Thank you Grandma Cathy and Grandpa Dan for the FUN snow shoes for Christmas! Today was the first day I got the boys out on them to play!!!! They did so well and had a BLAST!
Sunday, January 29, 2012
snow shoes!
Thank you Grandma Cathy and Grandpa Dan for the FUN snow shoes for Christmas! Today was the first day I got the boys out on them to play!!!! They did so well and had a BLAST!
Saturday, January 28, 2012
crash hot potatoes
cheers to the pioneer woman! her crash hot potatoes were amazing!!! i made them with steaks, roasted broccoli, and a side of bread. YUMMY!!!!
- 12 whole New Potatoes (or Other Small Round Potatoes)
- 3 Tablespoons Olive Oil
- Kosher Salt To Taste
- Black Pepper To Taste
- Rosemary (or Other Herbs Of Choice) To Taste
Preparation Instructions
Bring a pot of salted water to a boil. Add in as many potatoes as you wish to make and cook them until they are fork-tender.
On a sheet pan, generously drizzle olive oil. Place tender potatoes on the cookie sheet leaving plenty of room between each potato.
With a potato masher, gently press down each potato until it slightly mashes, rotate the potato masher 90 degrees and mash again. Brush the tops of each crushed potato generously with more olive oil.
Sprinkle potatoes with kosher salt, fresh ground black pepper and fresh chopped rosemary (or chives or thyme or whatever herb you have available.)
Bake in a 450 degree oven for 20-25 minutes until golden brown.
On a sheet pan, generously drizzle olive oil. Place tender potatoes on the cookie sheet leaving plenty of room between each potato.
With a potato masher, gently press down each potato until it slightly mashes, rotate the potato masher 90 degrees and mash again. Brush the tops of each crushed potato generously with more olive oil.
Sprinkle potatoes with kosher salt, fresh ground black pepper and fresh chopped rosemary (or chives or thyme or whatever herb you have available.)
Bake in a 450 degree oven for 20-25 minutes until golden brown.
Monday, January 23, 2012
and the results are in!
both the petit lasangas and the shrimp with spicy garlic sauce were AMAZING!!!!!! mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm
i even whipped up a small "Asian Pico" of pineapple, salt, lime juice, chilli oil honey, and jalepeno
i even whipped up a small "Asian Pico" of pineapple, salt, lime juice, chilli oil honey, and jalepeno
Wednesday, January 18, 2012
growing up
luke is growing up!
he has made his OWN friends at school....without mama, dad or jack guiding him and that big boy has gotten his FIRST friend from school birthday party invite! :)
exciting day in the boyer household!!!
he has made his OWN friends at school....without mama, dad or jack guiding him and that big boy has gotten his FIRST friend from school birthday party invite! :)
exciting day in the boyer household!!!
not me/not him
jack is not me.
i am not him.
i have been working really hard in therapy. one of the concepts that i am working hard to feel with my heart (even though i know it in my brain) is that my own fears/phobias/anxiety stem from things that happened in my life and situations that have negatively impacted me. my children have not had these same experiences, nor have they had the same situations. my children are fresh slates and they get to pick how they will react. i work hard so the boys do not know how my anxieties/phobias/irrational fears. today it was evident that my hard work is paying off.
jack went on a field trip today. what a great chance for him to hear the gr symphony play to little red riding hood! my unnecessary and unfounded worries were of course about the bus ride...not an accident on these very slippery january roads but for a puke incident....that may or may not occur. jack of course, since he is NOT ME, did not have any of these worries. and this evening, he casually mentions to me that "so and so" was almost sick on the bus. i {ever so casually and carefully} asked him if the little girl was okay. he smiled and said, he thought so and that sometimes people just get sick....that it just happens and then you move on. good message for mama jack!
jack is not me.
i am not him.
i am thankful that my boys do not own MY phobias. i am really working hard on that!
with the weekend coming up, and josh heading off with the boys....and it being stomach flu season....and strep throat season...and every other nasty germy season..... i am working on NOT being anxious!
i am not him.
i have been working really hard in therapy. one of the concepts that i am working hard to feel with my heart (even though i know it in my brain) is that my own fears/phobias/anxiety stem from things that happened in my life and situations that have negatively impacted me. my children have not had these same experiences, nor have they had the same situations. my children are fresh slates and they get to pick how they will react. i work hard so the boys do not know how my anxieties/phobias/irrational fears. today it was evident that my hard work is paying off.
jack went on a field trip today. what a great chance for him to hear the gr symphony play to little red riding hood! my unnecessary and unfounded worries were of course about the bus ride...not an accident on these very slippery january roads but for a puke incident....that may or may not occur. jack of course, since he is NOT ME, did not have any of these worries. and this evening, he casually mentions to me that "so and so" was almost sick on the bus. i {ever so casually and carefully} asked him if the little girl was okay. he smiled and said, he thought so and that sometimes people just get sick....that it just happens and then you move on. good message for mama jack!
jack is not me.
i am not him.
i am thankful that my boys do not own MY phobias. i am really working hard on that!
with the weekend coming up, and josh heading off with the boys....and it being stomach flu season....and strep throat season...and every other nasty germy season..... i am working on NOT being anxious!
