camping:

4 Boneless, skinless chicken breast halves
4 large sheets aluminum foil
1/2 t salt
1 C sliced mushrooms
1 can Cream of Roasted Garlic Condensed Soup
4 sprigs of fresh rosemary

Place 1 chicken breast in center of each sheet of foil.
Lightly season with salt.
Top each breast with equal portions of mushrooms, soup, and rosemary.
Fold foil in half over chicken; seal all edges with double fold seals.
Bake at 425 for 20 minutes (or until chicken is no longer pink in the center)

Although this recipe is for a conventional oven, It would work great on a grill or in a dutch oven or even right in the fire pit (think tin foil dinner!).

Tutorial Tuesday - Picture Tile Wall Hangings

2009-06-23T13:36:00.002-05:00

Do you want to make some adorable picture hangings like these?
Let's get started then!

Materials:

Photos (or other pictures)
Straight Edge (metal ruler)
Utility Knife
First Aid kit (keep it on hand for when you slice your finger using the utility knife)
Vinyl Tile Scrap (you can usually purchase these at Lowe's or Home Depot)
Ribbon
D Rings (you can get these at any sewing or craft center - like Hobby Lobby or Michaels)
Adhesive (tape, glue gun, or whatever your adhesive of choice is)
Pencil
Sewing Machine, Thread, Scissors (or not, if you have another way to fuse two sides of ribbon together)
(optional) Hair Dryer

Instructions:
1. Choose what kind of pictures you want and then take some photos (or cut out pictures from a magazine or whatever)

2. Measure your tile slightly smaller than your picture (like 1cm smaller on each side) and then cut it.
2a. Using your pencil, mark the tile on the paper (the stuff that covers the adhesive).
2b. You should cut it on the paper side as well. Use the straight edge and utility knife and make several slices along the same line until you have made it through enough that you can bend/break the rest of it in a straight line. (I just looked online for a good tutorial and didn't find one but I did read several places that indicated it helpful to heat your tile using a hair dryer - I haven't done it but you can certainly try it.)

3. Peel the paper from the tile and place your picture(s) on the adhesive side.
3a. Smooth the pictures so there are no bubbles.
3b. Use the utility knife to trim the pictures so that they are flush with your tile.
4. Decide how long you want your ribbon to be and cut it. You will be folding it over entirely so take that into consideration.

5. Loop the ribbon through the D ring and pin it like this:

6. Using your zipper foot, sew as close to the ring as you can get. If you don't like to sew, you can think of another way to enclose the D ring. Perhaps you could use fusing tape (Stitch Witchery) and iron the two pieces of ribbon together.
7. Adhere the ribbons to the backs of your tiles and hang. (I honestly used Scotch tape - several pieces - to do the job.)

8. Hang on a wall in whatever fashion you want.

Did I mention it is hot?

2009-06-22T12:05:00.003-05:00

It has been in the high 90s with humidity to match.

For those who might not know, I'm a cool temperatures kind of girl, I don't like dirt, I love my own bed, I hate bugs, and I get really grumpy when I am hot, dirty, and haven't slept well.

So, knowing those facts, are you wondering why I'm going camping this week?

Well, let me tell you.

This week is our Young Women's camp. The YW (ages 12-18) from the Birmingham and Montgomery stakes are getting together to learn survival skills, sing silly songs, strengthen one another, and strengthen testimonies. I get to be one of their leaders (actually I am a "shadow leader" - they are really good about truly allowing the older girls be the actual leaders). I am so looking forward to this. I am dreading it too. Really, I'm so not a camping kind of girl (especially in extreme heat). We have ten girls going from our branch. There are six 12-year olds; two 13-yearl olds; and two YCLs (youth camp leaders). They are so cute and enthusiastic. I just need to remember their enthusiasm. One of my best buds (Corrie) is coming along too. How will this not be wonderful (oh yeah, the heat)? Really, (trying to convince myself) this is going to be GREAT!

I'll take lots of picture and post a great synopsis when I get home this weekend. Pray for cooler temperatures and that I won't be a grump.

I'm grateful that Phil will be home with Eden. I am really going to miss those two (they are going to come visit me for a day though).

Food Friday - Skillet Chicken with Garlic and Sun-Dried Tomatoes

2009-06-19T08:21:00.000-05:00

4 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves
1 1/2 C thinly sliced onions
1/2 C finely chopped sun-dried tomatoes*
1 C Cream of Roasted Garlic Condensed Soup
1 C chicken broth
1/2 t salt
1/4 t pepper

In large skillet sprayed with cooking spray, cook chicken until brown on both sides.
Arrange onions and tomatoes over chicken.
In small bowl, combine soup, chicken broth, salt, and pepper; mix well.
Pour mixture over chicken.
Cover and simmer 20 to 25 minutes or until chicken is no longer pink in center.

Calories: 230 (if you use fat free chicken broth) per serving.

Tears and Kisses and Singing ... the Shoe Curse Continues

2009-06-17T13:36:00.003-05:00

Remember this post?

Well, today Eden was wearing the brown sandals purchased at that time. I've decided there is a curse associated with those shoes.

We went outside and played (well, she played and I picked up branches downed in our latest round of storms). Then it was time to come in for a nap. Eden wasn't happy but I was firm so in we came. I looked down and noticed that Eden was missing one of her sandals.

"Where is your other sandal?"
"I took it off"
"Where did you put it?"
"In mine house."

She had just been playing in her playhouse/slide thing on the deck and so I thought that is what she meant. I walked onto the deck, looked, but no shoe. I turned the handle of the storm door and was met with great resistance. She had locked it.

After about five minutes of trying to get her to unlock it, I gave up on that approach. I left her crying and fearful and went to my neighbor's house to use the phone. I called Phil (who works 30 minutes away) and asked him to come right home. I spent the next half hour sitting on one side of the glass door with Eden on the other. We sang songs, she cried some, and we did lots of kissing through the glass. She was very brave (which, incidentally is one of her favorite new adjectives).

Then when Phil was about five minutes away, she reached up (without any prodding by me - I had long since given up on that) and unlocked the door.

We are grateful that is over.

Oh, and I found the shoe "in mine house." The real house.

Tutorial Tuesday - Ruffled Skirt from Pants or Shorts

2009-06-16T13:34:00.001-05:00

Eden has hit that stage when she just wants to wear skirts all the time. Forget dresses or even pants, she could live in a skirt. The problem? She only has one. So, I thought it would be fun to make her some skirts.

When looking through her clothes, I found a pair of shorts that someone gave us. She has TONS of shorts and I thought these would be a good beginning to a really cute skirt. I had bought some fabric on sale and realized it would actually match.

Voila!

This is what I came up with (without buying anything new - I love that!)

Do you want to make one too? Come on, you KNOW you do!

Here is what you'll need:

A pair of shorts or pants that fit your child in the waist and bum
1/4 to 1/2 yard of fabric
Thread
Measuring Tape
Scissors
Embellishments (ribbon, buttons, whatever)
Sewing Machine

Project Time: approximately 30-45 minutes (if you have done some sewing and know how to baste or gather, a bit longer for a beginner)

Start out by cutting the shorts or pants above the crotch (you can measure your child down from the waist and determine how long you want this part of the skirt to be).

Next, measure the fabric for the rest of the length of the skirt (however long you want your skirt to be minus however long the cut off shorts are plus a one-inch seam allowance).

Now, cut the full width of the fabric (45") at that length.
Now, finish the edge of both your shorts and the fabric (I used my serger but you can zig zag on your sewing machine if you don't have a serger).
Next, connect your fabric by sewing the two "short" edges together (right sides together - so the seam is on the "inside").

Now baste along the finished edge of the fabric. This is so that you can pull the thread to create a gathered ruffle. You'll want to set your stitch length to a high number (I did 4.5). A longer stitch length makes gathering easier.

Now, gather your fabric by pulling on one thread. If you want a more detailed tutorial on gathering, see here.
Once you have your fabric gathered to the right length (to fit your top piece), pin it (right sides facing) to the top piece and then sew into place (don't forget to move your stitch length to normal).
Now hem the bottom (hint: I used the finished edge of my fabric and so I didn't have to hem). You may embellish with ribbon or whatever and you are done!

Clap my hands and shout for joy

2009-06-15T13:49:00.003-05:00

Phil was gone all of last week. He was in Utah, Wyoming, Idaho singing with Voice Male. It is so good to have him home. Eden really missed him. At one point she started crying and saying, "I sad, I sad, I sad." When I asked her why, she replied in a soft, thoughtful voice, "I miss my daddy." We talked to him several times every day and she loved that. She was such a good girl while he was gone.

So was I (mostly). I had three goals while he was gone:

1. Surprise him by painting our bedroom.
1a. Only paint while Eden slept - to not sacrifice being an attentive mom just to get my project done.
2. Keep the dishes done (he is the dish do-er and so when he is gone, I tend to let them build up).
3. Be a happy, supportive little warrior and not complain when we talked on the phone.

Here is how I did:

1. I got the bedroom painted but I ran into some questions about which paint went where and so I ended up telling him so I could make sure it was done to is aesthetic satisfaction. We had planned on doing it two-toned but I messed up and put the wrong color on top. That is when I told him and we decided to just do the whole thing in that color (kind of a dark sage/moss green). I really like it and think it is better than it would have been if I had done it correctly. Nikki (one of the YW in our branch) came over and helped one day, that was great.

1a. I did paint for about 20 minutes after she woke up from her nap on Friday. I was nearly done with the walls and so she watched Leap Frog's Alphabet Factory (she knows most of her alphabet by sound and sight these days!) while I finished up.

2. There was one night that I went to bed with dishes in the sink but other than that, I kept up on the dishes.

3. I was a total whiner on Wednesday but I did well the rest of the week. Glad I could repent of Wednesday. I didn't whine that he was gone, just about other stuff (mostly the paint color mix up).

Now he is home and we are very, very glad. Last night I suggested that the two wrapped gifts in the corner could be seen as "welcome home" gifts instead of father's day gifts. He didn't require much convincing (is that because he knows me so well and figured protesting would be fruitless or does he like opening presents early as much as I do?). He really liked his gifts (I'll do another post about those - probably on a Tutorial Tuesday post). We also made him a fun banner that said, "Welcome Home Dad" and served him one of his favorite meals.

I'm so glad when daddy comes home glad as I can be. Clap my hands and shout for joy place Eden on his knee. Put my arms around his neck hug him tight like this. Pat his cheek and give him what? A GREAT BIG KISS!

What do you think?

2009-06-13T13:39:00.004-05:00

I'd love your input.

I've been thinking lately that maybe I should separate this into two blogs.

1. A personal/family blog that would be by permission only. This is where I'd post the cute stories about our lives and the pictures and stuff like that. It would be by permission only but permission would be granted liberally.

2. A blog for Tutorial Tuesday and Food Friday and other ideas, questions, and tips about being a mother and homemaker. This would be a public blog.

What do you think? Is it better to just keep it all together or does it make sense to make a private blog? I'd love to hear whether you've had similar thoughts and whether you've got more than one blog.

Does anyone know an easy way to copy blog posts so that I can move all the Food Friday and Tutorial Tuesdays to the public blog before making this one private? If not, I'll probably make this one public and start using A Life in Words as the private blog (and not move stuff around).

I'm anxious to hear what people think.

thanks!

New Shoes

2009-06-12T11:11:00.002-05:00

When Eden was born she had extremely LONG toes. It was like she had fingers for her toes - seriously! I don't think they've grown in length in the past two years though. They have grown otherwise. So now, instead of long skinny toes, she has short stubby ones. This makes shoe-fitting difficult. Her sandals (size 5.5) were beginning to rub on her chubby toes and she actually had a couple of sores. Definitely time to buy some new sandals.

So yesterday I put her white sandals on (I had bought them at Kid to Kid a few months ago and this was the first day she actually wore them) and we headed to the Exchange (our local sprawl-center with Target, Old Navy, Kohls, TJ Maxx, Ross, etc.). After looking at a few stores we ended up at Target. We were also looking for a pair of water shoes and so I took her white sandals off and tried on a pair of water shoes (size 7 - she needed size 6). Then she took off. I rounded her up again and then we found a cute pair of brown sandals in the right size. I tried them on her and she LOVED them. I took the tags off so she could just wear them out of the store (and I could still pay for them).

Then I looked and only saw one white sandal. I looked and looked but couldn't find which shoe box contained three shoes instead of two. I asked Eden where she had put the other one but she was either really belligerent or just couldn't understand me (I think it was the former - she was on one!). I was about ready to cut my losses and just leave because Eden was not being cooperative and I was just incredibly frustrated. Finally a woman came around the corner and I explained to her what had happened. I don't think she really wanted to know but she was kind and offered to help. I showed her the shoe I had and then she said, isn't that it right there. Yup, in the box right in front of me. Grateful for help, embarrassed by my blindness, I thanked her and left the shoe department.

Glad that ordeal is over.

Food Friday - Chicken with Red Pepper Sauce

2009-06-12T08:26:00.000-05:00

2 slices of bacon
4 skinned, boneless chicken breast halves
1/4 t salt
1/4 t black pepper
1/2 C chopped red onion
1/2 t ground coriander
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 C Salsa
1 Red Pepper, chopped
Fresh Cilantro, chopped

Cook bacon in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until crisp.
Remove bacon from skillet; crumble and set aside.
Sprinkle chicken with salt and black pepper.
Add chicken to bacon drippings; saute 2 minutes on each side.
Remove chicken from pan.
Add onion, coriander, and garlic to pan; saute 3 minutes.
Stir in salsa and bell pepper.
Return chicken to the pan.
Cover and cook over medium heat 12 minutes or until chicken is done.
Sprinkle with crumbled bacon; garnish with cilantro.

Calories: approximately 190.

