Brownie Points

This photo doesn't even begin to do justice to what I am about to share.

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country music

Each year in late June, Country Stampede comes to town. It's been this way for 13 years.

It's loud, it's hot, it's something I have avoided for 11 of those 13 years.

For the last 3 or 4 years, I've had multiple requests (read begging) from my girls to take them. Not because they are big country music fans but just because it's 'the thing to do.'

I've avoided it for several reasons. 1) Lawman and I went on a Saturday night about 4 years ago with VIP tickets. I couldn't believe the things I saw and we were in the "nice" section. 2) Lawman's been working it now for the past 3 years and let me just say that from the stories he tells, it's no place to have your sweet teenage daughters. Stay out of the camp grounds and avoid the Friday and Saturday night unless you want a real eye-opening experience.

This weekend Lawman and I caved. He could get free tickets to the Sunday afternoon performance so I told the girls I'd take them. You should have seen their smiles. Score one for Mom & Dad!

It turns out that Sunday afternoon was better than I thought. The music was good. The crowd was on their best behavior. I was pleased. The girls were disappointed. They were expecting it to be rowdy. I'm sure that's based on what they've heard from their dad. They were ready to go home after the 3rd act performed. Fine with me. I had already scored loads of brownie points.

On our way home they asked if this would be considered country music's version of Woodstock. I laughed and said, "Yes, I suppose you could say that except that Woodstock was all about free love. That's not the case here given what we hear from Dad."

Do You Know the Changes I've Seen?

We're 5 weeks into summer here at our place. As much as I love summer and the change of pace, with it comes a few things I could do without.

Extra Laundry ~ specifically beach towels. Between swim team practice, afternoons at the pool and swim meets, it's easy to do at least 3 loads of towels in a week. And yes, they use them more than once.

Food ~ where does it go? My grocery expense goes up but I swear it doesn't last. It seems that the food disappears faster than I can buy it.

Leisure Time ~ it's hard for me to sit down and relax in the evening until late. When it's light outside I feel like I need to be busy. It's a different story in the winter; when it's dark at 5:30, I'm ready to put my pj's on and call it a day.

Menu Planning ~ typically, I love menu planning. It saves me money and headaches. In the summer, I find it hard to do. It's too hot to cook or eat.

I sound like a Negative Nancy, don't I?

Life is Full

Life has been a bit overwhelming as of late. Calendar is full. Multiple deadlines at work. Too much pressure.

When I find myself feeling like this, I turn inward to find comfort, tranquility and peace.

And, I find that it's not a bad thing. I like being with me.

I find comfort in simple tasks and activities.

Reading ~ mindless reading, specifically cookbooks.

Gardening ~ I find it relaxing to water the plants and pull weeds.

Baking ~ there's something soothing about mixing, creating.

Household chores ~ folding laundry and doing dishes can be relaxing ~ must be the repetitive nature of these chores and the fact that they don't require much thought.

Eliminating clutter ~ it's freeing.

Quiet moments with family ~ no words required; it's nice to just be.

What do you do when life is too full?

The Game of Life

Unexpected storm.

Cancelled swim meet.

Opportunity for family game night.

Only in the 'game of life' can one live a full life in 20 minutes and end up with lots of money in the bank.

And we crossed another item off of the Summer Bucket List.

Preserving Art

Here's the scenario. It's the end of the school year and your child brings home their art work. All of it. Nine months worth.


According to your child, every piece is a master piece. It must be saved.


Now here's where you, the parent, comes in. What are you going to do with it?

My girls are 16 and 13 so you know I've seen my fair share of art projects. Several years ago I got these projects out and had them framed. They now grace our entry area as art.


I've loved these projects since the day they brought them home. In kindergarden, each child does this same project. They paint the Statue of Liberty (aka Lady Liberty).

They're darling. Plus, the fact that I have a matched set makes it even better.

My Kind of Weekend

This was a near perfect weekend. Our calendar was open. As is with many other families, the majority of our time is scheduled. When we get a weekend without plans we take advantage of it.

• A Friday night on the deck with non-alcoholic peach margaritas made by the oldest daughter;
• No alarm clock;
• Homemade Lemon Bars (and I didn't make them);
• Saturday matinee (Dad's choice);
• Cleaning & re-arranging of the guest room;
• Friends stopping by;
• Sunday School & Church;
• Sunday afternoon motorcycle ride with Lawman;
• Homemade pizza;
• 3.5 mile walk with Lawman (x2).

The Beginning of the End

Saturday was a big day for our oldest daughter. She took her ACT test.