Tuesday, January 17, 2012
just to change it up...
dang we got snow today and this mama was NOT going to pass up a great chance to play in it....i mean play with the kids in it ;)
so the menu got changed around so nuggets and tots could be thrown into the oven and eaten when we got back in from our adventures in the winter wonderland.
boys rounded their nutritious tyson nuggets and ore ida tots with applesauce and yogurt. josh had a side salad and bread. this mama got a touch creative and once again found an accidental awesomeness!
buffalo chicken salad
bed of romaine lettuce
sprinkling of pecans and french fried onion salad toppers
shredded mozarella
black olives
cut up chicken nuggets
drizzled with ranch and franks buffalo sauce
mmmmmmm
tomorrow we will get back to our normally scheduled meals..... probably ;)
so the menu got changed around so nuggets and tots could be thrown into the oven and eaten when we got back in from our adventures in the winter wonderland.
boys rounded their nutritious tyson nuggets and ore ida tots with applesauce and yogurt. josh had a side salad and bread. this mama got a touch creative and once again found an accidental awesomeness!
buffalo chicken salad
bed of romaine lettuce
sprinkling of pecans and french fried onion salad toppers
shredded mozarella
black olives
cut up chicken nuggets
drizzled with ranch and franks buffalo sauce
mmmmmmm
tomorrow we will get back to our normally scheduled meals..... probably ;)
Monday, January 16, 2012
Menu
monday: petite lasagnas (see previous post for recipe), salad or broccoli, and bread
tuesday: mini stromboli, (we are having this again so soon since jack LOVED it last week), chips and fruit
wednesday: pork stir fry, crab rangoons (baked...will leave recipe later if any good), rice
thursday: rice krispie chicken, broccoli or salad, fruit and roasted sweet potatoes/potatoes
recipes to come later :)
tuesday: mini stromboli, (we are having this again so soon since jack LOVED it last week), chips and fruit
wednesday: pork stir fry, crab rangoons (baked...will leave recipe later if any good), rice
thursday: rice krispie chicken, broccoli or salad, fruit and roasted sweet potatoes/potatoes
recipes to come later :)
Sunday, January 15, 2012
trying next week....
http://appetiteforchina.com/recipes/shrimp-garlic-sauce
When I was living in China, ordering a dish of something coated in spicy garlic sauce was usually a gamble. Take pork or eggplant for example, two Sichuan dishes usually cooked with this sauce. The dish could be either perfectly manageable, or, if the chef was overly generous with his chili oil, throat-burningly spicy. Having your throat burnt isn’t necessarily bad, per se (after all, you did go out for Sichuan). But when your meal also includes mapo tofu, dan dan noodles, and boiled beef in chili sauce, it would be nice to have a little reprieve.
In the U.S., shrimp with garlic sauce in Chinese restaurants is rarely very spicy, even if the entree is marked with a big red star or chili pepper on the menu. I wanted to strike a balance with this recipe. Instead of using a lot of chili oil, like in Sichuan cooking, or a tiny squeeze of hot sauce like many restaurants here seem to do, I used a good amount of Huy Fong (Red Rooster brand) chili garlic sauce instead. (You can use any brand of chili garlic sauce or regular chili sauce.)
Of course, because this dish is all about the garlicky taste, nothing beats freshly sautéed garlic. There is nothing wrong with adding garlic on top of garlic. You’ll want to start with sautéing a few cloves cloves, crushed or chopped. Then add the shrimp and the sauce, and the entree will be done in, seriously, 5 minutes.
_________________________
Shrimp with Spicy Garlic Sauce
Serves 4
1 1/2 pounds uncooked large shrimp
3 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons chili oil
2 teaspoons sesame oil
2 teaspoons Chinese rice wine
1 teaspoon sugar
2 tablespoons olive oil
3 gloves garlic, crushed or finely chopped
1 pinch freshly cracked black pepper
1 scallion, thinly sliced
1. Peel the shrimp, leaving the tail segments intact, then devein them.
2. In a small bowl, mix together the soy sauce, chili oil, sesame oil, rice wine, and sugar and set aside.
3. In a wok or large pan, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat. Stir-fry the garlic until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add the shrimp and cook until both sides are pink, about 2 minutes on each side. Add the sauce mixture and stir so the shrimp is fully coated. Season with black pepper.
4. Remove from the heat and garnish with chopped scallions. Serve with rice or vegetables.
Shrimp with Spicy Garlic Sauce
When I was living in China, ordering a dish of something coated in spicy garlic sauce was usually a gamble. Take pork or eggplant for example, two Sichuan dishes usually cooked with this sauce. The dish could be either perfectly manageable, or, if the chef was overly generous with his chili oil, throat-burningly spicy. Having your throat burnt isn’t necessarily bad, per se (after all, you did go out for Sichuan). But when your meal also includes mapo tofu, dan dan noodles, and boiled beef in chili sauce, it would be nice to have a little reprieve.
In the U.S., shrimp with garlic sauce in Chinese restaurants is rarely very spicy, even if the entree is marked with a big red star or chili pepper on the menu. I wanted to strike a balance with this recipe. Instead of using a lot of chili oil, like in Sichuan cooking, or a tiny squeeze of hot sauce like many restaurants here seem to do, I used a good amount of Huy Fong (Red Rooster brand) chili garlic sauce instead. (You can use any brand of chili garlic sauce or regular chili sauce.)
Of course, because this dish is all about the garlicky taste, nothing beats freshly sautéed garlic. There is nothing wrong with adding garlic on top of garlic. You’ll want to start with sautéing a few cloves cloves, crushed or chopped. Then add the shrimp and the sauce, and the entree will be done in, seriously, 5 minutes.
