Stweepstakes Winner!

The winner of Steroid-ladened Stella's Stwansong Stweepstakes is:

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4

Timestamp: 2009-06-30 13:42:52 UTC

The 4th comment was left by Dot!

Congratulations Dot! If you will email your address to me (I don't seem to have it anymore - blame it on Stella!) I'll get your package right out to you.

Tina - Gary and I LOVED your song and we laughed so hard while I was reading it!

Thanks everyone for participating in the stweepstakes and for having so much with Stella. Hopefully she'll leave a little part of her behind just for the humor!

Good night, Stella. May the sky always be mauve where you are.

Monday Chit Chat

Happy Monday everyone! How are y'all today? Did you have a good weekend? Ours was typical - lots of family time filled with laughter and good conversation.

This morning I made bread. It will be so nice to finally have fresh bread in the house! We seldom eat sandwiches so the bread is really only used in the morning for toast. It's amazing how that simple piece of toast can be so well liked.

We had some storms move through our area earlier today. I love the smell in the air after a good rain. It's always so clean and fresh! (Gee, I really need to get out and weed whack around our tree well --- I'm wonder if I can do it without taking down the tree?)

The wind was so wild that even my plants on the covered front porch were thoroughly watered.

Over the weekend I was able to get a few things done in the kitchen. One of my favorite outcomes was this new baking area. I moved my mixer to this counter as well as my flour and sugar canisters. If nothing else, I like the look of the area much better than before.

This afternoon I'll wash a couple of loads of cloths and watch a new movie I picked up several weeks ago and have yet to see. I may even try to make some banana muffins as well.

The girls are playing with Pixie up in their room. They've finished all their daily work so they have the afternoon to what they please (as long as it doesn't involve disaster and destruction!).

*******

For the puppy patrons:

Okay, even I, who is not easily charmed by dogs, was charmed by this sleeping Pixie!

I'll post the next installment of Budget Sense tomorrow afternoon. Also, don't forget to enter the give away I am having - you have until Midnight tonight to enter Stella's Stwansong Stweepstakes. Click on the link or just see the post right below this one to enter!

Steroid-ladened Stella's Stwan-song Stweepstakes

Since I've pretty much been out of the kitchen loop for a few weeks and I've been obsessing over cooking lots of great things it seemed appropriate to have a kitchen-themed give away.

The prize will be a hardbound copy of one of my favorite cookbooks - Lost Recipes by Marion Cunningham (author of the Fannie Farmer cookbook) - the front flap opens away from the actual book and there is a pocket for keeping loose notes, recipes, etc. Also in the give away is a 100% cotton weave kitchen towel in beige and white and six demitasse spoons which are GREAT for serving condiments, using less sugar in tea and/or coffee, etc.

It's easy to enter - just leave a comment to this post answering the following question:

If steroid-ladened Stella had a theme song, what would it be? (There is no correct answer -- just throw whatever song title you like out there and don't worry about offending me. I promise not to take offense at anything!)

You have until Midnight CST Monday evening (June 29th) to enter the give away. Winner will be chosen at random.

Sunday Song and Verse: Psalm 20:1-9, Royal Banners Forward Go

Psalm 20:1-9
For the choir director. A Psalm of David.

May the LORD answer you in the day of trouble! May the name of the God of Jacob set you securely on high!

May He send you help from the sanctuary And support you from Zion!

May He remember all your meal offerings And find your burnt offering acceptable! Selah.

May He grant you your heart's desire And fulfill all your counsel!

We will sing for joy over your victory, And in the name of our God we will set up our banners. May the LORD fulfill all your petitions.

Now I know that the LORD saves His anointed; He will answer him from His holy heaven With the saving strength of His right hand.

Some boast in chariots and some in horses, But we will boast in the name of the LORD, our God.

They have bowed down and fallen, But we have risen and stood upright.

Save, O LORD; May the King answer us in the day we call.

The Royal Banners Forward Go

Words by Venantius Honorius Clementianus Fortunatus

Music by Lowell Mason

The royal banners forward go,
The cross shines forth in mystic glow;
Where He in flesh, our flesh Who made,
Our sentence bore, our ransom paid.

Where deep for us the spear was dyed,
Life’s torrent rushing from His side,
To wash us in that precious flood,
Where mingled water flowed, and blood.

Fulfilled is all that David told
In true prophetic song of old,
Amidst the nations, God, saith he,
Hath reigned and triumphed from the tree.

O tree of beauty, tree of light!
O tree with royal purple dight!
Elect on whose triumphal breast
Those holy limbs should find their rest.

Blest tree, whose chosen branches bore
The wealth that did the world restore,
The price of humankind to pay,
And spoil the spoiler of his prey.

Upon its arms, like balance true,
He weighed the price for sinners due,
The price which none but He could pay,
And spoiled the spoiler of his prey.

O cross, our one reliance, hail!
Still may thy power with us avail
To give new virtue to the saint,
And pardon to the penitent.

To Thee, eternal Three in One,
Let homage meet by all be done:
As by the cross Thou dost restore,
So rule and guide us evermore.

Cindy Lou, Chuckles, Joy and Happiness

Who? Cindy Lou Who. Why? I have no idea but at 5:15 am this morning Cindy Lou Who popped into my brain. What was she doing? Plaguing me with her sweet smile and big eyes and singing, "You're a good grinch, Mr .Wrench." Honestly, I think I need help!

So, last night I was researching cutting boards. [Research is something I love to do. Give me a topic and I'll research and come back with all sorts of information including what you DIDN'T want to know. Furthermore, in several years I'll casually mention, "Remember that time you wanted me to research the Thunderbird marionettes?"]

