tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-54351288236236635202024-03-19T03:40:44.380-07:00Real MomtransPARENT real MOMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16178320717015199902noreply@blogger.comBlogger235125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5435128823623663520.post-70232291796127196162019-05-01T17:12:00.001-07:002019-05-01T17:12:16.422-07:00Getting back to real: a different kind of crazyMy girls are 9 and 11 now. And things are no less hectic than when they were 2 and 4. It’s just a different kind of crazy. Now we juggle after school academic team practices, two hour dance lessons, archery practice twice a week and meets on weekends, church, orchestra rehearsals, homebuilders’ meetings, and (I finally dropped) choir. This is not an extensive list. You all know. You are mentally adding your additional ten things to the list. This is life for the young American family of the 21st century.<br />
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That said, I want you all to know how this looks on the inside. Outside we may look like we are juggling quite well. Behind the doors, spinning suspended plates are falling out of my raised hands every day. If not the plates themselves, then at least the food is sliding right off. Especially the food.<br />
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In the last two weeks, I have left out to ruin...an entire crock pot of vegetable soup, the grape salad I was going to take to Easter dinner, a large pot of boil eggs I was cooking ahead for breakfast all week, AND all the beautifully dyed eggs we made for Easter (and might I add that we used home-made dyes because...why not add one more time consuming activity to our list so we can post it on Insta?).<br />
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Waste. When waste breaks my heart.<br />
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Then we have laundry. I start a load at 9, after putting the kids to bed, thinking I will throw it in the dryer on my way to bed...but fall asleep on the couch. Sooooo, the next morn I have to wash the load again. Because my washer transfers a nice sour smell onto any clothes left in there for more than 5 seconds after it spins. How much detergent have I wasted washing loads twice or, heaven help me, three or four times?<br />
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Speaking of falling asleep...how well do you sleep on the couch? My couch is pretty comfy but I never agree with myself when I wake up at 4 o’clock in the morn with my legs still painfully curled upon the half of the couch I choose to use when I fall asleep there. Why did I not just go to bed when I got sleepy you ask? Because I am waiting to switch out the laundry.transPARENT real MOMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16178320717015199902noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5435128823623663520.post-45126963139937401312016-01-08T20:41:00.000-08:002016-01-08T20:47:46.312-08:00I agree. Mostly. A dear old friend whom I greatly respect recently had the honor of being published! I'm thrilled for her and admire her even more. Besides homeschooling, gardening, and turing that garden into a small biz farm, she also finds time to write?!?! Her intriguing and inspiring, if a bit bitter when swallowing, article is <a href="http://katyhadalittlefarm.com/2016/01/08/we-have-failed-a-plea-to-parents-and-every-adult-on-the-standard-american-diet/">here</a> at her blog, adorably named katyhadalittlefarm.com.<br />
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I read it and loved it and was pained by it and processed it and now offer these thoughts for anyone who can relate. I started to actually post on Facebook (which should explain the quirky letter-to-a-friend-like beginning of my reply to her), but as the length grew, I questioned the propriety of that. Why not blog? It was, afterall, a blog to which I was responding. I haven't in too long anyway. With no further ado, my reply:<br />
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So, I'm just going to bravely have this convo right here [on Facebook, which I didn't, so it's safe to say I'm not that brave]. First, you have a blog?! How did I miss that? And you are published? YAY!!! Will def have to check out some other posts soon! FYI: I couldn't access the article through FB - said it was restricted - but I went online to read. And I agree - real food is worth it. And I am convicted.<br />
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However, I also know this: real food isn't the single most important issue facing me as a parent, though it is at the top of my list. Showing them Jesus is first and foremost and I am heavily convicted at my failures in that area as well. (But more about that later.)<br />
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With that said, here I go...I have been where you are, at home, gardening, emphasizing good foods, making health high priority. Now I am working outside the home, along with my man, who works more-than-full-time, while also going to school full-time and building our new home. We are at our current home, on average, less than 3-4 hours a day, other than sleeping. We have been eating TERRIBLE! We still try but I now know how real the real food struggle is for two-working-parent homes. When I stayed home I was working - yes! But my work was focused on the home and my family and good foods and household order and...now we just survive. And my kids ask for, and I quote, "real food." My youngest literally asked for "fruits and veggies" when I recently offered something else - chili - which was also homemade but not the raw stuff her body was craving. And I am both grateful that I have instilled that in her and heartbroken that she actually had to ask.<br />
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I still pack their lunches - one decent meal they are guaranteed a day - because the school food is hardly food. (I think you would be surprised how many people agree with you there.) And kids often ask my girls what they are eating and mock their lunches and I have to encourage them to be strong and not stop eating almond butter or [inserted whole food] just because their friends say it looks like "poop."<br />
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I get both sides of the issue. Both struggles are real. Real food is worth it. To a point. Until you start to loose your sanity because there isn't enough time and you are down to 5 or 6 hours of sleep a night consistently - and you need 8. And you start screaming at your kids. And you wonder how you can fulfill priority #1 (Jesus with skin) if priority #2 (or 3 or 4) makes you act demon-possessed. <br />
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We try. We fail. We try again. And we come alongside each other in this REAL real food struggle and nod and say, "I know this is hard, but we do all we can and pray God will cover the rest." I am learning His love covers a multitude of mistakes. And that includes my bad food choices. Not that His grace is a reason to sin and eat poorly, but I certainly know He forgives me when I can't get a square meal on the table and He even blesses my efforts to provide the best food I can.<br />
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This season too shall pass. And someday I hope to say, "Jaimee has a little farm," and be able to share some edible gold with others who are in a crazy season, wanting better for their kids and themselves but are at the end of their rope and unable to give it.<br />
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Until then, coddle me a little and please don't slap me when I fail because, believe me, I do enough of that to myself. If I'm not hanging my head in shame over the rotten supper we ate, then it's hung because I short-circuited on my child while I was chopping those veggies to roast, while stirring the pot on the stove, while knocking over the coffee I made for myself to get through the evening but never even took a sip because I was too busy helping my oldest with her homework.<br />
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So very grateful I have a Savior who promises to be the lifter of my head. And promises it ALL works together for my good. Possibly this bumpy path to better berries is creating a little compassion within me, even if we eat a little corn protein and cellulose gel along the way.transPARENT real MOMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16178320717015199902noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5435128823623663520.post-14100183960917548912015-09-13T18:47:00.001-07:002015-09-13T18:53:22.973-07:00Working Momma RecipesI went back to work outside the home this week. I am now a CIA at my girls' school. It is fun. And exhausting. And exciting. And chaotic. And stressful. And...I love it.<br />
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I love being on a schedule and getting up before the fam and having quiet time and being ready before anyone else gets up. I love being in the same building with my girls and getting hugs in the hallway. I love that I have a job that is on the same schedule as my kiddos; I go in when they do and walk out with them, and I'm off on the days they are off.<br />
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I don't love being completely pooped when I get home at three o'clock. But I have discovered that I have energy to get through the night on the days I work out after school. But I have also discovered that working out is hard because my classes are at 4 and 5 pm, right when we are normally fixing and/or eating supper.<br />
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I have also discovered that the crock pot is my very good friend. And a crock pot meal that can lead to several more meals is an even better friend. And, this week I am thankful for Ree Drummond, who gave me three recipes in one. And I added a few twists of my own; so, I had five days of meals from one crock. Woot woot!<br />
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Tuesday night I soaked a pot of black beans. Wednesday morning I put the soaked beans in the crock pot. Since that day we have used the black beans to make three-bean chili, chili/chips/cheese, taco pizza, and black bean veggie wraps.<br />
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Here are the recipes I've used:<br />
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<a href="http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ree-drummond/black-beans.html"><b><i>Black Beans</i></b></a><br />
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<a href="http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/rachael-ray/veg-head-three-bean-chili-recipe.html"><b><i>Three Bean Chili</i></b></a><br />
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<a href="http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ree-drummond/taco-pizza.html"><b><i>Taco Pizza</i></b></a> with my go-to quick and easy <a href="http://allrecipes.com/recipe/20171/quick-and-easy-pizza-crust/"><b><i>pizza crust</i></b></a> recipe<br />
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<a href="http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ree-drummond/grilled-veggie-burritos.html"><b><i>Black Bean Veggie Wraps</i></b></a> with <a href="http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ree-drummond/mango-guacamole.html"><b><i>Mango Guacamole</i></b></a><br />
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This week is:<br />
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Monday: left-overs from our meal at the Olive Garden tonight<br />
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Tuesday: Potato/Sausage/Kale soup<br />
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Wednesday: left-over soup<br />
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Thursday: something with chicken<br />
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Friday: ???<br />
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This is my idea of a weekday dinner plan, which really means I have no plan other than for one night. Ha.<br />
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And in between working and trying to keep my family fed and clothed - preferably in clean clothes - we are building a house. We now have a basement. After this week we should have a foundation for our garage and front porch. And after next week, we should be framed!!!<br />
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One last funny thought from my G-girl I will leave with you this night...<br />
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We received a movie in the mail on Friday from Netflix. I thought I had ordered a movie the girls would enjoy: <i>Little Women. </i>I read the description to the girls:<br />
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"Louisa May Alcott's beloved novel comes to life in this sensitive, soulful adaptation. Four sisters and their mother battle life's vicissitudes in Civil War-era America after their father leaves to join the conflict."<br />
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Then I said, "Hmmm...maybe this isn't something you all would like."<br />
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G said, "It sounds real. And gray."<br />
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E and I cocked our heads. Then realization dawned on both of us at the same time. As I began to laugh, E said, "You mean black and white?" G laughed as she said, "Yes, I mean black and white."<br />
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Hahaha! I admitted it did sound real (non-animated) and gray (black and white). Love her little mind.<br />
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And...we rented <i>Charlotte's Web.</i><br />
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transPARENT real MOMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16178320717015199902noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5435128823623663520.post-62929028571142577552015-07-16T06:35:00.000-07:002015-07-16T06:35:02.841-07:00Wine or WhineSo, I got a two-fold lesson during my readings this morning. And I'm going to have to be quick about this because the girls and I have a breakfast date in less than an hour. But writing is remembering for me; so, I jot quickly.<br />