Picture Time

2009-06-09T23:42:00.002-05:00

Eden drew this. She said, "it's Eden" but at that point it didn't have the red lines on it and so she said, "I need lips" then she got out her red pen and drew the "lips." I must say that I'm very impressed and I'm interested to see if she recreates it any time soon.
(most of her drawings don't resemble anything)
Eden and Phil outside the Atlanta Temple

Eden, showing us what "reverent" looks like

Her first ever full (front and back) pigtails

Trying to make Mr. Potato Head's glasses fit

Tutorial Tuesday - Reusable Coloring Pages

2009-06-09T08:44:00.003-05:00

This is a REAL simple tutorial.

What you'll need:
Printed Coloring Pages*
Card Stock
Scissors
Glue
Laminate

All you do is

Print out coloring pages.
Glue coloring pages to each side of the card stock.
Laminate.

Let your child color with regular crayons.

Wipe the crayon away with a tissue or cloth.

Color again.

Rinse, repeat.

I told you this was easy!

*I printed the coloring pages from the new nursery manual. You can find them here. Click on the right picture column (there are usually two pictures, a painting or photo and then a coloring page, the coloring page is usually the one to the right). These are what I take to supposedly entertain Eden during Sacrament Meeting. It doesn't always work. Eden doesn't understand why she shouldn't provide commentary through Sacrament Meeting the way she does the rest of her life. I'm so glad that I encouraged her to have good verbal skills by giving her a running commentary for the first year of her life. Now I will spend the next many years listening to her running commentary. Smart, I am.

Deee-Licious!

2009-06-08T16:03:00.004-05:00

This Gardenia bush was the only thing left after we had the front trees cut and after we removed the ugly (my thought, not Phil's) irises. It was very sickly looking and it didn't look like it would make it through another summer. I convinced Phil to keep it and give it one more chance. Well, with a little pruning and lots of rain and watering it looks great. It is even producing blooms! Yeah!!!

This gardenia bush is at the side of the house. It has done much better than the front one and looks great too.
I have always loved gardenias. I think they are so delicate and yet strong. I love their velvety pedals. Of course, the scent of a gardenia is strong and beautiful. I picked this one and gave it to Eden. She sniffed it (an act that somehow engages every facial muscle) and declared, "mmm, it is deee-licious mommy."
This is one of our fire plants. It is so amazing that the same plant produces different colors. We like them lots.

My articulate kiddo

2009-06-08T02:15:00.003-05:00

Some recent Edenisms:

Saturday we went to the Atlanta temple to witness the sealing of some friends. Eden was so excited to get to go to the temple instead of being left behind with a babysitter. As we drove I explained to her that she would see the Dewsnup kids and stay with them while we went inside. She exclaimed, "yay! they are very nice to me."

Sunday evening I was wearing a shirt that had Simon and Garfunkel* on it. I don't wear many printed tees so Eden was intrigued. She kept asking, "who's that guy?" while pointing to each of them. During her prayer she said, "thank you mommy, thank you Eden, thank you daddy, thank you that guy (pointing to Paul Simon) and thank you that guy (pointing to Art Garfunkel)." What can I say, she knows good music.

You may not know it, but you were likely called yesterday. I wasn't feeling well in the afternoon and Phil was at meetings. So, while I rested (using that term lightly), Eden laid on my bed with me and used my phone to "call" people. She really did call a few people but mostly she dialed 2222222222222 and then pretended to talk. It was hilarious to hear her say things like, "hello? Merleelee (my sister, Merilee)? how doing? hmmm? oh, uh huh?" The best was when she called Corrie and her husband, Brian, though. The "conversation" went like this: "Corralee, hello. I miss you. I talk Brian. Brian, hello. You obey? huh?" At two she already knows the order of things.

* several years ago when Simon and Garfunkel had a reunion tour I really wanted to go to their concert but I didn't really want to pay the huge amount of money and so I had some friends over and we watched the DVD of the Concert in the Park. We made a real party out of it with Simon and Garfunkel trivia etc. One of the activities was to make your own "concert tee." It was pretty fun. We used to do thematic parties all the time. What happened? Oh yeah, Eden is the new theme and life is the new party.

Food Friday - Linked

2009-06-05T07:21:00.000-05:00

Here are some great looking recipes I've seen online lately:

Awesome Blueberry Muffins (or craisin muffins or chocolate chip muffins)

Corn Flake Chicken Nuggets

Noodles with Mushrooms and Lemon Ginger Dressing

Paid Forward - #1

2009-06-03T11:14:00.004-05:00

Remember this post?

Well, I got one of my handmade gifts done and in the mail. Becca said she wanted me to create something for her cousin who was expecting her first child. She told me to think of a gift that we got and loved and see if I could make one. I immediately thought of our great diaper changing pad/bag.

I wondered if I could figure out how to make one.

I did!
I think it mostly turned out really well. I may have to refine my process and start making these more, it was pretty fun.

Tutorial Tuesday - Dressing Cube

2009-06-02T13:13:00.000-05:00

I wanted to have some fun toy to help Eden learn her "dressing" skills. After looking online for different toys I came up with the idea to create my own dressing cube. There are lots of tutorials out there to help you make a block so I won't be redundant. You can look here or here or here for that.

So, now that you've looked over those tutorials and understand how to make a cube (or block) I will show you how I made a dressing cube.

1. I made a list of the skills I wanted to teach: zipper, buttons, snaps, tie, velcro, etc.

2. I cut out 6 squares (mine are 9 inches squared) using a canvas black fabric I just had on hand.

3. I looked through old clothes (hers and mine) for items that could be repurposed.

4. I found this fleece jacket with HUGE buttons. Eden loved this jacket last fall but it is too small now. I cut out the middle section then pinned it to one square. I sewed a seam on each side (so the middle is still open unless buttoned shut.
5. I found this pair of pants that were well-worn but that have a button, zipper, and tie. It also has great pockets so that was an added bonus. I cut out the section I wanted to use and sewed it onto one of the canvas squares. It is sewn on the bottom and along the sides but the top is open.6. I found this shirt of mine that was well-worn and headed for the garbage. It has a great zipper - I especially like the pull on the zipper. I cut out the section I wanted and serged (you could zig zag) around it so it wouldn't fray. Then I sewed it on one of the canvas squares.
7. For the velcro pieces I decided to use felt and cut out my daughter's initials. I first made a pattern for the letters.

8. Next, I sewed the scratchy side of the velcro onto the "extremities" of the letters.
9. I did a zig zag around the part of the letter that would be open and then I pinned the "base" onto my canvas squares. I zig zagged the base on so it was secure. Then I sewed the soft side of Velcro on to the right spots on the canvas square. The picture below shows how the stem of the K (the straight line) is secured to the square while the arm and leg are loose unless fastened with the velcro. (The reason you want to put the scratchy side on the felt is because if it is on the square, it will snag the felt and create problems.)
10. For the last square I needed to present snaps. I thought it would be fun to make some flowers and so I made some yo yos (see tutorials here, here, or here) and fastened some ribbon to them and then one part of the snap on the back. Then I cut out some felt grass and sewed it on to the canvas square - leaving the top part open (forming a pocket of sorts). Then I fastened the other end of the ribbon (stem) inside the pocket. Finally, I sewed the other part of the snap onto the canvas square in the appropriate places. This makes a cute little flower garden. The flowers can be inside the grass pocket and then "grow" up and be snapped into place.

Here is a picture of the final block. Eden is quite proud of it and is learning her dressing skills.

Let me know if you have any questions. Also leave suggestions for how this can be adapted. Have fun!

Eden's Prayer

2009-06-01T21:54:00.002-05:00

"Dear Heavenly Father, thank you ... day; thank you ... daddy, thank you ... mommy; thank you ... grandma; thank you ... door. Open door! Swing! (oh yeah, I'm prayin' here) Thank you ... grandma; thank you ... daddy, right here (pats Phil on the arm, Phil and Grandma bust up laughing, Heidi says, "in the name of ..." and Eden ends the cutest prayer ever!).

The End.

Food Friday - Gorgonzola-Ham Strata

2009-05-29T07:22:00.000-05:00

This is the meal that Phil made me for Mother's Day!
6 large slices sourdough bread, cut into 1-inch cubes
2 C cooked ham
1 red bell peppeer, chopped
1 green bell pepper, chopped
3 green onions, sliced
2 C shredded mozzarella cheese
2 C milk
3 eggs
2 T Dijon mustard
black pepper to taste
2 dashes bottled hot pepper sauce
4 oz (1/4 lb) Gorgonzola cheese, crumbled
1/3 C chopped toasted walnuts (optional)

Spray a 7x11-inch baking dish with nonstick spray.
Spread half of the bread cubes evenly on the bottom.
top with half of the cubed ham, bell peppers, green onions, and mozzarella cheese.
Spread remaining bread cubes evenly over cheese and top with remaining ham, peppers, onions, and cheese.
In a blender, process milk, eggs, mustard, pepper, hot sauce, and Gorgonzola until cheese is finely crumbled.
Pour mixture over casserole and sprinkle with walnuts (if desired).
Refrigerate 4 hours or overnight, covered.
Bake (uncovered) in preheated 350 degree oven 45 minutes (until golden brown and puffed).

What's Your Preferred Reading Material?

2009-05-26T17:47:00.003-05:00

Eden's is The Atlantic Monthly

Tutorial Tuesday - Musical Squares

2009-05-26T09:00:00.000-05:00

If you have a laminator (or access to one)
and if you have a toddler or preschooler (and therefore not much time), then
this is a project for
you!

Materials List:

Several (you determine the number) pieces of cardstock cut to squares (approx. 6" x 6")
Glue
Desired Images (found on the internet, made by yourself, cut out of a magazine, etc.)
Laminator
Source of Music
Scissors

Instructions:

Decide what you want to teach your child.
Find images that will meet your need (shapes, letters, numbers, colors, etc. - see suggestions below).
Cut cardstock to squares.
Glue images to cardstock. (Suggestion: use both sides, I did shapes on one side and vowels on the other thereby getting two games out of one.)
Laminate cards.
Trim laminate as needed.
Turn on the music.
Dance.
Stop the music and call out an image (e.g. "Triangle!") and watch your toddlers scramble to find the right card to stand on.
Repeat steps 7-9 until everyone is tired and ready for a nap.

I know, it sounds simple but toddlers LOVE it and it is a great way to teach. Depending on what you are trying to teach your child, you can put various images* on the game pieces. You can find free clip art online by simply doing a search such as "triangle clip art" and then click on "images" when the results pop up.

*Some Ideas for different types of cards:

Alphabet Cards
Various Animal Cards
Number Cards
Shape Cards
Color Cards
Scripture Cards (images from different scripture stories)
My Family Cards (pictures of different family members: aunts, uncles, cousins, etc.)
Simple Word Cards (CAT, DOG, HAT, etc. - you could include an image of the item too)

Another variation is to layer your images so that you have a yellow card with a cat and a "C" on it. That way you can call out the color, the animal, or the letter.

Be creative and share your ideas in the comment section.

P.S. Any wonderful suggestions for how I can clean up that fireplace (seen in the video)? We haven't used it and it is driving me nuts!

She Loves her Honey Bear

2009-05-25T21:05:00.002-05:00

An Essay in Pictures

New Feature Coming Soon

2009-05-23T08:35:00.001-05:00

Bamafam has a new feature it is
Tutorial Tuesday!

Each Tuesday I'll post a tutorial of one sort or another. This will continue for as long as I'm amused by this feature.

I've been doing some fun things and thought that I might as well share. The thing is, I really enjoy the "traditional" homemaking arts. I love cooking and sewing and finding ways to economize by using it up wearing it out, making it do or doing without (a pioneer saying often quoted by President Gordon B. Hinckley).

I am not a fussy girl though. I don't do much that is really involved. I do things pretty simply. That is what I want to pass along to others. You don't have to have "mad skilz" or a great design sense or a closet full of cute fabrics, papers, or glue guns to enjoy the art of homemaking.

So, this may last for a month or it may go on for weeks, months, and years. I guess we'll see. Of course, if you like this feature, leave a comment to encourage me to keep at it. We'll see how this goes...

Food Friday - Sour Cream Stuff

2009-05-22T08:53:00.002-05:00

This is Phil's favorite family recipe. His parents make this and he loves it. I've made it a couple of times for him but I don't seem to quite capture the essence of his mom's cooking. Even with that caveat, I share this awesome recipe with you.

3 T oil
2 T diced onion
1 clove garlic - minced
1 1/2 lb round steak - cubed
1 C slice mushrooms
8 oz (1 can) tomato sauce
1 C sour cream
1 t Worcestershire sacue
1 t salt
1/4 t pepper
6 medium potatoes, pared
6 medium carrots, scraped or pared

Put oil in large skillet, add onion, garlic and meat then brown about 7 minutes.
Add mushrooms, tomato sauce, sour cream, Worcestershire sauce, salt, and pepper - mix.
Heat to boiling.
Lower heat and simmer for 45 minutes.
Put mixture, potatoes, and corrots into crockpot - mix.
Cook on low for 6-8 hours.

Could you answer my slone please?

2009-05-21T09:05:00.003-05:00

Slone?

What is a slone?

That is a question I've had for the past few days as Eden has been calling our phones - slones. What is up? She has been saying phone for months and all of a sudden she is calling it a slone?

I panic.

What if she is having some weird degenerative hearing loss and she is losing language skill instead of gaining it? What if she has some neurological disorder that is making her lose vocabulary instead of build it? What is going on?

I chill. I wait. I observe.

Then this morning the light goes on in my head as Eden is doing a quick inventory of the items in her purse: "make up, suh-l-fone, muh-ny."

Wait! That's it! Then I realize that when she was in the clerk's office at church last night she wanted to use the "phone" she said it correctly. It is a land line. She knows how to say phone. This slone business is her way of saying "cell phone."

Brilliant (not me, it took four days for me to figure it out) Eden!