Okay, back to the cutting boards. While I was researching various makers and types of boards I read lots of views. One review gave me the giggles. When I went to bed I just busted out laughing when I thought of it. Gary told me to laugh quietly. So I did. I even woke up in the middle of the night and the review popped into my head and I started chuckling all over again.

The gist of the review was that the purchaser LOVED her maple wood board, thought it was wonderful quality, but didn't know it wasn't supposed to go into the dishwasher. When she opened the dishwasher the coating was gone, the board warped and separated. She even mentioned her husband said it was common sense not to put wood in a dishwasher.

This review became funnier and funnier as the night progressed! (I know that her husband was able to repair her board for her so that's probably why the whole event can be funny to me now.) Honestly, I don't know why I thought that was so funny...maybe because it's something I would do these days...like a couple of weeks ago when I put a clean saucepan in the refrigerator for storage. I'm really sure it made sense to me at the time!

No more steroids!!! I'm finally off the medication and in several days what is currently in my body should be gone. The old me will be back. Yea!!! To celebrate this moment of exceeding joy and happiness I'm going to have a give away. I'll post the give away later tonight (or in the morning) after I determine exactly what I want to give away!

Y'all have a good day.

Hodge Podge Mumbo Jumbo

So, what does one do when one is partially inept both physically and mentally? Well, one spends lots of time with brain action. Let me show you what's been on my brain lately:

Cooking - I really want to get into the kitchen and cook up a fantastic meal with lots courses. There should be appetizers, lots of sides, and definitely two choices for dessert. I feel the urge to slice, dice, and chop. MMMM...smell that cooking? Actually, I think that is my brain on overload.

Decorate - Right now I am in the mood to move things around. Not furniture, just things like books and kitchen items. Current quandary is what to do with my serving utensils. They keep getting lost in the miscellaneous tool drawer. I'm thinking about moving them to the breakfast nook buffet drawer and putting the napkins from the buffet in a basket somewhere else. Decisions, decisions.

Spelling - My spelling has always been really good...until steroids entered my life. Now I can' t spell very well at all and Gary has to decipher any notes I send him. It's annoying. (Thank goodness for Blogger's spellcheck!) I know how to spell but my brain does not recognize misspellings as being a problem. Maybe I should be a poster child for the dangers of steriods.

Sports - It's sad to say but I have really lost my enthusiasm for the world of sports. I have been a lifelong serious fan of baseball and have enjoyed football for a couple of decades as well. However, it seems that sports players are all out for what they get from the game and the fans instead of what they can give. None seem to play the game just because they genuinely love playing it. Endorsements, big contracts, and celebrity status fill the sports bylines more than great plays, good sportsmanship, and serious stats.


News - I'm tired of the news. I haven't watched news on television for years - I just get the main headlines from Yahoo or CNN. However, I'm tired hearing about unfaithful husbands; out of control youth; celebrity gossip; proposed taxes; and world politics. It's all become mind-numbing. Beginning today I am changing my front page to Google instead of yahoo and I'm removing my CNN bookmark. My goal is to live at least three days without the news.


My grammas - My mind has been ruminating on memories of both of my grammas and how they lived so simply. Both lived through the Great Depression and World War II as young women. They had to help their families survive on so very little and they did so with such a good attitude. During the Depression they had a confidant hope that things would eventually be better and during WWII they saw that their conservation and sacrifices were for the greater good of every American. What a difference a couple of generations make - all that seems to bind us together these days is complaining and a dislike for opposing view political leaders. Very sad.

Ginger - Next week she will be celebrating a birthday. She wants a REAL chef's knife for her birthday and is willing to use her birthday money to purchase one. I vacillate between 'yes' it would be a good idea and 'oh no way -- you're too young!' lines of thinking. What kind of knife monster have I created???? When did she leave Rolie Olie Polie behind?

Gracelyn - Why does she keep wearing three layers of clothes? Doesn't she know it's HOT and HUMID??? I get so hot just looking at her. She does love the prairie look though. At least they are all cotton and absorb the perspiration!

Me - can I be any more useless? Okay, I guess I can. It's the lumberjack in me talking. I just can't shake those genes. My inner lumberjackness feels the need to get and get moving and not stop until everything is completely done and sparkling. Steroid-ladened Stella, on the other hand, prefers to rest as soon as she gets tired. If Stella is my steroid persona what is the name of my lumberjack persona?? Luna? I'm open to any and all suggestions!

That's about it - lots of odds, ends, and rants. Aren't you glad you stayed to the end?

Knives in the Kitchen

Several posts ago Mary asked me what knives I use. I have a combination of quality knives and a few run-of-the mill utility knives. Here is an explanation of what I use:

I was 33 years old before I had my first real quality knives. They were a gift from Gary for our tenth anniversary. Over the previous several years I had begun to really learn how to cook well so Gary thought I could really use a good knife. The knife he chose was a Henckels Four Star chef's knife. It's five inches long -- perfect for me because I don't like the long knives; I feel like Xena the Kitchen Warrior with anything long than six inches! It is solid and cuts beautifully and the edge can be made almost like new for about $6. Originally, this was the only knife Gary had planned to purchase. However, after his selection of this knife he happened to notice a new style knife that was being introduced....

...and decided to check it out. He really liked the style and width of the blade. He wondered if I would like this style of knife and finally decided he would buy it as well. This knife is a Wusthof Grand Prix santuko. If you look closely at the knife you will notice a small wave in the middle of the blade - that was not original to the knife. The bend in the blade came from my dear sweet hubby trying to help me separate some frozen meat a couple years ago. Because of this wave in the blade, and the fact that the knife was from one of the 'lower' echelon knive collections, I can no longer have it professionally sharpened. The edge has become very dull and is good only for cutting cooked beans. At this point, it is still in my collection for sentimental reasons.

