braids with a twiist

braids. . . wrapped around each other . . . band.

 i know, one of my more complicated designs.

what if we all thought this way?

it seems that there always something major for us to disagree about.   politics, religion, which way the tp goes on . . . 

some people think that your prejudiced if you don't feel that everything everyone wants to do should be accepted.

some want their rights no matter what it does to yours.

some just want to argue.

i really don't have the energy to argue.   

i do enjoy talking to other people and learning what they believe and why.   

for some, not agreeing is a catastrophe.  

 i think most of us can realize that if we were not friends with anyone that didn't agree with us on everything . . .we wouldn't be friends with anyone.   

so relax and enjoy the diversity. 

fried tortellini?

oh yes!   fried tortellini!  
i got the idea from this site :

http://www.justataste.com/2011/06/deep-fried-ravioli-on-a-stick/

the kids thought i was nuts but i wanted to try it anyway. 

it was a lot of fun to make.   we set up an assembly line and even my little blond curls got to help. 
big brother stuck the tortellini on a skewer.

blond curls put the full skewers in flour and covered them really well.   i even got him to tap off the excess flour most of the time.

my tomboy princess then dipped them in eggs beat with a little milk.   (or just took them out if curly dunked them).  

she then coated them with a bread crumb italian seasoning mixture.



mama got to put them in the frying pan.   even at that, my princess got splattered so we moved her over a bit and put the breading box between her and the pan.

from the frying pan and into the oven!

i had some paper towels laid out in a warm oven.   i didn't want them cold, or greasy.

i got those on the right a little browner than i wanted.   that happens when your cooking with kids.   it all tasted good though.   we had some italian type tomato sauce to dunk them in, kind of spaghetti sauce but not.    my hubby wants it with salsa next time.   i think a veggie tortellini instead of the meat, (or at least not this brand) would be better.   the princess wants cheese tortellini next time instead.   it wasn't their favorite but definitely a re-do.

we just had salad and fruit with it.   of course, you have to have chocolate milk with anything tomato sauce.   don't ask why, you just do, it tastes better.

go fry up the tortellini or raviolis and have some fun making it with the kiddos.   that may be the best part of any meal.

The grilled cheese sandwich

One day my husband asked if I knew how to make a grilled cheese sandwich.
Evidently, he had had one in a restaurant the week before and it sounded good again.

(Really?)   I know that we have had numerous grilled cheese over our 15 years of marriage, I didn't feel the need to begin that conversation.   So, in answer to his question, our 12 year old son quickly piped up, "Dad, even I know how to make a grilled cheese sandwich."   (Love this kid!)   With that, lunch preparations began.  

My husband watched what I was doing and wanted to know why I was buttering the bread first.   "Uh. . . that's how you make grilled cheese."   What else am I supposed to say?   "To make you ask questions, looks like it worked!"

He was sure that this was wrong and did not want this sandwich.   Ok, fine.   You asked me how to make it and I showed you but if you have suddenly discovered the secrets to a great grilled cheese in the last 2 minutes, go ahead.   Again, my starving pre-teen son was happy to help, "I'll eat it!".   I finished that sandwich and let my husband make his guess at what constituted a grilled cheese sandwich.

He proceeded to put the butter in first and then the bread.   Our son tried to assure him that this was NOT the way to do it.   My husband was sure there was no difference between butter on bread and butter in pan.    So, we stood back and enjoyed the show, chuckling very quietly.

Needless to say, he ended up with burnt bread and the frustration we all experience when we "know" something will work and it doesn't, especially when we've asked for help and then rebuked the help we asked for.  

My dear husband then looked at the sandwiches we were eating and remarked that they looked exactly like the one he had for lunch a few days before and how did I do that?    Oh, boy!   I know that I'm this dense at times and I hope that the people around me are just as amused and patient with me as I was with my husband on this particular occasion.   (I'm not always amused or patient).   I reminded him that we had this conversation already and I had tried to make one for him.   We tried again.  

I took his burnt excuse for a sandwich, and threw it away.   (He was going to eat it since he made it but no one deserves that kind of penance.)   I was then able to make his lunch without interruption.   He liked them and I had something to chuckle about for years to come.