_________________________
Shrimp with Spicy Garlic Sauce
Serves 4
1 1/2 pounds uncooked large shrimp
3 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons chili oil
2 teaspoons sesame oil
2 teaspoons Chinese rice wine
1 teaspoon sugar
2 tablespoons olive oil
3 gloves garlic, crushed or finely chopped
1 pinch freshly cracked black pepper
1 scallion, thinly sliced
1. Peel the shrimp, leaving the tail segments intact, then devein them.
2. In a small bowl, mix together the soy sauce, chili oil, sesame oil, rice wine, and sugar and set aside.
3. In a wok or large pan, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat. Stir-fry the garlic until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add the shrimp and cook until both sides are pink, about 2 minutes on each side. Add the sauce mixture and stir so the shrimp is fully coated. Season with black pepper.
4. Remove from the heat and garnish with chopped scallions. Serve with rice or vegetables.
Petite Lasangas
trying these this week :)
http://www.canyoustayfordinner.com/2010/11/04/petite-lasagnas/
I find there’s a fine line between like and obsessed. A whisper-thin, sliver of a line. Take my reverence for Target, for example. What began nearly ten years ago as a casual, “Hey I really think that place is the cat’s pajamas” slipped almost too quickly into me considering ways to spend an entire weekend within its red doors. How lovely a weekend that would be.
My relationship with my muffin tin is similarly alarming. We can call it obsessive if we must. The thing is, I just can’t quite seem to help myself.
Because, I mean, well… everything can be cupcaked…made petite…muffined even. Breakfast, lunch, dinner, and dessert can all be popped, hot, from the twelve cup tin.
So then- shouldn’t they be?
I’ve moved beyond muffins…
sailed straight past mini cakes…
whipped apple cinnamon buns into cupcake shape…
settled a long-standing dispute with Hostess…
and now I’ve gone and whittled lasagna into onesies.
I can’t promise I won’t do it again. And I don’t even think I can be held accountable for my actions.
Not when I’m capable of transforming what was once a sort of daunting, mess-inducing, oh-what-will-I-do-with-all-those-leftovers, casserole into petite-sized portions.
Not when tomato sauce is spiced and chunky with crumbled turkey.
Not when I can finally find a use for those damn wonton wrappers.
And no, certainly not when creamy ricotta and melting strands of mozzarella are on the line.
(makes 12)
12 oz raw ground turkey
¼ tsp salt, divided
¼ tsp pepper
1 cup chopped onion
½ cup chopped mushrooms
14.5 oz can crushed tomatoes, or tomato sauce
2 cloves garlic, minced
3 tsp dried oregano, divided
½ tsp dried basil
1 ½ cups part skim ricotta cheese
24 small square wonton wrappers (the kind near the tofu in the refrigerated section of the produce dept)
1 1/2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
Preheat oven to 375ºF. Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Add the turkey, onions, mushrooms, salt, and pepper. Crumble the meat and saute the mixture for about 10 minutes, or until the turkey is cooked through. Add the garlic and stir constantly for 30 seconds.
Add the crushed tomatoes and 2 tsp of oregano. Bring the pan to a gentle boil. Reduce the heat to low and simmer for 10 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside.
In a large bowl, combine the ricotta, a pinch of salt and pepper, the remaining teaspoon of oregano, and the basil. Stir to mix well. Set aside.
Coat a 12-cup muffin tin with nonstick cooking spray. Place 1 wonton wrapper into each of the 12 cups, pressing firmly in the bottom of the cup and up the sides.
Using half of the ricotta mixture, divide it among the 12 muffin cups. Next, using half of the turkey tomato sauce, spoon it evenly over each of the ricotta filled cups. Sprinkle with 2 tsp of mozzarella.
Gently press another wonton wrapper on top of the mozzarella layer.
Repeat the process by distributing the remaining ricotta, then the remaining tomato sauce, and finally the rest of the shredded mozzarella.
Bake for 10 minutes, or until the cheese has melted.
Let the cups cool, remove them from the pan, and serve!
Nutrition Info for 1 petite lasagna:
Calories: 181.2, Total Fat: 7.9g, Cholesterol: 41.9mg, Sodium: 389.5mg, Total Carb: 13.6g, Fiber: 1 g, Sugars: 1.6g, Protein 14.1g
http://www.canyoustayfordinner.com/2010/11/04/petite-lasagnas/
Petite Lasagnas
November 4th, 2010 § 224 Comments
I find there’s a fine line between like and obsessed. A whisper-thin, sliver of a line. Take my reverence for Target, for example. What began nearly ten years ago as a casual, “Hey I really think that place is the cat’s pajamas” slipped almost too quickly into me considering ways to spend an entire weekend within its red doors. How lovely a weekend that would be.
My relationship with my muffin tin is similarly alarming. We can call it obsessive if we must. The thing is, I just can’t quite seem to help myself.
Because, I mean, well… everything can be cupcaked…made petite…muffined even. Breakfast, lunch, dinner, and dessert can all be popped, hot, from the twelve cup tin.
So then- shouldn’t they be?
I’ve moved beyond muffins…
sailed straight past mini cakes…
whipped apple cinnamon buns into cupcake shape…
settled a long-standing dispute with Hostess…
and now I’ve gone and whittled lasagna into onesies.
I can’t promise I won’t do it again. And I don’t even think I can be held accountable for my actions.
Not when I’m capable of transforming what was once a sort of daunting, mess-inducing, oh-what-will-I-do-with-all-those-leftovers, casserole into petite-sized portions.
Not when tomato sauce is spiced and chunky with crumbled turkey.
Not when I can finally find a use for those damn wonton wrappers.
And no, certainly not when creamy ricotta and melting strands of mozzarella are on the line.