A little over a year ago our local kitchen store was having their annual cutlery sale. Having really enjoyed the santuko style chef's knife Gary had purchased years before I decided to finally purchase a replacement. This is a Wusthof Classic santuko with hollow edge (the divets on the blade).

The only other quality knife I own is this carving knife. It is a Wusthof Classic 8" carving knife with a hollow edge. Carving meat can be difficult so a really good sharp blade is essential.

These are the last of my knives. From top to bottom: bread knife, utility knife, paring knife. None of these knives are from a quality line; in fact, all three were less than $10 each. The bread knife is sturdy and because of the serrated edge I don't have to worry about the sharpness of the blade - so far this knife has cut well through all types of bread, even the hard crust artisan breads. The utility knife also cuts well for the same reasons. The paring knife is the only one that I may consider replacing in the future. It cuts well on most things but there have been times I wished it had a sharper blade (like when peeling plums).

On a final note I would like to add a few points about knives in general:

I've never paid full price for any of my knives. It just isn't necessary. Most stores that sell kitchen goods will have at least once good cutlery sale a year where the prices are at least 30% off of MSRP. If you are looking to purchase a new knife wait until it goes on sale!

A quality knife is WORTH the money even if you have to save for it. I have to save for any quality knives I purchase. The replacement for my santuko was less than $80 on sale so I had to save $10 a month to be able to purchase it. It was worth it to save because I knew I would be getting a good deal on a quality knife that will last me a lifetime! Low-quality knives eventually have to be replaced because they no longer cut. This can become expensive over a few decades. Also, a quality knife is safer - more accidents happen with dull knives than sharp.

It's not necessary to purchase a set of quality knives all at once. These sets are very expensive and often contain knives that are seldom, if ever, used. It is much better to purchase one knife at a time as it is needed.

If you plan to assemble a collection of quality knives here is my suggestion from most important to least: chef's knife, carving knife, paring knife, utility knife, and bread knife.

Try before you buy! Even if you find a better deal online, take the time to visit a local store and check the out actual knife. Although a 10" chef's knife sounds cool, it may not be the right one for you. It may be too heavy or too long. The blade may be too wide. Or, you may deside you just don't like how it feels in your hand. Quality knives are too expensive to order one and then find out you don't like it!

Once you own a quality knife be sure to take care of it properly. Hand wash and dry immediately. Don't throw it in the knife drawer unless the blade is covered. Finally, have it professionally sharpened from time to time. Sur La Table offers this service for $6 and our local knife store offers the service for $15. It's worth it!

[Edited to add:

I choose Wusthof knives because I am familiar with their performance from the first knives I had.

For a list of some of the better knife companies check out your local gourmet kitchen store like Sur la Table or Williams-Sonoma.

Summer Reading Fun

Every summer our local libraries and the major chain bookstores have a reading program for school children. The children read a certain number of books or for a certain number of hours throughout the summer and at the end of the program they get to choose a book (out of a selection of about eight to ten titles) for successfully completing their goal.

This year our local half price bookstore decided to offer their own program. to promote reading. What we love about this program is that children are rewarded weekly for their reading, they don't "fall behind" for the goal if they miss a week, and they have a wide selection of books from which to choose.

The 'rules' for the program are to read at least 15 minutes a day, everyday; and keep track of this time. When the reading cards are turned in the child receives a $3 gift certificate. They can get one certificate a week for twelve weeks during the summer. Although the certificates cannot be combined they can be used on any book in the store. Since this store is a half price place there are a LOT of books the girls can choose that are very close to the $3 range.

This is the third week the girls have participated. Here is a sample of the books the girls chose over the past two weeks. Since we have more than one of the Half Price Books in our area we rotate which store we visit each week. This gives the girls an even larger selection from which to choose.

The girls get the biggest thrill out of receiving their very own gift certificates just for doing something they love so much. It's fun to watch their eyes as they exchange the reading card for the gift card...$3 is enormous to them!

Since Half Price Books have stores throughout the United States I encourage you to check out this reading program for your children. It is wonderful and inexpensive way to build your child's library! Here is their website for further information and locations: Half Price Books

Monday Chit Chat

Hi y'all!

I realized today that, along with all the weird things taking place in my body, one of the other major bummers of being on steroids is that my camera has very little use. Once again I am here with lots of chatter but no pictures. Oh well, tomorrow is another day!

There's lots to prattle about so let's get started with Father's Day. Yesterday the girls made all three meals for Gary. They sat down Saturday evening and wrote out a menu of what his choices were and planned out the day. Gracelyn made breakfast (eggs, bacon, and toast) and Ginger made lunch (macaroni and cheese with tuna). Both girls worked on dinner which was homemade beanie weenies - Gary's favorite dinner! While not cooking or eating they had a grand time enjoying a new video series together throughout the day. As for my participation in the day - I went to the grocers early in the morning and provided laughing fodder for my family as I was not having the best of days.

Speaking of best of days, the aftermath of Steroid-ladened Stella's Friday night escapades are as follows: Was back in bed by about 2:15 a.m. and laid there almost an hour! Kept arguing with myself as to whether or not I should get back up. Kept hoping that I would soon fall asleep. Last glance at the clock was about 3:45 am. Woke up around 7:00 am for the dog - couldn't go back to sleep. Oh the joy! Laid in the bed tossing and turning and finally arose around 8ish. Spent the morning bumbling through, tried to make self sleepy by reading and then by watching cooking shows. Made it through the day which included a Food Challenge for the girls (to be described in a later post) and went to bed at 9 am Saturday night. Unbelievably laid in bed for almost an hour before FINALLY falling asleep! Was able to get some decent rest although apparently not enough to be normal.