"Teach Me"

2009-05-18T21:24:00.003-05:00

Lately, Eden's favorite song is "Teach Me To Walk in the Light." The words follow:

Teach me to walk in the light of His love.
Teach me to pray to my Father above.
Teach me to know of the things that are right.
Teach me, teach me, to walk in the Light.

Sometimes during the day she will just walk up to me and say, "teach me, momma, teach me."

No pressure or anything!

So, we try to teach her good things. We try to teach her that she is loved by Heavenly Father and so is everyone else. We try to teach her to love others and to be nice. We try to teach her that we love her no matter what. We try to teach her to be kind and to share.

Today, Kendal and Trey came over for a little while. Now, keep in mind that Eden will sometimes say (out of the blue) "I love Trey!" She seriously loves him and his sisters and his mommy. Today, however, she was not in the mood to share. Instead of "I love Trey" what I mostly heard was "Stop it Trey, that's mine." Trey was a very good sport and tried to keep his friend happy but Eden was just not going to be happy. It was so bad that she actually chose to take a nap two hours early when I told her she'd have to take a nap if she couldn't choose to be happy without one.

That is when I decided upon the topic for tonight's Family Home Evening lesson.

While she slept I prepared a lesson on sharing.

Here is my well executed lesson plan:
While holding hands and walking in a circle the three of us sang, "Sharing with friends is fun to do, fun to do, fun to do..." Then she got to insert her friend's names. We included Trey, then Bayley, next was Kendal, then Erin, and finally Corrie. Then I showed her pictures of children sharing toys and we talked about how happy they were. Finally I got out my sewing measuring tape (which Eden loves to play with) and I shared it with her, then Daddy shared his brush (she loves his brush for some reason) and then she shared a toy with both of us. We cheered and clapped and talked about how happy this made us.

See, I'm a good teacher!

Yeah, that is what I thought until I said, "so the next time Trey is here what are you going to do?" and she replied, "say STOPIT TREY, THAT'S MINE"

I guess I've got some work to do with this "teach me" business.

Happy Report

2009-05-18T08:24:00.003-05:00

I thought you'd all be glad to hear that Happy has thus far remained true to his name. He is a happy little fish. He's doing well. This morning Eden awoke, ran into the family room, put her face up to the glass and said, "hi fishy, I missed you!"

Food Friday - Freezer Tips

2009-05-15T12:48:00.004-05:00

Phil says that I'm the queen of freezing food.

As the Queen, I shall bestow upon you some wonderful tips about things that I've successfully frozen and then used. For me it is largely about convenience. I'm lazy like that.

I've already blogged about freezing cheese. See here for that.

I've already blogged about freezing fresh chicken strips or breasts so that they aren't all clomped together when you are ready to use them. See here for that. Also, this same concept works for pork chops or steaks or any other kind of meat.

Did you know that you can freeze fresh spinach? I wasn't sure so I did a little googling and found that about half the people said "no way!" and the other half were divided in the ways you could do it. Some said to blanch it first, some said it had to be fully cooked, but some said to just buy the washed and dried stuff and stick it in your freezer. I like that idea. I had just purchased a HUGE amount at Sam's Club and was anxious to not waste it. So I pulled out my trusty qt. sized freezer Ziploc (no, I'm not being paid) and made several serving-sized bags and threw them in the freezer. It worked great! Here is the important tip: don't thaw it out. Take it straight from the freezer and steam it immediately. I've made several batches of spinach pasta (see here for a great tutorial and recipe) and it really does work great. You can use it in anything that calls for steamed or cooked spinach. Obviously it doesn't come back well enough to use in a green salad or anything that calls for raw spinach.

I hate fatty hamburger. I've been paying the $4/lb for the really lean stuff but then I see the 80% stuff on sale for $1.50/lb and I think, "even when I subtract the weight of the fat it is a better deal." So what is a frugal-and-trying-to-be-healthier girl to do? Well, I bought the 80% and fried up the whole thing (several pounds). Then I drained and RINSED it to get all that yucko fat off. Then I took out the Ziplocs and created several bags of pre-cooked ground beef. This has been AWESME because I can pull it out to make any number of things (tacos, sloppy Joes, spaghetti, pasta bake, etc.) and my meat is already cooked. One less step for me and one less pan to wash for Phil. If this isn't a win/win I don't know what is. I got cheap meat, made it less unhealthy and I get the convenience of pre-cooked meat. Voila! (Oh, I still buy the expensive 95% stuff for those rare times we have hamburgers or some other recipe that won't work with pre-cooked hamburger - like meatloaf or something.)

Cottage Cheese freezes pretty well so if you find a good deal on it, stock up and put some in your freezer.

Butter freezes just fine so you can stock up on that too when there is a sale.

If you grind your own wheat into flour, you should freeze the flour that doesn't get used immediately. It retains the nutrients better in the freezer than at room temperature.

Bacon bits (either that you create or if you buy the big bulk bag) can just be kept in the freezer and then used as needed. They will last much longer in the freezer.

Yeast should be kept in the freezer and just used from there. This will keep your yeast much fresher and it will perform better for you. While we are on the topic of yeast, I highly recommend Fleishman's Yeast found at Sam's in bricks. I open one brick and dump it into a freezer Ziploc and then keep it in the freezer.

Freezer jam: it is so good. My only concern is that it requires so much sugar. I finally found some pectin that uses less. Now I buy Ball Freezer Jam pectin. It takes 1 1/2 C sugar to 4 C berries (instead of equal parts) and it is EXCEEDINGLY easy. Just follow the recipe on the pectin package.

My freezer also has lots of frozen veggies. Whenever there is a deal on frozen corn or beans or broccoli (Eden's favorite) or stir fry or whatever, I stock up.

Cake freezes great. Make cupcakes and freeze half of them for the next time. (Frosting freezes ok but it is messy so it works best to freeze them before frosting.)

Breads and rolls freeze pretty well too. This recipe freezes and then thaws out really great and tastes yummy after freezing too!

Pizza dough freezes well. This recipe is the one I use and it makes two pizzas. We don't eat two pizzas at a time and so I take half the dough and put it in a freezer Ziploc (really, no payment) and then I have a pizza crust just waiting to be used. Do not defrost in the microwave though. It will kill the yeast and your dough will be flat and tough. Take the dough out of the freezer at least two hours before you intend to use it.

And now, for my number 1 favorite thing in the freezer:

Ice Cream!

What's in your freezer?

Help! I need YOUR wisdom and experience!

2009-05-14T13:34:00.002-05:00

...again.

We use plastic grocery bags as liners for all the garbage cans in our house. I've always thought this was a good way to reuse and it means I don't have to buy garbage liners. So now the new craze is to have reusable grocery bags. I like the idea of being green but then what would I use in my garbage cans? Does anyone have a good solution?

...and also...

We want to buy a grain mill. I've been using whole wheat flour in my baking. We love it. It is expensive though. Freshly milled flour retains more of the good stuff. We'd like to buy wheat and grind our own. Does anyone out there in cyberspace have a mill that they love? Do share. Please?

Just Happy, Not Sad

2009-05-11T10:42:00.002-05:00

Last Friday Eden and I went to feed the fish. They were looking at the ceiling. Eden's reaction?

"Just happy, not sad."

We bought two new fish, one has already died.

The remaining fish's name?

"Happy"

Let's hope that "Happy" stays that way.

Food Friday - Tortellini Soup

2009-05-08T05:31:00.000-05:00

Boil one cup of cheese-stuffed tortellini in
1 1/2 C of water for about five minutes.
Add one can of Tomato soup. Stir

Optional: add Italian spices and/or some cheese

Serve with grilled cheese sandwiches.

You don't say?

2009-05-07T18:32:00.003-05:00

Eden is great with the compliments. Yesterday we were playing the "adjective game" (wherein I say, "is mommy ... fill in the blank with an adjective." It went something like this:

Me: Is mommy big?
Eden: Yes!

Me: Is mommy funny?
Eden: Yes!

Me: Is mommy .... pause to think of something
Eden: Cute? Yes!

Very nice.

*****

Today we were driving around and Eden suddenly said, "Who's that mom?"
Me: "Where?"
Eden: "Up there, oh fishies." It was then that I looked up in the sky and saw two huge helicopters. They do look like fishies. What a cool thought, these huge fishies flying around in the sky!

*****

Eden is kind of potty training. We haven't gone full speed ahead with it but she goes on the potty a few times a day. Just now at dinner she spilled some water on her shirt. It must have seemed like going pee pee because she said, "Oh, I'm a toilet!"
Phil: "you aren't a toilet!"
Eden: (with her most quizzical voice) "I'm a potty daddy?"

This kid cracks me up!!!!

Birthday Pictures

2009-05-05T14:38:00.002-05:00

Birthday Pictures
(finally)

Birthday dinner: lasagna, cheese toast, broccoli

Swingin' with dad at the end of the day:

Eating the kitty cake:

Kitty and kittens:

Birthday bike ride:

This I Believe (too)

2009-05-05T06:47:00.004-05:00

I believe in making bread.

I love the texture and taste of homemade bread. I love the smell of a well-cooked crust. I love knowing which ingredients I and my family are eating ... no mystery chemicals this time.

I especially love the excitement of my daughter when it is time to take the bread out and she has waited patiently (or not so) to get to taste the first piece. She does a little jig, then a giggle, and her hands involuntarily plunge out in the "give me" stance. I ask her what she wants on it. "Honey bear, honey bear" is invariably the reply. We watch the butter melt then add the honey from the bear-shaped bottle. It melts too.

She eats.

I wait.

Finally, after mouthfuls of crust and innards have been disposed, I hear the critique, "it's 'ummy, mommy, 'ank you."

My husband comes home and the bread is no longer hot. Only faint hints of the fresh bread aroma remain. I serve him dinner. I include some bread. The scene nearly repeats itself. "This bread is so good, honey. It turned out great again, you rock." He thanks me five more times before our heads occupy our pillows.

Baking bread definitely makes sense in a cost/benefit world. It costs me a little bit of time and a few ingredients but the benefits go beyond healthier eating or more economical feeding. The biggest benefit is the love.

Bread making is all about love.

I was talking to my mom a few weeks ago and she had just taught a bread making class for Enrichment*. Most of the women who signed up to attend were younger mothers. As my mother prepared and prayed about this assignment she was convinced that her real purpose was to teach these women that bread making is all about love. You can buy good bread (especially in Utah where there are bread stores everywhere), that isn't necessarily the point. The point is that in baking bread you show others you care for them.

I had a friend from graduate school who made bread. He once said to me, "I'll never use a bread machine because how else can I knead the love into my bread?" He knew that bread making is about love.

As I was thinking about this concept, I thought about how often Christ is referred to as the "Bread of Life" in the scriptures. We are told to partake from the Bread frequently and generously. Each week we partake of the Sacramental bread in remembrance of Him.I think there is no coincidence that He chose to compare Himself to bread. Bread sustains and comforts. Bread fills and satisfies. Bread is love. Think about it, is there any other kind of food that even makes sense when you try to use it as an analogy for Christ? I've tried to earnestly think of a few and they just sound lame. Spinach is very fortifying but that definitely doesn't work. Chocolate is comforting but still falls short. Hot oatmeal warms and fills but ... nah.

I believe in bread making. It is one of the ways I show love. In eating it with excitement, delight, and enthusiasm, my family returns that love.

*Enrichment is short for Home, Family, and Personal Enrichment. At least once a month women from congregations of the LDS church get together to learn and share and do in ways that are enriching to themselves, their families, and others. It is fairly informal and usually is held in someone's home. For more information go here.

Dumpster Diving

2009-05-02T19:55:00.002-05:00

Today Eden and I pulled into the garage after a trip to Winn Dixie. I took one load in and was on my way for a second load when I realized Eden had been detoured. She was standing at our trash can we keep in the garage - kind of a pit stop on the way to the big dumpster.

What was she doing at the trash can?

Why, she was sticking her fingers in the tossed out ice cream carton. I mean really, who could resist even the remnants of Rocky Road?

A cute story perhaps, but it is showing a bit of a trend with her.

A few weeks ago when we went to the Aquarium with my nephews we were passing through the food court to get to the family bathroom (so cleverly positioned past the fries and hamburgers and soda). Well I couldn't get Eden to keep moving (because, of course, she had to walk by herself!). I then realized that she was watching a man throw away an entire basket of fries. Once they were deposited into the trash Eden went in for the kill. I barely stopped her from nabbing one of the fries.

The best part of this whole story was when we got home and I had the following conversation with Phil:

Me: We saw the ultimate in white trash hickdom today.

Phil: Really?

Me: Yeah, we totally watched someone as they watched someone else throw out a basket of fries and then...

Phil: Na-uh!?

Me: Yes, the person totally put their hand in the trash to go after the fries.

Phil: No way!

Me: True story. And the best part is that it was your daughter!

He was relieved to hear that I stopped her before the deed was done.

I love my little 'bama baby!

Food Friday - Chicken Tikka Masala

2009-05-01T18:45:00.002-05:00

I LOVE Indian food and especially chicken Tikka Masala. I'll be honest, I haven't tried this recipe yet (I don't have a grill) so if you try it, let me know how it goes for you. Phil found this on allrecipes.com.

