It was TUTU much fun :)
Sunday, October 31, 2010
It was TUTU much fun this Halloween
Super Why, and Batman were my escorts this Halloween--While I had TUTU much fun :) We went over to Aunt Sarah's and Uncle Aaron's house, and had pizza and apple cider before trick or treating. Dad, Grandma and Aunt Sarah held down the fort while the rest of us explored the neighborhood :)
It was TUTU much fun :)
It was TUTU much fun :)
Friday, October 29, 2010
a phone call
thursday night, the one year anniversary of tom's death, i was having a SUPER tough night. i had told others all day i was fine when really i was not fine. i was not okay. i am still not okay and not sure i will ever be okay (more on that later). i was already emotionally unstable and in tears when the phone rang. i picked up the phone and in a terribly tacky fake hispanic accent, i heard a male voice ask for teresa and i am not sure what else was said--something about sexy and tickling--and the reason i do not know what else was said is because the voice on the other end sounded just like my brother when he would call me being stupid and use his fake hispanic accent. it sounded just like tom. time stopped. my brain froze and my heart pounded. what in the heck!?! then my senses came to me. he is dead. tom cannot call me. i asked who it was. the person on the other end responded and i have no clue what he said. i hung up the phone. at this point i was more than upset. the phone rang again and i yelled for josh to answer it. he did and it was a female asking him why he hadn't called her....yada yada yada and the male was also on the phone call. our guess is that they found us in the phone book (both our names are listed) and were prank calling.
it was terrible timing for a prank phone call. i managed to sit through story time while josh read and then i went and sat in the garage. why the garage you ask....well i cannot really answer that. it was colder than the house and i needed that. the cold made me feel real again. if you ask josh, he will tell you that i probably sat in the garage because things were not "real" there--meaning that when i stepped back in the house, it was just another thursday, my chores awaited me and so did reality of homework, etc. all i know is that i sat on the garage steps with my husband for a long time and sobbed. i sobbed for me. i sobbed for ben. i sobbed for lynda, my parents, my children, my brother in law, my husband, our entire family and all of tom's friends. i sobbed until every part of me hurt.
all day long i had told others i was okay. but in reality. i am not okay. sure i have moved on--i live my life and love life to its fullest--but in reality, my life has a whole in it. my heart has a chunk missing and there will be days that i am on an emotional roller coaster. i know time heals and will help but i still don't think i will be okay....and who truly knows what okay means anyways.
thanks for listening.
it was terrible timing for a prank phone call. i managed to sit through story time while josh read and then i went and sat in the garage. why the garage you ask....well i cannot really answer that. it was colder than the house and i needed that. the cold made me feel real again. if you ask josh, he will tell you that i probably sat in the garage because things were not "real" there--meaning that when i stepped back in the house, it was just another thursday, my chores awaited me and so did reality of homework, etc. all i know is that i sat on the garage steps with my husband for a long time and sobbed. i sobbed for me. i sobbed for ben. i sobbed for lynda, my parents, my children, my brother in law, my husband, our entire family and all of tom's friends. i sobbed until every part of me hurt.
all day long i had told others i was okay. but in reality. i am not okay. sure i have moved on--i live my life and love life to its fullest--but in reality, my life has a whole in it. my heart has a chunk missing and there will be days that i am on an emotional roller coaster. i know time heals and will help but i still don't think i will be okay....and who truly knows what okay means anyways.
thanks for listening.
pictures to tell the story
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| 1 Year can go so fast yet so slow. |
 |
| we do not smoke but tom did--these are the little cigars that he liked. it was nice to smell "him" for a moment. |
 |
| tom is probably cracking up at this...... :) |
 |
| i love my sister |
 |
| you should have heard her and her hubby teasing me while i bought beer and cigars at 10 in the morning |
 |
| i don't do beer either but i had a few sips for tom--mgd was his favorite. the rest went into the ground for tom |
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| our absolutely amazing parents--their strength is strong. they lean on each other and God to get through the tough days. thank you mom and dad for always being there for us. this has been a tragic time in our lives but we have each other to pull through. |
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| here's to you tom. we love you. you are gone but not forgotten. |
Thursday, October 28, 2010
One Year
To remember my brother: Thomas William Janik
You are gone but NOT forgotten. We love you forever and always.
You are gone but NOT forgotten. We love you forever and always.
Monday, October 25, 2010
PROUD mom
jack read his first full sentence tonight--i am a PROUD mom!
"the green car hit a jump"
WOOOO HOOOO for my "little" boy who LOVES to read and is trying so hard! his eyes just sparkled after and i asked him if he could feel the power of reading :) he grinned and said yes!
"the green car hit a jump"
WOOOO HOOOO for my "little" boy who LOVES to read and is trying so hard! his eyes just sparkled after and i asked him if he could feel the power of reading :) he grinned and said yes!