Petite Lasagnas
recipe slightly adapted from Hungry Girl(makes 12)
12 oz raw ground turkey
¼ tsp salt, divided
¼ tsp pepper
1 cup chopped onion
½ cup chopped mushrooms
14.5 oz can crushed tomatoes, or tomato sauce
2 cloves garlic, minced
3 tsp dried oregano, divided
½ tsp dried basil
1 ½ cups part skim ricotta cheese
24 small square wonton wrappers (the kind near the tofu in the refrigerated section of the produce dept)
1 1/2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
Preheat oven to 375ºF. Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Add the turkey, onions, mushrooms, salt, and pepper. Crumble the meat and saute the mixture for about 10 minutes, or until the turkey is cooked through. Add the garlic and stir constantly for 30 seconds.
Add the crushed tomatoes and 2 tsp of oregano. Bring the pan to a gentle boil. Reduce the heat to low and simmer for 10 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside.
In a large bowl, combine the ricotta, a pinch of salt and pepper, the remaining teaspoon of oregano, and the basil. Stir to mix well. Set aside.
Coat a 12-cup muffin tin with nonstick cooking spray. Place 1 wonton wrapper into each of the 12 cups, pressing firmly in the bottom of the cup and up the sides.
Using half of the ricotta mixture, divide it among the 12 muffin cups. Next, using half of the turkey tomato sauce, spoon it evenly over each of the ricotta filled cups. Sprinkle with 2 tsp of mozzarella.
Gently press another wonton wrapper on top of the mozzarella layer.
Repeat the process by distributing the remaining ricotta, then the remaining tomato sauce, and finally the rest of the shredded mozzarella.
Bake for 10 minutes, or until the cheese has melted.
Let the cups cool, remove them from the pan, and serve!
Nutrition Info for 1 petite lasagna:
Calories: 181.2, Total Fat: 7.9g, Cholesterol: 41.9mg, Sodium: 389.5mg, Total Carb: 13.6g, Fiber: 1 g, Sugars: 1.6g, Protein 14.1g
all in a "few" hours......
wow. that is all i can say. this post is a timeline and look for a future post that goes into more details about each of the timeline events. i need to write about it for many reasons....and those will be explained in each blog post....otherwise this one would just be too dang long :)
thursday afternoon: josh left for west virginia--work for the weekend
thursday night: took boys to grandma and grandpa's house, we had dinner and i left them there so grandma could get them to school friday (otherwise all three of us would have to be out the door by 6 am.....not sure this super mama is that SUPER). amazing neighbor shan reminded me to get trash out.
friday morning: got the call of a snow day. boys were still snuggled in at grandma's house so this super mama got a LOT done from 5:20 to 9:40...... blinds cleaned, pictures hung, jewelry bar hung, kitchen counters cleaned, living room tidied, lots of TLC watched, coffee drank. amazing neighbor scott snow blowed my drive way and brought trash back in (just have amazing neighbors)
friday day: played to our hearts' content--snow snow snow! played with kaden inside and out :) this mama got a short nap as well. just played played played (no shower....but lots of playing) i even ordered pizza for dinner--and of course for the three boys (kaden still here) i was even cooler for that :)
friday about 5:20: boys were just sitting down with pizza, phone rang. it was my mom telling me that she heard over the scanner that ben had an accident and a snow blower had gotten his leg. she was calm and pretty sure he was going to be okay. i burst into tears.
between 5:20 and 7:30: lots of texts and phone calls--mom went to hospital in cadillac, jan let mom see ben and mom stayed with them until about 7:30. ben's leg had a HUGE deep wound on it. decisions were made and ben was placed in an ambulance to take him to DeVos Children's hospital in Grand Rapids (thank goodness--great place!) jan said lynda and i could come be with her.
between 7:30 and 9:00--dropped boys off at in law's house (again), got a few things into a bag, got lynda, grabbed coffee and a subway for jan.
9:00 got to hospital. got to love on ben in an ER room. sat with him for rest of night. decisions were made--ben would be taken to operating room so his leg could be properly flushed and decisions could be made as to stiches or special vacuum bandaid thingies. Ben was amazing through all of it!!! such a champ :)
12:00 or so: ben prepped for surgery
12:30 Ben went into surgery. he was doing so well :)
1:45 or so Ben out of surgery. extremely tired but seemed to be doing well. 30 stitches on the outside of his leg.....who knows how many inside.
2:30 Ben got his room (which by the way was amazing!) He slept. Lynda and Jan kept watch over him while at about 3:30 I lay down in his room.
4:00 ish fell asleep and heard lots of movement all night--which is fine with me--who cares about my sleep when my benny needs all the nurses and love he can get!!
7:20 ish: awake. i go home so i can let the dog out. ben was doing amazing! awake and asking to use the potty! lynda was staying with jan. i stopped on the way home for a tea (coffee sounded way too acidic) and a bagel.
9:00 home and 9:40 into bed. grandma said boys were doing well and to sleep for a few hours. slept until 11:25 when the home phone rang. grandma on the machine saying luke was sick and i should come over.
up and at 'em i was immediately! when i got there he had a temp of 103 and he was very lethargic.
by 12:15 on the road to urgent care. ben still doing amazing! up and dancing in his room (as i know via updates from lynda)
got in and out very quickly. by 1:30 knew luke had strep. got meds from walgreens, a slushy from taco bell and food for mama finally around 2:20.