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First, Proverbs.<br />
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I have read this passage numerous times:<br />
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"If you had responded to my rebuke, I would have poured out my heart to you and made my thoughts known to you. But since you rejected me...I in turn will laugh at your disaster; I will mock when calamity overtakes you..." (1:23-26).<br />
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And I have interpreted it thus:<br />
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Because I haven't listened to a particular instruction God has given me, I am unforgiven, unforgivable, and basically stuck in this pit of "disaster and calamity."<br />
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But today God helped me see a lie I have been believing, as I read on...<br />
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"...but whoever listens to me will live in safety and be at ease, without fear of harm" (1:33).<br />
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Whoever listens. Whenever we listen. If we listen, these are the promises.<br />
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So maybe I haven't listened in the past. Maybe you haven't either. But we can listen today. We can gain peace for today. We can be at ease today. We do not need to fear that we will live in this pit forever. We can be out today.<br />
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Do not listen = disaster and calamity, distress and trouble<br />
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Listen = safety, ease, and no fear<br />
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What exactly have I been rejecting? 1) The power of His Word. The truth that the Word alone has the power to keep me out of the pit. 2) The power of praise. The truth that my willingness to focus on God and his blessings (whatever is true, noble, right, pure, lovely, admirable, excellent, and praiseworthy), rather than my trials will bring joy and strength.<br />
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Then, I grabbed up Oswald Chambers' <i>My Utmost for His Highest</i> and read April 14. (So, I'm a little behind.) Here is what Chambers says:<br />
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"'Whom the Lord loveth, He chasteneth.' How petty our complaining is! Our Lord begins to bring us into the place where we can have communion with Him, and we groan and say--'O Lord, let me be like other people.'''<br />
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[Boy, have I said this!]<br />
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He continues, "Jesus is asking us to take one end of the yoke--'My yoke is easy, get alongside Me nad we will pull together,' Are you identified with the Lord Jesus like that? If so, you will thank God for the pressure of His hand.<br />
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"'To them that have no might He increaseth strength.' God comes and takes us our of our sentimentality [that is so me!], and our complaining [yep, me] turns into a paean of praise. The only way to know the strength of God is to take the yoke of Jesus upon us and learn of Him. [The power of the Word.]<br />
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"'The joy of the Lord is your strength.' Where do the saints get their joy from? If we did not know some saints, we would say--'Oh, he, or she, has nothing to bear.' Lift the veil. The fact that the peace and the light and the joy of God are there is proof that the burden is there too. The burden God places squeezes the grapes and out comes the wine;most of us see the wine only. No power on earth or in hell can conquer the Spirit of God in a human spirit, it is an inner unconquerableness.<br />
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"If you have the whine in you, kick it out ruthlessly. It is a positive crime to be weak in God's strength."<br />
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Wow. God's strength is available today. If I listen, believe, and refuse to whine in my circumstances.<br />
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So, here's what I concluded:<br />
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When Satan presses me with his lies with the intent to crush me, I can let him drive me to the pit or I can dig deeper into the rich soils of God's Word.<br />
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When God presses the grapes of my circumstances, out comes the wine or the whine. Which will I allow to burst forth today?<br />
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Satan presses = be crushed or dig on down into God's Word<br />
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God presses = whine or let Him bring forth the wine<br />
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Today I'm going to dig deep, offer praise, and let God make wine of life's bitterest grapes. Because I am clinging to this: What Satan intends for evil, God will use for good!<br />
<br />transPARENT real MOMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16178320717015199902noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5435128823623663520.post-36237964450859757842015-07-14T11:24:00.000-07:002015-07-15T06:48:46.235-07:00Summer Thoughts<div style="text-align: center;">
My house has come undone. </div>
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There is at least a load of dishes on my counters and in my sink, if not two. </div>
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I would not even want to count the loads of laundry waiting to be washed. </div>
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And there is more waiting to be folded, or ironed, then put away. </div>
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The bathtub is grimy from the dirt of feet that have run bare in the summer grass. </div>
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And covers and toys and books are strewn everywhere. </div>
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Oh, and I won't even mention the garden. </div>
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But I will share a picture of the weeds, trying to catch up with our 9-foot-tall corn.</div>
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And still, I love it.</div>
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We have horse-riding lessons, </div>
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a new piece of property to mow and weed-eat, </div>
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books to read, movies to watch, parks to visit, </div>
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ice cream to make, a volcano to explode, veggies to pick/cook/share, </div>
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fireflies to catch, games to play, family and friends to visit, </div>
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(here we are in Pop's pool with the cuz)</div>
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and our friends' pool that beckons every time the sun shines </div>
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(which hasn't been often since we are experiencing record-setting rain falls for this time of year).</div>
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And while we are on the subject...</div>
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Big girl learned to swim yesterday! Yay!!!</div>
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I have three weeks until both of my babies go to school. Have I mentioned that my baby baby starts Kindergarten this year??? I can hardly imagine what I will do with 7 uninterrupted hours 5 days a week! I think I might cry for a few of them. But until then, we will laugh, play, swim, lie in pajamas all day, and dodge piles of laundry as we head out of doors to squeeze every last bit of fun out of our last three weeks of summer.</div>
transPARENT real MOMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16178320717015199902noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5435128823623663520.post-69308184230474740042015-06-25T21:08:00.002-07:002015-06-25T21:10:08.793-07:00We're building!!!Eeeeek! Life is what I call fun-stress right now, as my man and I are pulling together all the paperwork, cost estimates, and ideas that are needed to build a house! It is an exciting, extremely stressful undertaking. We have argued, walked away, hugged, laughed, cried, made decisions, then chucked them. We are just about to the point of digging the footer and we have started questioning our house plan again! Nothing is final until it is set in concrete, my friends, and it is about to be set in concrete.<br />
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But tonight has been all about fun stuff...flooring, light fixtures, cabinets, shelving, etc. Here are a few of the ideas I'm loving...<br />
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First of all, flooring. The man and I both really want reclaimed barn wood flooring. But let's be honest, it is $$$$$$$$$$$$. We are thinking we may be able to at least lay it in the great room, but we'll see how the moolah is holding out when we get to that point. (And I laugh.)<br />
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In the bedrooms, I am thinking I may try something un-ordinary and extraordinary like this:<br />
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<a href="http://www.picklee.com/2012/12/12/farmhouse-wide-plank-floor-made-from-plywood-diy/"><b>Plywood planks</b></a><br />
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Thoughts???<br />
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As for the kitchen, he and I both had a strange vision that we could hardly believe had come to each of us individually: mix-matched cabinets, painted slightly different but in the same color family, to create a unique upcycled farmhouse look.<br />
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Here are three very different examples, but we love bits and pieces of each.<br />
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<a href="http://www.hgtv.com/remodel/kitchen-remodel/recycled-kitchen-cabinets"><b>My favorite</b></a><br />
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<a href="http://homeimprovementinsights.com/two-tone-kitchen-cabinets-to-warm-up-the-kitchen/two-tone-kitchen-cabinets-with-barn-red-and-sage-green/"><b>My second favorite</b></a> - Def want the butcher block top island and pan rack/light fixture!<br />
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<a href="http://www.houzz.com/photos/6806175/Distressed-Colorful-Kitchen-rustic-kitchen-other-metro"><b>My also-second favorite</b></a><br />
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And that's all for tonight folks. Just a few fun and fabulous photos for you. Ideas to become new realities soon.transPARENT real MOMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16178320717015199902noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5435128823623663520.post-8372538548727211342015-04-01T18:31:00.001-07:002015-04-02T18:19:56.036-07:00Hello AgainSo, it's been a while. A long while. What can I say? Life has been happening? Yes. But more than that. I haven't felt the need to write. Or the freedom. <div><br></div><div>Tonight I write in freedom. Not for anyone. Because I'm pretty sure no one is checkin to see if I write anymore. But just to record some thoughts. </div><div><br></div><div>One. I'm still a constant contradiction. As, I'm realizing, most of us are. One day I'm sharing recipes for my homemade, whole foods, like chili powder, taco seasoning, tortillas, and bread. (I should add they were requested, not offered presumptuously.) And literally the same day I whip up a boxed chocolate cake mix with a can of chocolate icing (aka artificially colored soybean oil with high fructose corn syrup). The next day I labor over wholesome homemade sourdough bread then eat pork nachos for lunch. Nomnom. </div><div><br></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9KyzypD-6i2_FWOf5AEtzIRREJuQqy07B3HrnKozYM0DEQSRwJLx7DaXGpyAGOt2iFhATc2VVe_jOCJy-f7cN2__fy1C0EJx5OoWYwMwkVp2kW8Xqz7Ba3mgqgxwLCbBFgV-l7cNK7b5l/s640/blogger-image-994536490.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9KyzypD-6i2_FWOf5AEtzIRREJuQqy07B3HrnKozYM0DEQSRwJLx7DaXGpyAGOt2iFhATc2VVe_jOCJy-f7cN2__fy1C0EJx5OoWYwMwkVp2kW8Xqz7Ba3mgqgxwLCbBFgV-l7cNK7b5l/s640/blogger-image-994536490.jpg"></a></div><br></div><div><br></div><div>Two. I'm still learning (s l o w l y) what it means to live under grace and mercy. To act only by His strength and to forgive myself when I fall down and lose my patience with my babies, judge others for the very mistakes I make, act selfishly, think I'm better, aim for the wrong goals, fail to love well...</div><div><br></div><div>Three. I'm still learning to not take myself so seriously. I'm trying to laugh at my ridiculousness. Admit things aren't as big of a deal as I make them out to be. Admit I'm wrong. Say I'm sorry. Let loose. Make lemonade out of lemons. Case in point: I just ran through Kroger's parking lot in the pouring ran with my suede shoes in my hand. Yes, that would mean <i>bare feet</i>. G and I laughed the whole way. The sudden downpour could have ruined a pair of shoes. Instead it gave us a chance to splash barefooted in the rain. </div><div><br></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUKp9bNKn3vNhd1gE3HE7teP5ESpX014yvOWEydu4Wthi9ZnrG7m9V03UtLijEFfI-2M9wKzvRK-UHVg1-tbe9WyY9xAZm4K5tsm9UbwzaZ3UK2iUAuinfpyfUxLRqkeOCdRLcYdY9VQFt/s640/blogger-image-1164269871.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUKp9bNKn3vNhd1gE3HE7teP5ESpX014yvOWEydu4Wthi9ZnrG7m9V03UtLijEFfI-2M9wKzvRK-UHVg1-tbe9WyY9xAZm4K5tsm9UbwzaZ3UK2iUAuinfpyfUxLRqkeOCdRLcYdY9VQFt/s640/blogger-image-1164269871.jpg"></a></div><br></div><div>(And then some more when we all were home.)</div><div><br></div><div>Four. Life is still good. Very good. </div><div><br></div><div>This weekend is Easter. The girls and I have had many discussions about the reason for this season. Lent. Palm Sunday. Resurrection Sunday. We've baked Resurrection rolls and an Empty Tomb cake (the said box mix), filled and hid eggs, and coloring eggs is still to come. </div><div><br></div><div>Life is busy. And hard. Lived by self-imposed rules one minute, only to be broken the next. Full of thunderous, drenching downpours of mercy and grace and overflowing with reasons for laughter. Every second crammed with opportunities to taste and see that our resurrected Lord is good. </div><div><br></div><div>Here's to celebrating Him this weekend. Happy Easter. </div><div><br></div>transPARENT real MOMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16178320717015199902noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5435128823623663520.post-84944060812950820922015-01-31T10:33:00.000-08:002015-01-31T10:33:27.812-08:00ClothesRemember this post: <b><i><u><a href="http://transparentrealmom.blogspot.com/2013/11/teenage-clothes-cholesterol-and.html">Teenage Clothes, Cholesterol, and Christmas</a></u></i></b>?<br />