Prep Time: 30 Minutes + 60 Minutes in fridge to marinate chicken
Cook Time: 50 Minutes
Ready In: 2 Hours 20 Minutes
Yields: 4 servings

INGREDIENTS:
1 cup yogurt
1 tablespoon lemon juice
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 teaspoons cayenne pepper
2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger
4 teaspoons salt, or to taste
3 boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite-size pieces
4 long skewers

1 tablespoon butter
1 clove garlic, minced
1 jalapeno pepper, finely chopped
2 teaspoons ground cumin
2 teaspoons paprika
3 teaspoons salt, or to taste
1 (8 ounce) can tomato sauce
1 cup heavy cream
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro

DIRECTIONS:
1. In a large bowl, combine yogurt, lemon juice, 2 teaspoons cumin, cinnamon, cayenne, black pepper, ginger, and 4 teaspoons salt. Stir in chicken, cover, and refrigerate for 1 hour.
2. Preheat a grill for high heat.
3. Lightly oil the grill grate. Thread chicken onto skewers, and discard marinade. Grill until juices run clear, about 5 minutes on each side.
4. Melt butter in a large heavy skillet over medium heat. Saute garlic and jalapeno for 1 minute. Season with 2 teaspoons cumin, paprika, and 3 teaspoons salt. Stir in tomato sauce and cream. Simmer on low heat until sauce thickens, about 20 minutes. Add grilled chicken, and simmer for 10 minutes. Transfer to a serving platter, and garnish with fresh cilantro.

Nutrition facts (per serving):
Protein 24.6g. Carbohydrates 14.3g. Cals from Protein 23%. Cals from Fat 62%. Sodium 4553mg. Calories (kcal) 14.3. Total Fat 28.9g. Fiber 2.3g. Cals from Carbohydrates 13%. Cholesterol 143mg.

Auspicious beyond measure

2009-04-28T12:04:00.003-05:00

When I was younger my dad would always say that our birthdays were "auspicious occasions." It is a cool word - auspicious.

Yesterday, Miss Eden turned two.

When Phil helps me figure out our crazy photo manager, I'll post some pictures.

We had a great day. It began with breakfast burritos and then presents. While opening her gifts Eden proclaimed, "I love presents."

After breakfast we went on a short bike ride.

Next we all (Phil's parents included) headed to the pet store and Eden picked out two fish. She has an orange goldfish and a silver goldfish. She has creatively named them "Orange" and "other one." Then grandpa took us to lunch.

Turning two is exhausting and so Eden took a 3 1/2 hour nap. While she did that I made lasagna for her dinner (she LOVES lasagna) and I made a kitty cake and kitten cupcakes. Phil did the decorating though.

She woke up and it was time for Family Home Evening. Then we had her dinner which included the lasagna, broccoli (another favorite), and cheese toast. After dinner, her friends Trey, Bayley, and Kendal came over to eat the cupcakes with us.

The perfect ending for a great day was swinging with daddy.

Today was the doctor. She is 34 inches tall and 24.5 pounds light. She is tapering off on her height but still very much a lightweight. She HATES (it is really beyond hatred) the doctor visit. She absolutely feels violated every time she has a check up. Today she screamed loudly, "it's my body, it's my body!" I'd say she is just really modest except that she'd just come from the waiting room in which she kept flashing her belly at all the other kids. It was sad. She took a long time to get over it. I had to go immediately from that appointment down one floor to join Phil in meeting with his oncologist (see other blog for a report on that). She had to stay in the hall with Grandpa. She wasn't too happy about that at first but calmed down quickly. What a day!

At two, Eden is such a chatterbox. She speaks in full sentences (her latest being: "stop it!") and she can count to 8. She is such a good girl. We sure love her!

Food Friday - Caribbean Salsa

2009-04-24T08:09:00.004-05:00

This is so amazingly beautiful and yummy! It is also quick (about 15 minutes).

1 C (8 oz) of crushed pineapple (retain some of the juice whether using canned or crushing fresh)
1/3 C chopped red (or orange) bell pepper
1/2 C cubed mango (you can also use peaches, apricots, papaya, kiwi, or whatever fruit you want - just think "tropical")
1/4 C chopped fresh cilantro*

Combine all the ingredients, pour off unwanted juices (although you don't want it dry), and serve.

Serving suggestions:

We had this on top of a deliciously grilled chicken breast over a bed of rice. It was seriously so beautiful and so good and really healthy! The whole meal came together in 30 minutes.
Phil said, "this would be great with chips too!"
I think it would be good along with any kind of Mexican dish like tacos or especially on top of a taco salad.

So, let me know what fruits you've added to this great recipe and also let me know of the yummy ways you've served this.

*Cilantro is hard to deal with. I usually use scissors to cut it into little pieces but it all sticks to the scissors and to me. I've actually begun just using it whole-leaf and that works for me because I really like it. Still, it sticks to my fingers as I pluck it from the stem. Any great suggestions about how to prepare cilantro? Don't be scared off though because it has such a unique, fresh, wonderful taste, it is so worth the little bit of annoyance it gives me.

This I Believe*

2009-04-21T05:43:00.001-05:00

I believe in imperfection. I believe that sometimes doing something poorly is better than not doing it at all. I even believe that sometimes doing something "well enough" is actually better than doing it perfectly. For instance, I could spend hours and hours cleaning my house to perfection and miss out on spending time with my daughter. Or, I could clean my house "well enough" and then go for a walk and watch my two year old discover butterflies and birdies and blossoms.

I believe that I can wait to take a family vacation until I can afford the perfect vacation or I can take a day here and a day there to build memories and connections with the ones closest to me. Life has a way of passing us by if we wait for perfect moments.

A friend of mine has a poster in her kitchen, it says something like this, "anything worth doing is worth doing poorly until you can do it well." I believe in that too. When I was in elementary school I quit taking piano lessons because I just wasn't very good at it. How I wish that I had been willing to do it "well enough" until I got better. How many things did I quit or never start because I was unwilling to accept imperfection? Now I play the piano and it doesn't really matter that I hit the wrong notes fairly often. These days I'm okay with imperfection.

Perfection is still a goal for a few areas of my life. I strive to be a perfect disciple of Christ. I want to perfectly follow His teachings. I would like to be perfect in my relationships, especially with my family. I fail, of course, but I'm learning to not give up the things that matter most just because I'm not perfect at them. And the things that matter less? I'm learning to do them imperfectly and to be perfectly happy with that.

*There is a series of essays produced for public radio entitled "This I Believe." Basically, essayists (from all walks of life, all ages, all political and religious persuasions, and all races) submit writings about a core belief and how that informs their life. I'm not ready to submit this for radio but I thought I'd share it with you.

It's a Miracle!

2009-04-19T19:57:00.003-05:00

Eden loves her nursery class. She loves her teacher, Sister Hollie. She learns things at church. It is awesome.

Tonight while brushing her teeth (and in between a marathon of temper tantrums that can only signal her second birthday is a week away) she erupted with the following:

"It's a miracle! I'm alive, Jesus. I'm alive, Jesus. He is risen!"

Food Friday - Simple Whole Wheat Bread

2009-04-17T08:48:00.004-05:00

I found this on allrecipes.com. It was submitted by Nita Crabb. It really is fairly simple (bread always takes time but this one isn't complicated) and the texture is amazing and the taste is fabulous! Oh, and you can freeze one of the loaves for later.

Ingredients:
3 C warm water
2 packages active dry yeast
1/3 C honey
5 C bread flour (I just used all purpose)
3 T melted butter
1/3 C honey (yes, more honey)
1 T salt
4-6 C whole wheat flour
2 T melted butter (yes, more butter)

Instructions:

In a large bowl, mix warm water, yeast, and 1/3 C honey. Add 5 C white bread flour, and stir to combine. Let set for 30 minutes, or until big and bubbly.
Mix in 3 T melted butter, 1/3 C honey, and salt. Stir in 2 C whole what flour. Knead, adding more wheat flour until it pulls away from the counter but is still sticky to the touch. Place in a greased bowl, turning once to coat the surface of the dough (this helps keep your dough moist). Cover with a dishtowel. Let rise in a warm place until doubled.
Punch down, and divide into 3 loaves. Place in greased 9x5" loaf pans, and allow to rise until dough has topped the pans by one inch.
Bake at 350 degrees F for 25-30 minutes. Lightly brush the tops of loaves with 2 T melted butter to prevent crust from getting hard. Cool completely.

I seriously want you all to try this at least once! It very well may turn you into a homemade bread loving creature. Alisha was here the first day I made this so I expect her to post a comment telling you all how delicious it is! The rest of you can leave a comment after you've tried it. I'm serious here. I don't often make requests of you but this is a recipe you really need to try and then leave me a comment about your experience. What else are you going to do with the next three hours of your life?

Besides, bread takes 3 hours but it doesn't require your attention for most of that time so you can mix it up and while it rises the first time you can watch American Idol or Biggest Loser (or whatever is sitting unwatched in your DVR) and then you can make it into loaves and while that rises you can take a nap. Then you can get up and bake the bread and everyone (especially your husband) will be so impressed that you made bread today! It won't matter if the beds aren't made because you made bread! It won't matter if the laundry isn't folded because you made bread! Oh, and you can give one of the loaves away thereby adding blessings to your tally - and we all need those. So there you have it, you are so making bread today!

No shrinking violet here

2009-04-15T08:50:00.003-05:00

On Monday we (Eden and I - Phil had to work) took my nephews to Atlanta. We all went to the world's largest aquarium and loved it (again). Then while the boys went to the Coke Museum, Eden and I explored Olympic Park. We loved it. There are some awesome play things.

Eden's favorite was a slide that was made out of a bunch of rolling drums (think assembly line). She would climb all the steps and then wait patiently for her turn. There were some older kids (mostly boys) who would run up the side of the "slide" and then stand at the top and "spin their wheels" - running in place for countless minutes. I wondered how Eden would handle this. I was a little concerned that she'd try to just go (she isn't big on patience you know).

I was delighted to see that she waited quietly for a minute or two and then she would politely but firmly say, "hey guys, it's my turn." Time after time this scenario played itself out. So cute!

SIX!

2009-04-15T08:46:00.003-05:00

That is the number of pancakes Eden ate this morning for breakfast!

Then she asked for a waffle
(we did not have any waffles and the batter was gone so we couldn't make any ... poor Eden).

P.S. You can look forward to a bunch of posts coming up. Many projects are done, the awesome visitors have gone home, and Phil got IPhoto working again. Hooray! Posts, posts, and posts! (after I get my laundry done and house cleaned and YW stuff prepared ... maybe tomorrow).

Help! I need YOUR wisdom and experience!

2009-04-13T18:03:00.002-05:00

I have some ideas to make some learning things for Eden but I want to laminate them. Do any of you own a laminator and if so, do you like yours, and if so, what is it? Or, do you suggest just using clear contact paper?

Food Friday - Cooking for World Peace (2)

2009-04-10T08:05:00.000-05:00

Spicy Lamb Stew

(a mix of Better Homes & Gardens, 365 Low Fat Meals, and Charlotte’s creativity)

1 pound lamb, marinated with Mediterranean marinade (see below)

1 package Western Family Stew Vegetables (carrots, onions, potatoes, celery)

1 tsp salt

½ tsp black pepper

½ tsp thyme

6 cups beef broth

Cut meat into cubes, grill until brown on outside. In crockpot, stir together vegetables, salt, pepper, and thyme. Stir in meat and the beef broth.

Cover and cook on low-heat setting for 10-12 hours or (not as good) on high-heat setting for 5-6 hours

Serves 4-5

Food Friday - Cooking for World Peace*

2009-04-03T09:04:00.000-05:00

The following was submitted by Dr. Nick** who blogs with his wife here.

So I do like to cook, and I really enjoy making my chili recipe, but if the following counts as a recipe, then I submit it, because it makes me happy, and I only get it a couple of times a year.

Take 1 large bowl.
Add Peanut Butter Captain Crunch
Add milk and spoon,
The world is righted.

*thank you Charlotte for the title for this series.

**Dr. Nick is a fabulous man. I had the privilege of "teaching" him the gospel while I was a missionary. The fact is, he didn't really need a teacher. He went from self-proclaimed atheist to lover of The Book of Mormon and His Savior in two weeks. It was an awesome experience to watch. He is an esteemed doctor of psychology and all around fun guy who is going to come visit me some day so that he can go to the Talladaga Speedway (Nascar).

Internet Romance

2009-04-02T11:28:00.002-05:00

I found a new site that I think I may want to start dating. I don't think I'm ready for an exclusive relationship with it, but we will definitely be hanging out!

Check it out here!

Eden at YW

2009-04-01T22:24:00.003-05:00

Tonight the YW were at our house. We made some Mexican Party Dip and then had a planning meeting for this quarter (actually we ended up planning the rest of the year). At the beginning, Eden was sitting on my lap. I asked (the girls) what we should sing.

Eden: "Snowman"

All the girls proceeded to sing "Once there was a Snowman" complete with actions. Then we had a prayer. Eden was being a bit disruptive after the prayer so I said, "Eden we are having a meeting."

Eden: "Ohhh Kaaayyyy! I go get flag!"

Projects' Status or is that Stati?

2009-04-01T22:10:00.003-05:00

Dress: got it done Friday and she had a great time at the prom. She's that kind of girl. Makes her life fun and is generally happy. I don't have any pictures but she promised me one when she gets hers back. I'll post then. She wore it to church. So did the other two prom-goers. Next to their fancy beaded get ups hers looked simply lovely (with perhaps too much emphasis on the simply). Hers was the most modest though! (The other girls did wear cover ups on their bare shoulders. They better have kept those on throughout prom night!) So glad to have it done and that she was happy with it.

Bathroom: all painted (except behind the toilet because I needed Phil to help me turn off the water and move the toilet). We just put the hugigantic mirror in place - we aren't vain, we are just using the same mirror that was already there. Phil is putting in the new light right now. Trim. It tortures me. So much trim in this house. Why did we ever decide to paint it all? Trim will wait for another day. month? year? it will wait.

Laundry: I got it done last week right? Well, would you believe that it needs to be done again? What is up with that? Phil was getting Eden ready for bed tonight and I walked in and he said, "I don't know if these PJs are warm enough..." Then I completed his unspoken sentence, "it is just that my wife hasn't done laundry for a week and all of her REAL jammies are dirty and I didn't know what other options I had." Eden is sleeping in a long-sleeved onesie and some too-small stretch pants. Laundry is definitely on the list for tomorrow.

72-hour kits: no change in status.