3:00 home with luke snuggled on the couch.
got a shower, updates on ben, jack decided to stay night at grandma's, dinner delivered by aunt sarah around 8 pm.
long long long night with luke--up a lot--but when we got up at 10 am sunday, he was in great spirits.
today: sunday--day of REST. ben is on his way home. luke and jack are playing. mama is cleaning cleaning cleaning...germs go away!!!! hoping jack does NOT get strep.
daddy should be home tonight (HOPEFULLY) by midnight or so........ hope so :) need to work tomorrow and jack has the day off......... daddy is supposed to be home so he can have a jack day :)
and this all happened in a few hours.....
thursday afternoon: josh left for west virginia--work for the weekend
thursday night: took boys to grandma and grandpa's house, we had dinner and i left them there so grandma could get them to school friday (otherwise all three of us would have to be out the door by 6 am.....not sure this super mama is that SUPER). amazing neighbor shan reminded me to get trash out.
friday morning: got the call of a snow day. boys were still snuggled in at grandma's house so this super mama got a LOT done from 5:20 to 9:40...... blinds cleaned, pictures hung, jewelry bar hung, kitchen counters cleaned, living room tidied, lots of TLC watched, coffee drank. amazing neighbor scott snow blowed my drive way and brought trash back in (just have amazing neighbors)
friday day: played to our hearts' content--snow snow snow! played with kaden inside and out :) this mama got a short nap as well. just played played played (no shower....but lots of playing) i even ordered pizza for dinner--and of course for the three boys (kaden still here) i was even cooler for that :)
friday about 5:20: boys were just sitting down with pizza, phone rang. it was my mom telling me that she heard over the scanner that ben had an accident and a snow blower had gotten his leg. she was calm and pretty sure he was going to be okay. i burst into tears.
between 5:20 and 7:30: lots of texts and phone calls--mom went to hospital in cadillac, jan let mom see ben and mom stayed with them until about 7:30. ben's leg had a HUGE deep wound on it. decisions were made and ben was placed in an ambulance to take him to DeVos Children's hospital in Grand Rapids (thank goodness--great place!) jan said lynda and i could come be with her.
between 7:30 and 9:00--dropped boys off at in law's house (again), got a few things into a bag, got lynda, grabbed coffee and a subway for jan.
9:00 got to hospital. got to love on ben in an ER room. sat with him for rest of night. decisions were made--ben would be taken to operating room so his leg could be properly flushed and decisions could be made as to stiches or special vacuum bandaid thingies. Ben was amazing through all of it!!! such a champ :)
12:00 or so: ben prepped for surgery
12:30 Ben went into surgery. he was doing so well :)
1:45 or so Ben out of surgery. extremely tired but seemed to be doing well. 30 stitches on the outside of his leg.....who knows how many inside.
2:30 Ben got his room (which by the way was amazing!) He slept. Lynda and Jan kept watch over him while at about 3:30 I lay down in his room.
4:00 ish fell asleep and heard lots of movement all night--which is fine with me--who cares about my sleep when my benny needs all the nurses and love he can get!!
7:20 ish: awake. i go home so i can let the dog out. ben was doing amazing! awake and asking to use the potty! lynda was staying with jan. i stopped on the way home for a tea (coffee sounded way too acidic) and a bagel.
9:00 home and 9:40 into bed. grandma said boys were doing well and to sleep for a few hours. slept until 11:25 when the home phone rang. grandma on the machine saying luke was sick and i should come over.
up and at 'em i was immediately! when i got there he had a temp of 103 and he was very lethargic.
by 12:15 on the road to urgent care. ben still doing amazing! up and dancing in his room (as i know via updates from lynda)
got in and out very quickly. by 1:30 knew luke had strep. got meds from walgreens, a slushy from taco bell and food for mama finally around 2:20.
3:00 home with luke snuggled on the couch.
got a shower, updates on ben, jack decided to stay night at grandma's, dinner delivered by aunt sarah around 8 pm.
long long long night with luke--up a lot--but when we got up at 10 am sunday, he was in great spirits.
today: sunday--day of REST. ben is on his way home. luke and jack are playing. mama is cleaning cleaning cleaning...germs go away!!!! hoping jack does NOT get strep.
daddy should be home tonight (HOPEFULLY) by midnight or so........ hope so :) need to work tomorrow and jack has the day off......... daddy is supposed to be home so he can have a jack day :)
and this all happened in a few hours.....
Friday, January 13, 2012
say a prayer
nothing i can talk about. just saying i need your prayers for my nephew to be okay from an injury. saying a prayer would help. thanks :)
SNOW
and finally we have snow... :) 1.13.12 and we finally have our first real snow storm of the year.....crazy michigan weather. about time mom nature ;)
Wednesday, January 11, 2012
1.11.12
1.11.12
54 degrees.
jack wore no coat from car to big boy and back out.
sun shone brightly.
clouds were fluffy and bright.
spring was in the air.............. oddly!
now on to snow (i think) that will be coming in the next few days.
54 degrees.
jack wore no coat from car to big boy and back out.
sun shone brightly.
clouds were fluffy and bright.
spring was in the air.............. oddly!
now on to snow (i think) that will be coming in the next few days.
Tuesday, January 10, 2012
growing up :)
things i have noticed......
**jack can now use the microwave to make popcorn (of course standing on a chair)
**luke's tummy no longer sticks out :) slendering out that boy is!
**jack is reading more and more often to HIS BROTHER :)
**boys feel the need to use tools..... jack even took off all the electrical outlet covers (under my supervision) all by himself so i could paint and luke used his hammer to help daddy pound nails down
oh these boys are growing up before my very eyes!!
**jack can now use the microwave to make popcorn (of course standing on a chair)
**luke's tummy no longer sticks out :) slendering out that boy is!
**jack is reading more and more often to HIS BROTHER :)
**boys feel the need to use tools..... jack even took off all the electrical outlet covers (under my supervision) all by himself so i could paint and luke used his hammer to help daddy pound nails down
oh these boys are growing up before my very eyes!!