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I just read it again and remembered a conversation G and I had this week. It went something like this:<br />
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G brought me a barbie and asked, "Can you tie this?" referring to the halter neck ties.<br />
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Me: "Yes." And after I tied it, "You know...mommy would never let you wear a dress like this."<br />
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G: "I know, because it's too pretty."<br />
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(Ack!!! My five year old equates immodesty with prettiness.)<br />
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Me, emotions whirling, but trying to appear calm: "No, honey...because it isn't modest. See how tight it is? And how much skin it shows? You can look pretty and still be modest."<br />
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There was more to this convo, but you get the jist.<br />
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Afterwards, I was left feeling defeated. What have I taught my child? That pretty clothes are always immodest? That to be modest, you must not look very good. Unfortunately, I am a poor example of being modest AND pretty. I don't think yoga pants and long-sleeved tees qualify as pretty clothes in G's little mind - or anyone else's for that matter.<br />
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But then, what do I expect? Beautiful women all around us tend to display their bodies. How do we counter the message that society is sending: to be pretty, you must be immodest?<br />
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To be honest, I have tried to step it up a notch with my wardrobe. I want my girls to know that you can be presentable and still be modest. It's a struggle, one that will probably only get harder. And I know many of you out there can relate, especially those of you with teenagers. So, just know that this momma of a just-5-year-old and just-7-year-old is already feeling your pain. We are in the trenches together, sister.transPARENT real MOMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16178320717015199902noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5435128823623663520.post-48396300120672465152014-11-23T09:29:00.001-08:002014-11-23T09:33:09.566-08:00A Day in the Life of a Shopper<div>
We found ourselves in need of several things recently and decided to have some fun acquiring them. Baby girl and I had a day out on Friday. Here it is relived in snapshots. </div>
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You may notice her outfit is different in the last picture. She just had to put on her new clothes. </div>
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Big girl and I had our day on Saturday. Here are a few glimpses of our day. </div>
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She also had to don her new duds. Can you spy a subtle furry vest?</div>
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transPARENT real MOMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16178320717015199902noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5435128823623663520.post-63035666610523923352014-11-18T19:38:00.002-08:002014-11-18T21:32:28.665-08:00Lemon RicottaI'm feeling a little sicky right now. Ugh. Too many cookies. Mmmm...cookies. Maybe I could eat one more without vomiting.<br />
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Seriously, I stumbled upon the yummiest lemon ricotta cookie recipe.<br />
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First, make lemon ricotta. I used...<br />
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2 qts. whole milk<br />
1/2 tsp. salt<br />
1 1/2 Tbs. fresh lemon juice<br />
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In a large pot, mix milk and salt. Heat until boiling. Reduce heat and add lemon juice. Simmer and gently stir until milk curdles, about two minutes. Line a strainer with cheese cloth. Pour the curds into the cheese cloth and let drain for about an hour. Refrigerate up to two days. Or...<br />
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Make lemon ricotta cookies!<br />
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I used <b><i><u><a href="http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/giada-de-laurentiis/lemon-ricotta-cookies-with-lemon-glaze-recipe.html">this recipe</a></u></i></b> by Giada De Laurentiis.<br />
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I had to halve the recipe because I only had enough ricotta for a half batch, and I omitted the zest from the glaze, because I accidentally added it all to the cookies themselves (oops), but otherwise, I followed the recipe. Amazing, right?!<br />
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2 1/2 c. AP flour (Oh, I did use whole wheat pastry flour.)<br />
1 tsp. baking powder<br />
1 tsp. salt<br />
1 stick unsalted butter, softened<br />
2 c. sugar<br />
2 eggs<br />
15 oz. whole milk ricotta cheese<br />
1 lemon (zest + 3 Tbs. lemon juice)<br />
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Preheat oven to 375.<br />
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Mix flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.<br />
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Beat butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs one at a time, beating after each one. Add ricotta, lemon juice, and zest. Beat to combine. Then stir in dry ingredients.<br />
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Bake at 375 for 15 minutes. Let cool for about 20 minutes. Meanwhile, make glaze.<br />
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Glaze:<br />
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1 1/2 c. powdered sugar<br />
1 lemon (zest + 3 Tbs. lemon juice)<br />
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Mix sugar, lemon juice, and zest in a small bowl until smooth. Spread about 1/2 tsp. glaze on each cookie. Let cool and harden for about 2 hrs. Store in airtight container.<br />
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Then try not to make yourself sick on them. I failed.<br />
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P.S. Yesterday's chili was made with venison. I had eaten deer meat before but I had never cooked with it. Yum! Really couldn't tell much difference in the chili. It ground up finer when it cooked, but no great difference in taste. I expected game-y, but I got yummy. =) I could totally live on deer meat. Someone buy me a bow! Ha. Like I could really shoot it.<br />
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<br />transPARENT real MOMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16178320717015199902noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5435128823623663520.post-22941841416963074872014-11-17T10:45:00.000-08:002014-11-18T19:10:26.544-08:00SNOW DAY!!!I absolutely LOVE snow! And now that my kiddos are in school, I love it even more! A day to sleep in, lounge in PJ's, play in the snow, come back in, slip on those PJ's, drink hot chocolate, watch movies...<br>
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Yes, please!!!<br>
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The forecast was calling for 3-5 inches of snow and the girls and I went to bed, hoping, maybe even praying. At 5 o'clock this morning - 5 o'clock! - the girls came running into our room...<br>
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"Mommy! Mommy! Mommy!"<br>
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"What?"<br>
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"It snowed! The roads are covered!"<br>
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I gave a thumbs-up. "Okay. Go play."<br>
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Then I looked at my phone. Good grief. They must love snow even more than me! I love snow, but c'mon! I also love sleep. I told them to go back and lie down for another hour. That lasted about thirty minutes.<br>
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When I finally got up, the girls were hardly able to wait any longer to get outside, but I remembered that we had to deliver our <b><i><u><a href="http://www.samaritanspurse.org/what-we-do/operation-christmas-child/">Operation Christmas Child shoe boxes </a></u></i></b>to the church.<br>
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PJ's? Sipping coffee on the couch, under a cover, by the light of the Christmas tree? Oh, well, maybe later.<br>
<br>
We suited up because we were going to just drop the boxes then go straight out to play when we returned. And in the process, we realized that big girl's snow boots no longer fit. <i>Sad face.</i><br>
<br>
We dropped our shoe boxes at church, ran to Wal-Mart to buy snow boots made in China (<i>deep, deep frown</i>), and came home to play.<div><br></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_PF4Y40da4N0GtihG7hUg3aJPfPl5ta4DiVVqnE3ANAkArCZTwFvhNSFnyUtu718a0QCdki64vRQXYH52Zy0IXODsuTQfSPyxc57iL8v7Fpmxb70isEBmJaeT33lZ4W_xzYEyP6sH7RmD/s640/blogger-image-1407174161.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_PF4Y40da4N0GtihG7hUg3aJPfPl5ta4DiVVqnE3ANAkArCZTwFvhNSFnyUtu718a0QCdki64vRQXYH52Zy0IXODsuTQfSPyxc57iL8v7Fpmxb70isEBmJaeT33lZ4W_xzYEyP6sH7RmD/s640/blogger-image-1407174161.jpg"></a></div><br>
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After lots of tracks, snow angels, and rolling down the banks of the ditch, we came in cold and wet. While the girls changed into PJ's, I threw our wet clothes in the laundry and heated milk for hot chocolate.<br>
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We ate oranges and pop corn and drank hot chocolate while watching <i>Lady and the Tramp</i>.<br>
<br>
I've started cooking beans for chili, and now it's nap time.<br>
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Now tell me, what's not to love about snow?<br>
<br>
Beautiful whiteness. Christmas tree lights. Hot chocolate. Soft powdery ground cover. Snuggy blankets. Chili. I'm in snow heaven.</div>transPARENT real MOMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16178320717015199902noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5435128823623663520.post-50711802670285711012014-10-22T20:48:00.001-07:002014-10-30T18:03:54.658-07:00Re-reading the PastLast night I got on here to finish up a post I started yesterday morning and I found myself just reading back through some old posts. I loved seeing the pix of the girls from two years ago, reading about the fun things they've done, and even reading about our struggles.<div><br></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixQe3hXm-0Et0vH7P5KRz5VVxGBdzSwKlxMXnn9wznip7GMw_O-TLNO1d_QagLBqlVM371tJk4KqpRfd0CptwnNLDm06HI8np8G-IZKhTofvAvNM3IRoFapYQOuK-DNgdoNBdSet1QtrQi/s640/blogger-image-1050010448.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixQe3hXm-0Et0vH7P5KRz5VVxGBdzSwKlxMXnn9wznip7GMw_O-TLNO1d_QagLBqlVM371tJk4KqpRfd0CptwnNLDm06HI8np8G-IZKhTofvAvNM3IRoFapYQOuK-DNgdoNBdSet1QtrQi/s640/blogger-image-1050010448.jpg"></a></div></div><br>
Some of the posts had me in stitches. Others had me in tears. Real life here.</div><div><br></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUwWi3LlmLilgRRWPC7yJu3pbAenqeywbOg6UDvz1z27mrZhRf08r7Aww1YH-LzfAY5C8f29H9Ga4LMtVYZvbWR8os2FIaT3ZEYjV38VvslfXT3fl8VuOEXjTxazJZaR8uNv126dvxQtZ-/s640/blogger-image-1963465639.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUwWi3LlmLilgRRWPC7yJu3pbAenqeywbOg6UDvz1z27mrZhRf08r7Aww1YH-LzfAY5C8f29H9Ga4LMtVYZvbWR8os2FIaT3ZEYjV38VvslfXT3fl8VuOEXjTxazJZaR8uNv126dvxQtZ-/s640/blogger-image-1963465639.jpg"></a></div><br>
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The last post I read (and it was the last simply because I HAD to go through some papers, or I probably would have kept reliving the past until my eyes fell asleep) was about standing, just getting up in Jesus and standing victorious over the enemy, "...and after you have done everything, to stand."<br><br><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcm7arX1KU0OoRZJxfy1LlkD3hRldfTdkGxJKNKCfHA45-aUlQYs1iouDMTscOEnZEluLbGMzB5k-Lzx18B36_okUCcVr3SBZ-0ngdRodLyqBpygdm-S4zN5PtWnlQfIThvebnY1mlZkIl/s640/blogger-image-951200917.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcm7arX1KU0OoRZJxfy1LlkD3hRldfTdkGxJKNKCfHA45-aUlQYs1iouDMTscOEnZEluLbGMzB5k-Lzx18B36_okUCcVr3SBZ-0ngdRodLyqBpygdm-S4zN5PtWnlQfIThvebnY1mlZkIl/s640/blogger-image-951200917.jpg"></a></div><br><br>
I loved it so much, I'm re-posting now.<div><br></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-hQbIIQFrV9hsM9ATs3xeez0O6L2gxmWU0oQgPRubiad_RckSxIFsd6yuK0NEcB1h75-iaS916rhkMXC9Yp6EVGunaW5oyv3v9Ia8MYov8kSLoqJSzcSlQYem7_3GXvIqk_E4I_4vQgdW/s640/blogger-image--1534989272.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-hQbIIQFrV9hsM9ATs3xeez0O6L2gxmWU0oQgPRubiad_RckSxIFsd6yuK0NEcB1h75-iaS916rhkMXC9Yp6EVGunaW5oyv3v9Ia8MYov8kSLoqJSzcSlQYem7_3GXvIqk_E4I_4vQgdW/s640/blogger-image--1534989272.jpg"></a></div><br></div>(A few flash-back pictures for you too.)</div><div><br>
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<span style="background-color: #bbbbbb; color: white; letter-spacing: 3px; margin: inherit; padding: 0.4em;">Tuesday, September 25, 2012</span></h2>
