Today..

Well and yesterday...

After 2hrs in the car last night, we arrived in the Valley for night one of Passover....Got home at 2am...

I was awake at 745 this morning...and got out of bed about 815am.

Woke (little) kids up at 930....they ate and stuff plastic eggs for an Easter egg hunt later in the day. They stuffed them with change, hersey's eggs and starburst double flavored Jelly beans

Ivan and I made deviled eggs to bring with the eggs that cracked when I boiled eggs for dying.

Then we dumped 1 hard boiled egg in vinegar and one uncooked egg in another jar of vinegar. SCIENCE....by tomorrow noonish both should have soft jelly shells. Then we will leave the hard boiled one on the table and the shell should reabsorb what it lost and become hard again. We will place the uncooked one in a jar of water where by osmosis, it should take on so much water it explodes.

We arrived around noon. And had a great time. Nathan was hoping to find a few more of the money eggs but, he came up with a scheme to make more money....he sold his candy for the change.

On the way home, we stopped at home depot and bought killz, spackle and rollers for the upstairs bathroom....the ceiling has begun to peel...opps...fun to wash your hair then find paint chips in it. It hasnt been painted in 16 years.

We came home, Ivan and Rebekah scrapped the bathroom while Nathan and I dyed eggs in KOOL AID. That was fun and different but I still hate dying eggs. We did 6 colors and had 3 or 4 more flavors of koolaid but decided they would all be so red/pink that we had enough of that shade. Our Albertsons didnt carry the lime flavored koolaid so no green eggs. Grape eggs look like century eggs.

I took pics today I would be more then happy to share, except I never bothered to figure out the picture thing on my blog. HEY links and videos were hard enough. Koolaid eggs pictures are on my facebook.

And now I am drinking an adult Shirley Temple. We are supposed to be headed to MIL for night 2 of Passover (no seder)...at this rate my walk there might be more of a stumble....and I am out of cherry vodka....

The beef stew was a hit. Rebekah had some for breakfast the next day LOL

Last nights dinner was
Sliced avocado (ended up being THREE)
roast aspargus (olive oil, lemon pepper, garlic cloves, at 425)
Swiss chard (will share recipe)
and
baked chicken in an orange marmalade sauce...(it was ok, not worth a recipe share LOL)


Swiss chard

2tbsp butter
2 tbsp olive oil
1 diced leek
1 bunch of swiss chard, stems and center ribs cut out and chopped together, leaves coarsely chopped (we cut in half)
1/2 cup white wine
1 tbsp fresh lemon juice (hmm, I think I used 2)
2+ tbsp of grated parmesan cheese

Melt butter and olive oil together in a large skillet over medium high heat. Stir in leeks and cook abt 30 seconds. Add chard stems and white wine. Simmer until stems begin to soften. Stir in leaves and cook til "just" wilted. Stir in lemon juice and cheese.

They are gone, there are no leftovers....

Not sure whats on the menu for tonight. Nathan wants artichokes with butter to dip the leaves in. Not certain what to serve with that...kinda want peppers, sausage and onions but dont want to actually make it ROFL

Hoping we can actually get some school work done today. I don't think any got done yesterday...

Nathan has an early am game tomorrow morning. He has to be there at 7am. That is soooo early for us...

Wednesday

Today is Wednesday. Wednesday means a new produce basket from Abundant Harvest Organics.I still have quite a bit from last week...oops
Today's basket contained more leeks so I quickly found something to throw into the crockpot using the older leeks and since tonight Nay has baseball practice,the crockpot was ideal.

Beef stew with leeks
5 chopped leaks (leftover from last weeks box)
3 chopped carrots (leftover from last weeks box)
3 chopped parsnips(in this weeks box)
3 chopped russet potatoes (leftover from last weeks box)
2lbs beef round cut into stew sized piece or stew meat
6-8 black peppercorns
1 tablespoon dried basil
1 tablespoon dried oregano
1 8oz can of tomato sauce
2-3 cans of water
3 beef bouillion cubes (abt)

Place everything in crockpot in order (like layers) until you get to the spices, drop peppercorns down the sides or other "holes". Dump tomato sauce on top, then basil and oregano. Add 2-3 cans of water, just until you can see the water level rising. Add 1 beef bouilion cube for each can of water used, and 1 for the tomato sauce. Cook on low 7-8hrs.

Will let you know how it comes out.

Will be headed to a park day in a bit. Then Nathan to baseball practice. Last night was a game.

Ta ta for now LOL

Someday....

I might actually blog on a regularly basis. Didnt realize the last post was last wednesday. Ooopppss

Saturday, we got up early and drove down to Pendleton for the "HardCorps series Bulldog bike ride" Rain or shine it said. It was lightly raining when we got there....only to be told it was cancelled due to rain. They offered entry in any other series race except the Mudrun (good since we are already entered). I felt bad for Jon....he doesnt run and everything else in the series includes running....not to mention his entry was Christines Valentines day present to him. Around 10:30 the rain finally picked up. It was a 2 1/2 hr max race...starting at8:30.....rain really shouldnt have affected it.