I have reflected on this many times, not just for my own amusement, but because I realize that so often we cause our own distress.   We ask for help and then magically know better before instruction.    We are our own worst enemies sometimes.      Remember this the next time you decide you know everything.   And remember that the next time you have to help someone that thinks they know everything.

whatever chicken and cream of mushroom

aaaaaand . . .here we go again.   cooking is really not my strong suit.   burning, i can do.   i actually burned dinner again tonight but it was still good so it seems like it's worth sharing.

in the states, i used to make chicken with either cream of mushroom or celery soup.   i can't seem to find it here though.   so i decided to try my hand at making some tonight.   wow!   this was impressive for me!   whoooo-hoooo!   it actually worked!

the hubby doesn't like the chicken in the soup so i made it all separate, rice, chicken and cream soup.

 chicken in a pan with onions, pepper and salt, butter or coconut oil or whatever you use.   let it cook for a while then chop in some carrots, celery, peppers.   i added some parsley and possibly some onion powder.     if i have time and patience, the onions get caramelized first.    cover, maybe add a little water if it has to sit.    that's my basic whatever meat.   it's great at our house because the kids can put it in tortillas, on top of rice, by it self, on noodles, with chicken, pork, beef, it's whatever meat.

while the chicken was cooking, i started my soup.   now, mine turned out kind of grainy but my friend told me that if i add the flour to the butter and mix it, it would be better.   so, half a cup of butter in a pan and when hot mix in your 2 tablespoons of flour.   like heaping tablespoons.   i don't actually have measuring spoons here so i used a really big spoon.   ya know, the original tablespoon.    stir in 1/2 cup milk.   i didn't have broth so i just dumped in canned mushrooms with the "mushroom broth".   it worked out fine.   i threw in some parsley flakes, salt and pepper, a little chopped onion.   whoo-hooo!   i made cream soup!   what we didn't eat, i threw in the freezer for the next time.

now, i know you guys can do this better.   let's hear it!   i need all the help i can get

i'm not lost, i just don't know where to go next

have you ever seen something and thought, "that's exactly what i was looking for!".   then realized, it's really not.   it's a good idea on the surface but the undertones are really going the wrong way.   ok, here i am, how do i change it?    at least it hit a cord.   it gave me a focus.   what do i want?   where am i going.   what can i do to have a long term effect on myself, my family, my friends and the world around me?   that is where i stand.   outcome to be determined

what i had time for braids

 this was easy. i started braiding and quit when i was out of time.   i parted off pieces starting from the sides and working inward.   then i just put it all in pony and braided.   wrapped the ends around the end of the braid, of course, so the ends weren't hanging out.

fortunately, the pony covers  the center where things were not really centered.   and i wanted to get the top braided so that her growing bangs were held in. 



so, go do your do in what time you have to do it in.   then enjoy the rest of the day.

tiny garden

 i tread upon my garden

observing all i see

towering 

trodding

 looking down

 it looks up at me

my garden is a forest 

where magic creatures

 live and roam

i cannot harm my garden

where tiny is their home

twig climber

holding on 

is nothing new

it's simply what must be

for to you this is a twig

to me

it is a tree

curls

curls tangling 

twisting round

doing as you've not been told

bounding romping 

curly hair

you might as well be bold

rose reflection

reflection seem much more clear

when they are sparkling

 in a drop of rose

shadow tree

 spinning twirling

follow me

shadow

up this metal tree

constant is my sky

world speeding past me standing still

green turns to brick and back again

wood and nails

branch and leaves

metal and cables

bough and vine

constant is the cloud covered sky

sun shines through the rain

peeks through buildings

and the towering trees

as my world changes

constant is my sky

super green

we were driving down the road the other day and saw a green car.   it was a green that made you say, "ew".   it got me thinking, (which is rarely a good thing), but here we go anyway.  

green is a really natural color.   nature has a good side and a bad side.   (keep that in mind when someone tries to advocate something by saying it's natural)   being such a natural color means there are good greens and bad greens.   now i grant you that brown is a natural color.   there are good browns and bad browns too.   like soil, tree bark, chocolate or . . . well . . . let's go back to green.   i've said for years that there is good crazy and bad crazy.   so i came to this conclusion.   green is like crazy.  