Favorites
tonight we learned what it meant to have a favorite something :) here are what the results were:
jack: his favorite thing to do is trying to read words
luke: his favorite thing to do is brush hogging
josh: his favorite thing to do is spend time with his boys
mine: my favorite thing to do is love life to the fullest with my family
jack: his favorite thing to do is trying to read words
luke: his favorite thing to do is brush hogging
josh: his favorite thing to do is spend time with his boys
mine: my favorite thing to do is love life to the fullest with my family
Sunday, October 24, 2010
Menu--Back in the Swing :)
last week was haphazard and not great for menu planning :) oh well, that shows you all that i am actually human!
menu for this week:
Sunday: Marinaded Chicken Skewers (combine french dressing and italian dressing for the marinade), Baked Potatoes, Fruit (personal watermelon and strawberries)
Monday: Grilled Kielbasa and Cheddar Turkey Brats, Wild Rice, and Sliced Apples
Tuesday: Meatball Subs (using these links to make my own....never tried this before :)) with provolone and sauteed red peppers/onions, chips and salads
Wednesday:Rosemary Balsamic Pork Tenderloin, Roasted Sweet Potatoes, Roasted Balsamic Onions
Thursday: Spaghetti, Salads and Garlic Bread
Friday: ?? No Plan :) Halloween Party at Daycare
Saturday: Not sure yet--My parents are visiting :)
Sunday: Not sure yet--Halloween and hanging out with Aunt Sarah and Uncle Aaron
Roasted Onions:
• 4 medium peeled sweet onions• 2 tablespoons olive oil • Salt and fresh ground pepper• Balsamic vinegar to taste
Adjust oven rack to lowest position and heat to 425 degrees F.
Cut onions into quarters and toss with oil and a generous sprinkle of salt and pepper. Place, cut-side down a baking sheet. (For easy cleanup, I use the new nonstick foil to line the pan.) Roast until tender and cut surfaces are golden brown, 25 to 30 minutes. Adjust seasonings; drizzle with balsamic vinegar.
Per Serving: 51 Calories; 3g Fat (58.1% calories from fat); trace Saturated Fat; 1g Protein; 5g Carbohydrate; 1g Dietary Fiber; 0mg Cholesterol; 2mg Sodium. Exchanges: 1 Vegetable; 0 Fruit; 1/2 Fat.
menu for this week:
Sunday: Marinaded Chicken Skewers (combine french dressing and italian dressing for the marinade), Baked Potatoes, Fruit (personal watermelon and strawberries)
Monday: Grilled Kielbasa and Cheddar Turkey Brats, Wild Rice, and Sliced Apples
Tuesday: Meatball Subs (using these links to make my own....never tried this before :)) with provolone and sauteed red peppers/onions, chips and salads
Wednesday:Rosemary Balsamic Pork Tenderloin, Roasted Sweet Potatoes, Roasted Balsamic Onions
Thursday: Spaghetti, Salads and Garlic Bread
Friday: ?? No Plan :) Halloween Party at Daycare
Saturday: Not sure yet--My parents are visiting :)
Sunday: Not sure yet--Halloween and hanging out with Aunt Sarah and Uncle Aaron
Roasted Onions:
• 4 medium peeled sweet onions• 2 tablespoons olive oil • Salt and fresh ground pepper• Balsamic vinegar to taste
Adjust oven rack to lowest position and heat to 425 degrees F.
Cut onions into quarters and toss with oil and a generous sprinkle of salt and pepper. Place, cut-side down a baking sheet. (For easy cleanup, I use the new nonstick foil to line the pan.) Roast until tender and cut surfaces are golden brown, 25 to 30 minutes. Adjust seasonings; drizzle with balsamic vinegar.
Per Serving: 51 Calories; 3g Fat (58.1% calories from fat); trace Saturated Fat; 1g Protein; 5g Carbohydrate; 1g Dietary Fiber; 0mg Cholesterol; 2mg Sodium. Exchanges: 1 Vegetable; 0 Fruit; 1/2 Fat.
Saturday, October 23, 2010
an out of sorts sort of day
josh is gone for the weekend. this quite possibly could be contributing to my out of sorts sort of day that i am having. just seems like every thing i have done today has taken oodles of energy to complete or has failed (not total failure....just partial). don't get me wrong, it has not been a bad day. i have taken and made lemonade regardless....i am just out of sorts.
started with an early morning wake up call. luke was up early early early, followed very quickly by jack. they entertained themselves for an hour or so before getting me up for the day. we had breakfast and lots of play time--which was GREAT :) but then we had to get to soccer and the rush for the door was much "rushy-er" than i cared for....and that led to rushing to the store, and then rushing to the neighbors to play...and then rushing to get grandma for a dinner date...which led to rushing to dinner..... and dinner itself was difficult. they boys, mostly jack, have been asking to go to grille 111 for dinner for quite some time so i made a reservation and we took a date. no one was happy....dinner was not fabulous, the waitress was inattentive and slow (there were almost no other patrons....why so darn slow!), jack's steak was too "tender" (oh my), luke fell of his chair, he ate my steak but not his dinner....and on and on and on...... we then raced to a store and then to get ice cream, to rush home to play with aunt sarah and uncle aaron.... and then rushed to bed......
so now it is close to 9, and i JUST got the boys to bed. way late for this mama! and now as i reflect on my day, i just feel out of sorts. it feels awkward and odd.
josh comes home tomorrow. i hope tomorrow is less of an out of sorts sort of day.
