In 2010, I had the wonderful opportunity to teach an 11 year old boy in Primary. He was my only student, and at times it was challenging but it was such a great experience. I grew to love him. The world would label him as autistic but that label only tells a small part of who he is. He is a boy who loves to draw. Who can memorize commercials and tv shows better than anyone else I know. A boy who loves his family. A boy who likes oreo cookies and crackers but doesn't like most candy or other sweets. A boy who loves to look at pictures of the families in our ward and sometimes makes up stories about them. A boy who has a testimony of the gospel and who can make me laugh. Fortunately, he is a boy who has a family that loves him and has helped him to work hard and to reach his potential. Not that I'm saying he's reached his full potential yet, but he is on his way. He knows who he is and as I taught him I often could feel the Savior's love for him. It was such a great opportunity, and while I was excited for him, I was sad to see him move on to young men's.
This year, I'm having a very different experience. I'm teaching the Sunbeams, the little 3 year olds. I must admit to having been both excited and a little nervous about this. I've taught school for a long time, but I've always thought of myself as an upper grade teacher. I've taught 3rd, 5th and for one year 6th grade. This year I'm teaching 2nd grade, my youngest grade yet...but even those kids are 7 and 8. So teaching 3 year olds is a change for me. And the first week was a little rough...for them and me. It's a big change to go from nursery to primary. They kept asking where the toys were and when we would play. But it's been four weeks now and we are all adjusting well. They are darling! They are so cute and sweet. Every Sunday I have one on my lap during sharing time...and interestingly, every Sunday so far it has been a different one. It is fun to see their little testimonies and to see how much they already know. And it is fun to be teaching the very basics of the gospel...that we are children of God, that He has a plan for us, that He has given us bodies, that we can and should pray to Him. And I've found that as long as I bring a toy each week (that ties in with the lesson)then they are pretty good at paying attention so they can get to the "toy" part. The first week, we had Baby Moses in a basket. This past week we had costumes and a stuffed lion to act out Daniel in the Lions Den. Hopefully they are remembering what we are learning. I certainly am having a wonderful time teaching them. No wonder the Savior has told us to become as a little child!
Monday, January 24, 2011
Home Improvement
During the Christmas break, Alfredo did two things that made our house nicer. First, my Christmas gift from him was a computer desk. I had a small wooden desk that I bought after (or maybe even before?... but I think it was after) graduating from college, 14 years ago. It has been with me through three or four moves and 14 years. Needless to say it was falling apart. Literally. So Alfredo bought/built a new computer desk. It is huge and pretty and sturdy. Just wonderful. Alfredo also did a pretty thorough cleaning of my office...which is the one room in my house that I totally neglect and that often looks like a bomb hit. I was nervous about him cleaning it but he was kind and didn't throw too much away but did make it nice. And miracle of miracles, it has stayed clean for 3 + weeks now!! (Seriously, I'm not kidding about the miracle comment. It really never stays clean.)
The second project was to install shelves in the basement for our food storage. I had my food in a small hall closet. It was convenient (close to the kitchen) but so small that it was always overflowing and hard to reach foods at the back. By putting up the shelves, there is more space. It is better organized. I can easily see what I have or don't have. And it freed up a closet to store our towels and blankets in. They had been stored in 3 or 4 spots in the house...all the extra nooks and crannies. So this, too, is making the house much better organized and easier to keep clean.
Amazing how two such simple, fairly small projects could make such a difference. This month, keeping my house neat has seemed easier and more manageable than in the past.
These shelves were obviously still empty when I took this picture. We hadn't finished moving everything downstairs when I took the photos.
And well, before I give Alfredo all the credit (but he still gets most!), I also worked hard during Christmas break. I cleaned out closets and went through every toy in the kids' rooms and organized. I donated a trunkload of stuff to DI.
That's just some of the stuff that went to DI.
The second project was to install shelves in the basement for our food storage. I had my food in a small hall closet. It was convenient (close to the kitchen) but so small that it was always overflowing and hard to reach foods at the back. By putting up the shelves, there is more space. It is better organized. I can easily see what I have or don't have. And it freed up a closet to store our towels and blankets in. They had been stored in 3 or 4 spots in the house...all the extra nooks and crannies. So this, too, is making the house much better organized and easier to keep clean.