stay with me here.   let's just say i'm crazy like aspen leaves in the breeze.   they flicker from almost white to a beautiful leaf green on the other side of the leaf.   my mind flickers from one strange train of thought to another with seemingly no congruence, yet all tied together in the twisted maze of my mind.   there are those, however, that are crazy like "don't step in that" green or "what did you eat" green, or your basic, "i didn't know an animal could produce that color" green.   you know some people like that, i know you do.   and, yes, i know of some people that are crazy like bad brown things too but, like i said. . . let's stick to green.  

stewed pork and smashed taters

 I really hate making dinner so when i can fine things i like, my family likes and is easy, i'm in.   that's why i'm loving pinterest.   i keep finding things i love.    enough small talk, let's eat!   here's what's for dinner tonight.


i took this stewed pork recipe from pinterest and i tweaked it of course.

6 pork chops, i guess, they are called schnitzel here.   whatever, some pork of some kind.   seasoned with pepper, salt, italian seasoning, (i couldn't find cilantro here), and parsley and browned it in a pan.  i used coconut oil,( not because i'm all healthy and stuff but it's my newest toy i've been experimenting with).   took the pork out and started my 2 onions in the pan.   i love caramelized onions in things but i was getting lots of help from my little blond curls so they got some browning and i had move on.   added a bell pepper and 4 smallish tomatoes.  the tomatoes were closer to chunky soup by the time my blond curls got done with them in the chopper.   ok, then, i don't like big chunks anyway.  

meat back in the pan.
next time i won't bother with the meat out then in.   i usually just move them to the edge and cook the onions in the center.   i'm all for easy, aka lazy.

instead of the wine or broth, i opted for a can of mushrooms with the "juice".   now, add the ketchup.  i don't know exactly how much i added.   my ketchup wasn't cooperating so i just added some .   it looked like about a tablespoon and a half.   stirred it, turned it down, covered it all, and let it go.   i moved it and flipped it here and there, but mostly, i just let it cook.

 they turned out really tender since they simmered in the sauce for so long.   i was surprised by the ketchup.  it gave it great flavor though.   it added a little sweet but not overly.


next part of dinner was smashed potatoes that i stole from here: crash hot potatoes.   yeah pinterest!

i use whatever potatoes i have.   if they are larger, i cut them down.   boil, throw in a cake pan or just on a bake sheet.   smash them with a fork, spoon, or potato masher if your feeling traditional.   i don't have anything to spray them with but i just drizzle some olive oil over them.   i used salt, pepper, parsley, and italian on them this time.   bake at about 300*-350* until they are a little crispy on top.  i always under season them in the pan and end up needing more salt and pepper when it's on my plate.   we always slather them with butter on the plate too.

i love these because they are easy and can be going while i make the main dish.  i have used it as a main dish as well though.   lovin' the easy!

these are my teenager's favorite!   it's always nice when they actually like something you make.  

well, what are you waiting for?   go eat!

rockin' the crochet

my family is always bringing home rocks.   really, we started carrying bags with us to pack them in.   it's that bad.    my husband usually brings home boulders when he brings home rocks but that's neither here nor there.   

i gotta share the story of my oldest who is my biggest collector.   i went for a walk with him, then almost 5, and my then months old tomboy princess.   he found a rock that he absolutely NEEDED to have.   i already had several smaller (fist size +/-) ones in the bottom of the stroller and a few little ones in my pockets.   i admit, we were both contributing to the collection.   but this rock was huge!   bigger than his head!   summer, hot, end of walk and 2 blocks from home, i don't want to carry the dang thing and i'm afraid that it will rip out the bottom of the stroller.   really, it's huge!   so i told him he could have it if he carried it.   (i'm such a smart mommy.)   he did!   i figured he would struggle with it for a few feet and give up.  nope!   he got a hold of it, (ok, i helped him with that.  i didn't have a problem with him taking it, i just didn't want to carry it.  i didn't want him to hurt himself either though), and he walked it all the way home!   he didn't even struggle much with it .   it did have to stay outside, but it went home with us.   we moved later, but the rock sits at grandma's house to this day.   