started with an early morning wake up call. luke was up early early early, followed very quickly by jack. they entertained themselves for an hour or so before getting me up for the day. we had breakfast and lots of play time--which was GREAT :) but then we had to get to soccer and the rush for the door was much "rushy-er" than i cared for....and that led to rushing to the store, and then rushing to the neighbors to play...and then rushing to get grandma for a dinner date...which led to rushing to dinner..... and dinner itself was difficult. they boys, mostly jack, have been asking to go to grille 111 for dinner for quite some time so i made a reservation and we took a date. no one was happy....dinner was not fabulous, the waitress was inattentive and slow (there were almost no other patrons....why so darn slow!), jack's steak was too "tender" (oh my), luke fell of his chair, he ate my steak but not his dinner....and on and on and on...... we then raced to a store and then to get ice cream, to rush home to play with aunt sarah and uncle aaron.... and then rushed to bed......
so now it is close to 9, and i JUST got the boys to bed. way late for this mama! and now as i reflect on my day, i just feel out of sorts. it feels awkward and odd.
josh comes home tomorrow. i hope tomorrow is less of an out of sorts sort of day.
Friday, October 22, 2010
legos
jack absolutely loves legos! tonight as we lay on his bed together before bedtime, he looked at me and smiled. he then proceeded to tell me that he loved his legos, especially the ones that were uncle tom's :)
Thursday, October 21, 2010
a memory
one of my students won a cross country race last night and it triggered a happy memory..... that left me choked up.
my freshmen year of high school, tom was a senior so we were on the cross country team together. we both were decent and ran varsity. i ran anywhere from number 3 to number 6 usually and tom was usually around the top 5. it was a beautiful warm fall day and we were at our home course, diggin's hill. diggin's is an old ski hill that is now a legendary sledding hill for the families in cadillac. the race, unlike typical courses, was less than 5k but was a bear of a challenge since you had to run up the "ski hill" twice, with the first being the very beginning of the race and the 2nd being the very end of the race. on this particular day, i was not feeling well. my throat was sore and i was overall just icky. i remember clearly telling coach that i was not feeling well. i also very clearly remember his response to run to the best of my ability.
i took off up the hill and ran like the wind. i knew i was running well and i had passed a team mate down (who was typically our number one runner) but it was not until i came "out of the woods" part of the course the first time through it and heard tom screaming at the top of his lungs, "holy cow (sh#*?) teresa's in FIRST" that i realized how fast i was running. at that point, a few things happened. one, i realized i was in FIRST and needed to stay there and two, i heard the pride and love in my brother's voice.
as i tore up the hill the second time and was moments away from the end of the course, i heard tom scream, cheer and encourage me all the way to the finish line. i won the race by 10 seconds. it was an amazing day for me and amazing for me now to remember how much pride tom had in me that day.
thinking back on this memory, i get choked up. thank heavens i had a brother, on all days--good or bad--to love me.
my freshmen year of high school, tom was a senior so we were on the cross country team together. we both were decent and ran varsity. i ran anywhere from number 3 to number 6 usually and tom was usually around the top 5. it was a beautiful warm fall day and we were at our home course, diggin's hill. diggin's is an old ski hill that is now a legendary sledding hill for the families in cadillac. the race, unlike typical courses, was less than 5k but was a bear of a challenge since you had to run up the "ski hill" twice, with the first being the very beginning of the race and the 2nd being the very end of the race. on this particular day, i was not feeling well. my throat was sore and i was overall just icky. i remember clearly telling coach that i was not feeling well. i also very clearly remember his response to run to the best of my ability.
i took off up the hill and ran like the wind. i knew i was running well and i had passed a team mate down (who was typically our number one runner) but it was not until i came "out of the woods" part of the course the first time through it and heard tom screaming at the top of his lungs, "holy cow (sh#*?) teresa's in FIRST" that i realized how fast i was running. at that point, a few things happened. one, i realized i was in FIRST and needed to stay there and two, i heard the pride and love in my brother's voice.
as i tore up the hill the second time and was moments away from the end of the course, i heard tom scream, cheer and encourage me all the way to the finish line. i won the race by 10 seconds. it was an amazing day for me and amazing for me now to remember how much pride tom had in me that day.
thinking back on this memory, i get choked up. thank heavens i had a brother, on all days--good or bad--to love me.
luke-ism
luke loves to tell us how much he loves "yegular" things.....
he does not like fancy milk, just "yegular"
he does not like fancy pants, just "yegular"
etc. etc. etc.
cracks us up :)
he does not like fancy milk, just "yegular"
he does not like fancy pants, just "yegular"
etc. etc. etc.
cracks us up :)
Wednesday, October 20, 2010
mythbusters
a year ago i sat in this same spot and watched mythbusters without a care in the world. a week after, october 28th, 2009 at 9:02 (or so), my phone rang as mythbusters was starting and the world as i knew it was shattered. it does not matter if mythbusters is showing as a re-run or at its normal wednesday night time, i cannot see the beginning music/sound/credits without thinking of that awful phone call of tom's death.
will this ever change?
will this ever change?