Sunday, January 8, 2012
contract
us boyers have had a bit of naughtiness around here..... all four of us needed reminders of how we want our family to function (yes "capturing kids' hearts people...this is a variation of a social contract)..... we sat down, made lists, chatted and came up with the following:
B behelpful
O observe manners
Y you take care of you
E enjoy every day
R respectful
day 5 and so far so good :)
B behelpful
O observe manners
Y you take care of you
E enjoy every day
R respectful
day 5 and so far so good :)
super mama
today i picked luke's favorite ring (super cool PLASTIC gem plastic ring) out of a pooped in potty..... that qualifies me as super mama of the day! perhaps week or even month!!
as luke left the bathroom...jack asked if it was poop or pee..luke said poop and jack said, "oh too bad. if the ring fell in pee then it would be clean because pee is 10 times cleaner than vinegar!"
as luke left the bathroom...jack asked if it was poop or pee..luke said poop and jack said, "oh too bad. if the ring fell in pee then it would be clean because pee is 10 times cleaner than vinegar!"
stromboli! mmmmm
Mini STROMBOLI:
**Preheat oven to: 400
***Need:
Rhodes Brand Frozen Roll Dough Thawed (Thaw only the number of stromboli you want to make)
Olive Oil
Seasonings (pizza seasoning, or oregano, thyme, etc. I used Penzey's spices Pizza Seasoning)
Mozzarella
1 Egg white
Garlic Salt
Toppings you enjoy (best part about mini stromboli is that everyone can get their own favorite toppings in their stromboli)
tonight we had: ham/fresh pineapple, black olive, pepperoni and green olive/pepperoni!
**Do:
Spray a cookie sheet with "Pam" and roll out each dough into a rectangle/oval
Poke the dough all over with a fork
Brush dough with olive oil, sprinkle with seasonings
Layer toppings on one side of each dough, leaving room on the ends and sides
Sprinkle with Mozzarella (and more seasoning if you want--I did)
Fold each dough over and pinch seams together
Wisk your egg white a tiny bit until it is "loose" and easy to brush. Brush each stromboli with the egg white
Poke holes all over the dough with your fork
Sprinkle with garlic salt (can do Parmesan cheese too)
**Bake for 20-30 minutes until beautiful golden brown :)
**Serve with pizza sauce on the side
Friday, January 6, 2012
january?
51 degrees on january 6th, 2012
crazy talk!
grilled us up some black angus steaks! mmmmmmmmmmm
crazy talk!
grilled us up some black angus steaks! mmmmmmmmmmm
Thursday, January 5, 2012
north carolina style pulled pork bbq
mmmmm and easy
NEED:
1 pork butt (i had a shoulder so that would do)
2 cups apple cider vinnegar
salt and pepper to taste
2 tsp sugar
ketchup
hot sauce
mustard powder (i used dash of real)
DO:
pork butt into crock pot
pour in vinnegar
sprinkle with salt, pepper, sugar
cook on low all day mmmmmm
take meat out, shred (get rid of icky fat stuff)
mix 1/2 cup of the vinnegar cooking liquid with ketchup, hot sauce, mustard (to taste)
mix into pork
mmmmmm enjoy on buns!
the recipe also suggests adding dash of oj with ketchup mix.
i really wanted cole slaw to eat with this meal but alas i had none!
NEED:
1 pork butt (i had a shoulder so that would do)
2 cups apple cider vinnegar
salt and pepper to taste
2 tsp sugar
ketchup
hot sauce
mustard powder (i used dash of real)
DO:
pork butt into crock pot
pour in vinnegar
sprinkle with salt, pepper, sugar
cook on low all day mmmmmm
take meat out, shred (get rid of icky fat stuff)
mix 1/2 cup of the vinnegar cooking liquid with ketchup, hot sauce, mustard (to taste)
mix into pork
mmmmmm enjoy on buns!
the recipe also suggests adding dash of oj with ketchup mix.
i really wanted cole slaw to eat with this meal but alas i had none!
life is short
one of my students from my days of teaching in minnesota died last night. he was driving, probably too fast, without a seat belt on. he tried to pass two cars while on a curve, could not get over in time, hit a patch of ice/wet road, and smashed his car between two others. sadly not only did tom pass away but so did his friend. his other friend is not even aware the accident happened because most of his injuries were to his brain. they are monitoring that friend very closely.
tom was a scrappy little fella when i first met him. when i left, after 6 years of knowing him, he was still a scrappy fella but slightly bigger :) he is the only student i have met in my 10 years of teaching who ASKED to be in sped! :) he stopped by my classroom almost daily when i first started and asked how he could join my class! he told me he knew i was helping people and he wanted to be helped. well low and behold, he qualified so he got to get help :) oh that tom! he certainly was not perfect (comes with the name i suppose) and he didn't make the best choices later in life but he was full of life and such a nice kid. he would find me on fb after i moved to michigan to see how i was doing and check in on me. i will never forget tom.
life is short. i have been reminded of it many times. hold your loved ones close. don't take life for granted.
my thoughts and prayers are with tom's family, friends and the teachers at my previous school.
tom was a scrappy little fella when i first met him. when i left, after 6 years of knowing him, he was still a scrappy fella but slightly bigger :) he is the only student i have met in my 10 years of teaching who ASKED to be in sped! :) he stopped by my classroom almost daily when i first started and asked how he could join my class! he told me he knew i was helping people and he wanted to be helped. well low and behold, he qualified so he got to get help :) oh that tom! he certainly was not perfect (comes with the name i suppose) and he didn't make the best choices later in life but he was full of life and such a nice kid. he would find me on fb after i moved to michigan to see how i was doing and check in on me. i will never forget tom.
life is short. i have been reminded of it many times. hold your loved ones close. don't take life for granted.
my thoughts and prayers are with tom's family, friends and the teachers at my previous school.