Today I awoke about 45 minutes before I needed to be up so I tried to organize my thoughts. In the first couple of hours of the morning I actually had enough energy to wash and hang to dry two loads of clothes, make Gary's breakfast and lunch, and wash the morning dishes. Not too shabby! I did attempt to make bread and the operative word here is ATTEMPT. Even though our oven is preset to start at 350 degrees Farenheit (I really, really dislike having a digital temperature setter --- have I ever mentioned that?) I somehow managed to set the oven temperature to 180 degrees F. Imagine my surprise when the loaves were still creamy colored after baking for 30 minutes. So, I tried to adjust and ended up burning the top of the loaves while the bottoms were still doughy. Sometimes I feel like my brain is a vapid wasteland of goo. I'm not sure the bread is salvagable but I am making one last attempt to fix it by baking it longer at a really low temperature. If nothing else we will have a good laugh later tonight.

A little while ago we had a quick errand to run and I was so saddened by an exchange between a young lady and myself. I asked if she was having a good day and she told me, "Annh, whatever. Ain't nothing special." Trying to be positive I replied, "Oh, any day I can get out of bed and walk is a good day!" Her response to me was, "That ain't worth talking about." Okay. I felt deflated at first because I'm a happy-monger who loves to leave strangers with a good experience of our interaction. But then I became very sad that she saw nothing good in her day. Here, she has a job, in an air-conditioned place, and she doesn't have to do anything except when a customer comes in. Yet, her life seemed dismal to her. To add to this, she was young - probably in her mid-20's. I know that there are the unseen things going on in her life about which I know nothing, but still...the whole situation made me feel so overwhelming grieved.

This all reminds me - one of the best things you can do for a stranger is pray for them. The girls and I have a habit of praying for every person with whom we come in contact while we are out -- this includes the cashiers, bagboys, stockers, strangers with whom we cross paths, etc. You never know the impact a simple prayer can have in their lives. The girls and I call this our "Silent Ministry" - silent intercessory prayer for many people each week.

This afternoon the girls are watching Little House on the Prairie and I'm going to try to sit down long enough to write at least one letter - we'll see how well that goes.

Y'all have a good day!

Budget Sense: The Grocers - Comparative Shopping

This week I am beginning a series on budgeting and saving money. Topics will vary from general tips to specific details. If you have any questions or suggestions for post ideas please feel free to email me or leave a note in the comments section!

Saving Money at the Grocers - Part 1, Comparative Shopping

Most everyone has heard to “buy what is in season” in regards to saving money buying fruit. This same principle can and should be applied to other areas of shopping. Here are some areas where it really pays to compare prices:

Meat – Learn to look at the prices of ALL types of meat – briskets, stew meat, roasts, etc. Often I have found that the cost of brisket or a roast is less than ground beef. I purchase the brisket and make my own ground beef in the food processor. You can check to see if the butcher will grind the meat for you – sometimes butchers will do it for free. Be sure to look also at stew meat as well – it can be chopped up in the processor for ground beef. (It is VERY simple and easy to make your own ground beef!) When roasts are on sale I stock up because one roast can usually give me at least two meals and sometimes three or even four! Chicken and pork have fewer selections but look at all varieties as well. Don’t forget to check out the marked down meat section as well!

Fruit Juices – if you purchase fruit juices be sure to check the price of the ready-to-serve bottles and compare them with the concentrates. Our local grocers have had 64 oz ready-to-serve jugs available for $2.29 while the least expensive concentrate is currently $2.59.

Breads – if you purchase bread be sure to check out the bakery area for good deals. When I am unable to bake regular bread for our family I’ll stop by the grocer’s bakery to see what they have. Often, I have gone early in the morning and asked the baker for loaves they are putting on day old – less than 24 hours have elapsed so the bread will still be fresh. Even full price bakery bread can be less expensive than a regular shelf loaf and can even be better for you!

Canned Tomatoes – stewed tomatoes can easily be turned into puree with a food processor. They can also easily be diced and tossed into a mason jar and, at least in our area, stewed whole tomatoes tend to be easily $0.50 less a can. A 32 ounce can of pureed tomatoes (or stewed that has been processed) can be dumped into a cheesecloth-lined sieve and turned into tomato sauce. I can get about 28 ounces of sauce for around $2 or $3 instead of $0.90 for a 4-ounce can.

Cheese – Block cheese is generally the best value; however, there are times when the grocers will run a sale and the sliced or grated cheese will actually be less expensive. Also, check the deli area because they often will have deals on cheese that are less expensive than what is in the dairy case.

Next week - Part 2, Other Tips for Saving at the Grocers

Happy Father's Day

A truly rich man is one whose children run into his arms when his hands are empty. ~Author Unknown

Happy Father's Day to all the fathers, past and present, who have taken their responsibility of protecting and raising children seriously.

Here is the poem Gary chose for this post:

Daddy Fell into the Pond
by Alfred Noyes

Everyone grumbled. The sky was grey.
We had nothing to do and nothing to say.
We were nearing the end of a dismal day,
and there seemed to be nothing beyond,
THEN
Daddy fell into the pond!

And everyone's face grew merry and bright,
And Timothy danced for sheer delight.
"Give me the camera, quick, oh quick!
He's crawling out of the duckweed."
Click!

Then the gardener suddenly slapped his knee,
And doubled up, shaking silently,
An d the ducks all quacked as if they were daft
And it sound as if the old drake laughed.

O, there wasn't a thing that didn't respond
WHEN
Daddy fell into the pond!

It's 2:00 a.m. and All is Well....Maybe!

So, what does Steroid-ladened Stella do when, after being in bed for almost an hour realizes she can't get to sleep even though she's been up since 5:30 a.m.?

Well, she decides to get up and come downstairs to putter around for half an hour and hopefully become tired. Stella takes the dog outside and lets it run around for a few minutes. Amazing how much energy it has after sleeping for an hour!