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<a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="6157248120872767571"></a><h3 class="post-title entry-title" itemprop="name" style="font-size: 22px; font-stretch: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0.75em 0px 0px; position: relative;">
Rise and Shine and Give God the Glory, Glory</h3>
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<div class="post-body entry-content" id="post-body-6157248120872767571" itemprop="description articleBody" style="font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.4; position: relative; width: 546px;">We sing this song a lot at our house. Early mornings, as we all now know, are a little rough around here. However, if I remember, I still push this song out of my mouth in the mornings, and before I know it, it's coming from my heart too.<br><br>Big girl sings along, but baby girl usually just watches us with a very serious look on her face, like she is above singing children's songs. Above singing any songs. Above learning anything by rote. Above learning anything new. In short, she just doesn't seem eager to learn, so I wonder if she's learning anything at all. But then I get these glimpses of intellect that amaze me and I realize she is a little sponge. She may not be trying to learn anything new, but her mind is absorbing the watery world around her because she is immersed in it and that is what sponges do.<br><br>So, today I took a nap with the girls. We all slept for two hours. The girls woke up first and came to my room to ask me when I was getting up. I said, "In a minute," then I woke with a start. Yes, in that order. I thought it was morning and I had over-slept and I looked over in the bed to find that my man was already gone! Impossible! I would have heard him. Heart beats slowed: it's not morning. But then, OH! It's afternoon! And how long did I sleep? How late in the afternoon?! Grabbed the phone. 4 o'clock. We went down at 2. Okay. It's not as bad as I thought. Have they been up long? No, they just got up, they said. Okay, I've not been an awful, negligent mommy.<br><br>But waking up in this whirlwind of adrenaline exhausted me. I laid the phone down and relaxed back on the pillow for a minute. I told the girls to potty in order to buy myself a few minutes to let my heart resume its normal pace.<br><br>And then Satan began. Why doesn't he give me ten minutes of peace before he starts his attacks? The guilty thoughts started, popping up in rapid succession. No, not succession. Popping up before the previous one had a chance to sit down...<br><br>I shouldn't have taken a nap...now what I am I going to fix for supper...I don't have anything that cooks quickly...the house is a mess...I should have done laundry...I have all those flowers to plant...why am I always so tired...the joy of the Lord is my strength...but I'm legitimately tired...I haven't had quiet time today...ugh...I should have gotten up earlier this morning to have my quiet time...at least then I could justify a nap...my man would probably like a nap...I hope he doesn't walk in right now and find me in bed at 4 o'clock...I've gotta get up...I need quiet time...I need to have an attitude of gratitude...I need counseling...<br><br>...would you all just SIT DOWN!!!!!!!<br><br>I started praying. And, as I started praying, I realized, once again, that Jesus is the Wonderful Counselor. As He was working me through my guilt list, I heard baby girl "reading" books in the hallway. Even with her complete lack of interest in any organized learning activities, she still has an excellent imagination. She will sit down with books and make up pretty amazing stories.<br><br>I knew from the bits and pieces I was hearing she was looking at a butterfly book that had been laying in the hallway all day, along with various other articles. Then I heard, "The butterfly flaps its wings and gives God the glory, glory, glory. Rise and Shine..."<br><br>And I was grateful. Grateful that something good had been absorbed by her spongy little brain. Grateful for God's reassurance that something good had come from me. Grateful to God for using baby girl to unwittingly remind me to rise and shine and give God the glory. And I rose. Those thoughts sat down and I stood up.<br><br>Me. Standing. That is nothing short of a miracle. In this overwhelming situation we find ourselves in, called life, we stand. And every time we do, we are to give God the glory for getting us on our feet and holding us upright. Apart from Him we can do nothing. But THROUGH Him we can do all things! And we stand.<br><br>And I was reminded of Beth Moore's blog I had just read earlier today...<br><br><span style="color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 28px;">I pray you are standing strong with the Shield of Faith in one hand and the Sword of the Spirit in the other. Isaiah 7:9b (NIV) has been on my radar often lately:</span><br><div style="color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 28px; margin-bottom: 20px; outline: none; padding: 0px;">
If you do not stand firm in your faith,<br>you will not stand at all.</div>
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Then, Romans 14:4 right on top of it: To his own master he stands or falls. And he will stand, for the Lord is able to make him stand.</div>
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Amen to that.</div>
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And this phrase out of Ephesians 6:13 – STAND YOUR GROUND.</div>
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Keeping our faith in the driver’s seat of our faithfulness, Christ’s own Spirit breathing through us, we CAN do this in His great Name. May He make Himself so obvious to us today. Then may He make Himself so obvious to someone else <em style="margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px;">through</em> us today.</div>
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Find the complete blog post at <a href="http://blog.lproof.org/2012/09/lpl-simulcast-recap-prayer-commissioning.html" style="color: #888888; text-decoration: none;">http://blog.lproof.org/2012/09/lpl-simulcast-recap-prayer-commissioning.html</a>.</div>
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</div>transPARENT real MOMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16178320717015199902noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5435128823623663520.post-12449781788607810462014-10-22T20:03:00.000-07:002014-10-22T20:03:24.777-07:00Spinach Salad and Soul FoodToday I am babysitting a friend's twins. After breakfast, dipe changes, playtime, and bottles, they are both asleep.<br />
<br />
<i>Eleven hours later</i><br />
...and that is all I was able to type before one woke up. Hmmm. How does a momma of twins do it?!<br />
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So, what I started to say way back in the wee hours of this morning was this:<br />
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I made a salad last night that was so very good, but I seriously only make this dressing like once every 5 years because, well, it's bacon grease. Yeah. And the Mr's cholesterol isn't exactly a care-free matter, nor will mine be if we eat this salad all the time.<br />
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<b><i><u><a href="http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/alton-brown/spinach-salad-with-warm-bacon-dressing-recipe.html">Spinach Salad with Warm Bacon Dressing</a></u></i></b><br />
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Basically, my version is, you fry up the bacon (I scramble it all at once for quicker cooking), crumble the bacon, boil some eggs, and slice some mushrooms. Toss all that yumminess in a bowl with spinach, then add the dressing and toss to coat.<br />
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Dressing:<br />
In a small pot, combine:<br />
3 T. bacon grease<br />
3 T. red wine vinegar (I will add more next time; I like more taste twang.)<br />
1 t. sugar<br />
1/2 t. Dijon mustard<br />
salt<br />
pepper<br />
Whisk together.<br />
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For those of you who have read my earlier posts this week and know that Tuesday night's sup was supposed to be "left-over French onion soup," well, it was. I just made salad to go with it.<br />
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And, while we are on the subject of food, let's talk soul food. Not like "Saul Good" soul food, Louisiana cookin' soul food, thought that's good too, but soul food, like food for the spirit soul food, Bread of Life soul food.<br />
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Here's what I was feeding my soul this morning:<br />
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I have hardly begun it and I love it. If you're looking for a good book, I suggest this one. Go feed yo-self, girlfriend!transPARENT real MOMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16178320717015199902noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5435128823623663520.post-64424412791614301852014-10-20T11:29:00.000-07:002014-10-20T11:30:33.429-07:00On the MenuReality check.<br />
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So, I realize that my blog has become all about food lately, and let's just state the obvious: food is a priority in my life. We have to eat to live and I want to eat as healthy as I can, and I want my family to eat as healthy as we can. But I've come to realize from several convos I've had with friends and family lately that there is a perception out there that I am cooking wholesome, healthy meals, like every night. In this case, perception is NOT reality.<br />
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Let me try to paint a real picture: I am a walking contradiction, sometimes freaking out over my food and sometimes throwing my hands up in defeat as I pull in a drive-thru and sometimes just saying, "I don't even care," as I buy chocolate donuts. I want to eat food the way God created it, unaltered and without additives but...life is busy and sometimes whole foods just take too long...whole foods are expensive unless you grow and make them all yourself and then that's time consuming...I've tasted some of the empty calories and they taste so, so good, i.e. Entenmann's chocolate donuts. I do the best I can, but I am far from eating clean 100% of the time.<br />
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I don't freak out over real sugar or real fat (butter, clean oils), because they are natural products, but I do have to watch them because the Mr's cholesterol is on the verge of being high. However, I do try to avoid MSG, preservatives, saturated fats, GMO's, artificial colors and flavors, and any other weird ingredients. Does that mean we never eat them? No. A very big, loud no. But I try to cook clean for supper and weekend meals. Breakfast and lunch is just whatever I can do with a semi-clear conscience. We do eat out some. And we can pretty much be relied upon for having pizza once every week or two.<br />
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Honestly, on weekdays we do well to get breakfast in bellies before getting to school, and most of it is eaten in the car on the way. It's usually a Kashi bar or Nature's Path version of a Pop-tart. I try to make my own granola, granola bars, and bread to use for toast, but that only happens maybe half the time. Lunch is usually a mix of any of the following: fruit (fresh or dried), some type of veggie (cherry tomatoes, carrot sticks, etc.), nuts, cheese, hummus, Sunbutter, and crackers (I prefer rice crackers, but will use others that don't have weird ingredients).<br />
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I know from all the convos I have with you all out there that I am super blessed to have a family that will eat left-overs. The Mr doesn't love them more than once, but even he can be persuaded to eat the same meal up to three times if I can find a way to vary it just a little each time. So, when I tell you all on here about the fun foods I might be making, don't think it happens every day. N to the O. I am notorious for fixing a meal that can be eaten for at least two or three days. Sometimes, if it's a recipe the Mr doesn't love, the girls and I will eat it for lunch. But the point is, momma ain't cooking every night. Noooo. Here's a quick glance at some weekly menus.<br />
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Last week's menu...<br />
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Monday:<br />
cooked pot of black beans to use in Monday's supper: Spicy Spaghetti Squash (recipe <b><i><u><a href="http://transparentrealmom.blogspot.com/2014/10/pumpkin-muffins-spaghetti-squash-and.html">here</a></u></i></b>)<br />
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Tuesday:<br />
left-over Spicy Spaghetti Squash<br />
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Wednesday:<br />
More of Monday's black beans with cheese and sour cream and roasted sweet potato fries<br />
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Thursday:<br />
A friend gave us some ribs and salad; I re-heated Wednesday's sweet potato fries to go with, and I made <b><i><u><a href="http://transparentrealmom.blogspot.com/2014/10/black-beanswhat.html">black bean brownies</a></u></i></b> with the last of the beans. My man does not eat those.<br />
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Friday:<br />
We ordered pizza.<br />
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Saturday:<br />
Spaghetti (a box and a jar) and re-heated frozen rolls<br />
<br />
<br />
On the menu for this week...<br />
<br />
Sunday:<br />
We were all sick and stayed home from church so I got to fix breakfast, which almost never happens. We had homemade pancakes (recipe below) and scrambled eggs for breakfast,<br />
Sonic BLT's for lunch, and<br />
Jamaican pork tenderloin for sup (recipe found <b><i><u><a href="http://transparentrealmom.blogspot.com/2012/05/more-recipes-anyone.html">here</a></u></i></b>)<br />
<br />
Monday: <br />
The girls are home sick from school, so we are eating the left-over pork for lunch, and for sup: French Onion Soup (recipe found <b><i><u><a href="http://transparentrealmom.blogspot.com/2013/01/french-onion-soup.html">here</a></u></i></b>)<br />
<br />
Here's the plan for the rest of the week...<br />
<br />
Tuesday:<br />