back to the point- what to do with all of these rocks.   i saw a pin from little owl arts where they had been crocheting around rocks and i figured it was worth a try.    let me say that i'm not great with knitting or crocheting.   i love to do it, but that doesn't make me good at it.   

on with the experiment!   i tried some thin yarn that i had an it was still just too thick.   then i found some twine outside in the garden shed.   nice!   works perfect.   good thing the neighbor didn't want to tie up veggies this year.  (his twine, yes i asked)

the first one, round white rock, did not turn out how i imagined it.   in fact, its ends are where the middle is supposed to be and vice versa.   stink weed!   good thing i don't do patterns, and make things up as i go along.   this called for a lot of improvising.    learned to make a stable circle and then fit it to the rock.   

it worked better for the second, round orange one.   i played with the string of this one two.   evidently, i did a half double crochet but did it in the top of the one before to make the chain for the necklace.   i just looked it up at dictionary of knitting and crochet abbreviations .    who knew?  * wouldn't a "half double" be a single, evidently not.    i didn't name it, i just used it.*   anyway,   turned out more what i was thinking but i'd like to see the rock more.   still working on it.  

 the third one, the triangle, is actually a piece of a pottery that we found at the river.   this was a special order for my daughter.   i did half a circle with half double crochet and then just used that stitch to go around.   it's also what i used to make the chain but i used two wide this time.   imagine what i could do if i learned another stitch!   

my kids pick up rocks everywhere so i'm thinking rock garlands, necklaces, rings and bracelets.   oh the possibilities.   wheeeee!

braided swedish piggies

i like the swedish piggies, but my tomboy princess needs braids to keep her hair from being tangled up in her adventures.   so we braided them.

i split her hair down the center.   doesn't have to be straight since the hair will be covering it.   love it when i don't have to think about the part in her hair.

then i had her hold the pieces i split from side to side.   i split pieces off from the right then left yada yada . . from about half way in so i had something to braid on the other side.

then as i braided i just added the pieces from the other side.   hope that made sense.   i think i confused myself.

 i braided the first side to the end, loosely.   then as i braided the other side to the end, i use a homemade topsy tail to bring the inside piece through the braid from the first side.

 i just had a hard time braiding today so it's a little loose in places.   yes, that is toes by her head.   it's the other end of the blonde curls.   he's helping.   we'll blame the piggy toes.

now, go braid those piggies!




another version of the swedish braiding.   i split the hair into three and then sectioned my sides for braiding.   i did it really loose for the first ones since it was for church and i wanted a softer look.   then i wrapped the ends up into the braids and left  the under part of her hair loose. 

this is actually later the same sunday.   after church, she's more tom boy and less princess so she wanted it off of her neck.   it was already sectioned off so i just un-braided one at a time and re-braided tight.   then i split the under part of her hair into 3 and braided it in.

i didn't even stop long enough to get a picture.  we went out into the forest and i just snapped a pic on the walk.   this is on the go hair!

missionary games

We have the missionaries over most every week.   last week, the kids decided they needed to come over for a game night for family home evening.   hmmm . . . game to play with the missionaries.  

here's what we came up with - scripture mastery scavenger hunt.   i was going to just look up some scriptures to use but . . .i'm to lazy for that.   i figured scripture mastery were worthwhile scriptures and all i had to do was write them down.   http://seminary.lds.org/mastery/

you can use 4 teams with each using the scripture mastery set from the 4 sets of works, old test., new test., book of mormon, doc. & cov.   everyone can use the same set, mix it up however suits your purposes.   use time limit or til each team is done or just go all together.   we aren't competitive, so we don't keep score anyway.   it would be a fun thing to take on a nature walk or on a car ride  as well.   basic scavenger hunt  except you get to be creative with it.  

take this scripture for example : john 10:16  And ^aother ^bsheep I have, which are not of this fold: them also I must bring, and they shall hear my voice; and there shall be ^cone fold, and one shepherd.

you could find a sheep or something sheep related.

you could find something to represent fold, like folded clothing.

something for hearing or voice.