Amazing how two such simple, fairly small projects could make such a difference. This month, keeping my house neat has seemed easier and more manageable than in the past.
These shelves were obviously still empty when I took this picture. We hadn't finished moving everything downstairs when I took the photos.
And well, before I give Alfredo all the credit (but he still gets most!), I also worked hard during Christmas break. I cleaned out closets and went through every toy in the kids' rooms and organized. I donated a trunkload of stuff to DI.
That's just some of the stuff that went to DI.
Monday, January 17, 2011
Recipes--Part 3
Quick Ravioli Soup... from busycooks.about.com
Ingredients:
•2 tablespoons olive oil
•1 cup pre-shredded carrots
•3 cloves garlic, minced
•1 onion, chopped
•2 (14 ounce) cans vegetable broth
•1 (18 ounce) can cannellini beans, rinsed and drained
•2 (14 ounce) cans Italian seasoned diced tomatoes, undrained
•1/8 teaspoon white pepper
•1 teaspoon dried Italian seasoning
•9 ounce package refrigerated cheese stuffed ravioli
•1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
Preparation:
In large saucepan, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add carrots, onion, and garlic and cook and stir until crisp tender, about 4-5 minutes. Stir in remainining ingredients except for ravioli and cheese. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer for 15 minutes. Add ravioli; cook over medium high heat for 6-8 minutes until tender. Serve with cheese.
**Note: I often throw in other vegetables with the carrots, onion, and garlic. I've added shredded zuchinni, finely chopped green or yellow or red peppers. You could probably throw in squash. Also, I've used great northern beans in place of the cannellini beans...I don't know what the difference between the two is (they are both white...so I just use what I have on hand.) If I'm out of Italian seasoned tomatoes, I throw in plain diced tomatoes and then add a teaspoon or so of Italian seasoning. This is great with french bread and a big salad...but good enough to just serve it alone. And pretty fast. Also, if I'm busy...I'll just throw the vegetables into the broth without cooking them until crisp-tender in a saucepan. You then need to let them come to a boil, lower the temp and simmer for about 30 minutes until tender...instead of 15...makes the cooking time longer but less work for you. Also, you can substitute chicken broth for the veg. broth.
North Woods Wild Rice Soup (from
Dont' Panic...Dinner's in the Freezer)
1/2 lb. bacon (can also substitute bacon bits if you prefer)
1/2 onion, diced
1/2 cup celery,diced
1/4 cup butter or margarine
3 Tbsp. flour
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. thyme
1/2 tsp. paprika
1 1/2 c. cooked chicken, shredded or cubed
1 10 oz. can chicken broth
1 Tbsp. worcestershire sauce
2 Tbsp. cooking sherry
1 cup milk
1 1/2 cups half and half
1 1/2 cups cooked wild rice
Makes 6 servings. Takes about 30 -45 minutes
Directions:
Fry, drain and crumble bacon; set aside. Cook onion and celery in butter until tender. Stir in flour, salt, thyme and paprika. Heat until bubbly. Add chicken, chicken broth, worcestershire sauce, sherry, milk and half and half. Stir until thickened. Add rice and bacon. Serve. (great with french bread and salad.)
NOTE: If you buy prepackaged wild rice, don't add any seasoning packet that comes with them. ALSO, do cook the rice before adding it to the soup. THe first time I made this, I didn't notice it said cooked wild rice and even after cooking for about an hour, the rice was still hard...not so great.
NOTE: YOu can also double or triple this recipe and freeze it in quart sized freezer bags. Label it and stick in your freezer. Then remove from your freezer 10-12 hours before serving so it can thaw. Then throw in a pan and heat until bubbly. Serve.