Pay back sooner than expected

2009-03-31T12:06:00.003-05:00

I was not a darling teenager. In fact, I was quite often a B*R*A*T. It is true. I know those of you who only know me as an adult are having a hard time to believe this since I'm such a darling now, but it is true.

I routinely told my mom she was "stoo-pid" "dumb" "lame" and that I didn't like her. I even told her that I hated her a couple of times. There was even one time that a really unkind, rude word escaped my lips. It happened at the dinner table and although all my siblings were shocked, no one was more shocked than I. The fact that I am alive to be telling you this can only be attributed to stake presidency meetings. If those meetings hadn't been held that night, my dad would have been at the dinner table and I would have been toast! My mother didn't say a word. She bit her lip (literally and figuratively) and a single tear ran down her cheek. I think that was a turning point for me. That was punishment indeed.

I've figured that I will have times with Eden when I am punished again. Now that I know a mother's love and sacrifice, I know that I will remember with hightened pain how cruel I was at times. I have been anticipating that pain (the pain of a obstinate daughter and the pain brought on by new awareness of how cruel I really had been to my own loving mother) to arrive in about ten years.

However, the payback has come a little sooner than anticipated. For the past several nights Eden has refused to give me a kiss good night (she finally did last night when Phil asked her to, but not when I asked). Then today as I changed her diaper the following conversation took place:

Eden: "Sister Hollie" (her nursery leader)
Mommy: "Does Sister Hollie love you?"
Eden: "Yes."
Mommy: "Does mommy love you?"
Eden: "No, Sister Hollie."
Mommy: "Yes, Sister Hollie does love you. Does mommy love you too.."
Eden: "No. Sister Hollie, friend."
Mommy: "Sister Hollie is a good friend who loves you. Mommy loves you too."
Eden: "No ... love you mommy."

She's totally messing with me. She's got my number and she knows it. Think how well she'll have this mastered in the next ten years!

Agony, I tell ya!

A couple of firsts for Eden

2009-03-29T20:04:00.002-05:00

She got her first bandaid today. I know, she is almost two and hasn't ever needed a bandaid. I told you she was cautious. She scraped her knee yesterday and today it started to bleed so we put a bandaid on it after bath.

She went #2 in the toilet! True story. She flushed it and said, "bye-bye poop, see ya later." I'm not holding my breath for a repeat performance any time soon.

Food and World Peace

2009-03-29T18:07:00.003-05:00

Do you have a recipe that just makes you happy?

Is there a food that makes your whole family smile and hum (just a little) while they eat it?

Do you believe that some recipes are so good that they might, just maybe, help bring about world peace?

Are you willing to share?

If you would like to share a recipe with the Food Friday crowd, please send the recipe and instructions (and a photo if you'd like) to frugalkeslers at gmail dot com.

Depending on how many people respond, I'll post the recipes for the next few Fridays.

Food Friday - Spanish Rice

2009-03-27T08:17:00.000-05:00

This is a recipe that Phil has wanted me to try. He got it from his mom who got it from our SIL. It was easy and delicious! You could use it for a side dish in a big Mexican meal or you could (as we did) just use it as a main dish.

6 Slices of Bacon (I used turkey bacon)
1 med. Onion (chopped)
1 sm. Green Pepper (chopped)
2-8 oz. Cans of Stewed Tomatoes (diced) (I only had 14.5 oz. cans so I just used one of those)
1 C Water
3/4 C Rice (uncooked)
1 T Brown Sugar
1 T Worcestershire Sauce
1 t Chili Powder
1/8 t Black Pepper
1/2 C Grated Cheddar Cheese (don't add until the end)

Cook the bacon in a large frying pan.
Remove the bacon from the pan but save 2 T of the drippings in the pan.
Saute the onions and green peppers in the bacon grease until they are tender.
Stir in the remaining ingredients (include the juices from the tomatoes).
Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer 30 minutes.
Top with crumbled bacon bits and grated cheddar cheese.

Update

2009-03-26T17:06:00.004-05:00

I am sitting in Phil's office.

He is molding young minds.

He's also in the middle (well, the beginning of the middle) of a treatment so he is on drugs.

He can't be trusted to drive.

But he can be trusted to mold young minds?

I'm the chauffeur.

His class is three hours long.

We live a half hour away and so I am waiting.

I'm supposed to be working on my YW lesson.

I'm blogging.

Shame, shame.

Projects Update

Bathroom: same status as last post. The OTHER bathroom is in severe need of attention. It is getting all the use and none of the attention. I should really clean it tonight.

Dress: everything is done except the zipper and hem. She looks beautiful in it. Yesterday we went shopping and she got new shoes, a necklace/earrings set, and an uplifting undergarment. Clinton Kelly would be so proud. I hate zippers though. Guess what I'll be doing at midnight while Phil can't sleep?

72 Hour Kits: I bought a new backpack with wheels. It doesn't all fit into it. I have sorted the stuff into boxes: Phil, Heidi, Eden. I need another backpack with wheels. Maybe two. Is it cruel to expect Eden to haul her own survival gear?

Laundry: Resumed its position of prominence but although washed, it hasn't been folded. Guess what I'll be doing before midnight? I can't stand to have laundry unfolded over night (Phil, on the other hand, can't stand to have unfolded laundry for more than five minutes. He's a good man to put up with me and my laundry wrinkles.)

Roof: done by 3:00 that day! Yeah, those guys are finishers! I should learn from them. It looks great.

Other upcoming events:

Saturday morning: the Laurels and a few of their prom friends are coming for a waffle party. Phil is a nice, supportive guy to let me invite (actually they invited themselves) a bunch of teens into the house on the last day of his treatment.

Saturday afternoon: unhook Phil from his poison and pull out the needle. I'm such a good nurse.

Saturday evening: drive to B'ham for YW training followed by a stake YW activity followed by the YW General Broadcast. Of course the laurels will all be at prom but those beehives better get their little skinny bods there!

Sunday: teach a lesson about patriarchal blessings. This isn't in the manual but we decided to reserve fifth Sunday lessons for topics that we feel impressed our girls need. I'm not sure what the beehives are going to be learning about but the laurels are going to be learning about planning for the future now, including the importance of patriarchal blessings.

It is such a good thing that our lives are fairly busy. If I had time, I bet I'd be throwing myself pity parties. Phil's CEA was up again. We seem to be having a steady (slow) climb here. CT scan in a couple of weeks. That should give us some more info with which to work. Yeah, too busy for pity parties. That is a blessing and truly one of the tender mercies I count.

Missing You ... see you soon

2009-03-24T08:29:00.004-05:00

I've been on a bit of a blogging vacay lately.

Stuff to do. Busy, busy, busy.

I'm a good starter, need to be a finisher.

Master (term used loosely) bathroom: patched, mudded, sanded, mudded, sanded, ceiling painted, walls are up next.

Prom dress: mock up done and it fit well (relief), skirt sewn together, bodice and sleeves are in progress (prom THIS Saturday ... oh dear, panic).

72 hour kits: everything has been pulled out, evaluated, rotated, added to and is residing on my laundry table.

Laundry: waiting for the 72 hour kit mess to vacate so that the laundry can resume its normal prominence in the room that bears its name.

Roof (yeah, we get a new roof because of the hail damage): shingles delivered at 7:am this morning (woke Eden up, ok, it woke me up too) I guess we will spend the day listening to the melodic sound of nail guns. That should harmonize well with the hum of the sewing machine.

So now you know why I haven't been checking your blogs much. I'll see you soon.

I love Winn Dixie and Eden is busy

2009-03-20T12:44:00.004-05:00

We went shopping today. We had a $25 gift card because we filled a prescription at the WD pharmacy. We had a coupon for $10 off a $50 purchase. We took advantage of lots of B1G1 (buy 1 get 1) and other deals. We bought over $100 of groceries for $30. Love it!

At the pharmacy the cashier looked at Eden and said, "you must be about two."
Me: "yup, next month, you are good."
Cashier: "I have a two year old."
Me: "Isn't it a fun age? They are so fun and busy and determined and opinionated."
Eden: "yeah, Eden, busy!"

Food Friday: Creamy French Potato Salad

2009-03-20T09:15:00.003-05:00

Tired of the traditional mustard-based potato salad?
Here is a treat for you!

6 C Cubed Baking Potato
1/2 C Sour Cream
1/3 C Mayonnaise
1/4 C French Dressing
1/2 t Salt
1/8 t Black Pepper
1/8 t Celery Seeds
1 C Chopped Celery
1 C Diced Onion
1/4 C Diced Red Bell Pepper
2 Chopped Hard Boiled Eggs

Boil the potato pieces until tender. Drain.
In a large bowl combine potatoes, celery, onion, bell pepper, and eggs.
In a small bowl combine sour cream, mayonnaise, dressing, salt, pepper, and celery seeds.
Pour dressing mixture over potato mixture.
Chill at least one hour.
Serves 6.

What do we need to do?

2009-03-14T20:56:00.002-05:00

Each day after Eden wakes up from her nap, we go outside and get the mail. Today Phil got her up from her nap and so I thought it would be interesting to see if she remembered our routine.

Me: "Now that you are done with your nap, what do we need to do?"
Eden: "toot."

And then she did.

Why LDS Temples?

2009-03-13T06:42:00.001-05:00

Ever wonder why Mormons have temples? Here is a very good explanation.

For me, attending the temple is a way to feel some solemnity. It is a way to reconnect with spiritual things such as peace, patience, brotherly kindness, and an eternal perspective. At the temple, I am reminded how much each of us is a son or daughter of God and that He loves us. I am reminded that I have a personal Savior in Jesus Christ. It is a happy experience. It is a deeply personal experience. I am thankful for temples.

Food Friday: Asparagus with Garlic and Onions

2009-03-13T05:05:00.001-05:00

I found this on allrecipes.com and it is really simple and oh so good. Phil loved it!

1/2 C water
1 pound fresh asparagus, trimmed*
1 C diced white onion
1/4 C butter
4 cloves of garlic, minced
salt and black pepper to taste

*to trim asparagus, snap the lower segment off (kind of like snapping beans)

Pour into a skillet. Place asparagus and ionion in the skillet.
Bring water to a boil over medium heat.
Cover skillet and steam asparagus and onion 2-5 minutes, just until slightly tender. (Add a few tablespoons of extra water, if needed, to maintain steam.)
When water has steamed off, immediately place butter in skillet. Continue cooking until onions and asparagus are lightly browned.
Mix in garlic and continue cooking at 30 seconds.
Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Just That Cute

2009-03-12T12:37:00.004-05:00

SNOW! (in Alabama?)

Eden loves the snow and was so excited to play in it.

See how happy she is?

Bath time - good time!

Yummy, banana

Driving Trey's car

A passenger in Kendal's Jeep

72 Hour Kits

2009-03-11T15:07:00.004-05:00

With some of our tax return money, we are determined to update our 72 hour kits. Phil has one, I have one, and then we have a "bucket" of stuff that Phil's parents gave us. We are going to go through it all, reorganize, add stuff for Eden, and rotate out the food. As I've been researching 72 hour kits I'm learning that there are different reasons for having them.

I think I always thought of having one in case of disaster. I pictured us stuck in our home without contact with the outside world. Very War of the Worlds-ish. I hadn't really thought of having one in case we get evacuated (due to pending disaster). Of course, we want to be obedient to the prophet too and that is a pretty good reason to have one.

What are your reasons for having (or wanting to have) your 72 hour kit?

Food Friday - One Hour Rolls (the best yet!)

2009-03-06T13:48:00.000-06:00

I have been on a quest. Not a quest for treasure or fame. Nay, what would I do with those things? My quest has been for a roll recipe that works well here (my mom's awesome recipe has been ok here but not the quality I was used to while living out West). I have failed to modify her recipe in order to make it work here. Is it the humidity? Is it the altitude? I know not and I have been very sad about it. During my quest to find a good dinner roll recipe (one that could compete with mom's) I have had another quest. I don't know about you but quite often I don't have three hours to make rolls. I REALLY wanted to find a good, yet quick, roll recipe.

Little did I know that my two (seemingly separate) quests would converge and be won simultaneously!

Behold, the fabulous one-hour roll that actually tastes better than my mom's recipe does here (it isn't quite as good as my mom's recipe at home).

5 t Yeast
1/4 C warm water
1 1/2 C buttermilk (I think this is the real key)
1/4 C sugar
1/2 C oil
1 t salt
4 1/2 C flour (I did 2 1/2 of wheat and 2 C white)
1/2 t baking soda

Dissolve yeast in warm water in a small bowl.
In mixing bowl, combine buttermilk, sugar, oil, and salt, then mix.
Add the yeast mixture once it has become frothy, then mix well.
Add flour and baking soda.
Knead (with machine or by hand) until the dough is smooth (2-5 minutes).
Let stand for 10 minutes.
Roll out the dough until it is about 1/4 inch thick.
Cut into triangles and roll from wide side to thin (forming a crescent).
Place on cookie sheet (with nonstick spray on it).
Let rise for 30 minutes.
Bake in preheated 425f oven for 10 minutes.

These have a fabulous texture. This week I used honey instead of sugar and that worked great. I also reduced the oil slightly.

Enjoy making really good rolls in an hour!

Nature's Sense of Humor Strikes Again

2009-03-05T14:39:00.000-06:00

For those of you with firstborn younger than my Eden, you may want to listen up. For those of you who have already traveled the path I'm on, laugh it up!

Let's be honest, after the labor-intensive infant stage I was really excited to get to the point when Eden would be willing to entertain herself for brief periods. How excited it would be to have her in her bedroom playing while I did things in the family room (you know, important things like blogging). That day came about a month ago. She was willing to be in another room long before that but only about a month ago would she actually spend some time in that other room without requiring "mommy, mommy" to come help, look, be near. Now she is quite comfortable playing without me.