A Gathering
on sunday, we had a gathering to celebrate tom's life. when i thought of the idea a few months ago, i did not have a lot of expectations for how the day would go. we scheduled an "open house" style event with some food and asked that others bring something to share. we set up a table that had some pictures of tom, his fire helmet, his flag that was presented to my parents, and his baby book. we also asked that people sign a book to share with us who had attended and/or a memory, etc. we invited anyone that wanted to attend and we had around 40 show up. it was a nice to have others around to laugh, tear up and just be together.
after the event, i got to thinking about those who did not attend. a friend of ours did not come and it really surprised me. after the day, i got a message that really changed how i thought about tom's celebration. this friend proceeded to tell me how hard it was for her to deal with death and that she cares deeply about my family but it is better to remember for her to remember on her own the ones who have gone before. she also shared that she kept thinking that she might join us because of how close we are and how much she loved tom but in the end, she just needed to not be there.
her message was a nice gentle reminder for me that we all grieve differently. i talk. i laugh. i cry. i am very open with my emotions and share freely. we are not all like this. in fact, i have a feeling that most others are not like this. i know that many are still hurting so bad after the loss of tom. my prayers and thoughts are with them as the one year anniversary of his death is approaching.
may we all find peace in our hearts and move on. may we all remember tom and share with others who he was.
after the event, i got to thinking about those who did not attend. a friend of ours did not come and it really surprised me. after the day, i got a message that really changed how i thought about tom's celebration. this friend proceeded to tell me how hard it was for her to deal with death and that she cares deeply about my family but it is better to remember for her to remember on her own the ones who have gone before. she also shared that she kept thinking that she might join us because of how close we are and how much she loved tom but in the end, she just needed to not be there.
her message was a nice gentle reminder for me that we all grieve differently. i talk. i laugh. i cry. i am very open with my emotions and share freely. we are not all like this. in fact, i have a feeling that most others are not like this. i know that many are still hurting so bad after the loss of tom. my prayers and thoughts are with them as the one year anniversary of his death is approaching.
may we all find peace in our hearts and move on. may we all remember tom and share with others who he was.
Friends....but not really about friends?
sigh. my little big guy is growing up. he is making friends--which is GREAT but i sigh because with this brings about all kinds of things....
let me start with how it is impacting me (after all this is my blog and my spot to be selfish when i need to be....need to write). jack is starting to make his own choices for friends. i am happy that he is doing this but as his mom it is down right scary! he is so darn impressionable.... what if he picks mean friends? what if he picks kids who do not work hard? what if he picks kids that are too aggressive and greatly influence his personality? and then on the flip side, what if he is all of these at school when i am not around. darn. this letting go of your kiddo thing is HARD. i suppose the "easy way" out would be to homeschool....so i could have him around 100% of the time but that thought has never crossed my mind so i guess it should not now either. i have to have faith that he will make good choices and continue to reinforce this at home. i also have to have faith that his teachers will guide him appropriately and help develop him into a blossoming student, including a nice friend.
i guess this post is not about friends afterall..... it is about me letting jack find his way. it is about me figuring out how much is too much and how much is not enough--for me to help him make his decisions but also let him make the final choice. sigh. he is afterall only five :)
wow you say. this is a lot of "deep thoughts with jack handy" for a wednesday night. well it stemmed from jack coming home and telling me that a friend of his says he HAS to go to a meeting in the morning at the yellow spider on the playground. this little lady had an incident with another fella on the playground (another friend they share) and she wants jack to talk to the little boy at the meeting to tell him to stop whatever it was that he did (remember...this story was filtered through to me by jack). i chuckled at the thought of all of this but then again...... he said he HAS to go because she said so.... and then when we talked about that he does not HAVE to go if he does not want to, he did not seem so sure.
help me out friends--help me figure out how to be a mom who can ask/help/prod just enough but not too much..... help please!
thanks for listening to my TOTALLY random thoughts of the day.
let me start with how it is impacting me (after all this is my blog and my spot to be selfish when i need to be....need to write). jack is starting to make his own choices for friends. i am happy that he is doing this but as his mom it is down right scary! he is so darn impressionable.... what if he picks mean friends? what if he picks kids who do not work hard? what if he picks kids that are too aggressive and greatly influence his personality? and then on the flip side, what if he is all of these at school when i am not around. darn. this letting go of your kiddo thing is HARD. i suppose the "easy way" out would be to homeschool....so i could have him around 100% of the time but that thought has never crossed my mind so i guess it should not now either. i have to have faith that he will make good choices and continue to reinforce this at home. i also have to have faith that his teachers will guide him appropriately and help develop him into a blossoming student, including a nice friend.
i guess this post is not about friends afterall..... it is about me letting jack find his way. it is about me figuring out how much is too much and how much is not enough--for me to help him make his decisions but also let him make the final choice. sigh. he is afterall only five :)
wow you say. this is a lot of "deep thoughts with jack handy" for a wednesday night. well it stemmed from jack coming home and telling me that a friend of his says he HAS to go to a meeting in the morning at the yellow spider on the playground. this little lady had an incident with another fella on the playground (another friend they share) and she wants jack to talk to the little boy at the meeting to tell him to stop whatever it was that he did (remember...this story was filtered through to me by jack). i chuckled at the thought of all of this but then again...... he said he HAS to go because she said so.... and then when we talked about that he does not HAVE to go if he does not want to, he did not seem so sure.
help me out friends--help me figure out how to be a mom who can ask/help/prod just enough but not too much..... help please!
thanks for listening to my TOTALLY random thoughts of the day.
