Lest You Think They're Angels

Remember back in the summer when the flood waters rose? Well, for the sake of the story let's travel back to that time. Close your eyes and breath deeply. The water has been rapidly rising and Zack is out of town on business. The friends have been commissioned and the basement has been emptied...

Wait, what am I thinking? Who would be crazy enough to want to travel back to that time? Granted it was a time of clarity and a time of revealing that which is most important. Granted it was a time of lessons learned. Did I just say lessons learned? Lessons, indeed! Lessons such as just because your children have never used the walls as their canvas you are not immune from the attack of the stray writing utensil? Yes, that's right. My boys are not angels!

It had been a long day of box packing, using a blue permanent marker to label said boxes. We had come to a good stopping point, early in the evening. We loaded the kids in the van, not even noticing the permanent marker that will have come into question. Granted the car ride to the condo we were staying at was a quiet one, but it had been a long day and the kids had to have been exhausted.

It wasn't until we put the van into park that suspicious giggles erupted from the back seat along with squeals of, "Mom, we're skeletons!". Blue permanent marker and bones drawn all over the tanned bodies of boys - not a good mix, no not a good mix indeed!









To say I was speechless would be an understatement. How in the world do you remove permanent marker from skin? I mean we had church the next day. We couldn't go to church with blue skeleton boys! All I can say is thank goodness for moms. Not only did she come to help us pack up our ruined home, but she being the saint she is, had the solution to our permanent marker woes. Toothpaste. Not gel but paste. And you know the best part? Mom sent Zack and I out for a date night and single-handedly restored our boys to proper form.

All's well that ends well! Plus, I now know that Garrett and Brody have an accurate understanding of the structural composition of a human body. I mean just check out the femur bones on Garrett! But wait, a belly button bone Garrett? Nevermind!!!

The Post That Isn't (in any form) Titled We Miss Mexico

Zack and Garrett, surf fishing partners


The hooligans chasing waves


Landscape (notice the blue, blue water that I don't miss at all)


Our resort, Royal Solaris del Cabo (and of course I don't miss it. No way!)



The happy couple plus one

I mean, really. What's to miss? It's not like there was sun, warmth, nothing but relaxation, endless food and drink, beach lounging and very little responsibility. It's not that coming back to Bozeman conversely meant overcast skies, cold weather with nearly a foot of snow the day after we got back. It doesn't mean I'm back to all the responsibilities of homemaking and motherhood, school, and every other commitment.

Mexico, hmpf! What's to miss?

To Commemorate the Return

Remember my last post? Okay, now forget about it! The long story short is that Zack and Garrett have strongly encouraged me to get back into the swing of sharing my dirty laundry online. And heck, if two of the men in your life ask something of you, you're pretty much obliged, right?

So welcome back, me! Here's to a brand new start on a not so new foray into the blogging world. And to commemorate my return I thought I'd share with you one of my go-to recipes.

As a mom, I love knowing I'm meeting the nutritional needs of my children in the most healthful ways. And not just the kids' needs but Zack's and mine as well. These granola bars fit the bill. If you peruse the ingredient list on a box of granola bars at the store you'll most often find that the list is a mile long and contains one or more not-so-great ingredients. The bars above? Heavenly! And the goods that go into them? Guilt-free!

Whip these up, alter them to your taste, and let your indebtedness to me begin! Oh and just so you know, I change these up each and every time I make them. In the parenthesis below you'll find the alterations I made this go 'round (and here's a shout-out to my mom for the original recipe given to me years and years ago)!

HIGH OCTANE ENERGY BARS

1 C. rolled oats
1 C. crunchy grain cereal, crushed (I used Cheerios)
1/2 C. slivered almonds (I used whole almonds, chopped by me)
1 1/2 C. dried apricots, chopped (I used dried cranberries)
1 C. raisins
1/2 C wheat germ (I used wheat bran)
1/2 C. protein powder (I used vanilla flavored)
1 t. butter or vegetable oil (I always use the oil)
3/4 C. maple syrup or brown rice syrup (I use 10 T. when I use vanilla protein
powder)
1/2 C. natural peanut butter
1 t. ground cinnamon

Toast first 3 ingredients in a 350 degree oven for 10 minutes, stirring halfway through (don't let the mixture brown).
Place ingredients from the oven in a large mixing bowl. Add the next 4 ingredients, separating the dried fruit pieces; mix thoroughly.
In a saucepan over medium heat, melt butter/oil and syrup, stirring until bubbly. Mix in the peanut butter and cinnamon till all are combined, mixing constantly.
Pour over dry ingredients, quickly mix together, and press into a lightly greased 9x13" pan. Pat mixture into the pan using waxed paper.
Refrigerate at least 4 hours. Cut into bars - whatever size makes your skirt fly up - and wrap each in wax paper or a snack size Ziploc bag.
Store refrigerated.