Creamy Chicken Soup (recipe from Monica Bills)
4 chicken breasts, with bones or whole chicken... can also use rotisserie chicken to make this recipe easier/faster
2 stalks chopped celery
1 cup chopped carrots
1/2 -1 chopped small onion
1 tsp. garlic powder
about 1 quart water
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1/2 cup evaporated milk
1/2 package egg noodles, precooked
salt and pepper, to taste
Directions:
Combine celery, carrots, onion in water with garlic powder. If using a whole, uncooked chicken, add an extra quart of water. If using chicken breasts just add 1 quart of water. If using rotisserie chicken, you don't need to add the chicken yet. Cook until chicken is cooked and carrots are tender (when I throw in a whole chicken...I bring it to boil and then simmer for about an hour to an hour and a half...half way through that time, I remove the chicken and cut it up...then put it back in to finish cooking.. For just chicken breasts it would probably need to cook for about an hour.)
Remove chicken from the pot and remove bones. Discard bones (if using a whole chicken...discard fat and skin also). Cut chicken into small chunks. Replace in pot. If using a rotisserie chicken, shred it into small chunks and add to the water with the carrots and such. If you added more than 1 quart of water, measure and make sure there is just one quart in the pot. Discard the extra water (but not the carrots,celery and onions).
Add cream of mushroom soup and evaporated milk and COOKED egg noodles. Heat until warm, bubbly and semi-thick. Add salt and pepper to taste.
So creamy, yummy and delicious!!!
A little bit harder/time consuming recipe...but totally worth the effort.
Chicken with Herbs and Vegetables
Source unknown
1/4 cup dry breadcrumbs
6 Tbsp. shredded Parmesan cheese, divided
4 chicken breasts
2 Tbsp. olive oil
10 large mushrooms, quartered
1 large green pepper, chopped
3 large tomatos, coarsely chopped
1 large garlic clove, pressed
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 cup chopped fresh basil or 2 Tbsp. dried basil
1 Tbsp. chopped fresh oregano or 1 tsp. dried oregano
cooked rice or noodles
Serves 4
Combine breadcrumbs and 4 Tbsp. parmesan cheese. Dredge chicken in mixture. (I like to cut the chicken into strips.) Cook chicken in hot oil in large skillet over medium high heat until browned and cooked through. Remove from skillet.
Add mushrooms and bell peppers to skillet. Saute for 3 minutes. Add tomato, garlic, and salt. Return chicken to skillet. Cover,reduce heat and simmer 10 minutes. Stir in basil, oregano and rest of parmesan cheese. Serve over hot rice or noodles.
**I just found this recipe. I haven't made it in about 2 years but it is so yummy. I can hardly wait for my next grocery shopping day now, so we can have this again. Yum!!
Chicken Taco Sandwiches
need to look up where this comes from...I think 30 Day Gourmet...but not sure
2 cups shredded chicken breast meat (can use canned, rotisserie chicken or can cook some chicken breasts and shred...I will even throw chicken in the crockpot with the rest of the ingredients and cook on low for8-10 hours and then serve.
1 cup chicken broth
1 tsp. dried oregano
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 tsp. ground cumin
1/3 cup mild or medium salsa (or hot if you prefer)
Boil the chicken broth with the garlic, oregano and cumin until reduced to 1/3 cup. Stir into shredded chicken breast with the salsa.
Then serve by placing on rolls and adding your choice of toppings: lettuce, sliced tomatoes, cilantro, grated cheddar cheese, sour cream, finely chopped onions, chopped avocadoes. You could also serve in tortillas to make chicken tacos.
Ingredients:
•2 tablespoons olive oil
•1 cup pre-shredded carrots
•3 cloves garlic, minced
•1 onion, chopped
•2 (14 ounce) cans vegetable broth
•1 (18 ounce) can cannellini beans, rinsed and drained
•2 (14 ounce) cans Italian seasoned diced tomatoes, undrained
•1/8 teaspoon white pepper
•1 teaspoon dried Italian seasoning
•9 ounce package refrigerated cheese stuffed ravioli
•1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
Preparation:
In large saucepan, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add carrots, onion, and garlic and cook and stir until crisp tender, about 4-5 minutes. Stir in remainining ingredients except for ravioli and cheese. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer for 15 minutes. Add ravioli; cook over medium high heat for 6-8 minutes until tender. Serve with cheese.