I didn't sleep very well on Friday night for fear of over-sleeping and her not making it to the test on time. I had a nervous feeling on Saturday morning as she sat in her test. Why was I nervous? I wasn't the one wading through algebraic equations, interpretting scientific graphs or conjugating verbs.

I was nervous because in my mind this is the beginning of the end. The beginning of college prep. The end of having her at home.

I know. I'm exaggerating. I have two years with her yet. But do you have any idea how fast those two years will go? And then where will I be?

I'll be writing big dollar checks to some university. I'll be moving her from home to a dormitory. I won't be able to kiss her cheek each night as she goes to bed. I won't see her smiling face each morning.

The thought of her not being at home literally puts my heart in my throat.

So what is a mama to do? I'll be making a concerted effort to make the most of each and every moment we have together. And, if any one has advice on how to get through this......I'm all ears.

The Times, They Are A Changin'

Spontaneity is back at our house. Now that our daughters are teenagers, it doesn't take near the preparation it used to to have a date night with my husband.

Yes, that is our toy. Not just his but ours. Granted, he rides it more often than I do but I enjoy it just as much as he does.

We had one years ago. Before children.

You know where this is going, right? Sold it once babies arrived. No time to ride then. Now those babies are teenagers and they don't seem to care if we decide to go out on a whim.

I used to be spontaneous. Now, that is something I'm having to learn all over again. It's well worth it when I just follow his wishes and go.

Saturday night....warm weather....beautiful hills....and a smiling husband when we got home. All because I said "Yes, I'd love to go with you."

It's important to make time to enjoy the things that make him happy -- together. Take time today to enjoy your other half.

Cook Once, Eat Twice

Saturday night tacos can become Sunday night's dinner.......adding cooked lentils to the taco meat can stretch it, allowing for one more meal. Sunday night dinner was choice of super nachos or taco salad. Getting one more meal out of already prepared foods allows me one more easy night in the kitchen.

Related post: Make Your Own Taco Seasoning.

Pineapple Bread

Last weekend I mistakenly opened a can of crushed pineapple. Since it wasn't the ingredient I needed at the time, I put it in a plastic container and placed it in the fridge until I figured out how to use it.

In an attempt to clean out my fridge, I searched the internet for a recipe for Pineapple Quick Bread. I made the recipe as directed with the exception of the walnuts. I didn't include them because I didn't have any in the cabinet.

The recipe says to prepare 2 loaf pans, which I did. Next time I think I'd only make one. You can see from the picture above that the loaves are very short and compact.

It still tastes yummy. This recipe can serve double-duby as it would be good for breakfast, as a snack, or even for dessert. I think this recipe would lend itself to versatility too -- you could add mashed banana or coconut.

Birthday | Add One More

A slice of pie, a single candle, a special plate and cause for celebration. Simple becomes the norm as one grows wiser. No hoopla required.

Kids & Veggies ~ do they go together?

Kids & veggies ~ do they go together? It seems that I hear stories regularly about parents that struggle with getting their kids to eat veggies.

As babies, my girls ate veggies. Some of their favorites were sweet potatoes, squash and spinach. That was followed by the independent stage where they learned to say no and could be quite stubborn about what they would / would not eat. It seemed that soon after that they would eat veggies but only of a select variety.

Over a year ago I discovered a new way of preparing veggies which has been a big hit. Roasting.

It all started with a bundle of fresh asparagus. If I had to select my favorite vegetable, I'd probably have to go with asparagus. My girls had tried it the way I usually prepared it (steamed) and they weren't fond of it. I happened across a recipe in this book which was called Broiled Asparagus. It sounded good to me so I gave it a shot and believe it or not, my girls loved it.

Since then I've been roasting everything ~ broccoli, potatoes, zucchini, onions, mushrooms, sweet potatoes ~ and the girls have eaten all of it.

It's so simple. The taste, so satisfying. There's something about that little bit of crunch it adds to the veggies. No more soggy, bland veggies in this house.

Don't know how? It's really very simple. Wash your veggies and cut into bite size pieces. Place in an oven proof dish. Season with a bit of salt & pepper or seasonings of your choice. Using olive oil, pour a bit on the veggies and mix so that all the veggies have a bit of oil on them. Start sparingly, like a tablespoon or so. You can always add more if needed but you don't want them swimming in oil. Roast in a 450 degree oven for about 40 minutes or until they are tender.

The veggie dish pictured above is one that I make on the stove top. My mother made this every summer with ingredients fresh from our garden. It too is very simple. Chop zucchini and onions. Saute in olive oil in a hot skillet. Add chopped tomatoes to the skillet during the last minute of cooking. Season with garlic salt and pepper. Serve immediately. My kids will eat this too.

Do your kids eat veggies? If so, do you have a secret ingredient, recipe, cooking method?