The best thing about these? People, they're no-bake!! Dig in and enjoy!!!

Evaluating Priorities

As I look at heading into 2009, I must admit that my life needs some reorganization. While most of my time is spent wisely, I'm no better than anyone else, and I find myself whittling away time here in front of the computer far too often. While the Internet is a powerful tool (heck, just last month the kids and were able to hop online to research the process of egg production in chickens), it can also be a drain on my time.

The book of Ephesians (chapter 5, verses 15 and 16 for those interested) exhorts me to, "Be very careful, then, how you live - not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity...". Quite honestly, a personal blog is not the wisest use of my time, nor is it an example I desire to set for my children.

I have loved this outlet and have much enjoyed the contact it has allowed me with all ya'll. I have not, however, loved the time it has sapped because I have chosen to allow it to.

This, my friends will be the end of my blogging foray. Please know, those of you who have faithfully followed and kept up with me via this site, I will be trying to use the extra time I'll have freed up to send you personal little blurbs w/ pictures. The time required will be less and the contact more personal.

Catch ya on the flip side! Over and out...:)

My Favorite Things

If Oprah can put a list of her favorite things together why can't I? I mean the ONLY difference between myself and Oprah is viewership. She's got, what a million plus viewers on a daily basis? Surely I've got...well...at least four that I know of. And okay, maybe her influence is bit greater than mine. Surely some people find my opinions adoptable and embraceable, JUST LIKE OPRAH!! Whatever the case, just let me continue to live in my little bubble of deception and share with you my holiday must-haves list. Yep, JUST LIKE OPRAH!!

And doing this could really create a good shopping list for any of those wondering what to get that hard to buy for relative. Oh and sure, I'll let you know which of these are actually in my possession and which ones are on my own wish list, just in case one or more of you gets a wild hair and wants to go shopping for me (kidding, kidding...or not)!

First up is the knife I've drooled over for months, the Wusthof. I am absolutely convinced that this very knife would make cooking every night a delight. I must be delusional, huh?:


Next we have the Woolrich blanket that makes my going to bed a beautiful thing. Along those lines I apparently rolled over in the middle of a snore and said to Zack something akin to, "Without this blanket sleep would be a total waste." The BEST thing about it? The silky soft edging is delightful and reminiscent of baby blanket days:


This next item is another saliva-inducing one, the Vita-Mix. I once bought and returned one of these within 24 hours. At the time I simply couldn't justify a mixer that cost $200+. Now, I can justify it all sorts of way: smoothies, soup, my own ice cream and peanut butter. Trust me, I could go on and on:


Of all my kitchen tools, I really swear by this as the best. I encourage everyone who is even slightly interested in the kitchen to get one of these. And the facet I most enjoy? This puppy is melt-resistant. I use this Mix N' Scrape from Pampered Chef for everything, and that everything includes leaving it in my skillet while cooking. Nope, it won't melt folks!:


Next up are the cookies I've never tried but want to travel to New York City for. Well, maybe I have more reasons than these cookies to visit NY, but I'd surely go to the Levain Bakery while there. And at $22 for four cookies, these have GOT to be good, right?:


This here is the turtleneck I've been waiting all my life for. I just bought myself one the other day and I am in love. Remember those strangling tight, itchy turtlenecks of old? Well GAP has come out with the whisperthin turtleneck. It's soft, caressing, and perfect for layering (did I just call a turtleneck "caressing"? Commit me now):


This magazine is perfect for those of us who are Food Network deprived. There's nothing I love more than watching the Food Network as I drivel away my time on the treadmill. There's something slightly amiss with looking at food while burning calories, isn't there? In any case I only get to watch the Food Network at the gym since we don't have cable here at the house. This really is a fun treat for us foodies:


Next up is a movie that both Zack and I greatly enjoyed. Maybe it was just the fact that we made it to the theater for a date night. But I think it's so much more than that. This flick is delightful and feel-good. Watch it and I think you'll agree:


This next favorite thing of mine was introduced to me by my brother and sister-in-law, and is actually my Christmas gift from them this year. It came early, what can I say? Cuisine At Home is a wonderful cooking magazine because each and every recipe is accompanied by mouth-watering photos. And there are no advertisements. Yep, you heard me right, NO ADS!:


Last, but certainly not least is the ever-important stocking stuffer item. This Bath and Body Works lotion is a treat to the senses, in a bottle. I could have my entire stocking stuffed with these (and sometimes it is) and be blissfully happy. Not only are you treating your skin right, but you'll smell oh so lovely in the process. Husbands love these too!:


That my friends completes my holiday list of favorite things. And would ya do me a little favor? Whatever you do, DO NOT let Oprah know in any way, shape or form (since I know SO many of you have the ability to dial her right up) that I said in relation to myself, "JUST LIKE OPRAH". I'm not so sure she'd appreciate the humor... And no, my list may not be as well designed or as indulgently gifty as hers, but it compares well, right?

Happy shopping ya'll, and DO be sure to let these companies know I'm touting their products. Maybe I could get some sponsorship and make it big time! One can dream...

Better Than What You'd Buy

Do you ever have a hankering that just won't quit? A hankering you know you MUST satisfy. A hankering you know will NEVER be satisfied unless you, yourself, make that which will satisfy the empty hole in your stomach yearning for some goodness?

Well behold the product of my hankering, ta-da:

BIG, FAT, CHEWY, CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES, courtesy of Allrecipes.com



These cookies, my friends, are nearly beyond description good. Talk about melt in your mouth AND in your hand! These cookies are better than, well, anything you could get in the store for sure. Make these and ya'll can thank me later. Trust me, you won't be sorry:

http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Best-Big-Fat-Chewy-Chocolate-Chip-Cookie/Detail.aspx
(just copy and paste this link, but don't say I didn't warn you!)

And the only modifications I made are as follows:

1) To heighten the whole grain value I substituted 1 cup whole wheat pastry flour for one of the cups of all purpose flour.
2) I used organic cane sugar in place of the granulated.
3) Last but not least, I replaced 1/4 cup of butter with 1/4 cup unsweetened applesauce, sacrificing the fat but definitely not the taste.

Happy eating my faithful readers!

Kidisms

So it's probably pretty darn awful that I've not taken any pictures of as late. Life gets busy, and you know, things fall to the wayside. No of course not, my kids don't fall to the wayside, just taking pictures of them!

Lacking photos means I have to make up what's missing in visual stimulation with verbal stimulation. Soooo, let's see...

I know what I'll do. To tide you over till what I hope will be a very soon photo, I'll share some of the cute things that have come from the kids' mouths. Oh from the mouths of babes, right?

Starting with Garrett:
1) As I was cutting his hair in the bathtub tonight (which we do unclothed) I asked him if he thought he'd be naked, getting his hair cut as a teenager. His response? "I sure hope not, I'll at least have to have underwear on."

2) Heard by me as I peeked around a corner, while he talked with Ashlyn. He held Ashlyn's hand wedding ceremony style and said with the utmost sincerity, "Ashlyn I would marry you if I could because you are so funny." Awwww!

On to Brody:

Hmm, in typical mother-of-middle-child fashion, I cannot for the life of me think of one, single specific thing. Don't be hatin'! Just know that Brody is, in general, the most quirky/funny kid on the block. He is daily busting us up and has truly made us belly laugh nearly daily since he could talk. Enough said, right, I've made up for my motherly fuax pas, RIGHT?

Finally, Ashlyn:
1) "Mom, who has a bigger brain, boys or girls?"

2) After I reminded Brody at dinner that he needed to eat, I told him I should just make a recording of me saying, "Brody, eat!". Shortly thereafter I looked at Brody and said in my motherly tone of angst, "Brody what am I going to say?" Ashlyn answered for him, as she so often does, "Eat up buttercup"!

3) "Shnashnics are my favorite." Interpretation? Gymnastics are my favorite. We just LOVE the baby pronunciations she still has left! We'll hang on to any bit of baby remaining! Other fun pronunciations are: panjees (chimpanzees), guts (for gutters, as in the type on a house), bitamins (vitamins), and somesting (for something).

And can I just tell you that Garrett made me a sign and taped it to the door between the house and the garage? He wanted to be sure I saw it when I arrived home from a Pampered Chef party Sunday afternoon. The gist of it is that I am the "best mom", and he made a graph chart indicating my level of goodness at 100%. Oh if he only knew! It's too bad we mothers tend to fall from glory in our children's eyes as they age. I'll just hang on to that sweet little sign and read it on those days in the future when I'm the, "worst mom ever"!