**Note: I often throw in other vegetables with the carrots, onion, and garlic. I've added shredded zuchinni, finely chopped green or yellow or red peppers. You could probably throw in squash. Also, I've used great northern beans in place of the cannellini beans...I don't know what the difference between the two is (they are both white...so I just use what I have on hand.) If I'm out of Italian seasoned tomatoes, I throw in plain diced tomatoes and then add a teaspoon or so of Italian seasoning. This is great with french bread and a big salad...but good enough to just serve it alone. And pretty fast. Also, if I'm busy...I'll just throw the vegetables into the broth without cooking them until crisp-tender in a saucepan. You then need to let them come to a boil, lower the temp and simmer for about 30 minutes until tender...instead of 15...makes the cooking time longer but less work for you. Also, you can substitute chicken broth for the veg. broth.
North Woods Wild Rice Soup (from
Dont' Panic...Dinner's in the Freezer)
1/2 lb. bacon (can also substitute bacon bits if you prefer)
1/2 onion, diced
1/2 cup celery,diced
1/4 cup butter or margarine
3 Tbsp. flour
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. thyme
1/2 tsp. paprika
1 1/2 c. cooked chicken, shredded or cubed
1 10 oz. can chicken broth
1 Tbsp. worcestershire sauce
2 Tbsp. cooking sherry
1 cup milk
1 1/2 cups half and half
1 1/2 cups cooked wild rice
Makes 6 servings. Takes about 30 -45 minutes
Directions:
Fry, drain and crumble bacon; set aside. Cook onion and celery in butter until tender. Stir in flour, salt, thyme and paprika. Heat until bubbly. Add chicken, chicken broth, worcestershire sauce, sherry, milk and half and half. Stir until thickened. Add rice and bacon. Serve. (great with french bread and salad.)
NOTE: If you buy prepackaged wild rice, don't add any seasoning packet that comes with them. ALSO, do cook the rice before adding it to the soup. THe first time I made this, I didn't notice it said cooked wild rice and even after cooking for about an hour, the rice was still hard...not so great.
NOTE: YOu can also double or triple this recipe and freeze it in quart sized freezer bags. Label it and stick in your freezer. Then remove from your freezer 10-12 hours before serving so it can thaw. Then throw in a pan and heat until bubbly. Serve.
Creamy Chicken Soup (recipe from Monica Bills)
4 chicken breasts, with bones or whole chicken... can also use rotisserie chicken to make this recipe easier/faster
2 stalks chopped celery
1 cup chopped carrots
1/2 -1 chopped small onion
1 tsp. garlic powder
about 1 quart water
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1/2 cup evaporated milk
1/2 package egg noodles, precooked
salt and pepper, to taste
Directions:
Combine celery, carrots, onion in water with garlic powder. If using a whole, uncooked chicken, add an extra quart of water. If using chicken breasts just add 1 quart of water. If using rotisserie chicken, you don't need to add the chicken yet. Cook until chicken is cooked and carrots are tender (when I throw in a whole chicken...I bring it to boil and then simmer for about an hour to an hour and a half...half way through that time, I remove the chicken and cut it up...then put it back in to finish cooking.. For just chicken breasts it would probably need to cook for about an hour.)
Remove chicken from the pot and remove bones. Discard bones (if using a whole chicken...discard fat and skin also). Cut chicken into small chunks. Replace in pot. If using a rotisserie chicken, shred it into small chunks and add to the water with the carrots and such. If you added more than 1 quart of water, measure and make sure there is just one quart in the pot. Discard the extra water (but not the carrots,celery and onions).
Add cream of mushroom soup and evaporated milk and COOKED egg noodles. Heat until warm, bubbly and semi-thick. Add salt and pepper to taste.
So creamy, yummy and delicious!!!
A little bit harder/time consuming recipe...but totally worth the effort.
Chicken with Herbs and Vegetables
Source unknown
1/4 cup dry breadcrumbs
6 Tbsp. shredded Parmesan cheese, divided
4 chicken breasts
2 Tbsp. olive oil
10 large mushrooms, quartered
1 large green pepper, chopped
3 large tomatos, coarsely chopped
1 large garlic clove, pressed
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 cup chopped fresh basil or 2 Tbsp. dried basil
1 Tbsp. chopped fresh oregano or 1 tsp. dried oregano
cooked rice or noodles
Serves 4
Combine breadcrumbs and 4 Tbsp. parmesan cheese. Dredge chicken in mixture. (I like to cut the chicken into strips.) Cook chicken in hot oil in large skillet over medium high heat until browned and cooked through. Remove from skillet.