Wednesday, January 4, 2012
frustration.anger.sadness.
yesterday was ben's 11th birthday. in the past two weeks, i have tried to call four times....today being the 4th. his mom does not answer the phone nor does she call back. she continues to have a complete "no contact" with any of us from tom's "side" of the family.
today when i called, i was prepared for an answering machine and prepared with the boys ready to sing happy birthday to the machine. instead ben answered. i said oh hi ben! he replied hi grandma. i correct him with a huge smile in my voice and said, nope buddy this is aunt teresa!!! he said oh okay. then there was a pause (remember he is autistic and speaks minimally.....well at least 2.5 years ago he did) and then a click. i am sure jan hung up at this point when she figured out it was me on the phone (this happened in the fall as well when he picked up the phone one other time). i called back and this time of course the machine answered. i carefully gently pleaded to allow ben to call me back so i could wish him a happy birthday. the boys and i then sang happy birthday to the machine in hopes that ben was listening....and then i hung up with tears flowing harder than they have in a long time. my heart HURTS! i am sad. i am frustrated. i am angry. i am down right PISSED!
i try to be careful about how often i call or how many times i call to leave a message. i was ben to know i am thinking of him and miss him but worry that jan will do something irrational like get a restraining order or move without telling us where she went or change her phone number and get it unlisted. i usually don't call except for once every few months when i can't bear it any more. but with christmas and his birthday, i just had to try a little bit harder.................
i am sad. there is no other way to express how i feel. i am grieving for a child who is very much alive. i am grieving for the what could have been. i miss tom but he is dead so i have learned to let go and move on. i have tried to distance myself emotionally from ben in my own heart but it hurts so damn much to do. for pete's sake, i was there waiting at the hospital when he was born 11 years ago. i was there to see his beautiful "little" overdue cone head and of course me with my big mouth mentioned the cone head. i hate that i have to distance myself. my beautiful big sweet and loveable autistic nephew should be allowed to have his dad's side of the family loving on him.
there is nothing you can do but thanks for listening. prayers are appreciated :)
today when i called, i was prepared for an answering machine and prepared with the boys ready to sing happy birthday to the machine. instead ben answered. i said oh hi ben! he replied hi grandma. i correct him with a huge smile in my voice and said, nope buddy this is aunt teresa!!! he said oh okay. then there was a pause (remember he is autistic and speaks minimally.....well at least 2.5 years ago he did) and then a click. i am sure jan hung up at this point when she figured out it was me on the phone (this happened in the fall as well when he picked up the phone one other time). i called back and this time of course the machine answered. i carefully gently pleaded to allow ben to call me back so i could wish him a happy birthday. the boys and i then sang happy birthday to the machine in hopes that ben was listening....and then i hung up with tears flowing harder than they have in a long time. my heart HURTS! i am sad. i am frustrated. i am angry. i am down right PISSED!
i try to be careful about how often i call or how many times i call to leave a message. i was ben to know i am thinking of him and miss him but worry that jan will do something irrational like get a restraining order or move without telling us where she went or change her phone number and get it unlisted. i usually don't call except for once every few months when i can't bear it any more. but with christmas and his birthday, i just had to try a little bit harder.................
i am sad. there is no other way to express how i feel. i am grieving for a child who is very much alive. i am grieving for the what could have been. i miss tom but he is dead so i have learned to let go and move on. i have tried to distance myself emotionally from ben in my own heart but it hurts so damn much to do. for pete's sake, i was there waiting at the hospital when he was born 11 years ago. i was there to see his beautiful "little" overdue cone head and of course me with my big mouth mentioned the cone head. i hate that i have to distance myself. my beautiful big sweet and loveable autistic nephew should be allowed to have his dad's side of the family loving on him.
there is nothing you can do but thanks for listening. prayers are appreciated :)
Monday, January 2, 2012
weekly menu
basic weekly menu :)
monday: roasted pork tenderloin, roasted asparagus, and roasted potatoes/sweet potatoes plus bread
tuesday: turkey kielbasa, wild rice and tossed salad
wednesday: smothered chicken (with mushrooms/peppers/onions and cheese), bread, carrots and fruit
thursday: bbq pork butt in the crock pot (new recipe--will post soon), chips and carrots or fruit
friday: steaks, baked potatoes, and some sort of veggie.... not sure :)
saturday: baked pecan french toast, bacon, fruit (new recipe for french toast--will post soon)
sunday: mini stromboli (more to come on that)
night friends!
monday: roasted pork tenderloin, roasted asparagus, and roasted potatoes/sweet potatoes plus bread
tuesday: turkey kielbasa, wild rice and tossed salad
wednesday: smothered chicken (with mushrooms/peppers/onions and cheese), bread, carrots and fruit
thursday: bbq pork butt in the crock pot (new recipe--will post soon), chips and carrots or fruit
friday: steaks, baked potatoes, and some sort of veggie.... not sure :)
saturday: baked pecan french toast, bacon, fruit (new recipe for french toast--will post soon)
sunday: mini stromboli (more to come on that)
night friends!