Of course, just when that occurs, she is also quite interested in getting into messes. So now, she doesn't really need/want me around but I don't dare let her be alone. This week she got a brand new box of Cheezits off the counter (how is she that tall???) and took them into the (carpeted) family room then dumped them. In her attempts to clean up her mess, she walked all over them. Yeah, no more turning my back on this kid. :-)

Her punishment? She had to help me clean it up, including vacuuming. She HATES the vacuum. It still terrifies her. I don't think she'll be making those kinds of messes for a while...

Prayer at our house

2009-03-04T20:39:00.002-06:00

Tonight after family prayer and after Eden and I had said her prayer she said, "mommy, more prayer." Usually this means she has something she wants to thank Heavenly Father for and so I said, "Thank you for..."
Eden: "sheep."
Me: "and thank you for..."
Eden: "soft"
(clearly she was talking about her sheep blanket that she was cuddling up to)
Me: "and thank you for..."
Eden: "movies, I like movies, I like to move it move it."

Yeah we just got Madagascar II from Netflix. I think she liked it.

Cheese!

2009-03-04T14:14:00.004-06:00

If your cheese of choice looks like this:

move along, this post is not for you.

If your cheese drawer looks like this:

... don't waste your time with this post.

But,
if you buy pre-grated cheese (Mozzarella or cheddar) you might be interested in this little helpful hint.

Sam's Club has 5 pound bags (approximately 20 cups) of grated cheese for less than $9. This is a good deal folks. But I can hear you saying, "what am I going to do with all that grated cheese, it will go moldy before I can possibly use that much!"

My answer is this:
Buy qt. size freezer bags and then measure approximately 2 C into each bag (label and date the bag) and then throw it into your freezer/deep freeze. Then you just take out 2C each time you need it. It is a great way to add cheese to your rotating food supply. It is very economical.

Layne, if you kept reading, please don't think less of me now that you know I'm a cheese-meh.

A Day of Rest - really!

2009-03-01T18:19:00.005-06:00

With busy callings and a busy toddler, Sundays aren't usually a day of rest - as in, sit around and do not much. We love our branch and it is awesome to be involved in something that is growing and progressing, even when that requires some work. But, it is NOT restful.

Today, Phil got up at 5:00 and left around 6:30 for his meetings which begin at 7:00. I woke up when he left and did some things for my calling. Eden awoke at 7:45. So far, it was a very normal Sunday. Eden and I planned to leave for church at 10:30 so we'd be there when Sacrament began at 11:00.

But then...

It began to snow...
and snow...
and snow.

Now, my friends in Michigan or New Hampshire or Utah or Idaho will laugh at this next part but keep in mind that we don't have snow removal equipment in 'bama. Most drivers don't have much experience driving in it. Also, it had rained all night and then frozen so there was slush and ice underneath the snow. Also remember that most people drive from 30 to 60 minutes to get to church.

So...

Phil called about 8:30 and informed me that church was being canceled. He stayed and met more with the branch presidency and then got home about 10:30.

Phil and Eden each had a nap.
I worked on Personal Progress.
We read scriptures.
I fasted. They ate (Phil can't fast because of his health stuff).
Phil wrote in his journal.
I wrote in my other blog and in my Personal Progress journal.
We watched a movie as a family.
We read stories and played.
We took pictures of the snow before it melted at 4:00.
I crocheted.
I phoned my mom.
Phil's mom phoned him.

What a lovely, lovely day of REST!

Chocolate Chip Applesauce Cake

2009-02-27T16:49:00.002-06:00

This is a recipe from my mom. It was always a favorite when we were all kids and it remains a favorite when we all get together.

1/2 C Shortening (or oil)
1 1/2 C Sugar
2 Eggs
2 C Flour
1 t Salt
3 T Cocoa
1 t Baking Soda
2 C Applesauce
1/2 T Cinnamon
6 oz Chocolate Chips

Glaze
1 C milk
1 C powdered sugar

Mix shortening, sugar and eggs.
Add flour, salt, cocoa, baking soda.
Add applesauce and cinnamon.
Pour into a greased/floured 8x10 pan.
Sprinkle chocolate chips over cake.
Bake at 350 for 35-40 minutes.
Pour glaze over cake while still hot.

Eden Do Do Flag

2009-02-26T14:25:00.004-06:00

Eden says in this first video, "Eden do'd the flag" and then she says "Eden do do do it." What she means is that she does the flag for FHE and then at the end she says, "do do do do" as she rolls the flag back up - as seen in the second video.

My most recent creation

2009-02-26T12:18:00.002-06:00

I made this out of a placemat and a dishtowel. Total cost for all materials: approx. $6.

I have to say that I love the green, purple, yellow combo. I totally want to redo my kitchen in these colors but Phil says we can't redo any rooms until we've done all the other rooms and since we've already painted the kitchen, I guess it will stay sea foam mist or whatever until I get the bedrooms and family room painted. But then...

Pay it Forward

2009-02-23T22:58:00.002-06:00

My friend and former mission companion posted this and I thought it sounded like fun (and I wanted to WIN!). So, because I'm greedy, you all get a chance to be greedy too! Isn't life good?

THE RULES:

1. Be one of the first THREE bloggers to leave a comment on this post, which then entitles you to a handmade item from me. (it will be a surprise but I promise to make it something fun)

2. Winners, you must post this challenge on your blog, meaning that you will Pay It Forward, creating a handmade gift for the first THREE bloggers who leave a comment on YOUR post about this giveaway!

3. The gift that you send to your Three Friends can be from any price range and you have 365 days to make/ship your item. This means you should be willing to maintain your blog at least until you receive your gift and have shipped your gifts. And, remember: It’s the Spirit and the Thought That Count!

4. When you receive your gift, please feel free to blog about it, sharing appropriate Linky Love! (cheeky) If you are not one of the Top Three Commenter's on this post, you can still play along. Please take the button and post it on your blog; start your own Pay It Forward chain, and encourage your blogging friends to do the same!

Naked Baby's Got Mail

2009-02-23T15:02:00.007-06:00

We've had a fun day. Eden hasn't felt great - just kind of grumpy for some reason. I always suspect teeth but who knows...

The weather has been beautiful and so we went out back and picked up the sticks that fell during the storm last week. As I was putting a bunch of sticks in the wheelbarrow Eden said, "good girl, Mommy." She is so affirming of me. She knows that I'm lazy and need all the encouragement I can get.

Here are some adorable pictures of our kiddo. Isn't her hair getting long? Eden saw these pictures and said, "naked baby!" Indeed.

We went on a walk around the neighborhood and had a great time. Eden didn't want it to end until we opened the mailbox and there were TWO packages for her in it! She got some stickers from Punka and this fun Elmo shirt from G&G K. She was SO excited about her "peasants."

Food Friday - Who Needs Manwich?

2009-02-20T06:08:00.001-06:00

This is a recipe for Sloppy Joes. It is nearly as easy as buying Manwich, better tasting, and much cheaper.

1 can Tomato Soup
1/4 C Yellow Onion (diced)
1/4 C Green Bell Pepper (diced)
1 lb Ground Beef
1 T Mustard
1 T White Vinegar
1 T BBQ Sauce
1/4 C Brown Sugar

Brown the meat in a medium pan.
Add onion and bell pepper and cook until onion is clear.
Add tomato soup (no water), mustard, white vinegar, BBQ sauce (ketchup can be substituted), and brown sugar.
Cook until the sauce thickens (cooks down) to the desired consistency.

Serve over hamburger buns.

Heidi, I try to do'd it

2009-02-19T14:34:00.003-06:00

Just now I was in my bathroom curling my hair (cuz it is like 2:30 and it just seemed like time to do that). Eden had just gotten up from her nap and was in the other room. Then I heard this:

"Heidi, Heidi, Heidi!"

I hollered so that she would know where to find me. In she walked and said,

"Heidi, potty. Heidi, I try to do'd it."

And so she sat on the potty. She watched the poo poo go away and said, "bye-bye poo."

An exciting day!

The fine print is this: she had already poo'd in her diaper and I just emptied the contents into the toilet after she sat on the pot for a minute. She did flush it and wave goodbye to the poo. As I was putting a new diaper on her she said, "I do'd it again, more." I think we are just that much closer to the real experience.

I'm not sure why she called me "Heidi" she does that once in a while...

A Thousand Splendid Suns

2009-02-19T12:27:00.004-06:00

I just finished A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini (author of The Kite Runner).

I must say that I really enjoy his writing and storytelling style. It is so interesting to learn more about Afghanistan (although I realize it is fiction). Phil asked me if I would recommend this book. I had to think about that. Here is my answer:

If you are looking for a happy story ... don't read this book. The ending does not compensate for the sorrow and horror that must be a reality for far too many people in that area of the world.

If you are willing to face some pretty harsh realities and experience some of the sorrow, you might appreciate this book. It is well written.

So yeah, I would recommend it but with some serious qualifications.

I have realized that the books I like best are the ones that champion the human spirit. I love stories about people doing hard things. I appreciate fiction that is plausible (even if it is "fantasy" - if the author can make me think it is plausible, they get big points). I like to read books about other cultures (either in place or time) than my own. I want a book to inspire me and make me think.

Here are some that I've enjoyed:

Cry The Beloved Country by Alan Paton
To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee
The Agony and the Ecstasy by Irving Stone
Oh Pioneers by Willa Cather
Uncle Tom's Cabin by Harriet Beecher Stowe

With that as a background, any suggestions for my reading list?

A nickel ... or not

2009-02-19T08:48:00.004-06:00

"Nickel-sized hail possible."

That is what the weather alert told us.

They were wrong.

Since Phil was not home for the hail storm, he asked me to put some in the freezer so he could see it. These two were randomly selected from among the hundreds on our deck. (Basically they were the easiest for me to pick up while standing in the doorway.)

Weather Event

2009-02-18T16:14:00.006-06:00

We have been on Tornado Warning since about 2:30 this afternoon. Exciting. At about 4:00 it began to rain HARD.

Then it began to lightening and thunder.

Then it began to hail.

BIG HAIL.

Our deck is covered.

see...

Eden and I are watching Tarzan and eating cookies. Phil is stuck in the hallway with his class. I made the mistake of taking Eden on to the deck when things cleared a bit. She likes the ice. Now we are having more alerts/warnings so we have to stay inside. She is not happy.

Come on, Tarzan is so cute, work with me Eden.

********************

Before the weather event really hit we went to Hobby Lobby (or "obby lobby" as Eden says). Eden insisted on taking along her For the Strength of Youth book. She showed the ladies there the temple and the picture of Jesus. She cracks me up. She was talking to the woman behind us in line. This is how her "conversation" went:

Woman: "Is that your kitty?"
Eden: "Kitty, meow. Book."
Woman: "Yes, you are smart, that is a book."
Eden: "Head. Eyes, blue."
Woman: "Yes, very pretty blue eyes."

and on it went. It is true, most everyone in these parts seems to comment on her bright blues. I guess she just anticipated the comment.

Black Female Education after the Civil War

2009-02-17T19:48:00.004-06:00

Progress
Black females are unlike any other group involved in the various social and political movements of the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. Black females represent two segments of society traditionally oppressed. Despite this extreme oppression, black females have found education as a means of elevating themselves and their race.

The first American college to admit a woman did so in 1833. Just fifty-nine years later, there were 198 women's colleges and 207 coeducation colleges. Women of all races were admitted into both the female and male courses. In 1887, thirty black women had earned their Bachelor of Arts degrees.

At the end of the nineteenth century, black education had reached some impressive statistics. By 1893, 25,530 colored schools existed in the United States with 1,353,352 male and female pupils. At this same time there were 22,956 black teachers. As impressive as those numbers appeared, educator, Lucy Laney, realized the work ahead when she stated "but, oh, large as this number seems, it is small when we think of the many hundreds to whom scarcely a ray of light has yet come!"

Obstacles
Just as the black community progressed, organizations formed to prohibit black equality. The Ku Klux Klan worked hard to prevent the education of blacks. Caroline Smith appeared before a Congressional investigation against the Klan. She testified:

They would not let us have schools. They went to a colored man there, whose son had been teaching school, and they took every book they had and threw them into the fire; and they said they would dare any other nigger to have a book in his house. We allowed last fall that we would have a schoolhouse in every district . . . But the Ku-Klux said they would whip every man who sent a scholar there. There is a school-house there, but not scholars.

The Ku Klux Klan was not the only device for limiting the progress of blacks. Jim Crow laws also threatened the future work of black female educators. Individuals attempting to subjugate blacks enacted laws to restrict voing, segregate schools, deny blacks entrance into theaters and restaurants, and force blacks to sit in the back of buses.

Heart and Hand
The Ku Klux Klan and Jim Crow laws were meant to denigrate blacks. Women such as Mary McLeod Bethune (pictured here with Eleanor Roosevelt), however; found that such blatant racism was a catalyst for change. Bethune was perhaps the most influential black woman in the early twentieth century. Strong influenced by Lucy Laney, Bethune continued the work of educating blacks. In the first decade of the twentieth century, Bethune founded the Daytona Educational and Industrial Institute. She found that black religious leaders were eager to assist her. Beginning with five students in 1904, enrollment increased to over three hundred by 1922.

The methods used by Bethune set a standard for black education. She believed in a "heart and hand" education. The "heart" included moral and religious education. It also involved teaching civic understanding and social skills. The "hand" aspect focused on vocational skills such as sewing and food handling. Bethune and her associates believed in a balanced education that also enabled students to successfully contribute to society.

Strength
The evolution of black equality may have seemed slow at times, but it was always progressive. From the time of emancipation, black women have worked to bring greater freedom to their people. In a speech given in 1933, Mary McLeod Bethune praised the work of her black sisters:

The true worth of a race must be measured by the character of its womanhood. As the years have gone on the Negro woman has touched the most vital fields in the civilization of today. Wherever she had contributed she has left the mark of a strong character. The education institutions she has established and directed have met the needs of her young people; her cultural development has concentrated itself into artistic presentation accepted and acclaimed by meritorious critics . . . she recognizes the importance of uplifting her people through social, civic and religious activities . . . she has made and is making history.