Tuesday, October 12, 2010
cuteness of our boys and READING :)
jack is reading--this i say quite proudly! he can sound out words :)
tonight and last night he sounded out:
hug
kick
man
in
din
cat
dog
frog
his
her
he knows:
jack
luke
mom
dad
boyer
the
he
is
i
see
an
**i am sure there are more but i cannot think of them right now :)
luke wants to read so darn bad and is working on learning his letters but we often encourage him to use the pictures to tell us what he can "read" :) so tonight, he told us all about different things in an object book--including flamingos! our favorite was when he looked at a picture of cooked pastas (tortelinis, penne, etc) and said they were yellow cabloons.....i think he means yellow balloons :) love it!
so happy our boys are so interested in reading!!!
tonight and last night he sounded out:
hug
kick
man
in
din
cat
dog
frog
his
her
he knows:
jack
luke
mom
dad
boyer
the
he
is
i
see
an
**i am sure there are more but i cannot think of them right now :)
luke wants to read so darn bad and is working on learning his letters but we often encourage him to use the pictures to tell us what he can "read" :) so tonight, he told us all about different things in an object book--including flamingos! our favorite was when he looked at a picture of cooked pastas (tortelinis, penne, etc) and said they were yellow cabloons.....i think he means yellow balloons :) love it!
so happy our boys are so interested in reading!!!
fire safety
tom would be so darn proud of his nephews today--they are both totally into fire safety :) tonight for jack's homework, he had to practice our family fire drill--we didn't have just one fire drill at home today but TWO :) jack was adorable as he taught luke what to do in the event of a fire--stay low and go. he even showed him how to check doors, watch for smoke, etc. after the "lesson", both boys even checked the doors with the back of their hands while we were completing the drill and totally got into it with their imaginations--luke "saw" fire and had us go another way and jack "felt" fire on the other side of a door so we had to go to a different one.
they know our safe spot but when asked what to do if the neighbors were not home, luke's response was to call the "cambulance" :)
they know our safe spot but when asked what to do if the neighbors were not home, luke's response was to call the "cambulance" :)
Monday, October 11, 2010
tigers take 2
luke can't sleep--convinced that that darn tiger who was going to steel his bike a few weeks ago is going to break into our garage with his sharp claws and attack him downstairs. he even said they would read road signs to find their way from africa......
and the best reply on facebook..... tie goes to.....
my cousin heather: You could tell him that Andrew was sent to the US to keep us ALL safe from tigers that escape Africa.
my high school friend dennis: tell him that there are a bunch of volunteer firemen who are willing to protect him with one phone call. I dought it will help, good luck.
mom patience
i wish that i was a super mom. i hate that i can have all the patience in the world with my two little buggers and then all the sudden have none.... i hate that about myself. okay strong word...how about i say i dislike it about myself.
tonight i will work on finding peace with my flaws so tomorrow (or tonight if someone wakes up), i can be a better mom.
tonight i will work on finding peace with my flaws so tomorrow (or tonight if someone wakes up), i can be a better mom.
Sunday, October 10, 2010
What. A. Weekend.
wheewwwww what! a! weekend!
we got a ton accomplished..and had fun.....in no particular order:
--made a grocery list, planned a fabulous week of meals, and grocery shopped (not once but twice since i forgot to get mandatory stuff for a lesson tomorrow)
--watched a movie with the boys and ate homemade popcorn
--taped and painted (almost) the ENTIRE living room (thank you love)--due to a "touch up paint" issue
--jack asked tonight if the tooth fairy is real. my response was, "yes, you know like santa and the easter bunny. in fact they get together for holidays and dinners" jack's response, "but not christmas since santa's working" :)
--luke prayed that god tell him who the tooth fairy was (actually a few days before jack's comment)
--watched jack play soccer, and score the ONLY two goals for the entire game
--found out neighbor's shed was broken into, stuff was stolen and they attempted to break into ours but could not. worked on beefing up security.
--carved pumpkins and hung out with aunt lynda and uncle john
--ate burger king french fries for BEDTIME snack :) this was a first for jack-o and he was super excited!
--made it to church..... been a while :)
--ate at margos! mmmmmm
--had neighbor and friend gabby over to play with jack
--made AWESOME asian supper
--worked on grad homework and finished one of the units and i am about to start the next one
--prepped dinner for tomorrow
--shopped online for a bit
wheeewwwwww i told you it was what a weekend :)
we got a ton accomplished..and had fun.....in no particular order:
--made a grocery list, planned a fabulous week of meals, and grocery shopped (not once but twice since i forgot to get mandatory stuff for a lesson tomorrow)
--watched a movie with the boys and ate homemade popcorn
--taped and painted (almost) the ENTIRE living room (thank you love)--due to a "touch up paint" issue
--jack asked tonight if the tooth fairy is real. my response was, "yes, you know like santa and the easter bunny. in fact they get together for holidays and dinners" jack's response, "but not christmas since santa's working" :)
--luke prayed that god tell him who the tooth fairy was (actually a few days before jack's comment)
--watched jack play soccer, and score the ONLY two goals for the entire game
--found out neighbor's shed was broken into, stuff was stolen and they attempted to break into ours but could not. worked on beefing up security.