We had a lousy St Patricks day meal after that....food was good, service was more then awful.

Today has been a quiet, yet busy day. Busy enough to make time go by rather quickly. Kids did school work,....Math, Critical thinking reading, book reading and Geography. Bekah is reading along to "Little HOuse in the Big Woods" and Nathan is reading a Jason and the Argonauts version by the author of the Magic Treehouse. We are supposed to go see a play of Jason and the Argonauts next Wednesday. Next week, will be a crazy week.

Dinner is Chicken cutlets, cauliflower and swiss chard....maybe salad, if I can find the lettuce in my too full frige.

Nathan is currently obsessed with "shuffling"...here is the video ...(hope it works) Hey now I can call this a Musical Monday post!

Today

Today is Wednesday.

Wednesday mean our produce pick up from Abundant Harvest Organics. YAY! Tennative list has Asparagus in the box.

DH will be picking it up because the kids and I will be seeing Zorro today.

DH has some work today....but not til about 1. Nay has baseball at 4.

Dinner will most likely be left overs LOL. Nay will be thrilled considering he ate nothing last night.

what we ate

For dinner....
Black beans in the crockpot
Baked Chicken Salsa Verde
"Mexican" Corn
salad

Black beans

Sort and soak dried beans overnight
place in crockpot in AM with 4 cups of chicken broth
2 tbsp dried cilantro
1 tbsp garlic powder
1/2 a chopped Jalapeno
salt to taste

cook on low 8-10hrs til beans are tender
stir in 1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro and serve with Cotija cheese

Baked Chicken Salsa Verde

Heat oven to 350
Place 4 chicken breast in a snug baking dish
cover with can of "salsa Verde"
bake 45 mins or til done
remove from oven
Increase temp to 400
Sprinkle cheddar/jack cheese blend on top
Bake another 5-10min til cheese is melted and ever so slightly brown

Mexican Corn

Lightly saute half an onion, remaining Jalapeno from beans, 1/2 a red or orange pepper chopped, 1 green bell pepper chopped
Empty 2 bags frozen corn to a large pan. Add sauted peppers, 1 brick of cream cheese and 2-3tbsp butter.
Stir til melted and combined over a medium heat

Hey look!

I remembered how to log in....next up...remembering how to post...

Books, as usual

I have been reading quite a bit or so it seems to me

1) "Republic" by Plato (suggestion courtesy of will smith)
2) "The heart's Code" by Paul Pearsall
3) "Ellis Island Interviews" By Peter Mortan Coan
4) " 100 People who are screwing Up America (and al Franken is #37) by Bernard Goldberg
5) "Einstein Never Used Flash Cards" by Kathy Hirsh-Pasek and Roberta Michnick Golinkoff
6) "DaVinci for Dummies" by Jessica Teisch
7) "The parents guide to children's Congenital Heart Defect" by Kramer and Mauer
8) "A Monk Swimming" by Malachy McCourt
9) 'Tis" by Frank McCourt
10) "The Omnivore's Dilemma" By Micahel Pollan
11) "Strega" by Andrew Vachss
12) "better" by Atul Gawande
13) "Digging to America" By Anne Tyler
14) "Heat" by Bill Buford
15) "Lone Survivor" by Marcus Lutttrell
16) "The Nazi Officer's Wife" by Edith Hahn Beer
17) "The Sunflower" by SImon Wiestenthal
18) "Zlata's Diary" by Zlata Filipovic
19) "Crunchy Cons" by Rod Dreher
20) "Working on the Edge" by Spike Walker
21) "Hannibal Rising" by Thomas Harris
22) "i will plant you a lilac tree" by Laura Hillman
23) "Daniel Isnt Talking" by Marti Leimbach
24) "At Home in Mitford" by Jan Karon
25) "A light in the Window" by Jan Karon
26) "Hiroshima Maidens" by Rodney Barker
27) "The Phantom Tollbooth" by Norton Juster
28) "Running with Scissors" by Augusten Burroughs
29) "Haunting Rachel" by Kay Hooper
30) "Friday the Rabbi Slept Late" by Harry Kemelman
31) "Why Jews should Not Be Liberals" by Larry Sternberg
32) "My Lobotomy: a Memoir" by Howard Dully
33) "Teach with Your Heart" by Erin Gruwell
34) "Charlotte Mason Companion" by Karen Andreola
35) "The Appeal" by John Grisham
36) "Running with Scissors" by Augusten Burroughs
37) "Fearless Fouteen" by Janet Evanovich
38) "The Secret Servant" by Daniel Silva
39) "Somebody Else's Daughter by Elizabeth Brundage
40) "Plum Spooky" by Janet Evanovich
41) "The Five Thousand Year Leap" by W. Cleon Skousen
42) "Prairie Tale: A Memoir" by Melissa Gilbert
43) My husband's Sweethearts" by Bridget Asher
44) "The Condition" by Jennifer Haigh
45) Little known facts about well-known Places: Disneyland" by David Hoffman
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