Black women do have a rich history. It is time for their powerful history of hope in the midst of struggle, of power during prejudice and of love in the face of hate to be recognized more widely. Education has been a pivotal strategy toward true equality for blacks. It must continue to be so.

African-American Folklore in Film (Part 2)

2009-02-16T07:28:00.001-06:00

Gone with the Wind
During the tumultuous time known as the Great Depression, many people longed for a bygone era when life seemed more romantic and simple. During this period Margaret Mitchell wrote her story of the Civil War, Gone with the Wind.

Starring Vivien Leigh and Clark Gable, the movie version took the United States by a storm. It won the Academy awards for best picture and best actress. Its use of music and color surprised and delighted audiences and critics. It is still considered one of the greatest movies of all time (#4 on the AFI top 100 list).

Although Gone with the Wind did not deal directly with black subjects, it did introduce several black characters. Each of these black characters represented a black stereotype perpetuated by whites at the time.

"Mammy" represented the household servant who submissively ran the house. She did not attempt to change her position but dutifully watched over those in her care, primarily Scarlett. She often became the voice of reason, piety, and morality. Although absolutely necessary to the running of the family, she never posed any threat to them.

"Prissy" was the perfect example of why blacks needed whites to protect them. One of the strongest proslavery arguments was paternalism. Prissy was emotional, unintelligent, and helpless. Even after emancipation, she needed the security of "belonging" to whites. She also posed no threat to whites.

Other black characters such as Jonas, Big Sam, and Pork portrayed blacks who were content with their work, never mind their lack of freedom. They worked a full, honest day with smiles on their faces. As slaves, they were grateful for the protection of their masters, they would never harm them.

The black characters in Gone with the Wind were not threatening but they also weren't accurate depictions of black in antebellum America. They were much more a representation of what depression-era whites wanted to believe and remember about a bygone time of history.

African-American Folklore in Film (Part 1)

2009-02-15T18:35:00.005-06:00

I took a class on Folklore and Film. It was one of those classes that one is just thrilled to find will work toward needed credits. Once a week I got to watch interesting films and then discuss them (the class just met once a week). My homework was to watch movies of my choice. The only real assignment was to select a topic and explore films dealing with that topic and then write a paper about it. Don't you love college!?

And so I present to you some excerpts from my paper:

African-American folklore has been portrayed in many films. Often the way this folklore has been represented reflects the sentiment of the public at the time the film was made. As films were first made in America, segregation was the law of the land, black codes ruled the south, lynchings were frequent, and white supremacist groups terrorized blacks without much restriction. With the progress of civil rights came a change in public opinion. As public opinion regarding blacks changed, so did Hollywood's treatment of black subjects.

Birth of a Nation
In 1915 the film industry was in its infancy. Sound and color were still years away. The craft of film making had just been born. During this time, segregation was not only legal in the southern states, but it was also spreading to both the North and the West. In 1913, President Woodrow Wilson signed the bill legally segregating the armed forces. The Ku Klux Klan was at its height in the years from 1915 to 1925. Treatment of blacks was at its worst point since emancipation.

In the midst of this terrible era of racism and violence, director D.W. Griffith created The Birth of a Nation. Representative of the deep racism, hatred, and fear of blacks that existed at the time, The Birth of a Nation treated blacks with complete disdain and horror. Its message was that the Civil War was an unnecessary war brought about by northern radicals. In the film the freed slaves became either helpless or manipulative. The KKK became "the organization that saved the South from anarchy." Blacks were animals to be feared and tamed. Black men were portrayed as vile and a threat to the virtue of all white women and indeed, the entire white race.

After seeing a screening of this movie, President Woodrow Wilson proclaimed that he found it interesting and entertaining. In spite of its obvious bias, The Birth of Nation is still heralded as an exceptional movie. Griffith's use of camera angles, shots, and scenes, were unique and very effective. He assembled a large cast with hundreds of extras. The story flows smoothly. The use of pantomime and written narrative work well together. In 1998 it was listed as #44 in the AFI list of the Top 100 Movies of all time. It not only reflected the extreme racism that existed in the early 20th Century, it embraced and perpetuated it.

Food Friday - Banana Bread

2009-02-13T07:31:00.000-06:00

I adjusted my mom's banana bread recipe (which is so good!) so that it is a little more healthy. It tastes great!

1/2 C sugar
1/2 C honey
2 eggs
2 medium (ripe) bananas
1/4 C oil
1/2 C fat free sour cream
1 t almond extract
1 t vanilla
1 C flour
1/2 C whole wheat flour
1 t baking soda
1/2 t salt

Cream sugar, honey, oil, eggs, bananas, sour cream, vanilla, and almond extract.
Add flours and soda and salt.
Mix well.
Pour into greased/floured bread pans.

Bake at 350
50-60 minutes for standard loaf pan
25-30 minutes for mini-loaf pans

News Flash: She's not PERFECT

2009-02-11T15:44:00.006-06:00

Although you wouldn't know it from reading this blog, she really ISN'T perfect. Here is some proof:

But you've got to admit that she is pretty adorable even when she is having a temper tantrum. (I had taken her blanket and put it in her crib, I missed the laying-on-the-floor-kicking part of the tantrum because as soon as it started I had to run for the camera, as any good mother would do!)

Last night was girls' night/craft night and we made tutus. Isn't she cute in hers? If you want to make one let me know and I'll point you in the right direction. Next month's craft project: hair clips, so if you have any great instructions, ideas, patterns, or the like, send them my way.

Black Women Abolitionists/Educators (part 3)

2009-02-11T13:29:00.000-06:00

These reformers recognized that prejudice was difficult to overcome. Lacy Laney felt racism was a result of the blacks' ignorance. She believed if black society became educated, whites would accept them. Not all abolitionists agreed with Laney. As an example; Sarah Douglass proclaimed, "in proportion as we become intellectual and respectable, so in proportion does their disgust and prejudice increase." It was her opinion that whites felt threatened by intelligent blacks. Peter Paul Simons spoke before the African Clarkson Association of New York City in April 1839. In his speech,, Simons denied education as a useful tactic to fight injustice. According to Simons, whites proclaimed education would elevate blacks, when in reality white society denied intelligent blacks high positions and forced blacks to settle for menial jobs. As a result of this view, abolitionists began to shift towards more forceful, energetic, and aggressive tactics. However, Frances Harper warned that reformers should not overlook an effective strategy:

"To teach our people how to build up a character for themselves–a character that will challenge respect in spite of opposition and prejudice; to develop their own souls, intellect and genius, and thus verify their credentials, is some of the best anit-slavery work that can be done in this country."

After the war, Frances Harper found great ambition among the freedmen. She wrote of former slaves who had prospered to the point of purchasing the estates of their former masters. The desire for education among the freedmen was overwhelming. Every city Harper visited required more teachers than were available.

Ann Plato cited Aristotle as claiming "knowledge was equal to power." Power therefore also depended on education. The National Convention of Black Leaders delcared that education would "elevate us from our present situation." It also proclaimed, "If we ever expect to see the influence of prejudice decrease, and ourselves respected, it must be by the blessings of an enlightened education." Frances Harper entreated young black women to consecrate their lives to the elevation of their race. Education was the primary tactic for the elevation of the black race. Black leaders realized the value of education in gaining respect, equality, and prosperity. The large nummber of freedmen schools indicated that other blacks agreed.

Lucy Laney saw a future for women as professors of higher education, not merely elementary teachers. She encouraged women to speak out, to give advice, and to share their knowledge. Black female abolitionists believed that an enlightened people were an elevated and free people. By 1893, 25,530 colored schools* existed in the United States. These schools served 1,353,352 pupils and 22,956 black teachers.

As impressive as those numbers appeared, Lucy Laney realized the work ahead when she stated, "but, oh, large as this number seems, it is small when we think of the many hundreds to whom scarecely a ray of light has yet come!"

Finally, these words by Charlotte Forten Grimke** show the amount of hope the freedmen exhibited in the years following emancipation:

"Let us take courage; never ceasing to work–hoping and believing that if not for us, for another generation there is a better, brighter day in store–when slavery and prejudice shall vanish before the glorious light of Liberty and Truth; when the rights of every colored man shall everywhere be acknowledged and respected, and he shall be treated as a man and a brother."

* Schools were primarily segregated until after 1954 with the Supreme Court decision in Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka, Kansa s

** Charlotte Forten Grimke was born free in Philadelphia. Her grandfather was a free man who established a thriving business as a sail maker. As a young woman, she journeyed to the south immediately after the Civil War in order to establish schools. She kept a detailed journal. She later married one of the freed slaves (Frances Grimke). Charlotte and Frances became best friends to Anna Julia Cooper (who is my favorite little-known person in history).

Black Women Abolitionists/Educators (part 2)

2009-02-10T13:15:00.001-06:00

Another way abolitionists used education to combat the slave institution and gain sympathy for the antislavery cause was the press. Literacy made freedom of the press available to black females such as Maria Stewart, Frances Ellen Watkins Harper, and Mary Ann Shadd Cary.

Maria Stewart was active in the abolitionist movement in the 1830's. Her essays and articles frequently appeared in abolitionist papers including The Liberator. She also published a spiritual tract entitled, Meditations. After leaving Boston in the 1830's, Stewart became a member of one of New York's two literary socieities. Her speeches were recorded and published by various antislavery papers.

Frances Harper was well known as a poetess and author. She wrote hundreds of poems, many denouncing slavery and racism. Harper authored at least eight works of fiction, most dealing with slavery and racism. Her writings earned her tremendous respect. One chronicler of the time stated that "she is one of the colored women of whom white women may be proud and to whom the abolitionists can point and declare that a race which could show such women never ought to have been held in bondage."

Mary Ann Shadd Cary received her education at a Quaker boarding school. She became an educator and taught in Delaware, New York, and Pennsylvania. When the Fugitive Slave Act became law in 1850, she relocated to Windsor, Canada. In Canada, she edited The Provincial Freeman, a black newspaper. Cary was the first known black female editor in the world. As a writer and editor, Cary was able to use her education to promote and elevate her race. Frederick Douglass commented that regarding Cary's contributions to antislavery newspapers, he did "not know her equal among the colored ladies of the United States."

Black Women Abolitionists/Educators (part 1)

2009-02-09T12:33:00.004-06:00

In the South, both free blacks and slaves used secular education as a strategy to undermine the slave system. An example is Milla Granson who learned to read and write from her owner's children. She used her education to open a "midnight school." Her school continued to operate because legislation declared that while it was illegal for whites to teach slaves, there was no law against slaves teaching other slaves. According to her own account, Milla graduated hundreds of slaves who could read and write.

Literacy aided in the escape of many slaves. Susie King Taylor* explained that the laws of Georgia required all blacks, free and slave, to carry passes to be permitted on the city streets. She spoke of frequently forging passes for her grandmother, a free woman. Milla Granson mentioned that of her graduates, many wrote passes for themselves and escaped to Canada.

Among the many proslavery arguments, perhaps the most degrading was the one that claimed that blacks were non-intellectual beings. Many abolitionists used education to combat this notion. One such woman was Frances J. Coppin. Coppin was born a slave in the District of Columbia and was aware of the argument that Negroes were incapable of learning. When she gained her freedom (her aunt purchased her freedom), Coppin determined "to get an education and teach [her] people." When Coppin heard that John C. Calhoun**, had stated that if a Negro could learn to conjugate verbs in Greek, he would abandon his belief in the inferiority of blacks, she decided to take his challenge. Coppin did learn to speak Greek to the point of conjugating verbs.

While Frances Coppin was teaching at the Institute for Colored Youth in Philadelphia, a writer called on her and explained that he had a manuscript proving the subintellect of Negroes. Coppin asked Jesse Glasgow, a black child at the school, to answer any questions the author desired. After Jesse correctly answered all the questions posed, the writer decided his theories were wrong and never published the book.

* Susie King Taylor was a slave who ran away with the Union army during the Civil War. She spent the remainder of the war traveling with the troops and serving as a cook and laundress for them. She also wrote a memoir of the period entitled, "Reminiscences of My Life in Camp."

** John C. Calhoun had been a Senator from South Carolina and was the Vice President under JQ Adams and Jackson. He was an outspoken supporter of States' Rights and also furthered many of the racist proslavery arguments. Many streets and counties in the south still bare his name. It was nearly a deal-breaker on my marriage when we bought a house in one of those areas. I may dislike him more than anyone else I've studied.

A New Calling????

2009-02-09T07:58:00.002-06:00

One of the blogs I sometimes read had a great post about how to approach a new calling (or even one you've had for a while, if you ask me). It is based on a talk given in Sacrament meeting by the High Councilor. I am only including part of it here. To read the whole post, go here (it has some YW-specific advice too).

So here is my excerpt:

When you get a new calling (any new calling):

Step one: repent. Because it's good for you. Because it's time. Because that's the necessary spiritual preparation for any new calling. Because you need to (we all need to).

Step two: re-read Lehi's dream and see in it a pattern for when you have been given a new calling. You're in the dark and dreary waste, you're wandering in the dark. However, you have spiritual guidance standing by if you pray for help and mercy - note how in verse 9 Lehi finds that he's standing in a large and spacious field. Aha! (Maybe... he was there all along...)

Step three: pace yourself. Most callings are marathons, not sprints. Especially when you're stepping into an existing YW program, in which some people are already serving, it's best not to go in with both guns blazing. Don't try to do everything at once.

Step four: be open to what the Lord wants you to learn from this calling. Most callings are answers to prayers, and the prayer that's being answered here may not be yours.