a shepherd or shepherds staff or a stick.

possibly a fence to keep the sheep together

the number 1.

you could get less symbolic and go with america or nephites/lamanites which is what this refers to. . . .

you get it.

it's fun to see what people come up with.   if someone gets too far off, take a vote.

you could always use scriptures your working with or the Articles of Faith,

The Family: A Proclamation to the World,

The Living Christ: The Testimony of the Apostles, . . . .

one of the other options is to use the scriptures as clues to where to find things/more clues.  

genesis 8: 6  

And it came to pass at the end of forty days, that Noah opened the window of the ark which he had made:

would be the window which would have the clue -  

Leviticus 25:22 

22 And ye shall sow the eighth year, and eat yet of old fruit until the ninth year; until her fruits come in ye shall eat of the old store

 which would lead to your food storage etc.

if you've read book of mormon sleuth, it does this all the way through and has some really obscure references.    

so that was my plan but it was raining and the kids needed to burn some energy.   so, yeah for mommy with a back up plan!

balloon volleyball.   we always have balloons, they are better for you than candy.    everyone enjoyed batting them back and forth.   there are rules, but no one really plays by them for more than a few minutes.   and when your playing with a rambunctious 2 year old, just keeping the balloon it the air is great.

ninja.   i don't get it cuz i'm old.  but the missionaries had played before and all of my kids thought it was great.   the little blonde curls didn't play by the rules, surprise surprise.   bow to each other.   pose like a ninja.   step or attack each move.   so the first steps or makes a new ninja pose that tries to hit the other person's hand.  you can move your hand/arm or step back to avoid the attack.  it's looks like robot ninjas and i love watching them.   its hilarious!    

Who's the Animal -  To start the game, you need a person that is it. Everyone stands in the circle, except the person who is it, they stand in the middle. Put a blindfold on the person who is it. Have them say "Go" every one runs around, not making any clue of where they are. When the person who is it says "Stop" all the people stop in the circle again. The person who is it points in a direction, saying an animal. Whoever he/she points to has to make the animal noise that they were told. Trying not to sound like themselves. The person tries to guess the person who made the noise. If he/she guesses right, the person who did the animal is it, if not you just pick some one else to be it. - Maren Jacobs from http://ldssplash.com/fhe/fhe_games/family_home_evening_games.htm

screaming toes was fun - we usually ended up with one winner.   Screaming Toes- Everyone stands up. Get in a circle. Everyone chooses someone and looks at their feet. Everyone yells, "SCREAMING TOES!" then looks at the persons face. If they're looking at you, SCREAM! Step out of the circle. The last two people in the circle wins.   http://ldssplash.com/fhe/fhe_games/family_home_evening_games.htm

 we did the flour tower.   use a cup and form your flour like a sand castle.  you'll have to pack it to get it to stay.   then put your plate on top of the cup and turn them over so the flour can come out on he plate.   i used an old ice cream cup and put a hole in the bottom so it would release easier.    place a penny on the top and take turns cutting chunks off of the tower.   you have to cut from top to bottom, no chicken little chunks.   the one who makes the penny fall loses.    we played this a lot.   the new rule we had to make is that the little blonde 2 year old curls gets to finish the tower after the penny falls and if your holding the knife when he bumps the table making the penny fall, you lose.   

one of the missionaries taught us "signs".   everyone has a sign.   like a finger mustache, bunny ears, something with your hands.   one person in the middle closes their eyes and turns once.   the people around the outside start the game while "it" turns.   the first person makes a someone's sign, that person makes their own sign to accept the turn and then someone else's sign.   the person in the center tries to catch the person who's turn it is.   so if the person has not accepted the sign yet, the person who sent it is still it.   another version is if you send "it"out of the room and everyone makes up their sign and the person in the middle tries to guess someones sign.   the person who's sign they guess correctly is it.

 we'll have to do this again when it's warmer and can play outside.   one of the neighbors showed up and played with us.   the missionaries gave a short lesson and we had treats, (of course).   any other fun games?   ldssplash had a lot of other fun games as well.   they tried gospel says but it didn't go very far.    i think the curly toddler had something to do with that.      

 altogether a great family home evening!