Stella comes inside and decides to turn on the Texas Rangers' ballgame (West Coast game tonight). She folds laundry while watching the Rangers go ahead by a run and decides to celebrate with some fresh cantaloupe. Retrieving the melon from the refrigerator she notices the leftover roast from a few nights ago. It was a 3-pounder and still has over two pounds left. Stella decides she'll use some to make meat for chimichangas -- that would make a great weekend meal! Getting out the cutting board and knife she wonders if she is alert enough to be wielding newly-sharpened knife. She decides it's okay. She knows where the bandaids are and hubby is upstairs.

Chimichanga meat is in saute pan and slowly breaking down. The spices smell wonderful. Stella decides to get on the computer while listening to the Rangers lose their lead. She needs stamps and plans to order some online. The US Postal service tells her she doesn't exist. Hmmm, imagine that! No new stamps were ordered so Stella decides to go play around eBay for a bit. But first, a quick stir to the meat and a realization that there is not beef stock for the recipe. That's okay, she thinks to herself, I'll just use poultry seasoning; afterall, isn't KFC using beef stock in their chicken? Stella is dyslexic and on steroids - it works for her!

Oh look, there is the melon she was going to have for a snack - grab the knife and cube a few pieces. Darn! Now she has to fight with the clingwrap to cover what is left of the melon. Okay, fine....she cubes all of it and puts it in a glass storage container. That's better anyway...clingwrap is her enemy.

Stella takes spastic puppy outside and lets her chase June bugs all over the yard hoping this will calm the maniac down. Coming inside she realizes it time to add the final ingredients to meat. Wonders if hubby will notice there is poultry seasoning in it and returns to computer to see what's going on at eBay. Stella finds plenty she likes, wants, and even drools over but being a good steroid-laden zombie knows it's best not to bid on anything in this state of mind. (Wonders if the postal service knew of her condition and that's why they said she didn't exist?)

Catches up with favorite blogs and websites. Checks online savings accounts rates for second time today as if the rates might actually have changed.

Spoons chimichanga meat into storage bowl; tastes really good even with poultry seasoning. Hey, there's the melon she was going to eat! Prepares to put away remainder of roast and changes her mind at the last second deciding she wants to use it to make beef hash. She LOVES beef hash...perfect...get out a clean saute pan and start chopping roast and potatoes.

Stella gets hash started and decides that another romp outside is good for the puppy. She takes her outside and stands there stamping her foot to make the puppy go berserk and run figure eights all over the yard. Returns inside in time to see the Rangers lose their game. GEEZ!!! Of all the games she has actually watched this season why did have to be one they lost? Stella frowns and decides they still need pitching and she still misses Bill Jones being one of the commentators even after four years of him being gone.

Hmmm, Stella realizes her stomach is growling...oh, yes, she had melon somewhere. There it is! Scrape the hash a bit, add some liquid, return to computer. Wonders what to do now. Oh, she knows...she'll search for a recipe for homemade V8 juice. Finds several really quickly. That was too easy. She wants something more difficult and decides to search for the origin of the word Timbuktu. Discovers it is a real place and found this:

It means extremely far or a great distance

[Edit by Dragongirl515:

According to a popular etymology it`s name is made of tin-meaning "Place". And buktu- meaning an old woman who was entrusted with un-wanted belongines. When a traveler was asked where he left his belongins he would say "I left them at tin buktu." Meaning where the buktu lived. The two words ended up fusing into Timbuktu. Then were translated in the Berber languages: "Buqt" meaning "Far away" so tin-buqt means a place close to the end of the world. IE the Sahara desert.

Stella wonders how Dragongirl515 knew that! It's like knowing all the words to the Tiny Mighty Moe commercial...which Stella does and proceeds to sing it to the beguiled pup. Wonders why she is cooking hash at 1:30 in the morning. Realizes, she is STILL NOT TIRED. Grumbles about the situation and hears her stomach growl. Goes to find the original melon she cut and actually stands in the middle of the kitchen eating it so she won't forget it again. She is stared down by a white catlike creature - do cats like melons?

Hash is smelling really good so Stella takes a bite - still needs a bit of cooking but definitely getting there. Returns to computer and stares for about ten minutes. Maybe she's getting tired? Nah. Decides to write a post on being awake way past her mommy bedtime which is 9:30 pm these days.

Stella is shocked out of her chair by a wet nose. Heart is racing...just what she needed...adrenaline! Tries to calm self down and not go into a panic attack. Wonders if she should laugh or cry...choices the laughter. Puppy stares at her and cocks head...probably wondering why the food lady is laughing uncontrollably. Stella tries to breathe and not go into anphalactic shock...puppy pokes her in the belly with cold nose. She giggles and puppy gets happy and starts REALLY poking. Stella tries to stop laughing, she's getting a headache.

Deciding moving to the kitchen is better part of valor Stella tries the hash and ends up eating a whole bowl right then and there. Puts hash in storage container and decides to finish post while waiting for the hash to cool enough to be put away. But wait! There is cooked ground beef waiting to be used...maybe she should make some chili.......okay, Stella is not THAT out of wits!

Catches up with post and reads it through...wonders if it will be as funny tomorrow as it is right now. Stella chuckles but becomes quiet as soon as playful pup looks at her expectantly. She decides it's time to try to go back to bed. She'll put the hash and chimchanga meat in refrigerator, the folded clothes by the stairs, and the pup in her crate and call it a night.

Hopefully Stella will fall into an exhausted slumber and awake at 8 a.m ready for a day of action with the family. Or maybe she'll stumble her way through the morning, check on blogs, and see that she herself posted in the middle of the night...the question is....will she remember it?

Puttering Afternoon

This morning the girls were up early (5:30 am) so that they could plant flower seeds in the cool of the morning. They each chose three different flower varieties to try: alysum, money plant, verbeena, pansy (for fall), penstmon, and nicotiana. The girls' goal is to have their own wildflower garden where they can clippings to use and dry.