Add mushrooms and bell peppers to skillet. Saute for 3 minutes. Add tomato, garlic, and salt. Return chicken to skillet. Cover,reduce heat and simmer 10 minutes. Stir in basil, oregano and rest of parmesan cheese. Serve over hot rice or noodles.
**I just found this recipe. I haven't made it in about 2 years but it is so yummy. I can hardly wait for my next grocery shopping day now, so we can have this again. Yum!!
Chicken Taco Sandwiches
need to look up where this comes from...I think 30 Day Gourmet...but not sure
2 cups shredded chicken breast meat (can use canned, rotisserie chicken or can cook some chicken breasts and shred...I will even throw chicken in the crockpot with the rest of the ingredients and cook on low for8-10 hours and then serve.
1 cup chicken broth
1 tsp. dried oregano
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 tsp. ground cumin
1/3 cup mild or medium salsa (or hot if you prefer)
Boil the chicken broth with the garlic, oregano and cumin until reduced to 1/3 cup. Stir into shredded chicken breast with the salsa.
Then serve by placing on rolls and adding your choice of toppings: lettuce, sliced tomatoes, cilantro, grated cheddar cheese, sour cream, finely chopped onions, chopped avocadoes. You could also serve in tortillas to make chicken tacos.
Super easy recipes
These are my two go-to recipes when I haven't planned ahead or I get home late and need something fast and easy.
Stir-fry
1 pkg. kielbasa or turkey sausage (the kind that is kind of horseshoe shaped)
2 pkg. frozen stir fry vegetables (Whatever kind your family likes best)
1 Tbsp. soy sauce
cooked rice
Serves 5 or 6
First, cut the kielbasa into thin slices and cook in a frying pan on med-high heat until browned on both sides (flip after a few minutes to brown each side. Then add the frozen stir fry vegetables and soy sauce. Turn down the heat to medium and cover. Let cook until vegetables are cooked crisp-tender. Serve on top of rice. This takes about 15-20 minutes total...unless I use the rice cooker not minute rice and then it is 35 minutes for the rice to cook and I wait until the rice has been cooking 10 minutes to start everything else.
This is something my mom cooked for us growing up.
Easy but good chili
1 can Nally (or your favorite brand) chili
1 can red kidney beans (rinsed and drained)
1 can diced tomatoes
1 can garbanzo beans (rinsed and drained... these are optional...but they add more fiber and we like them)
1 clove garlic
1/2 chopped onion
1/2 pound cooked ground beef (optional)
1-2 tsp. taco seasoning
Pour everything into a pot and let it simmer for 20 or more minutes. Stir ocassionally. Add cheese on top and serve. Great with fritos sprinkled on top or served with cornbread.
Don't know exactly where I got this recipe...it's slightly possible that I kind of created it myself... but it's good and easy.
Stir-fry
1 pkg. kielbasa or turkey sausage (the kind that is kind of horseshoe shaped)
2 pkg. frozen stir fry vegetables (Whatever kind your family likes best)
1 Tbsp. soy sauce
cooked rice
Serves 5 or 6
First, cut the kielbasa into thin slices and cook in a frying pan on med-high heat until browned on both sides (flip after a few minutes to brown each side. Then add the frozen stir fry vegetables and soy sauce. Turn down the heat to medium and cover. Let cook until vegetables are cooked crisp-tender. Serve on top of rice. This takes about 15-20 minutes total...unless I use the rice cooker not minute rice and then it is 35 minutes for the rice to cook and I wait until the rice has been cooking 10 minutes to start everything else.
This is something my mom cooked for us growing up.