left-over French Onion Soup<br />
<br />
Wednesday:<br />
Veggie Omelettes (just eggs, milk, veggies, cheddar) and toast<br />
<br />
Thursday:<br />
Chicken enchiladas (I was going to make Sunday, but didn't have everything I needed; so, I'm making them later this week. Recipe found <b><i><u><a href="http://transparentrealmom.blogspot.com/2014/10/chicken-enchiladas-sauce-salsa-and.html">here</a></u></i></b>.)<br />
<br />
Friday:<br />
left-over Chicken enchiladas or something fast (...because it's Friday and who cooks on Friday? Maybe I'll have a date night with the Mr.)<br />
<br />
Saturday:<br />
Veggie soup (just throwing things in a pot)<br />
<br />
Sunday:<br />
Left-over veggie soup<br />
<br />
See? It really isn't that exciting in my kitchen. I do love to cook. I do try to cook healthy. But I'm not cooking every night of the week. And we do love our pizza. Oh! And Entenmann's chocolate donuts. I know, I know, loaded with nasty stuff. Let's not talk about it; I'm not willing to give those things up. Yet.<br />
<br />
I thank God for the garden goodies frozen in my garage freezer, for organic farmers who make up for my incompetence as a gardener, for conscientious food suppliers like Kashi, Cascadian Farms, and Nature's Path, for the times I get to make clean meals, and for the way whole foods taste and fill us up. But I also thank Him for the empty-calorie-tastiness of Entenmann's chocolate donuts. In heaven, they will be good for us.<br />
<br />
--------------------------<br />
<br />
<b><i><u><a href="http://transparentrealmom.blogspot.com/2012/09/just-perpetually-tired.html">Attitude of Gratitude</a></u></i></b>, because it's been a year since I actually listed things at the end of a post. Wow. A year.<br />
<br />
#291. Fall weather<br />
292. windows open<br />
293. bread rising<br />
294. time with a friend<br />
295. time at home<br />
296. my girls home with me today<br />
297. an amazingly patient man<br />
298. items checked off my to-do list<br />
299. scones I didn't have to make, and<br />
300. Just this, our chalkboard door getting filled up with verses baby girl is learning in preK, one for every letter of the alphabet. And that is a door at the bottom of the door, drawn by baby girl herself.<br />
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<br />
Homemade pancakes:<br />
<br />
1 1/2 c. all purpose flour<br />
3 1/2 tsp. baking powder<br />
1 tsp. salt<br />
1 T. sugar<br />
1 1/2 c. milk (or add until you get the consistency you desire)<br />
1 egg<br />
3 T. butter, melted<br />
<br />
Mix all. Let rest a minute while skillet heats. Cook in a buttered iron skillet over med-low heat. Serve with real maple syrup.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />transPARENT real MOMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16178320717015199902noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5435128823623663520.post-49646491272726974032014-10-19T12:55:00.002-07:002014-10-19T13:12:49.703-07:00Chicken Enchiladas (Sauce, Salsa, and Tortillas)So, I'm about to make chicken enchiladas with some left-over roasted chicken and I got on here, my blog, to look up the recipe I always use to make the sauce and lo! The recipe is not on my blog! I'm happy to report I had bookmarked it in my browser. Whew! So, I'm copying it below so I don't have to sweat it again next time I need it. =)<br />
<br />
Easy Enchilada Sauce<br />
<br />
2 T. veg oil<br />
2 T. flour<br />
2 T. chili powder<br />
1/2 tsp. cumin<br />
1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper, or to taste<br />
2 c. water<br />
1 (8 oz) can tomato paste<br />
1 tsp. garlic powder<br />
1/2 tsp. onion powder<br />
1/2 tsp. salt<br />
<br />
Heat the oil, flour, and chili powder together in a small pot. Allow to cook for about a minute. Add remaining ingredients and bring to a slow simmer. Stir well to combine and dissolve tomato paste in water. Allow to cook 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.<br />
<br />
I double the batch and freeze into the portion size needed to make my enchiladas. One time making sauce for about four batches of enchiladas. Boom!<br />
<br />
---------------------------<br />
<br />
As for the enchiladas...<br />
<br />
Make Jami Nato's whole wheat flour tortillas (found below).<br />
Make salsa (my recipe is below) or use a jar of your fave.<br />
Pour a thin layer of salsa on the bottom of a 9x13 pan.<br />
Fill tortillas with chicken, salsa, and cheese.<br />
Lay filled and rolled tortillas side by side in the pan.<br />
Cover with enchilada sauce and more cheese.<br />
Bake 15-20 mins at 375 degrees.<br />
Devour.<br />
<br />
--------------------------------------------<br />
<br />
<b><i><a href="http://www.thenatos.com/2013/04/whole-wheat-tortilla-recipe.html#.VEQUNPldWSo">Jami Nato's Whole Wheat Flour Tortillas</a></i></b>:<br />
<br />
<div style="background-color: white; color: #3d3d3d; font-family: Times; font-size: 15.4545450210571px; margin: 0px;">
<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;">Ingredients</span></b></div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #3d3d3d; font-family: Times; font-size: 15.4545450210571px; margin: 0px;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;">3/4 cup unbleached all-purpose flour</span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #3d3d3d; font-family: Times; font-size: 15.4545450210571px; margin: 0px;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;">3/4 cup whole-wheat flour</span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #3d3d3d; font-family: Times; font-size: 15.4545450210571px; margin: 0px;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;">1/2 teaspoon baking powder</span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #3d3d3d; font-family: Times; font-size: 15.4545450210571px; margin: 0px;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;">1/2 teaspoon salt</span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #3d3d3d; font-family: Times; font-size: 15.4545450210571px; margin: 0px;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;">1/4 cup oil (such as grape seed oil, canola oil)</span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #3d3d3d; font-family: Times; font-size: 15.4545450210571px; margin: 0px;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;">1/2 cup + 2 tablespoons boiling water</span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #3d3d3d; font-family: Times; font-size: 15.4545450210571px; margin: 0px; min-height: 14px;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #3d3d3d; font-family: Times; font-size: 15.4545450210571px; margin: 0px;">
<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;">Directions</span></b></div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #3d3d3d; font-family: Times; font-size: 15.4545450210571px; margin: 0px; min-height: 18px;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><b></b><br /></span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #3d3d3d; font-family: Times; font-size: 15.4545450210571px; margin: 0px;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;">1. In a large bowl, whisk together flours, baking powder, and salt. Using your hands, work the oil into the flour mixture until evenly distributed. Pour in hot water and continue to mix with your hands until mixture comes together, ¼ cup at a time, adding additional hot water as needed. Knead the mixture in the bowl or on the countertop by hand until smooth. The dough should be damp, soft and relaxed. Cover the dough with plastic wrap and let rest at least 30 minutes and up to 1 hour. </span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #3d3d3d; font-family: Times; font-size: 15.4545450210571px; margin: 0px;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #3d3d3d; font-family: Times; font-size: 15.4545450210571px; margin: 0px;">
<span style="font-size: medium;">2. Divide the dough into 10 golf ball size pieces, about 1 ¼-inch. Roll each piece into a lightly floured surface into a 6-inch round using a rolling pin.</span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #3d3d3d; font-family: Times; font-size: 15.4545450210571px; margin: 0px;">
<span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #3d3d3d; font-family: Times; font-size: 15.4545450210571px; margin: 0px;">
<span style="font-size: medium;">3. Heat a large skillet over medium high heat. Cook a rolled tortilla in hot skillet until the bubbles begin to appear on the surface, then flip tortilla to opposite side and cook until golden brown spots start to appear on bottom. Immediately transfer cooked tortilla to tortilla server or a baking sheet and cover with a tea towel. Repeat with remaining tortillas. Serve hot.</span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #3d3d3d; font-family: Times; font-size: 15.4545450210571px; margin: 0px;">
<span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div>
These can be stored in the frig for about a week or the freezer for much longer. Again, I usually double the batch and freeze some.<br />
<br />
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<br />
And here are some salsa ideas...<br />
<br />
My sister-in-law came up with this one. Everyone in my family makes it a little differently. Play with the ratios til you come up with just the right taste for you.<br />
<br />
1 can of stewed tomatoes<br />
drop of garlic juice<br />
about a teaspoon of sugar<br />
splash of vinegar<br />
a couple of tablespoons pickled jalapenos<br />
salt and pepper to taste<br />
Blend in blender to preferred consistency.<br />
<br />
If I have fresh ingredients, I prefer them. This is my fave quick salsa:<br />
<br />
1 can stewed tomatoes<br />
2-3 garlic cloves<br />
about 1/4 of a small onion<br />
a LOT of cilantro =)<br />
cayenne, or any pepper of your choice<br />
sugar<br />
salt<br />
pepper<br />
<br />
Blend...then practice self-restraint: try not to eat the whole batch by yourself.<br />
<br />
<br />transPARENT real MOMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16178320717015199902noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5435128823623663520.post-26898891271203949482014-10-16T17:12:00.002-07:002014-10-21T12:20:17.322-07:00Black Beans...WHAT??I made brownies. Black bean brownies. Again. Only this time I can not taste the black beans - at all! For reals. I know some of you skeptics won't believe me, but really. My eldest claimed she could taste them but I think it's because she knew they were in there. A friend that tried them said she couldn't taste them at all. The only problem with these brownies is I didn't grind my coffee long enough; so, the texture isn't smooth but has a little grit to it. I know, not so awesome - but the flavor is! And I'm getting fiber and Omega-3's while satisfying my never-ending chocolate craving. Win-win!<br />
<br />
So, here's what I used:<br />
<br />
approx 1 1/2 c. black beans (I used some of the cooked beans I had left-over from the spicy spaghetti squash.)<br />
2 T. flax seed<br />
3 eggs<br />
1/2 c. oil<br />
1/2 c. cocoa<br />
1 c. raw sugar<br />
1 T. coffee (Be sure it's finely ground!)<br />
1 T. vanilla extract<br />
1 tsp. salt<br />
1 1/2 tsp. baking powder<br />
approx 1/2 c. mini choc chips<br />
approx 1/2 c. white choc. chips<br />
<br />
I mixed all the dry ingredients in the Ninja. Then poured all the wet ingredients in and mixed until smooth. Poured in muffin tin and baked about 25 mins (or less) at 350 degrees.<br />
<br />
Uh, one more thing: I WILL use muffin liners next time.transPARENT real MOMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16178320717015199902noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5435128823623663520.post-44334856669101138152014-10-15T20:31:00.002-07:002014-10-15T20:42:36.203-07:00Pumpkin Muffins, Spaghetti Squash, and ShabbatDid I say we wrapped up fall break on Saturday? Well, perhaps I had visions of a Sunday Shabbat spent on the couch in PJ's, reading and drinking hot tea, but the Mr had a better idea. We went to a nearby state park for the afternoon. We packed a picnic lunch, pulled on jeans and jackets, went to Bible study, then drove straight to the park. We hiked several small trails, got a great work-out on the paddle boats, and talked trash on the putt-putt golf course. Turns out the only one that had the right to talk a big game was my man, who outscored the second-place player - yes, that would be me - by about 15 points. I hang my head in shame. Or not.<br />
<br />
On our way home, we detoured to a nearby pizza place and got our grub on. We pulled in the driveway at the girls' bedtime, gave them a quick bath, and put them to bed.<br />
<br />
We had more fun than we've had in a while. We hope to go back in a couple of weeks when all the leaves have turned fall colors. And I see a longer trail with an overnight camp-out in our near future.<br />
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<br />
And, now I must tell you about my latest adventures in the kitchen, not because I think any of you really care, but because I want to save these recipes and this blog has become my online cookbook.<br />
<br />
Saturday night I made pumpkin muffins. I found the recipe on Foodnetwork.com. It's from Ellie Krieger, of whom I know absolutely nothing about, by the way, except that I like her muffins. <b><i><a href="http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ellie-krieger/pumpkin-muffins-recipe.html">Here is the link</a></i></b>. And following is my variation of the recipe. (I really wonder...could I follow a recipe if my very life depended on it?)<br />
<br />
1 1/2 c. all purpose flour<br />
1 1/2 c. whole wheat flour<br />
1 1/2 tsp. baking soda<br />
3/4 tsp. salt<br />
1 1/2 tsp. cinnamon<br />
3/4 tsp. ground ginger (I omitted)<br />
1/4 tsp. ground cloves (funny story to follow)<br />
1/4 tsp. nutmeg<br />
1 c. packed dark brown sugar<br />
5 T. maple syrup<br />
3 oz. canola oil (1/4 + 1/8 c. oil)<br />
3 large eggs<br />
1 1/2 c. pumpkin<br />
1 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract<br />
3/4 c. buttermilk (I used about 1/4 c. regular milk because my fresh pumpkin was so watery.)<br />
<br />
Whisk the flours, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, ginger, cloves, and nutmeg. Set aside.<br />
<br />