Pixie wanted to help weed and dig up the flowerbed.

Ginger weeding her little area.

Gracelyn working on her area.


While the girls worked I let Pixie watch the mockingbirds and hop about the yard, pouncing like a kitten.

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This afternoon we have been puttering about the house and the girls have decided they want to make some cookies while I try to get a bit of paperwork done and maybe get a chance to do some reading.

Y'all have a good afternoon!


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For the puppy patrons:

Honestly, she's like a little yoga pretzel!

Pixie Post

Not much is happening today - we went to the grocers for some produce and have spent the afternoon at home not doing much. Sometimes lazy days are needed!

Thought I would share a couple recent pictures of Pixie - she's still cute and still acts like a cat!

Happy puppity!

I still don't get why she prefers to sleep NEXT to her bed instead of in it!

Homemade Sausage

Our family really enjoys sausage with our breakfast on the weekends but I really didn't want to purchase what is regularly available at the local grocers. After trial and error with different meats and seasonings I finally came upon a recipe that we all really enjoy. Since we rarely eat pork (it makes Gary VERY lethargic for some reason) I use a combination of grass-fed beef and free-range chicken meat. Here is my recipe:

Beef & Chicken Sausage Patties

1 pound ground beef
1 pound ground chicken
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon salt
2 teaspoons white pepper (you can use black pepper if you prefer - I just like the way the white pepper blends into the meat better)
1 1/2 tablespoons ground sage

Place ground beef and chicken into food process and pulse until meats begin to blend. (You can do this with a spoon but the processor makes it so much faster and easier.) Once meats are fairly well blended add olive oil and spices. Pulse until well mixed.

There are two options for cooking the sausage:

1. Form patties and cook in a skillet as you would regular sausage (you can easily freeze what you don't cook); or,

2. Form patties and place on a lined cooking rack (I just use one of my cooling racks) and set it on a cookie sheet. Bake sausages at 350 degrees for about 15 minutes. NOTE: Your baking time may vary; also, I slightly undercook the sausage so that when I heat it up in the future it does not become overdone. This method works great for cooking ahead for brunches or busy mornings.

The one 'drawback' to using the beef and chicken and is that the patties tend to puff up a bit. I've found that if you just make them very flat before they begin to cook they end just fine.

I have used this recipe with pork, beef and turkey, and just plain chicken. Pork really tastes great and the beef and chicken is our second favorite.

Homemaking for Little Ones: Kitchen Skills - Knives

Many of you know that I am a firm believer in getting children in the kitchen at a young age. The girls were by my side as soon as they were capable of standing and holding on to a bowl, a plate, a piece of food, etc. Over the years the girls have grown in their ability to succeed on their own in the kitchen. One of the things I taught the girls a few years ago was how to use a knife - not a butter knife but a real live cutting knife. In the beginning they used a small paring knife under my supervision. Eventually, as the girls proved they could follow safety rules in handling knives, I purchased them their own 'set' of kitchen knives.

In choosing knives for the girls to use I looked for two things. First, I looked for a decent quality knife that was not expensive. These knives are for learning and are not to be a permanent placement in their kitchen accessories. Second, I looked for knives that would fit their little hands. Obviously they are not able to hold a full-sized chef's knife at this age!

After several searches online and in local stores I found the above knives to be perfect. The Santuko knives are perfect at 4 1/2 inches long. They are made by KitchenAid and I found them at Kohl's for the very affordable price of about $10.

The paring knives were purchased at Sur La Table's annual clearance for $5 each. I let the girls get these because it gave them a set and they were able to pick their favorite colors!

With these knives the girls cut and cube fruit and vegetables and slice other things such as salmon and cheese.

Since being in the kitchen often involves some type of cutting or chopping it is advisable to teach children to be familiar with a knife and how to use it safely.


Here are some of my suggestions for teaching knife skills:

1. Start small and with firm (not hard) fruit or vegetables. Peeled cucumbers, apples, pears, and not overly ripe bananas are really good for learning to use a knife. Also, cutting bread into cubes is an excellent cutting exercise.

2. Make sure the child is at a proper height for cutting. Cutting from a too low position can cause accidents. We used kitchen chairs and stools (make sure they are solid and sturdy) to get the appropriate height. Even now I require that the girls use a stool if they are cutting on something that is more difficult.

3. Check that both the knife and the hand holding the knife are dry to prevent slipping.

4. Teach the three K's: fingertips under 'K'nuckles; 'K'eep thumb tucked under; 'K'nife is put down when not cutting. The girls would have to tell me the three K's before they started cutting for a long time. Eventually, it became so ingrained in their brains they do it all automatically now. In 6+ years we've only had one minor incident (and it wasn't related to the three K's).

5. Supervise the child until you are ABSOLUTELY sure they can properly, stably, and safely handle a knife! I watched over the girls' cutting for many months. Yes, it required a bit more of my time but safety of little fingers is so much more important!

6. Make it a routine! The girls would cut something for me everyday whether it was fruit for snacks or vegetables for dinner. Like everything else, practice brings better skills.

Monday Chit Chat

What shall we chit-chat about today? This is a not so normal Monday even though I have tried to make it so!

This morning I was actually able to get up and make Gary's breakfast and pack his lunch. I went back to bed afterward! When I woke back up later I cleaned the bathroom, made the bed, and gathered dirty clothes. Feeling not too shabby I proceeded to cut up cantaloupe and make cinnamon toast for the girls' morning tea. (They were elated that I made tea...it has been over a week since they've had a pot and in their own words, "TOOOOO long mama!!") Feeling tired I sat down and did my Bible study before cooking meat for dinner later this week and making sausage for future breakfasts.