Easy but good chili
1 can Nally (or your favorite brand) chili
1 can red kidney beans (rinsed and drained)
1 can diced tomatoes
1 can garbanzo beans (rinsed and drained... these are optional...but they add more fiber and we like them)
1 clove garlic
1/2 chopped onion
1/2 pound cooked ground beef (optional)
1-2 tsp. taco seasoning
Pour everything into a pot and let it simmer for 20 or more minutes. Stir ocassionally. Add cheese on top and serve. Great with fritos sprinkled on top or served with cornbread.
Don't know exactly where I got this recipe...it's slightly possible that I kind of created it myself... but it's good and easy.
Sunday, January 16, 2011
Recipes we love
From time to time, I add a recipe or two that we love. Here are a few of our favorites. I, unfortunately, can't take real credit for any of them...I'm quite good at following a recipe but haven't invented any recipes of my own. (Michelle wants me to add yet...although I really have little confidence that I will ever truly invent a recipe of my own...I ocassionally make small tweaks to existing recipes but nothing too original).
One of our very favorites... St. Paul’s Rice (by Carol Stone)..My friend Rachel sent this to me..from one of her friends
1 1/2 lb. sausage (any mild, ground sausage)
Crumble, fry, and drain.
2 pkg. Lipton noodle soup (I usually only put one)
4 1/2 c. water
3/4 c. rice
Place the soup mix, water, and rice in a saucepan and boil for 7 minutes.
5 ribs celery
1 green pepper
1 onion
1/4 t. garlic powder
pepper
1 pkg. slivered almonds (I usually forget these...great with or without)
Chop the celery, green pepper, and onion and mix together in a large bowl. Add the sausage and the rice mixture and mix well. Put into a greased 13 x 9 pan and bake for 1 hour at 350˚, uncovered. The last 15 minutes sprinkle with the almonds. Serves about 8.
Another recipe from Rachel's friend's cookbook:
Tender Baked Parmesan Chicken (Sylvia Ruggieri)
1/2 c. Hellmann’s mayonnaise
1/2 t. garlic powder
1/3 c. shredded Parmesan cheese
2 T. Italian dressing
1/2 c. Italian seasoned bread crumbs
4 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves (about 1 1/2 lb.)
Combine mayonnaise, cheese, garlic powder, and Italian dressing. Spread chicken with mayonnaise mixture, then coat with crumbs. Arrange chicken on baking sheet. Bake at 425˚ for 20 minutes or until lightly browned and tender.
DO NOT substitute miracle whip for mayo - there is a taste difference. The chicken pairs well with the rice above.
Woodland Park Italian Beef
from Don't Panic...Dinner's in the Freezer cookbook
2-3 lb. beef roast (pot, chuck or rump roast)
2 large onions sliced
1-2 green peppers sliced or diced
16 oz. jar of Pepperncini peppers with juice, sliced (the recipe calls for 2 jars, but I think 1 jar is plenty)
1/2 -1 cup water
1 tsp. ground pepper,sprinkled on roast
French rolls, sliced
provolone cheese slices
Cut roast into chunks (about 4 x4) Put roast into large roasting pan with green onion and green pepper. Sprinkle with pepper. Pour jar of pepperoncini peppers and wanter over meat. Bake at 275 for 5 hours. When meat is done and tender, shred with 2 foks. Turn oven to 200 and return beef to pan and stir in the juices and let sitin oven for 1 hour. Then serve on rolls with a slice of cheese. Add pepperoncini peppers and juice to give it extra flavor...for my kids I serve the meat and cheese without the added peppers. The meat has a yummy flavor.
(I also often will throw this in the crockpot instead of the oven and just cook it about 7-8 hours on low...probably 4-5 or so on high.)
One of our very favorites... St. Paul’s Rice (by Carol Stone)..My friend Rachel sent this to me..from one of her friends
1 1/2 lb. sausage (any mild, ground sausage)
Crumble, fry, and drain.
2 pkg. Lipton noodle soup (I usually only put one)
4 1/2 c. water
3/4 c. rice
Place the soup mix, water, and rice in a saucepan and boil for 7 minutes.
5 ribs celery
1 green pepper
1 onion
1/4 t. garlic powder
pepper
1 pkg. slivered almonds (I usually forget these...great with or without)
Chop the celery, green pepper, and onion and mix together in a large bowl. Add the sausage and the rice mixture and mix well. Put into a greased 13 x 9 pan and bake for 1 hour at 350˚, uncovered. The last 15 minutes sprinkle with the almonds. Serves about 8.