Step five: "magnifying" a calling can mean finding the tool that allows you to read the fine print. If you think your new calling is insignificant, small, unimportant, or meaningless, then you haven't found the fine print yet. He (the High Councilman) said he's been called as Sunday School president 4 times. The first two times, he thought it meant he was on paid administrative leave, and that the only part of himself he needed to give to the calling was his index finger to press the bell 5 minutes before the end of the second hour. Round about the 4th time, he finally GOT that the calling was about teaching the ward how to teach the gospel in their homes. He found the fine print.

If, however, the calling seems too big, and you feel you can't do it, you're absolutely right. You can't do anything without the Lord, nothing of your own strength - but you can give your heart and time to it and your work - imperfect though it always is - can be consecrated by the Lord for the benefit of the girls and leaders in your stewardship.

My Big Girl

2009-02-09T06:44:00.003-06:00

Yesterday, I had to stay home from church to play infusion nurse for Phil. My friend called and asked if Eden wanted to go to church. Eden emphatically replied, "YES!" and so she went to church without her mom or dad. (I was able to get there by YWs and then bring her home.) Everyone reported to me that she was such a good girl. I can't believe how grown up she is getting.

The other night, I forgot to say prayers with her at bedtime. She very quickly reminded me. She isn't always very patient or reverent when we say blessings at meal time but she truly loves nighttime prayers. I still speak the words but she often will tell me what she is grateful for: daddy, mommy, grandma, grandpa, kitty, doggy, happy trees, etc.

Yesterday as I pulled up to the church the nursery kids were out for a walk (yeah it was nearly 70 - so much for our cold spell) and it was so cute to see her (she didn't see me) walking around with her class, being such a big girl. She and Trey held hands most of the time. So very, very cute!

She loves prophets right now. She loves to look through her scripture story books and point out all the prophets. She also is very intrigued with Moses. She tells us about baby Moses and then points to the tablets and says, "Moses book ... Moses, prophet." Her new favorite song is "Follow the Prophet." I'm just amazed at her ability to grasp concepts.

Being a mom is pretty humbling.

Speaking of words...

2009-02-06T20:09:00.000-06:00

Here are some of my (current) favorite phrases spoken (often) by my Eden:

"Bless you!" (after every sneeze within earshot, including her own)

"Yeah, sure." (when she is enthusiastically agreeing to something, such as in response to the question, "do you want a cookie?")

"I do'd (dude) it" (giving evidence that she is indeed nearly two)

"I help you" (this really means: I don't want you to help me, more evidence of her age)

"love you mommy" (need I say more?)

Food Friday - Slime

2009-02-06T12:46:00.001-06:00

This is a simple recipe for slime (kind of like playdough, sort of). It is great fun for kids (and big kids).

Mixture 1

8 oz White Glue (Elmers or whatever)
3/4 C Warm Water
2 drops of Food Coloring (I used 2 blue and 2 red to make Eden's favorite color)

Mixture 2

4 t Borax Laundry Booster
1 1/3 C Warm Water

In a separate bowl, mix the borax with the water. Pour mixture 1 into mixture 2. Do not stir. Wait one minute. Knead mixtures together (pour of excess water) and play!

Store your slime in a ziplock or plastic container (with a lid) in the refrigerator. Slime can get moldy so store it properly and throw out after a few uses.

Here is Eden playing with her slime. She told me she had made a necklace. Obviously...

This headline caught my attention

2009-02-05T18:13:00.002-06:00

Roommate Deemed Too Incompetent To Clean Bathroom

Today as I was not wanting to clean the bathrooms (that happens every week) I decided to google "I don't want to clean the bathroom" and see what came up. I found the above article and it just made me laugh. I wish someone would deem me too incompetent to clean the bathroom!

(I only stalled about 10 minutes today and then cleaned the bathrooms, I'm kinda proud of myself)

Slave Clothing: Interwoven Cultures (part 2)

2009-02-05T14:12:00.002-06:00

In addition to preferred patterns, the slaves exhibited a partiality for bright colors. Slaves especially preferred red in their attire. After emancipation, red shirts were given to some newly freedmen as a way to gain their votes for candidates. One of these freedmen explained, "it never would have dont to have a black shirt, no sir; I's sure of dat. Dat would have had not 'peal to our color." (see Slave Narratives: South Carolina Narratives). An African American folk story illustrates how enticing the color red seemed to be:

In Africa they had very few pretty things, and . . . they had no red colors in cloth . . . Some strangers with pale faces come one day and draped a small piece of red flannel down on the ground. All the black folks grabbed for it. Then a larger piece was draped a little further on, and on until the river was reached . . . They was led on, each one trying to git a piece as it was draped. Finally, when the ship was reached, they draped large pieces on the plank and up into the ship till they got as many blacks on board as they wanted.

The slaves showed ingenuity in creating the colors they desired. They learned to make dyes out of the vegetation around them. Combinations of walnut, elm, cherry, and red oak created various red dyes. Cedar moss was used for yellow dye and straight walnut was used for brown. It was common, even necessary, for the slaves to use local natural resources to create their handcrafted items.

In addition to patterns and colors, slaves also viewed hairstyles as a way to assert individuality and the unique qualities of their culture. The most prevalent hair ornament was the head kerchief. Although the head kerchief has become associated with the slave mammies, almost all slave women wore them. The head kerchiefs were worn both during work and at times of celebration and festivals. In a world of forced conformity, hairstyles allowed slaves to assert individuality from other slaves as well as white society.

Sundays were the one day most slaves did not have to work for the master. Therefore, on Sundays, they took even greater care to dress and style themselves. One slave went barefooted throughout the week but wore shoes on Sundays. When asked why, he explained that he could wear out his feet during the week because they belonged to his master but he took great care with his shoes because those belonged to him.

Certainly, slavery was a confining, degrading experience for those enslaved. The actual opportunities for cultural or social interaction were limited. It must not be forgotten that first and foremost, slaves worked. After the hours of working as chattel, many slaves returned to their own quarters to work for themselves (many had gardens and they had to cook and care for their own families). That they were willing to spend their own time and the little money* they had on clothing seems to indicate that it was a way for them to show pride and artistic expression. Certainly the aesthetic, skills, and traditions that formed during the slave period continue to impact American culture today.

*One historian claims that slaves spent 80% of their money on fabric and clothing.

Slave Clothing: Interwoven Cultures (part 1)

2009-02-04T13:35:00.000-06:00

The culture the slaves created was not an imitation of the Euro-American culture of their masters and mistresses. Nor was it merely a transplanted African culture. Rather, it was a hybrid culture which included white, African, and Indian influences. This hybrid culture was expressed poignantly through the clothing slaves wore and made for themselves.

Both the types of clothing and the materials used for slave clothing were largely determined by the slave owners. Thus, they were derived from the Euro-American traditions. This does not mean however, that the slaves had no say in their clothing. Indeed, they imposed their own styles and aesthetics upon the clothing they made and wore.

Unlike the symmetrical preferences of Europe and America, Africans tended to prefer spontaneity in design and color. This aesthetic appears to have its origins in the folk beliefs of African cultures. Folk customs indicate that jumbled patterns were thought to keep bad spirits away because evil only traveled in straight lines.

Unable to create exact replicas of their African (Mande) textiles, American slaves preferred calico to checked prints. Another option slaves had was to spin their own fabrics. Many slave women were trained as spinsters. They were able to use this skill for their own clothing as well as clothing to be sold by their masters. A final option was to use the issued fabric and make strips similar to those used in strip quilts. These strips were assembled to create the staggered patterns desired.

For more information on this topic see also:

John Michael Vlach, By the Work of Their Hands: Studies in Afro-American Folklives (Ann Arbor: University of Michican Research Press, 1991).

Roderick A. McDonald, The Economy and Material Culture of Slaves: Goods and Chattels on the Sugar Plantations of Jamaica and Louisiana (Baton Rouge: Louisiana State University Press, 1993).

Betty Wood, Women's Work, Men's Work: The Informal Slave Economies of Lowcountry Georgia (Athens: The University of Georgia Press, 1995).

B.A. Botkin, ed., Lay My Burden Down: A Folk History of Slavery (Chicago: The University of Chicago Press, 1945).

Cold is as cold does... or does not

2009-02-04T10:01:00.004-06:00

I went to the store the other night and NO ONE else was there. I couldn't figure out why until I realized the temperature was in the 30s. People stay home here when it is that cold. Yesterday, was a beautiful day. Sunshine, blue skies, and again in the 30s. It was the kind of February day that would bring great rejoicing and even some shorts in Logan, Utah but in 'bama it was a "stay-inside" day. Not for our little girl though. She was quite determined to play outside. We bundled her up and went into our yard.

We also made "slime" for the first time. At first she wasn't sure what to do with it. She kept saying, "boogers, boogers." Eventually, she decided it was quite fun.
On Saturday night we had the Thorntons and Baugards (the other members of the branch presidency) over for a night of family bonding. I love the look on Eden's face in this picture.
Someday this will be a good blackmail picture to show Eden and Trey how infatuated they were with each other. Look how they are gazing into each other's eyes.
This picture is for Charlotte. Not to make you jealous but to make you happy. When the inversion gets too crazy, just pretend this is outside your window.
Phil and his brothers are having a contest (of sorts) to see what fun movie characters they can each create out of a Mr. Potato Head. This is Phil's submission, the Cowardly Lion from The Wizard of Oz. Yeah, my man is cool, creative, and clever.

Emmett Till

2009-02-02T13:49:00.001-06:00

Emmett Louis Till was born in Chicago on July 25, 1941. In Chicago, blacks were relatively free from the horrors of lynchings and the threats of the Klan. It was certainly not devoid of racism, but nothing in Chicago prepared Emmett for the summer of 1955 in Mississippi.

At 14, Emmett must have been excited to spend the summer with his cousin, Curtis Jones at Jones' grandfather, Mose Wright's home in Mississippi. As a northern black, Emmett instantly gained near celebrity status. Imagine his thrill as the black youth gathered around Emmett, anxious to hear his stories of the North. I imagine their dialogue drifting into Emmett's boasting of his flirtations with girls, even white girls. The other boys then dared him to go into Bryant's Grocery and Meat Market and talk to the white clerk. Mrs. Carolyn Bryant was working that day and claimed that Emmett came into the store, proud and haughty and that as he left he said, "bye, baby" and "wolf whistled."

During the next four days, Emmett reveled in his success. No one would doubt his stories now. He knew that even in Chicago his actions would have been unacceptable, but what he didn't know was that in Mississippi, his actions would cost him his life.

On the evening of August 28, 1955, Carolyn's husband, Roy and his half brother, J.W. Milam, took young Emmett from Mose Wright's home. They beat him extensively. They shot him in the head, then tied his disfigured, swollen, limp body to a heavy cotton gin and threw him in a river. Three days later, Emmett's mangled body was found.

Mamie Till, Emmett's mother, made a courageous decision. She wanted the world to see the realities of lynchings. She hoped that they would be horrified enough to demand change. She, therefore, decided to have an open casket and to invite the press.

I have seen the television footage. It is horrifying. The image that will always remain with me is of his face; battered, bruised, swollen. I had to strain to see anything human in his features. His eyes, once wide, chocolate brown, and innocent, were swollen completely shut. One eye was missing entirely. His head was swollen from the beatings and days in the river water. Even through his dark complexion, I saw deep bruises all over his body. A shiver ran throughout my body as tears filled my eyes. That shiver returns now.

I try to imagine what he felt, what he thought. Did he beg forgiveness? Did he scream with pain? Or, did he remain defiantly flippant to the end? No one will ever know. Emmett was silenced and his killers only laughed and bragged about their accomplishment. Although many heard them admit to the lynching, Roy Bryant and J.W. Milam were acquitted on September 23, 1955. They later admitted to the murder in a national magazine but could not be prosecuted again. They died free men.

The acquittal and the footage of Emmett's funeral so enraged blacks and whites, that many were moved to action. Emmett became a martyr for the cause. Although still in its infancy, the civil rights movement received many new volunteers and supporters because of the pictures of Emmett Till. Many of the college students who later began SNCC (Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee) were close to Emmett's age. They remembered. They swore never to forget.

WARNING:
Below is a picture of Emmett before and after his death. It is graphic.

In order to celebrate...

2009-02-01T03:39:00.003-06:00

Happy February!

In America, February is Black History Month.

Before I was Eden's mommy, I had a mostly-enjoyable career in Higher Ed Administration. Before that I was a student. I did both my senior (undergrad) thesis and my masters work studying the history of black America. Most of my research focused on the role of education/literacy in the lives of slaves. Much of my work focused on women.

To celebrate Black History Month, I will be posting an essay here and there throughout the month. I will still be posting my regular array of "Eden did the cutest thing..." and "Here are my thoughts about this..." etc. so if you just don't have any interest in history, don't tune out completely.

Happy February!

Food Friday - Chicken and Dumpling Soup

2009-01-30T13:31:00.000-06:00

This is EASY

2 Chicken Breasts (cooked and cubed)
2 C Chicken Broth (you can either use the broth from cooking the breasts or canned broth)
1 can Cream of Chicken Soup
1 C Carrots (diced)
1/2 C Frozen Corn
1/2 C Celery (diced)
1 C Potato (diced)
1/4 C Yellow Onion (minced)
1 Bay Leaf
1 t Dried Basil
1 t Garlic (minced)
1/4 t Celery Seed
Pepper and Salt to taste

In a large soup pan add broth and all vegetables. Cook until vegetables are the desired level of softness. Add cream of chicken soup and stir well. Add cooked chicken and herbs. Bring to boil.
About fifteen minutes prior to serving drop in dumplings. Cover and allow to steam (your soup should be simmering/low boiling) for ten minutes to fully cook the dumplings.

Dumpling Recipe
In a small bowl mix:
1 1/2 C Flour
1 T Baking Powder
1/2 t Salt
2 T Butter
3/4 C Milk

Don't over-mix. Drop by teaspoon fulls into the steaming soup and cook for ten minutes.