Most of my afternoon has been resting listening to the movie Much Ado About Nothing (the movie with Kenneth Brannagh and Emma Thompson). The girls love this movie and it's fun to listen to them get excited when their favorite scenes come up. Being someone who loves Shakespeare quite a bit it is delightful to see my girls find the same joy in his works as I do. Interestingly, they get the subtle humour of Shakespeare's quips and phrases. The girls are currently watching the movie through for the second time. This time they are reciting some of the lines together with the actors.

The girls both think that Benedict is the best character in this play followed by Claudio and Hero (mostly because of the romantic aspect). Ginger's favorite line is when Benedict, after changing his mind about marriage, says, "The world must be peopled!" Gracelyn's favorite line is when Benedict, after being seen swooning by the men of the army, says, "Gallants, I am not now as I have been!"

I'm sure a lot of the girls' enjoyment of Much Ado has to do with the interpretation. I really do believe that Kenneth Brannagh has a wonderful knack of making Shakespeare understandable and enjoyable to the everyman. I really wish he would do more movies based on Shakespeare in the future.

Okay, enough about Shakespeare. I really have nothing else for today's chit chat. I'm still itchy but feeling better than yesterday; however, not good enough to feel normal. At least I've been able to get into the kitchen which I was really missing.

Oh, speaking of the kitchen, I discovered some online videos available at Food Network this weekend. (We don't have cable/satellite so we don't get anything but local broadcasts.) The girls and I watched four Barefoot Contessa (Ina Garten) episodes as well as two from Giada De Laurentis. It was fun to watch the shows and I felt so inspired to cook. Too bad my body said, "yeah, you may want to cook salmon etoufee but all I'm giving you is the strength make a hot dog!" Hah, I showed my body, I made garlic asparagus!

Anyway, in this hot afternoon it's nice to be able to say, and be thankful to God's grace, that I feel better, want to cook, and have someone with whom I can share a love of Shakespeare!

Y'all have a good evening.

Sunday Song and Verse: Ecclesiastes 7:11-14; Carry the Light

Ecclesiastes 7:11 -14

Wisdom along with an inheritance is good And an advantage to those who see the sun.


For wisdom is protection just as money is protection, But the advantage of knowledge is that wisdom preserves the lives of its possessors.


Consider the work of God, For who is able to straighten what He has bent?


In the day of prosperity be happy, But in the day of adversity consider-- God has made the one as well as the other So that man will not discover anything that will be after him.



Carry the Light
Words by Eliza Edmunds Hewitt
Music by Adam Geibel

Many in darkness are far astray,
Carry the light, carry the light,
Spreading the beams of the Gospel day,
Carry the beautiful light;
Tell them the gift of the Father’s love,
How the dear Savior He gave;
Tell them of mercy that smiles above,
Jesus almighty to save!

Refrain

Light! light! beautiful light!
Streaming from Heaven’s fair height;
Living for Jesus, our precious Savior,
Carry the beautiful light.

Let us unite in this best employ,
Carry the light, carry the light;
Tell the good news of salvation’s joy,
Carry the beautiful light.
Singing of Jesus, our songs are bright,
Bright with the blessing He brings;
Helping to scatter the shades of night.
Sing of the Lord’s healing wings.

Refrain

Living for Jesus, we’ll work and pray,
Carry the light, carry the light;
Walking with Him in the shining way,
Carry the beautiful light;
O, there’s a glory that fills the heart,
Sunshine of pardon and peace;
Let us the secret to all impart,
Helping the kingdom’s increase.

Refrain

Clearer and clearer the dayspring glows,
Carry the light, carry the light;
Brighter and brighter the morning grows,
Carry the beautiful light.
Jesus is coming in wondrous might,
Coming in splendor to reign;
Sorrow and sighing shall take their flight,
Eden shall blossom again.

Refrain

Am I in Kansas?

...hmm...is my room supposed to look like a set from the Twilight Zone? Ahh...steriods....somehow they just seem so antithetical to getting healthy. Yet, the swelling is almost gone and the rashes are greatly improving.

As for the rest of me, well, this stuff really messes with me and my body. Over the past three days I've experienced being blazing hot while at the same time feeling like I was freezing; when my body needs to sweat, I get hot prickleys all over the place; and my brain, let's just say that my husband and children and have much to laugh about and much to be concerned about. I've had mad deep-cleaning spurts and four-hour naps after being up for only an hour or two.


To answer questions to my previous post and in personal emails:

"Are you taking steroids?" Yes, I am on a steriod treatment and it will last just short of 21 days. I am currently on day five.

"When was the last time you had a serious reaction to poison ivy?" The last serious reaction I had to poison ivy was when I was sixteen years old. My family was driving to the library with the windows down and I came into contact with the oils in the wind. My face looked like a cauliflower head. My two biggest memories about that particular episode was that it happened the first week of school and this very short conversation between my stepbrother, his friend, and me:

friend: "Is that your sister?"
Brother: "yeah, she has a bad case of poison ivy -- it's keeping her out of school. She can barely see."
friend: "wow, she's blind? Dang, she looks downright scary!"
me: "I'm blind, not deaf!"
friend: "let's go!"

"What is your favorite show while you are being a 'veal'? What else do you watch?" My favorite rerun during this time has to be Adam-12...there's just something about that show that makes me smile. The stupidest show I've flipped into and then out of was a daytime talk show; and no, it wasn't Jerry Springer! I can say that I have been fascinated by Spanish TV -- some of their "historic" themed shows have me hooked and I don't even know what they are saying!

"Are you able to do anything productive?" Well, except for the couple of two-hour deep cleaning binges I've had over the past couple of days...no. I have been able to get my daily Bible studies in although I plan to do them over in a few weeks because I'm sure that I am missing much in my present state of mind. I've tried to read but that doesn't go well either, especially when I noticed I had read the same page three times and couldn't remember what I had read!