Another recipe from Rachel's friend's cookbook:
Tender Baked Parmesan Chicken (Sylvia Ruggieri)
1/2 c. Hellmann’s mayonnaise
1/2 t. garlic powder
1/3 c. shredded Parmesan cheese
2 T. Italian dressing
1/2 c. Italian seasoned bread crumbs
4 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves (about 1 1/2 lb.)
Combine mayonnaise, cheese, garlic powder, and Italian dressing. Spread chicken with mayonnaise mixture, then coat with crumbs. Arrange chicken on baking sheet. Bake at 425˚ for 20 minutes or until lightly browned and tender.
DO NOT substitute miracle whip for mayo - there is a taste difference. The chicken pairs well with the rice above.
Woodland Park Italian Beef
from Don't Panic...Dinner's in the Freezer cookbook
2-3 lb. beef roast (pot, chuck or rump roast)
2 large onions sliced
1-2 green peppers sliced or diced
16 oz. jar of Pepperncini peppers with juice, sliced (the recipe calls for 2 jars, but I think 1 jar is plenty)
1/2 -1 cup water
1 tsp. ground pepper,sprinkled on roast
French rolls, sliced
provolone cheese slices
Cut roast into chunks (about 4 x4) Put roast into large roasting pan with green onion and green pepper. Sprinkle with pepper. Pour jar of pepperoncini peppers and wanter over meat. Bake at 275 for 5 hours. When meat is done and tender, shred with 2 foks. Turn oven to 200 and return beef to pan and stir in the juices and let sitin oven for 1 hour. Then serve on rolls with a slice of cheese. Add pepperoncini peppers and juice to give it extra flavor...for my kids I serve the meat and cheese without the added peppers. The meat has a yummy flavor.
(I also often will throw this in the crockpot instead of the oven and just cook it about 7-8 hours on low...probably 4-5 or so on high.)
Wii had a great Christmas...
in which my kids received 7 new Wii games along with plenty of other gifts and toys. Michelle was excited to receive makeup and clothes and two webkinz. Ella's biggest gift was her much anticipated kitchen. Gabby, on the other hand, just wanted a pink zhu zhu, which Santa happily gave her. Perhaps one of the most special gifts was that we got a piano.
Christmas Eve
As is tradition, we spent Christmas Eve with Alfredo's extended family. It was a lot of fun. We went home at 2 in the morning. Long, but fun night.
Thursday, January 13, 2011
Sensitive
My girls are sensitive...which is mostly a good thing...but not always. Two examples I wanted to remember. On Tuesday, I picked up the kids from their after school program. My friend Brenda picked her daughter up at the same time so we were walking outside together. The kids were being silly as they climbed in the car, and Ella hurt Michelle accidentally (it has already slipped my mind how). Anyway, both girls burst in to tears. My friend Brenda exclaimed, "Oh, no, what happened to Ella?" since we knew how Michelle got hurt. I explained that she was crying because she hurt Michelle. She always cries when she hurts one of her sisters...It didn't even phase me when she began to cry because it is so typical.
Last week, Michelle was reading Marvin Redpost: Why Pick on Me. In the book, one bully starts saying that Marvin picked his nose although he really didn't. The other kids all start teasing him, his two best friends stop playing with him, and even the teacher writes on his report card that he is having social issues because the kids don't like his unsanitary habits and lack of personal hygiene. Michelle was sobbing by the middle of the book. She started saying, "This is horrible. HORRIBLE! Horrible. Those kids are so mean. He should tell the teacher what they've done. The teacher should help him. But she believes the other kids. This is so horrible. I hate those kids." Fortunately, by the end of the book Marvin solves his problem and they all learn a valuable lesson. But it was the first time Michelle had been moved to tears by a book. She really felt empathy for the characters (well, at least Marvin). I have seen similar reactions from her when real life situations happen as well.