Whisk the sugar, maple syrup, and oil. Add eggs one at a time. Add pumpkin, vanilla, and milk. Add flour mixture gradually. Mix just until combined. (I used the Kitchen Aid mixer for every step.)<br />
<br />
Pour into muffin tins. Bake for 20 minutes at 400 degrees. Let cool on wire rack.<br />
<br />
YUM!!<br />
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Okay, now here is the truth: I was slightly, only very slightly, disappointed with the results. It is no fault of the recipe. The muffins are truly delish! The prob is I thought I was making CUPCAKES. I mean, when I Googled "pumpkin muffins," and was imagining "cupcakes," Google should have known what I was thinking! Duh. So, when I bit into a rather heavy, not-as-sweet muffin when I was expecting light, sweet cupcakes...well, you can see why I was disappointed. No bother. I will slather them in cream cheese icing and they will be sweet if not light. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Perhaps next time I will search for pumpkin cake, then bake as cupcakes. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Oh me.<br />
<br />
Oh, and if you're wondering why all the measurements seem a little weird, that's because I portioned my pumpkin for a CUPCAKE recipe (my old one called for 1 1/2 c pumpkin). So, I had to adjust all the other ingredients in this MUFFIN recipe to fit the amount of pumpkin I already had pre-portioned for cupcakes. Now, the math is already done for you. Welcome.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
As for the funny story, which of course won't be all that funny since I'm not all that funny, here's the deal with the cloves...</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
...recipe calls for ground cloves. I only have whole cloves. I pull out the Ninja and throw what is prob a tablespoon of cloves in my smallest cup and push down the button. When I let off the button and the cloves stop spinning, I see the cloves are still mostly intact, but my poor blender has taken a beating; the sides are scratched all to pieces. Hmmm. Not good. I pull out the coffee grinder. First, I have to wash the coffee grinder to remove years' and years' accumulation of coffee grit and oil. (No, I have never washed my grinder. Who does that?) This is not a quick procedure. I then throw about a tablespoon of cloves in THERE. Voila! Ground cloves! Only problem - besides the fact that I could have gone to the store and bought ground cloves quicker than I was able to grind them at home - my coffee maker now smells very strongly of cloves! I guess I will be having my very own version of pumpkin spice lattes at home for a while. Happy fall to me!<br />
<br />
And Monday, I made this recipe, which just happens to be the best recipe I have tried in a long time: <b><i><a href="http://www.wholefoodsmarket.com/recipe/spicy-spaghetti-squash-black-beans">Spicy Spaghetti Squash</a></i></b>! It is found at wholefoodsmarket.com. This is a picture of mine, but it looked way better in person, truly! Especially with sour cream, salsa, and cheese!</div>
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<ul class="ingredient_ul" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: 'Lucida Sans', 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 21px; margin: 0px 0px 15px; padding: 0px;">
<li style="font-size: 13px; list-style: none; margin: 0px 0px 4px; overflow: hidden; padding: 0px;"><span itemprop="ingredients" style="margin: 0px;">1 medium spaghetti squash, halved lengthwise and seeded</span></li>
<li style="font-size: 13px; list-style: none; margin: 0px 0px 4px; overflow: hidden; padding: 0px;"><span itemprop="ingredients" style="margin: 0px;">2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil</span></li>
<li style="font-size: 13px; list-style: none; margin: 0px 0px 4px; overflow: hidden; padding: 0px;"><span itemprop="ingredients" style="margin: 0px;">1/2 cup chopped red onion</span></li>
<li style="font-size: 13px; list-style: none; margin: 0px 0px 4px; overflow: hidden; padding: 0px;"><span itemprop="ingredients" style="margin: 0px;">1 jalapeño pepper, seeded and minced</span></li>
<li style="font-size: 13px; list-style: none; margin: 0px 0px 4px; overflow: hidden; padding: 0px;"><span itemprop="ingredients" style="margin: 0px;">1/2 cup red bell pepper, chopped</span></li>
<li style="font-size: 13px; list-style: none; margin: 0px 0px 4px; overflow: hidden; padding: 0px;"><span itemprop="ingredients" style="margin: 0px;">1 cup cooked black beans</span></li>
<li style="font-size: 13px; list-style: none; margin: 0px 0px 4px; overflow: hidden; padding: 0px;"><span itemprop="ingredients" style="margin: 0px;">1/2 cup sweet corn, frozen or fresh</span></li>
<li style="font-size: 13px; list-style: none; margin: 0px 0px 4px; overflow: hidden; padding: 0px;"><span itemprop="ingredients" style="margin: 0px;">1 teaspoon chili powder</span></li>
<li style="font-size: 13px; list-style: none; margin: 0px 0px 4px; overflow: hidden; padding: 0px;"><span itemprop="ingredients" style="margin: 0px;">1/3 cup fresh cilantro, finely chopped</span></li>
<li style="font-size: 13px; list-style: none; margin: 0px 0px 4px; overflow: hidden; padding: 0px;"><span itemprop="ingredients" style="margin: 0px;">1 tablespoon lime juice</span></li>
<li style="font-size: 13px; list-style: none; margin: 0px 0px 4px; overflow: hidden; padding: 0px;"><span itemprop="ingredients" style="margin: 0px;">1 teaspoon fine sea salt</span></li>
</ul>
<div>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: 'Lucida Sans', 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 21px;">Preheat the oven to 375°F. Arrange squash in a large baking dish, cut-sides down. Pour 1/2 cup water into the dish and bake until just tender, 30 to 35 minutes. Rake with a fork to remove flesh in strands, leaving the shell intact for stuffing.</span><br />
<br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: 'Lucida Sans', 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 21px; margin: 0px;" />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: 'Lucida Sans', 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 21px;">For the filling, heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add onion, jalapeño and bell pepper and cook for 2 minutes or until soft. Add beans, corn and chili powder; cook, stirring frequently, 1 minute longer. Add cooked squash, cilantro, lime juice and salt, cook 1 minute until heated through.</span><br />
<br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: 'Lucida Sans', 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 21px; margin: 0px;" />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: 'Lucida Sans', 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 21px;">Fill squash halves with filling, mounding mixture in the center.</span></div>
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Believe it or not, I hardly messed with this recipe. I simply doubled the black beans and corn, and was possibly a little more liberal with the cilantro and lime. The Mr said, "You should have added a little cilantro." Dripping sarcasm. Of course I added tons of cilantro! I served with salsa, sour cream, and a good aged white cheddar that was gifted to us. I did have to pick out the jalepenos since the ones I used were from my freezer and had the seeds intact. Whew! I am such a wimp when it comes to heat these days.<br />
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transPARENT real MOMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16178320717015199902noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5435128823623663520.post-53328243064265960432014-10-11T18:49:00.000-07:002014-10-21T12:26:45.526-07:00As We Wrap Up Fall BreakAnd thus concludes our fall break. Ahhhh. It has been so, so good.<br />
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Today we hung out at home again. My man had homework (he's going back to school for those that may not know); so, he was in our bedroom all day. Well, he did take time to play monster with the girls a few times. I balanced the checkbook, placed my Honest order, and cleaned the kitchen with roars, screams, and laughter as my background music.<br />
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The girls wanted to paint the pumpkins they got at the pumpkin patch this week, which evolved into using paint markers and permanent markers. Which suited me just fine. Less mess.<br />
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A girl and her horse!</div>
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Meanwhile, I roasted my pumpkin and toasted the seeds. We finally found a recipe we all love; this one's a keeper:<br />
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<i>Toss pumpkin seeds with butter, salt, pepper, garlic powder, and red pepper flakes. Roast in a single layer at 300 degrees for about 45 minutes. Crispy and flava-ful! (I did not rinse the seeds because I didn't want to waste the time letting them dry, but I did remove as much goop as possible. The girls helped me dig out all the seeds before I roasted the pumpkin; we called our operation "scoop the goop.")</i><br />
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For supper, I needed to use up a small jar of stewed tomatoes that I made the other night, some bell peppers I got out of my garden this week, and a little bit of left-over white wine. I love Google; I just typed in "pasta white wine veggies" and a whole list of recipes popped up. Isn't that a beautiful thing? This was the one I chose, and as the Mr said, it's a keeper:<br />
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<i><b><a href="http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/member/views/garlic-butter-white-wine-pasta-side-dish-50049114">Garlic-Butter-White Wine Pasta</a></b></i><br />
(We of course added our own touch. We sauteed green bells and onions in butter, then tossed in the drained stewed tomatoes at the last minute to heat them up, then poured the pasta and sauce in with the veggies. OH! And I used the super-awesomeness of basil-infused olive oil for step 1. I didn't have parsley, but I chopped the basil from the oil and added it back in at the very end. If you have no idea what I'm talking about, see <b><i><a href="http://transparentrealmom.blogspot.com/2014/10/this-is-how-we-do-fall-break.html">this post</a></i></b>.)<br />
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1 lb pasta<br />
4 garlic cloves, chopped<br />
1/4 cup olive oil<br />
5 Tbs unsalted butter<br />
1/2 tsp crushed red pepper<br />
1 tsp kosher salt<br />
1/2 tsp freshly ground pepper<br />
1/2 cup white wine<br />
1/2 cup chopped flat parsley<br />
1/2 cup grated parmagiano-reggiano cheese</div>
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preparation</h2>
1. Heat olive oil over medium heat.<br />
2. Add garlic and crushed red pepper. Saute until golden, about 1-2 minutes.<br />
3. Add salt, pepper, white wine, butter.<br />
4. Stir 2 minutes, remove from heat.<br />
5. Toss pasta with sauce, parsley, and cheese.</div>
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You will love it.<br />
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And you may be happy to know - but not nearly as happy as I am - that I have almost finished washing the mildewy winter coats. I have soaked every single one in diluted bleach water without any negative effects. YIPEEEEE!!! How can I prevent this from happening again???<br />
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Okay, time to get some pumpkin muffins baking and in my tummy. Then date night on the couch with my man. Tomorrow I shabbat. Church, left-overs, books, movies, hot drinks, blankets, snuggles...<br />
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Love to all...</div>
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transPARENT real MOMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16178320717015199902noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5435128823623663520.post-61854756773610983412014-10-11T07:40:00.003-07:002014-10-11T08:02:38.950-07:00I Can SewNot.<br />
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I'll be keepin' it real up in here today: I sewed my pants to the sewing machine. Lit-ra-lee. How does that even happen? And not just once, but twice. I wasn't sure how I was going to get them off the second time. I tugged and pulled and cut and tugged and pulled. Until I popped a piece off of my sewing machine. I thought I broke it. </div>
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After fixing the "broken" piece that wasn't broken, I pulled out a ribbon to experiment. I then sewed IT to the machine. Again, not just once, but twice. I guess if you do the same thing over and over you should expect the same results over and over. Perhaps I'm not a quick study. </div>
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I tried to take a picture of this epic and, after the fourth time, humorous failure but I could not find an angle that justly represented the mess I made. Just take my word: momma can't sew. </div>
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<span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">I worked for an hour and a half before admitting defeat and calling my dear mentor-friend for help. She came and had me sewing again in ten. </span></div>
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I've decided thread-free is best for me when it comes to fabric. So, today I started cutting old clothes into strips and braiding them together for a rag rug. This I can do. I think. </div>
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transPARENT real MOMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16178320717015199902noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5435128823623663520.post-55122450256860743782014-10-10T07:51:00.000-07:002014-10-10T07:56:11.930-07:00This is How We Do Fall (Break)<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>I wrote this last night but couldn't get the pictures to upload. Technical difficulties. Just pretend it's still Thursday. Yes! That gives me another day at home with my girlies...</i><br />
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I know I've said it before but...no momma is more happy than me when school is out! I love having my girls home. This week has been so good. Full of lots of good.</div>