--carved pumpkins and hung out with aunt lynda and uncle john
--ate burger king french fries for BEDTIME snack :) this was a first for jack-o and he was super excited!
--made it to church..... been a while :)
--ate at margos! mmmmmm
--had neighbor and friend gabby over to play with jack
--made AWESOME asian supper
--worked on grad homework and finished one of the units and i am about to start the next one
--prepped dinner for tomorrow
--shopped online for a bit
wheeewwwwww i told you it was what a weekend :)
Asian Inspired Meal
mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm tonight's blog is brought to you by my ASIAN INSPIRED MEAL
1. Steak
NEED:
Sirloin steak
2 tbsp Soy Sauce
1 tbsp Toasted Sesame Oil
1 tbsp Balsamic Vinegar
1/4 tsp Dried Thyme
1/4 tsp Black Pepper
1 dash Salt
1/4 tsp Garlic Powder
1 tbsp Toasted Sesame Oil
1 tbsp Balsamic Vinegar
1/4 tsp Dried Thyme
1/4 tsp Black Pepper
1 dash Salt
1/4 tsp Garlic Powder
Mix ingredients and marinade steak--at least four hours. Grill until Med-Rare (or however you like it)
2. Potatoes
bake yukon golds at 450 for an hour
the boys liked theirs "plain"--ranch and butter
but josh and i "asianed" it up with soy sauce, and asian hot sauce--i mixed sour cream with soy sauce and sriracha sauce--mmmmmmm sooooo goooood
3. Broccoli
NEED:
• 1 1/2 pounds broccoli crowns
• 1 tablespoon sesame oil
• 2 tablespoons sesame seeds, toasted in dry skillet
• 1 tablespoon low sodium soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon sesame oil
• 2 tablespoons sesame seeds, toasted in dry skillet
• 1 tablespoon low sodium soy sauce
DO:
Wash and trim broccoli. Steam broccoli until not quite done and drain. (About 6 or 7 minutes) Do not over cook - you want it to still be crisp.
Heat the sesame oil on a skillet or wok for 15 seconds over high heat. Add the sesame seeds and the broccoli.
Heat the sesame oil on a skillet or wok for 15 seconds over high heat. Add the sesame seeds and the broccoli.
Stir fry until heated through. Remove from the pan to a serving dish, pour soy sauce over!
Per Serving: 56 Calories; 4g Fat (54.1% calories from fat); 1g Saturated Fat; 3g Protein; 5g Carbohydrate; 3g Dietary Fiber; 0mg Cholesterol; 120mg Sodium. Exchanges: 0 Grain(Starch); 0 Lean Meat; 1 Vegetable; 1/2 Fat.
4. Fresh Pineapple Bites
(really cut the hotness)
5. Fresh Rolls (i dipped mine in that awesome sour cream, soy sauce, hot sauce mixture)
Friday, October 8, 2010
So I do not lose this recipe....
This is great as a side dish for grilled chicken.
| Servings: 6 |
• 1 tablespoon sesame oil
• 2 tablespoons sesame seeds, toasted in dry skillet
• 1 tablespoon low sodium soy sauce
Wash and trim broccoli. Steam broccoli until not quite done and drain. (About 6 or 7 minutes) Do not over cook - you want it to still be crisp.
Heat the sesame oil on a skillet or wok for 15 seconds over high heat. Add the sesame seeds and the broccoli.
Stir fry until heated through. Remove from the pan to a serving dish, pour soy sauce over!
Per Serving: 56 Calories; 4g Fat (54.1% calories from fat); 1g Saturated Fat; 3g Protein; 5g Carbohydrate; 3g Dietary Fiber; 0mg Cholesterol; 120mg Sodium. Exchanges: 0 Grain(Starch); 0 Lean Meat; 1 Vegetable; 1/2 Fat.
Wednesday, October 6, 2010
misc of our boys
jack loves his new friend gabby and thinks it is super cool that she is in 2nd grade AND lives behind us
luke wants to go to kindergarten NOW and wonders why three year olds can't go yet
both boys are obsessed with pizza lunchables :)
luke is convinced that tigers and giraffes from africa will be here soon
luke LOVES his grandma days on wednesdays--looks forward to them a LOT
jack continues to enjoy homework (yay!)
both boys are learning a TON--i can't believe how well jack is sounding out words. he knows all his letters, sounds and loves to put it all together. luke is recognizing more and more letters and wants to show us them :)
luke wants to go to kindergarten NOW and wonders why three year olds can't go yet
both boys are obsessed with pizza lunchables :)
luke is convinced that tigers and giraffes from africa will be here soon
luke LOVES his grandma days on wednesdays--looks forward to them a LOT
jack continues to enjoy homework (yay!)
both boys are learning a TON--i can't believe how well jack is sounding out words. he knows all his letters, sounds and loves to put it all together. luke is recognizing more and more letters and wants to show us them :)
reading
conversation yesterday
jack, "my brain loves reading"
me, "oh that makes me sooooo happy buddy!"
luke, "my brain is sad because it can't read"
me, "oh buddy it will happen, i promise"
OH my nerdy heart is HAPPY :)
Tuesday, October 5, 2010
Dentist
luke had his first official dentist visit today! :) last time, he rode in the chair but did not have an appt. he also watched his brother. this time, he had an appt and was not about to get in the chair.... :) he watched brother again and it took some convincing from me but he CLIMBED into the chair and let them do EVERYTHING :) way to go luke!!!! we are so proud of you buddy!!