Last week, Michelle was reading Marvin Redpost: Why Pick on Me. In the book, one bully starts saying that Marvin picked his nose although he really didn't. The other kids all start teasing him, his two best friends stop playing with him, and even the teacher writes on his report card that he is having social issues because the kids don't like his unsanitary habits and lack of personal hygiene. Michelle was sobbing by the middle of the book. She started saying, "This is horrible. HORRIBLE! Horrible. Those kids are so mean. He should tell the teacher what they've done. The teacher should help him. But she believes the other kids. This is so horrible. I hate those kids." Fortunately, by the end of the book Marvin solves his problem and they all learn a valuable lesson. But it was the first time Michelle had been moved to tears by a book. She really felt empathy for the characters (well, at least Marvin). I have seen similar reactions from her when real life situations happen as well.
Friday, January 7, 2011
64 Years
I'm behind on my blogging. So I'm going to try to catch up a bit this weekend. I wanted to be sure to include photos and write about my grandparent's 64th wedding anniversary. We were able to have a nice family dinner with them. My grandparents (my dad's parents) are very special to me. As young children, we lived only a couple of miles from them. My grandma was our babysitter after school while my parents worked. We spent daytime summers at their house and often visited on weekends. Their home was a second home to me, and I was very close to them. They are such wonderful people. My grandpa was always such a hard worker. He also loved to tell jokes. He was a Bishop and even years later people came to him for advice and counsel. He was also a kind and gentle man. My grandma was such a kind woman. She regularly did things to help others...she babysat many of her grandchildren as well as a few neighbor's children and had her own children and grandchildren live with her at various times (my mom, sisters and I moved in with my grandparents after my parents divorced). She had a good friend that was disabled who she would run errands for, take to doctor appointments, and help in other ways on a regular basis. I remember her telling me that she usually prayed that the Lord would give her an opportunity to serve someone and that nearly every day He did. She spent her life in service. My grandparents aren't/weren't perfect, but they are good people whom I love and admire.
Now they are near the end of their lives. Their health is deteriorating and their memories are slipping. But it was wonderful to spend some time with them to celebrate 64 years of marriage...to see them hold hands and to see them look at each other with love in their eyes. When I go to visit them, they usually stay near each other...when one goes to bed, the other follows. When one of them goes to watch tv, the other is nearby, watching tv or reading. Their love for one another is clear.
My kids also got to open their Christmas gifts from their grandpa, my dad. Grandpa Bryan got Gabrielle a zhuzhu pet Wii game along with a zhu zhu pet...a perfect gift for her. Michelle and Ella got the Super Mario Bros. Wii game and Lego Harry Potter Wii game. They love them!
My Uncle Dan and Aunt Suzanne were there, along with my cousins Melissa and Emily. My kids had a great time with Melissa and Emily. They've always really been good to my kids.
It was such a special night.
Now they are near the end of their lives. Their health is deteriorating and their memories are slipping. But it was wonderful to spend some time with them to celebrate 64 years of marriage...to see them hold hands and to see them look at each other with love in their eyes. When I go to visit them, they usually stay near each other...when one goes to bed, the other follows. When one of them goes to watch tv, the other is nearby, watching tv or reading. Their love for one another is clear.
My kids also got to open their Christmas gifts from their grandpa, my dad. Grandpa Bryan got Gabrielle a zhuzhu pet Wii game along with a zhu zhu pet...a perfect gift for her. Michelle and Ella got the Super Mario Bros. Wii game and Lego Harry Potter Wii game. They love them!
My Uncle Dan and Aunt Suzanne were there, along with my cousins Melissa and Emily. My kids had a great time with Melissa and Emily. They've always really been good to my kids.
It was such a special night.
Saturday, January 1, 2011
Hungry
A common refrain when Gabby is around is "I'm hungry." She is (often, not always) a bottomless pit. Where she puts all the food is anyone's guess because she is quite petite. But anyway...
Yesterday morning when she woke up, she grabbed one foot and said, "My toes are hungry for cereal." Then she grabbed her other foot and said, "These toes are hungry for pancakes." Too funny!
Yesterday morning when she woke up, she grabbed one foot and said, "My toes are hungry for cereal." Then she grabbed her other foot and said, "These toes are hungry for pancakes." Too funny!
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