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Fall break started at exactly 2:35 on Friday. I was sitting in the pick-up line to get my girl when the dismissal bell rang. Yippee!</div>
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First item of fun: welcoming home some friends who had been vacaying in New York. We had been watching their house and taking care of their lawn and pool (which might have resulted in a few swims). They brought home some New York treats: apples, apple donuts, maple syrup, aged cheddar, cheese curds...yum! The girls and I didn't get fifty feet from their house before ripping into the squeaky cheese curds. </div>
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Friday night we drove to my hometown. My cousin was holding her annual bonfire on Saturday night and on Sunday my sister's church was hosting the second annual ALS bike ride in memory of my brother. We drove home late Sunday. </div>
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Monday my man had to return to work, :( but the girls and I lounged all day. Amidst catching up on laundry, we watched movies, read books, and played. Monday night the Mr. took us out for pizza and wings and a movie - Dolphin Tale 2. </div>
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Tuesday was more chillaxing at home, with a lot of time spent outside. We got yet another amazing harvest from the garden - sweet potatoes, lettuces, bell peppers, banana peppers, and cherry tomatoes. I wish I had taken a picture! Every time I think the garden is done, I wait a few days and find more!</div>
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Tuesday night was my big girl's usual riding lesson. Her sweet teacher remarked on E's growing confidence. The summer has brought a lot of growth. We only have a few more weeks before the-ever-earlier-sunset will snuff out our time with beautiful Cocoa and rambunctious Pooh. Until next spring. We may run over before then to help with an occasional feeding or to clean stalls, and if there is unusually good weather, E hopes she may squeeze in a ride here or there.</div>
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Cocoa</div>
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(Forgive the poor photo quality. I promise: I am going to buy a new phone soon!)</div>
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Pooh</div>
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17-hands-Pooh!</div>
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Yesterday (Wednesday) we went to library and got nine books, two of which were chapter books. We have already read eight. We read all seven of the easy reads yesterday and this morning's rainy weather gave us an opportunity to read our first Magic Tree House book, in one sitting. We think we may like this series.</div>
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We also went to the pumpkin patch yesterday. We went through a very loooong corn maze, the girls played in the grain bin, fed goats, and climbed on tires, and we all picked out a nice round pumpkin. I see roasted pumpkin and pumpkin muffins in my future! </div>
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While we were looking for the perfect pumpkins, a worker talked me into buying a cushaw. I had no idea what it was, but when he said it tasted like a sweet potato, I was sold! So, now I am in search of recipes. Anyone?</div>
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We finished off our Wednesday with a movie, popcorn, and hot chocolate. Ahhhhh.</div>
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Today, the girls have played all day, creating "houses" in the living room, playing "sisters," and, of course, reading Magic Tree House. Meanwhile, I have made bread, canned pickled banana peppers and stewed tomatoes, researched cushaw recipes and how to cure sweet potatoes, and done laundry.</div>
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Which brings me to the un-fun thing I have been working on this fall break - washing all the winter coats. As it turns out, the stinky coat closet (we couldn't figure out why it had started smelling so yucky) has actually been growing some white mold. Can we all say GROSS!?!? I have been soaking the coats in diluted bleach water and washing, one or two at a time. Next will be all the blankets, hats, scarves, and gloves. And then the fun job of scrubbing down the walls with bleach water. There are only a few spots on a few of the jackets, but I'm washing everything! I'm so grossed out by this. Has anyone else ever had this happen or is this totally abnormal? I pondered throwing everything away. Is that crazy?</div>
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On to happier thoughts...</div>
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Tonight my babies are going to their Nana's. I'm sad. I really don't want to give them up. Oops. This is supposed to be happier thoughts! Okay, the happy part is they get time together - they are dying to go as much as she is dying to see them - and I will get to work uninterrupted in the kitchen, which is probably my most favorite thing to do, next to working in the garden. I will roast pumpkin and preserved basil this afternoon. Look at all this beauty!</div>
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And when the Mr. gets home, we will be sawing wood for a project he has been commissioned to do. This is how we do date nights.</div>
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**I just found out about <b><i><a href="http://redheadcandecorate.com/4/post/2014/09/preserving-fresh-basil.html">this easy way to preserve basil in olive oil</a></i></b> today. I'll let you know how it tastes later, but for now, just feast your eyes:</div>
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**Recipe for Pickled Banana Peppers:</div>
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I gleaned from <b><i><a href="http://allrecipes.com/recipe/pickled-hot-peppers/">this one</a></i></b> and <b><i><a href="http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/pickled-jalapenos-recipe.html">this one</a></i></b>. I only had enough peppers to do one pint. So, I used...</div>
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1/2 c. water</div>
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1 1/2 c. vinegar</div>
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a squeeze of honey</div>
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salt</div>
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pepper</div>
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1 pressed garlic clove</div>
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Brought water, vinegar, honey, salt, and pepper to a boil... Added garlic and banana peppers... Returned to a boil and boiled another couple of minutes... Ladled in jar, sealed, and processed for about 5 mins.</div>
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Why I processed, I do not know, because they will not live in that jar long enough to warrant it. </div>
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**Curing sweet potatoes:</div>
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When I planted my sweet potatoes, I didn't know I would have to cure them. Nor did I know that the ideal curing environment was between 85-95 degrees with approximately 85-95% humidity. A friend offered the use of her green house, but I really wanted to figure out a way to do it on my own. </div>
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I dug up my sweet potatoes late Tuesday, and left them out in the sun yesterday to dry, but forgot them and last night's rain undid what the sun did. I brought them in this morn, toweled them off, and stuck them in my oven. I found out a while back that if I just turn my oven light on, it heats up the oven enough to make my bread rise. So I turned the light on and put a bowl of water and the food thermometer in the oven. Little did I know the light will keep the oven about 90 degrees if I open the door ocassionally. Perfect!! Here's to improvisation! </div>
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transPARENT real MOMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16178320717015199902noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5435128823623663520.post-551980961662486432014-09-21T19:00:00.000-07:002014-09-21T19:00:39.475-07:00GREEN Cookies!If you read yesterday, you may already know I baked "Everything Cookies." I made up a recipe and put a little bit of everything in it, and a really yummy cookie came out of the oven, and we all ate two immediately, and the rest sat to cool until we all decided to eat some more after supper several hours later. The Mr. and younglings watched some Star Wars (sigh of surrender) and each had two more cookies while I cleaned up the kitchen. We put the girls to bed and I sat down on the couch with my "I made it to the end of another day" prize: two cookies with milk, and hot tea and water for later. (What can I say? I planned on being there a while and I drink a lot.) I took a bite of a cookie, and immediately spit it back out, because this is what I saw:<br />
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I slowly tilted my head then asked the Mr, "Why is the inside of my cookie GREEN?"<br />
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He kinda turned his lips down in a slight shrug, and went on reading, completely unperturbed, while I dashed off to the kitchen to check the other cookies. Cookie after cookie, when broken in half, turned out to be green in the middle. I immediately thought, "I fed these to my KIDS!" I was torn between being perplexed and distraught! What do I do when I'm perplexed or distraught? Google it, of course.<br />
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Surprisingly, as I typed in "cookies turned g..." the search bar filled in the rest. Okay, I thought, this is at least common enough for Google to expect my question. Guess what? There were numerous images of green cookies and page after page of discussions about this strange phenomenon. Even SunButter's website addresses it <b><a href="http://www.sunbutter.com/blog/celebrating-st-patrick%E2%80%99s-day-with-green-sunbutter-cookies/">HERE</a></b> and <b><a href="https://sunbutter.com/allergy-nutrition-faqs.php">HERE</a></b>.<br />
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Turns out, sunflower seeds have chlorophyll in them that reacts with baking soda/powder when heated and results in the green color when cooled. SunButter assures us "the cookies are still perfectly edible and safe to consume."<br />
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Still. Weird, right? I have eaten them again today, but if I'm honest (and I'm all about keeping it REAL up in here), it is a little bit of "an appetite squelcher," as even SunButter's website admits.<br />
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Here's to yummy, strange, green, everything cookies. Happy eating, my sunbutter lover friends.<br />
<br />transPARENT real MOMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16178320717015199902noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5435128823623663520.post-4668231757594060472014-09-20T09:32:00.000-07:002014-09-20T09:55:20.871-07:00Everything CookiesMy man really gets a little frustrated with me that I never follow a recipe. Has he ever told me this? No. Would he ever admit it? No. He compliments the food, always. But I know him. I know what he is not saying, and what he is not saying is, "You didn't follow the recipe again, did you?"<br />
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Every once in a while I will make something he really likes, and he will say something like, "What did you put in this? You should write it down so you can make it again."</div>
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The down-side to never using a recipe is you can rarely create the same dish twice. The up-side to never using a recipe is you never eat the same thing twice!</div>
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So, today, when I decided I wanted a rich, fall flavored cookie, I did some Google searches with various combinations of the following words: oats, pecans, chocolate chips, and maple syrup. I found nothing that was exactly what I wanted; so -big surprise - I improvised. Truth be known, had I found a recipe that sounded really awesome, I probably still would have changed something.</div>
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What follows is the recipe to what I am calling "Everything Granola Cookies," because I basically threw every ingredient from every recipe I found that I liked, plus a few more ingredients not listed on any recipes. </div>
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Everything Granola Cookies</div>
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Preheat oven to 375.</div>
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Mix:</div>
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1 stick butter, softened</div>
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*FYI: when in a pinch, I have realized I can use the microwave on defrost setting to soften the butter without melting it completely!</div>
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1/2 c. sunbutter</div>
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1/2 c. brown sugar</div>
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1/2 c. raw sugar</div>
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While mixing on low speed, add:</div>
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2 eggs</div>
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2 T. maple syrup</div>
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1 t. vanilla</div>
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Mix in a separate bowl:</div>
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1 c. flour</div>
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1 t. baking soda</div>
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1 t. baking powder</div>
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1/4 t. salt</div>
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Add flour mixture to egg mixture, mixing by hand.</div>
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Add:</div>
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3 c. oats</div>