Monday, October 4, 2010
Sauce
mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm i love garlic :)
i also love spaghetti but i had gotten burnt out by the same old same old....so last time and this time, i worked harder at making my jar of sauce better.
here's what i did
NEED:
1 jar of sauce (i use ragu)
garlic finely minced (or not so fine... like me)
julianned carrots chopped up
1/2-1 whole sweet yellow onion chopped
ground beef
wine (red is best but i only had white zin)
salt
pepper
dried italian herbs
DO:
add olive oil to a saute pan and get hot
add carrot, onion , garlic, herbs, salt and pepper
stir and cook on med-high for 5-10 minutes
add ground beef and cook until ALMOST not pink
add wine and simmer until wine is almost gone
add jar of sauce
stir and cook until heated through
serve over hot pasta!
i also love spaghetti but i had gotten burnt out by the same old same old....so last time and this time, i worked harder at making my jar of sauce better.
here's what i did
NEED:
1 jar of sauce (i use ragu)
garlic finely minced (or not so fine... like me)
julianned carrots chopped up
1/2-1 whole sweet yellow onion chopped
ground beef
wine (red is best but i only had white zin)
salt
pepper
dried italian herbs
DO:
add olive oil to a saute pan and get hot
add carrot, onion , garlic, herbs, salt and pepper
stir and cook on med-high for 5-10 minutes
add ground beef and cook until ALMOST not pink
add wine and simmer until wine is almost gone
add jar of sauce
stir and cook until heated through
serve over hot pasta!
Sunday, October 3, 2010
Tigers
lions and tigers and bears oh my.... nope.... just tigers :)
luke is convinced that tigers are going to come from africa, get in our garage and steal his bike... :)
and when we asked him how they would ride his bike with no hands, he used his little hands to show us how the paws would work to ride his bike :)
LOVE the imagination on our kiddos!
luke is convinced that tigers are going to come from africa, get in our garage and steal his bike... :)
and when we asked him how they would ride his bike with no hands, he used his little hands to show us how the paws would work to ride his bike :)
LOVE the imagination on our kiddos!
weekly menu and recipes
Saturday: date night
Sunday: Beef Roast (see below), Homemade Mashed Potatoes with Gravy, Roasted Broccoli, French Bread and Caramel Apples (thank you mom b for the yummy apples)
Monday: Spaghetti and Bread
Tuesday: eat out after appts
Wednesday: Beer Pizza Crust (penzey's), Fruit and Chips
Thursday:Tuscan Herb Marinaded Chicken Tenderloins (skwered), Roasted Sweet Potatoes/Potatoes (see another blog post for recipe), and Carrots
Friday: Grilled Steak, Baked Potatoes and Frozen Broccoli
Saturday: Pumpkin Carving Party
Sunday: Carnitas (see other post for recipe)
Monday: Warmed Sandwiches
Roast
NEED:
1 beef roast
2 cups broth (or Penzy's Beef Stock in a jar--4 tsp mixed with 2 cups water)
a bag of baby carrots
4 cloves of garlic whole
Steak Seasoning (peppercorns, salt, spices)
Dried Italian Herb Mix
DO: put garlic and carrots in the bottom of a crock pot
place roast on top
liberally put steak seasoning and herbs on top of roast
pour broth/stock around roast
add additional seasoning/herbs to broth for more flavor
cook on low ALL DAY
SERVE
take meat out, shred. place carrots next to beef. use liquid for gravy--put in a pan, bring to boil. mix 1 tbs cornstarch with 1/4 cup of cold water. stir into boiling liquid. boil until thickened and cool slightly before serving.
Mashed Potatoes
NEED
yukon gold potatoes
half and half
butter
DO:
peel and cube potatoes
boil in salted water until done (tender)
mash with hand masher--adding butter and half and half until you get the consistency you desire
add salt to taste
Roasted Broccoli
NEED
broccoli
olive oil
seasoning (i used green goddess by penzy's spices but you could use anything)
salt
DO:
cut broccoli into bite sized pieces. dry on paper towel. toss with oil and seasonings. put on a baking sheet. place in oven (450) for 15 minutes or until heated through and at the consistency you desire.
Pizza Crust
Mix the yeast with the water and honey in a small mixing bowl. Mix 4 cups of the flour with the salt in a large bowl. Once the yeast becomes foamy, pour it into the bowl with the flour mixture. Add the olive oil and beer. Stir to combine and then add the remaining flour 1/2 cup at a time, stirring until the dough isn’t sticky. Once you’ve reached 7 cups of flour, turn the dough out of the bowl onto the tabletop and knead for a few minutes until smooth and elastic, sprinkling with flour as needed to keep it from sticking. You may not need the full 8 cups. Once the dough is soft, smooth and elastic, place in a deep, greased bowl and let rise 45-60 minutes, or until double in size. Once risen, you're ready to make pizzas! This makes 2 large or 4 medium pizzas. Divide the dough into 2 or 4 balls. This is the point where you would freeze any crusts you’d like to save for later—just wrap them well in plastic wrap.