"How are you going to take care of your health if your immune system isn't working?" Well, for one, I won't go walking by the creek!! Actually, I will just continue to eat very healthily, drink lots of water, and once I am off the steriods I can begin taking probiotics to help begin to rebuild my system. For at least four weeks I am restricted from exercising because my body is unable to properly regulate its temperature but I will start back slowly as soon as I can. The rest, is up to God's plan. I can make the best choices possible but ultimately, God is in control of how long it will take for my system to be back to normal. He is also responsible for the long-term effects. The lists of side-effects (short and long term as well as permanent) is quite frightening. However, knowing that God is control of all those gives me great contentment!

"Have you done anything worthy of National Enquirer yet?" (smiling at my very funny friend!) Not unless you consider bawking like a chicken to make my girls laugh tabloid worthy! Can't you just see the headline: Woman on steriods doesn't talk -- she now bawks like a chicken!


"How are the girls doing?" The girls have done a very good job. Ginger made meatloaf all by herself and has made sure I had something to eat frequently so I wouldn't get sick. Gracelyn took it upon herself to check on me about every half hour to see if I need anything. The thing I am most proud that they have been doing, on their own, is getting their Bible studies in the morning without me there to get everything going. They get their Bibles out, read the passages, go through the questions and then do a review. Honestly, who cares about dinners, dishes, or clean clothes when at 9 and 8 years old they both understand the importance of daily Bible study!

So now I'm tired...who knew typing would be so tiring? On a final note, pretty funny actually, I told my mother-in-law yesterday that God has been having fun with me while I'm on steroids. Seriously, on Wednesday, day three of super doses we have severe weather hit our area. The type of severe weather that requires going to the closet under the stairs as the warning sirens go off three times in an hour period -- not prime conditions for steriod-ladened Stella!! Gary sent me to bed as soon as he knew the storms were over. Good thing, I was beginning to look for Auntie Em!

Y'all have a good weekend, hopefully I'll be back by Monday in some recognizable form!

Sidelined by the Ivy

For the last several days I've been dealing with a poison ivy rash. Unfortunately, I am not the typical rash-y person. Most people get small rashes in the area of contact after they've been in physical contact with poison ivy. Me, I can get it blowing in the wind...literally! That's how I got it this time. Last Wednesday night the girls and I went for our 4-mile walk around the local wildflower parks. There is a creek in these parks and the creek is surrounded by poison ivy. We didn't get anywhere near there creek but there was a slight wind that night and the ivy oils/resin was stirred up. That was enough to bring blisters by Thursday morning, cauliflower rashes by Friday morning, and swollen face to the point of affecting breathing and sight.

I am now on the 'cure' - the cure is almost as miserable as the rash. I am on a multi-week treatment that shuts down my immune system and gives me alternating side effects such as anxiety, cold/hot flashes, tingling skin, hyperness, extreme exhaustion, etc. The one good thing I can say is that I can actually see (eyelids are still swollen but no longer fully swollen) and my throat no longer feels restricted.

The next few months are going to have to be one of caution, with no immune system while on the treatment, and then taking time to rebuild it, I have to be careful to not get sick or injured. It will odd to have to walk such a cautious road - I've never had to be concerned about germs or injuries because we are a healthy family and have the immune system to fight off the common ailments and heal well when we get scraped or cut.

I've felt frustrated that not only the rash, but the treatment, has sidelined me to a temporary pathetic lump - but as my husband reminded me a couple of nights ago, I had absolutely no control over this and God has His purpose for this circumstance. What I DO have control over is my mental attitude while going through this and dealing with all the side effects and related issues...so, for the next several days at least I'll be sitting like a veal, watching Adam-12, Dragnet, and Hawaii 5-0 reruns, waiting for even a portion of my normal life to return.

I hope y'all have really good days while I'm gone!

Pixie Facts

Today was Pixie's first official vet visit. She had a good time, made friends with a dog that was the size of Ginger, and kept the vet moving. He had to guess her weight because she was too busy checking everything out around the scale and he could not get an exact number - best guess was just under 7 pounds with his hands holding her down. The vet she is VERY healthy.

Pixie is a Shiba Inu - the smallest of the Shiba breed (think Akita). The Shiba Inu is considered one of the few dogs that have catlike characteristics. She can play independently but enjoys being with people a lot. I wish I could record the sound she makes that sounds just like a cat's meow!

Average weight for the females is around 15-17 pounds; however, Pixie looks like she will come in under the average -- she has very tiny paws.

One of the great things I like about the Shiba Inu's is that they are highly fastidious and potty train very easily - which is true -within two days she knew she was supposed to go outside to go potty!

Monday Chit Chat

I made pumpkin puree. It's hard to believe but the pumpkin that I purchased back at Thanksgiving stayed perfect all this time! Maybe it's because we've had a cool spring this year.

Gary and the girls worked on electronic science projects. They learned about how electricity travels from a battery through wire to its destination. They also learned how circuit breakers worked and were able to make lights come on, sounds happen, and a small wheel fly!

Pixie played peek-a-boo several times. She is small enough to fit under the couch and loves to get under there and pop her head out.

Pixie also likes to take naps. She looks for the most comfy spot around; here, she has the couch throw and her towel to use.


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This week we begin our summer school schedule. Math, poetry, and nature studies are on our list this week. Ginger is actually done for the day with her schoolwork (she got up early) and has so many plans she doesn't know what to do first! Gracelyn only has one thing left to do for the day and plans to read and draw fairies. I need to bake some bread, make some granola and a quiche for the week as well as iron Gary's shirts. I hope to be able to find time to get a little reading done as well.

What are y'all doing this week?