Good Intentions Gone Bad (Almost)

Last week at the grocery store I stocked up on fresh vegetables. I had good intentions of using them all during the week for dinners. Unfortunately, my plan didn't work out and all that fresh produce is still in my fridge.

I knew it was 'use it or lose it' by now. I couldn't bear the thought of throwing all that food away; that's just like putting cash in the trash, right? I spent some time in the kitchen Sunday afternoon preserving those veggies.

Now they are safely tucked away in my freezer and I've managed to eliminate one step in the prepping process for future meals. Here's what I've got: 1 zucchini, shredded; 1 green pepper cut into strips with onions for a fajita mix; 1 onion chopped, and a cucumber salad in the fridge which will be great for lunches this week. I'm changing tonight's dinner plan to utilize the large head of green leaf lettuce that was on it's last leg. We'll be having caesar salad. To make it a bit more filling, I'm adding some cooked pasta and the last of the grape tomatoes that need to be used. Monday night I'll be roasting broccoli and mushrooms as a side dish for our dinner.

That should do it. I can say that I made good on my intentions.

From Tween to Teen

It's happened. My baby has grown into a teenager.

It's official. That much anticipated birthday has arrived. She is no longer a little girl. No longer a tween. She's 13 today.

Gone are the days of letting me comb her hair. Needing me to tie her shoes.

We've moved on to bigger things. Like needing a ride or cash.

I've seen many changes in her. My favorite is that her relationships with those she shares a house with are changing. We're becoming friends. She invites us to do things with her because she wants to. Yes, all of us -- Mom, Dad and Sister.

Happy Birthday, my little M&M.

Scenes from a Lunch Hour

When?

When was the last time you did something for the first time?

Do you know?

It doesn't need to be something big or something hard. It could be something very easy.

~try a new food ~ wear a new lip color~ a new hair cut ~ paint your bedroom walls with color ~ a new hobby ~ ride a bike ~ learn to swim ~ plant a garden ~

The possibilities are endless.

As children, we have to do everything for a first time at some point. Even our teen and early adult years are filled with firsts. What happens to us as adults? Do we lose our sense of adventure? Find ourself in a rut? Are we afraid of failure?

Think about it today. I will be.

Camp Fire Donuts

Meet my friend, Katie. Among our circle of friends she's known for her camp fire donuts.

This all started about 6 years ago when we did a big group camping trip with 5 families. That equates to 10 adults and 14 kids. Six years ago those kids were pretty little, like between 1 1/2 and 13. There's a story about that camping trip but it really isn't my story to tell. Maybe the owner of that story would share it with us sometime.

Anyway, it was on that outing that Katie exposed us to her donuts. (That almost sounds racy, doesn't it?)

Ingredients are simple ~ those inexpensive biscuits in a can and oil. You'll want powdered sugar and a mix of cinnamon sugar for dipping.

Katie cranks up the heat on the Coleman camp stove, puts the oil in her cast iron skillet and waits for it to get hot. Once the oil is good & ready she pokes a hole in the middle of each biscuit and places it in the oil. Cooking until a perfect golden brown then turning it over to do the same thing to the other side. Once they're done, remove them from the oil and place on paper towels to drain. Then dip them into either the powdered sugar or the cinnamon mixture, whatever is your preference. Mine happens to be powdered sugar. They're yummy. Not to mention healthy. Yea, right.


Turns out that Katie has taught her daughter, Maggie, how to create this culinary treat. Maggie makes a mean donut. If you try these, plan to make lots. It's easy to down these in multiples.

Simple Summer Dining

After of full day, it's nice to come home and do a simple meal. That's what I did today. Grilled bratwurst, fries and fresh strawberries. Even better was what I served them in.

My handy-dandy Ikea baskets. I love them. I purchased four of them several years ago when we were visiting friends near Minneapolis. I think I paid a dollar each. They've been one of my favorite things as long as I've had them. I line them with wax paper and then serve the food in them. Kind of like the old-fashioned burger joints that used to use. Clean up is beyond easy. They get a work-out around here in the summer time. Simple and oh, so functional.

Simple Pleasures

I find pleasure in simple things. For the past week my mornings have begun with this beauty.

I wouldn't say that I have a green thumb but I do have pots on our front porch and back deck each spring and summer. Seeing them each day just makes me feel better. This is a plant I've not grown before.

A Ballerina White. It caught my eye at the nursery because it was such a large seedling. I've found pleasure in watching the first blossom. That first blossom became a bloom. It lasted only a short time but there are at least 5 more blossoms waiting in the wing.

I'll keep watching and enjoying these simple pleasures all summer long.