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1 c. pecans</div>
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1 bag of chocolate chips</div>
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Scoop by rounded spoonful on stone cookie sheet and bake 10 mins. </div>
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Yum-yum!<br />
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Also in the oven today (only because I'm cooking to procrastinate finishing the <a href="http://transparentrealmom.blogspot.com/2014/09/fall-is-upon-us.html"><b>dreaded wardrobe change</b></a>)...<br />
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<a href="http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/alton-brown/granola-recipe.html"><b>Alton Brown's Granola</b></a> and cheese enchiladas made with <a href="http://www.thenatos.com/2013/04/whole-wheat-tortilla-recipe.html"><b>Jami Nato's whole wheat tortillas</b></a>. </div>
transPARENT real MOMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16178320717015199902noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5435128823623663520.post-73038077522325493202014-09-18T15:51:00.001-07:002014-09-18T15:51:12.229-07:00Fall is upon us.I love this weather. 50's by night, 70's by day. Windows open from 7am 'til midnight. Jackets and sweaters in the morning. Heat and defrost on the way to school. Fog. Fog! I love fog. Always have. <div><br></div><div>I read this book when I was a kid called <i>Fog Magic. </i>In it a little girl who lived by the sea discovered a secret town that only existed when a deep fog settled in. I always wished that could be true for me. But, alas, I do not live by the sea. </div><div><br></div><div>And, so it's fall. The weather is ideal, in my opinion. Chili weather. Pun intended. The only down-side to fall is the wardrobe change. I put it off and put it off, squishing my growing girls into capris that should be pants and 3/4 length sleeves that used to be long - until I can not wait anymore. And so today I began the daunting process. </div><div><br></div><div>It looks like my girls' closets have erupted, spewing lavaclothes all over their bed, their floor, their chair, and their drawers, until finally over-flowing all the way down the hall, winding around corners, and flowing mysteriously uphill again to cover my kitchen table. We may be eating in the living room tonight. </div><div><br></div><div>And, speaking of eating, I will be serving lasagna for the third night in a row. I can guarantee you the Mr and our youngest youngling will not be happy about that. </div><div><br></div><div>But it's fall! And I sit in the hammock while lava waits to be cleaned up inside and a garden bulges with a last harvest to be gathered and girls play soccer and ride bikes and we eat popcorn and drink juice when we are minutes away from our regular supper time. Forget supper. Maybe we'll just have hot chocolate and go to bed... </div><div><br></div><div>Because it's fall!</div>transPARENT real MOMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16178320717015199902noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5435128823623663520.post-45472617763352233582014-09-08T09:03:00.002-07:002014-09-08T09:05:40.976-07:00The Sauce Continues<i>Once again I wrote something I never posted. This was written Saturday night. And, if you're wondering, because I know you're not, we "shabbat-ed" Sunday by going swimming. Now it's Monday, and my to-do list for the week seems daunting, but, as I read in 2 Samuel this morning, "With my God, I can scale a wall." Amen?</i><br />
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I made batch two and three of what I am calling "Italian Sauce" tonight. Yay, me! I'm feeling pretty much awesome right now, as I sit and type at midnight, drinking mint tea, made with mint from my own garden, waiting for my last batch of sauce to thicken, so I can pour it in the jars. Can I also jar this feeling? For those days when I'm feeling not-so-awesome? Like everyday, at some point, or many points in the day. Liking all my commas? That's because, I'm thinking really slowly. It's, been, a, long, day.<br />
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The man and I are taking care of our friends' lawn while they are out of town for six weeks. So, this morn we went straight there and he mowed and weeded with the weed-eater, while I watered their never-ending pots of flowers (lit-ra-lee takes an hour to water) and weeded by hand. It was be-a-u-tee-ful outside today; so, working outside was fun. I really wanted to jump in their pool afterwards, but, alas, I didn't have my bathing suit. I seriously considered jumping in anyway. Why didn't I? That would have been really fun. And much more exciting to tell. I need more fun.<br />
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Then we came home and I harvested the garden and did laundry. Lots, and, lots, of laundry. Then I made sourdough biscuits with my new sourdough starter that is ridiculously awesome!!!! It is just a slurry of flour and water, no sugar, my friends. Tangy sourdough bread. Yum. (And sourdough biscuits. And sourdough pizza crust. And sourdough pretzels. And sourdough bagels. And I'm starting to sound like Forrest Gump...)<br />
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So, I made sourdough biscuits, fried bacon and eggs, cut up tomatoes, and my man made gravy, and we had breakfast for supper. Yum again.<br />
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Then I put the girls to bed while my man went to see his cousin in the hospital. I picked up. I did dishes. I made two batches of "Italian Sauce." See, why I'm feeling awesome? I am never (I mean never!) this productive.<br />
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OOOoooooh! I just heard a pop! One jar sealed. Four more to go.<br />
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So, why "Italian Sauce?" you may be asking. Or you may not be asking, but I'll tell you anyway. I use spaghetti sauce for everything. I know some people differentiate; they'll use marinara for lasagna and bread sticks, pizza sauce for pizza, and so on. I buy spaghetti sauce and use it for everything. Mezzetta roasted garlic sauce. And it goes on, in, or with anything that requires any type of red sauce. It is the only sauce I have ever found that has NOTHING weird in it. (And, no, I am not getting paid for this little advertisement, but I should!)<br />
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So, since I already use one sauce for everything Italian, I thought I would just call my homemade sauce "Italian Sauce," because it will be used for all things Italian.</div>
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If you remember in my last post, I said the sauce is yellow-orange when I pour it in the pot but turn red as it boils down, well, here's proof. The closest pot has just started cooking, while the back pot is nearly done. Weird, right?</div>
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In other useless news, my cat has become a lap cat. In the course of one day, she has gone from aloof to snuggly. Weird but wonderful. She sat in my man's lap last night. Then today when I sat on the couch she crawled into my lap. And just now, while sitting at the kitchen table typing, she jumped up and tried to get comfy in my lap again. Unfortunately, I had to get up to stir the sauce. I hope I haven't just ruined the good thing we have going with her. You know how cats are, one wrong move, and they are done with ya.<br />
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Well, it's late and I'm tired from all this productivity, so I'm off here. All this productivity may have been possible because I know tomorrow is my "slouchy" day, as my sister calls it. We will go to church, then come home and nap. We may go swimming or watch movies or play outside or read books, but I will do no work tomorrow, because, it's the Sabbath, y'all. Just in case I haven't shared this awesome lil tidbit before, have you heard where that word comes from? <br />
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Sabbath comes from -> s<i>habbat</i> which means -> "ceasing" or "stopping." <br />
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Tomorrow I stop. I cease all work. I <i>shabbat</i>. It's an awesome feeling knowing I have this day of rest coming. Maybe that's why I'm feeling so awesome. </div>
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Night, all.<br />
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transPARENT real MOMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16178320717015199902noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5435128823623663520.post-23967842281684229592014-09-04T20:29:00.000-07:002014-09-04T20:30:31.570-07:00I interrupt these Facebook flashbacks for the following announcement...I made tomato sauce tonight! Can I get a WOOT-WOOT!?!?!<br />
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<span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Is that a recycled store-bought jelly jar? Reduce, reuse, recycle, peeps. That's all I'm sayin'.</span><br />
<span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><br /></span><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">So, first, I did a little batch as a trial run. I wanted to see if I could get a decent flavor before pouring tons of precious garden bounty and time into canning. The trial batch was used on pizza and earned this sauce the right to live in a jar. </span>
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The crust was barely edible, but the sauce was in-credible!!!<br />
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Last year I had my first canning experience with pear preserves. I don't even really like pear preserves, but I have a friend who has a pear tree and she doesn't eat pears. Free produce = opportunity to experiment with canning. It was successful; so, I had the courage to keep on experimenting. <br />
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This summer another friend was kind enough to give me lessons in canning tomato juice and salsa. Tonight I decided to venture out on my own and try a sauce recipe posted by a friend on Facebook.<br />
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Here is her post, including the original recipe and her changes.<br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #37404e; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px;">Ok, here's the original spaghetti sauce recipe [...] </span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #37404e; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px;">24 c tomatoes</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #37404e; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px;">4 c chopped onions</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #37404e; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px;">18 T olive oil</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #37404e; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px;">6 T garlic</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #37404e; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px;">36 oz tomato paste</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #37404e; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px;">6 T oregano</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #37404e; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px;">6 T basil</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #37404e; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px;">6 bay leaves</span><span class="text_exposed_show" style="background-color: white; color: #37404e; display: inline; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px;"><br />4 T salt<br />6 T sugar<br /><br />I made a few changes.<br />I used heirloom Russian Krim, black cherry and beefsteak varieties. I blend them whole in my Vitamix. (too lazy to peel)<br /><br />Instead of dried basil and oregano- I used fresh from my garden. About 3 c each.Chopped.<br />I added a couple of pinches of red pepper for some heat.<br />Only had one 15 oz can of tomato paste.<br />Boiled to reduce by half. (took abt 12 hrs!)<br />Used red wine vinegar to increase acidity.<br />Water bath canned for 55 min for altitude.</span><br />
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And now, for my changes...<br />
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I only had about 15 tomatoes, including San Marzano, Hillbilly, and some GMO variety from a local farmer. =/ I used my own fresh basil and oregano, approximately 5-6 basil leaves and about a 6 inch stem of oregano (leaves only) for every 3 tomatoes. I used pearl onions from the local Amish, about one per every 3 toms. And a clove of garlic for every tom. I also used one carrot, because I had read (while researching how to can spaghetti sauce) that it would make it sweeter. <br />
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You may have noticed - no tomato paste. I started to buy some yesterday at the store, but I just couldn't bring myself to add something already canned to my fresh produce. <br />
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So, I pureed all that yummy freshness in my Ninja, cocked my head at the coloration, and poured the yellow-orange mixture in a pan. I was a little concerned at this point that I would have pale sauce since several of my tomatoes were yellow (Hillbilly tomatoes are yellow/red). I was also concerned that I would never get it to cook down; it was very juicy since I pureed the whole tomato. I brought the yellow-orange soup to a boil and added about a teaspoon of salt and sugar and a couple of splashes of olive oil and balsamic vinegar. I boiled it down until it was the consistency (and color) I wanted (amazingly, this only took about an hour) and canned. YUM! </div>
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You readers may not be at all interested, but I wanted to preserve this recipe for myself and my kidlets, who I hope are interested some day. =)<br />
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Happy Harvest season, friends!!!<br />
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transPARENT real MOMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16178320717015199902noreply@blogger.com0