Preheat oven to 425°. Have all the topping ingredients assembled before rolling out the crusts. If you are using a pizza stone make sure it is also heating in the oven. Sprinkle a flat surface with flour and gently roll out the dough and place the prepared crust on a pizza paddle sprinkled with cornmeal or a perforated pizza pan.
Add the toppings to each pizza. Any combination of the above works, or add your own favorites.
Carefully transfer the pizza pan to the hot oven, or shift the pizza off the paddle onto a baking stone in the hot oven and bake for 10-15 minutes, or until the edges have browned.
Prep. time: 90 minutes
Baking time: 10-15 minutes
Serves: 4 per large pizza
Sunday: Beef Roast (see below), Homemade Mashed Potatoes with Gravy, Roasted Broccoli, French Bread and Caramel Apples (thank you mom b for the yummy apples)
Monday: Spaghetti and Bread
Tuesday: eat out after appts
Wednesday: Beer Pizza Crust (penzey's), Fruit and Chips
Thursday:Tuscan Herb Marinaded Chicken Tenderloins (skwered), Roasted Sweet Potatoes/Potatoes (see another blog post for recipe), and Carrots
Friday: Grilled Steak, Baked Potatoes and Frozen Broccoli
Saturday: Pumpkin Carving Party
Sunday: Carnitas (see other post for recipe)
Monday: Warmed Sandwiches
Roast
NEED:
1 beef roast
2 cups broth (or Penzy's Beef Stock in a jar--4 tsp mixed with 2 cups water)
a bag of baby carrots
4 cloves of garlic whole
Steak Seasoning (peppercorns, salt, spices)
Dried Italian Herb Mix
DO: put garlic and carrots in the bottom of a crock pot
place roast on top
liberally put steak seasoning and herbs on top of roast
pour broth/stock around roast
add additional seasoning/herbs to broth for more flavor
cook on low ALL DAY
SERVE
take meat out, shred. place carrots next to beef. use liquid for gravy--put in a pan, bring to boil. mix 1 tbs cornstarch with 1/4 cup of cold water. stir into boiling liquid. boil until thickened and cool slightly before serving.
Mashed Potatoes
NEED
yukon gold potatoes
half and half
butter
DO:
peel and cube potatoes
boil in salted water until done (tender)
mash with hand masher--adding butter and half and half until you get the consistency you desire
add salt to taste
Roasted Broccoli
NEED
broccoli
olive oil
seasoning (i used green goddess by penzy's spices but you could use anything)
salt
DO:
cut broccoli into bite sized pieces. dry on paper towel. toss with oil and seasonings. put on a baking sheet. place in oven (450) for 15 minutes or until heated through and at the consistency you desire.
Pizza Crust
2 Cups warm water
2 TB. honey
2 TB. active dry yeast
7-8 Cups all purpose flour
2 tsp. salt
4 TB. olive oil- 1 12 oz. can beer
Toppings (Large Pizza):
2-3 TB. extra virgin olive oil; a thin coating
1/2-1 Cup tomato sauce
2 tsp. PIZZA SEASONING (an absolute must)
4 oz. turkey pepperoni
4 oz. chopped up Canadian bacon
4 oz. chopped sun-dried tomatoes (drain well if packed in olive oil)
4 oz. sliced olives
4 oz. sliced mushrooms- 1/2 Cup finely shredded Pecorino Romano and/or mozzarella cheese
Mix the yeast with the water and honey in a small mixing bowl. Mix 4 cups of the flour with the salt in a large bowl. Once the yeast becomes foamy, pour it into the bowl with the flour mixture. Add the olive oil and beer. Stir to combine and then add the remaining flour 1/2 cup at a time, stirring until the dough isn’t sticky. Once you’ve reached 7 cups of flour, turn the dough out of the bowl onto the tabletop and knead for a few minutes until smooth and elastic, sprinkling with flour as needed to keep it from sticking. You may not need the full 8 cups. Once the dough is soft, smooth and elastic, place in a deep, greased bowl and let rise 45-60 minutes, or until double in size. Once risen, you're ready to make pizzas! This makes 2 large or 4 medium pizzas. Divide the dough into 2 or 4 balls. This is the point where you would freeze any crusts you’d like to save for later—just wrap them well in plastic wrap.
Preheat oven to 425°. Have all the topping ingredients assembled before rolling out the crusts. If you are using a pizza stone make sure it is also heating in the oven. Sprinkle a flat surface with flour and gently roll out the dough and place the prepared crust on a pizza paddle sprinkled with cornmeal or a perforated pizza pan.
Add the toppings to each pizza. Any combination of the above works, or add your own favorites.
Carefully transfer the pizza pan to the hot oven, or shift the pizza off the paddle onto a baking stone in the hot oven and bake for 10-15 minutes, or until the edges have browned.
Prep. time: 90 minutes
Baking time: 10-15 minutes
Serves: 4 per large pizza
Friday, October 1, 2010
advice
for a friend who is struggling with family, marriage, and life in general
love your family like they may not be there tomorrow
love your family like they may not be there tomorrow
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