dream date
my boys and i often meet up for dream dates--meaning while we sleep we connect in a location and/or do some sort of activity. this idea (which i seem to think i have blogged about in the past) came about when josh and i were first dating and 10 hours apart. since we couldn't have real dates, we had dream dates. we could meet up and enjoy an evening :)
so jack has had a lot (LOT lot lot) of trouble sleeping lately....turns out he is thinking about robbers (A LOT) and concerned they will come into our house. i think it stems from the glimpse of the news he caught after the price is right the other day. anyways...... after we made a plan for if a robber were to come to our house, we decided to take a dream date. last night we played legos together at home. tonight i asked if he wanted to play legos again. he smiled and said nah. he asked me to join him at the fire station to climb in the trucks. i asked which station--grandpa dan's or uncle tom's. he said he would meet me at grandpa dan's but we could play with uncle tom. as i tucked him in and kissed him goodnight, i let the tears flow.
makes my heart glow and my tears flow to know that jack can remember the loved ones we have lost. i love that he knows we can see them in our dreams and that heaven isn't too far away.
hold your loved ones tight dear friends. you never know when one you love is going to be lost.
so jack has had a lot (LOT lot lot) of trouble sleeping lately....turns out he is thinking about robbers (A LOT) and concerned they will come into our house. i think it stems from the glimpse of the news he caught after the price is right the other day. anyways...... after we made a plan for if a robber were to come to our house, we decided to take a dream date. last night we played legos together at home. tonight i asked if he wanted to play legos again. he smiled and said nah. he asked me to join him at the fire station to climb in the trucks. i asked which station--grandpa dan's or uncle tom's. he said he would meet me at grandpa dan's but we could play with uncle tom. as i tucked him in and kissed him goodnight, i let the tears flow.
makes my heart glow and my tears flow to know that jack can remember the loved ones we have lost. i love that he knows we can see them in our dreams and that heaven isn't too far away.
hold your loved ones tight dear friends. you never know when one you love is going to be lost.
Sunday, January 1, 2012
resolution?
i don't usually make resolutions...probably should :) but my 2011 resolution was to blog more than the previous year.....which was 256 and I MADE IT! 2011 had 260 blog posts! not bad for a busy mama who graduated with her masters, works full time, is a wonderful wife, got a dog, does fabulous cooking oh and loves on her kiddos as much as possible. :)
perhaps for 2012 (woah weird to type that) i will write more than 260 posts :)
happy new year's all~may 2012 be all you hope it to be!
perhaps for 2012 (woah weird to type that) i will write more than 260 posts :)
happy new year's all~may 2012 be all you hope it to be!
time
i am not always great about committing to time away from home--i mean time that is more than one day. i love the adventure once i am there but there is something about committing and the worry i get that something will go wrong (yes again look to previous blogs regarding CHOICE). but this time....this time, i gave TIME!
we took the boys to v and g's house downstate :) our family of four joined their family of 3.66666666 for a few days of fun, relaxation, food, and fun....did i say fun? :) v has been my best friend since 2001 when i needed someone to split gas money on a drive up to mtu so i could see josh. her fiance, g, was up there too so 10 hours up and 10 hours back and voila! instant best friends! fast forward a few years and now we are both married to those wonderful men and have families :) v and g have 2 year old c and one more on the way in the few months. and as you know, we have jack and luke :)
best part of the trip:
**talking and playing cards until midnight
**not freaking out when jack puked
**playing at the indoor pool/small water park
**eating at sidetracks in depot town ypsi
**late nights (but not early mornings)
**100% comfortable
so glad i took the TIME and went :) i hope next time it is easier for me to give my time. hopefully a trip in march when baby 2 is born :)
we took the boys to v and g's house downstate :) our family of four joined their family of 3.66666666 for a few days of fun, relaxation, food, and fun....did i say fun? :) v has been my best friend since 2001 when i needed someone to split gas money on a drive up to mtu so i could see josh. her fiance, g, was up there too so 10 hours up and 10 hours back and voila! instant best friends! fast forward a few years and now we are both married to those wonderful men and have families :) v and g have 2 year old c and one more on the way in the few months. and as you know, we have jack and luke :)
best part of the trip:
**talking and playing cards until midnight
**not freaking out when jack puked
**playing at the indoor pool/small water park
**eating at sidetracks in depot town ypsi
**late nights (but not early mornings)
**100% comfortable
so glad i took the TIME and went :) i hope next time it is easier for me to give my time. hopefully a trip in march when baby 2 is born :)
the ride
as a follow up to the post "reaction"..... i made a choice!
our trip back home from downstate started a bit "exciting" with the bigger of the small children throwing up in the truck! ewwwwww. i did well. i grabbed the bucket, i put it under him and when there was a lull, i even climbed into the backseat....and sat on a small amount of icky vomit so i could help him. my hubby did not pull over....he just kept driving so i held a bucket with puke in it for over an hour. i did not feel anxious or scared. i even stayed in the back all the way home and comforted the child/let him nap on me. go me for choosing!
on a side note, it is not the puke so much as the thought of it might occur. i need to work on that.
our trip back home from downstate started a bit "exciting" with the bigger of the small children throwing up in the truck! ewwwwww. i did well. i grabbed the bucket, i put it under him and when there was a lull, i even climbed into the backseat....and sat on a small amount of icky vomit so i could help him. my hubby did not pull over....he just kept driving so i held a bucket with puke in it for over an hour. i did not feel anxious or scared. i even stayed in the back all the way home and comforted the child/let him nap on me. go me for choosing!
on a side note, it is not the puke so much as the thought of it might occur. i need to work on that.
reaction
a friend of mine recently posted something that has made me stop and
think. she and her hubs have two little ones under the age 3. they are
on vacation in florida and she has blogged that her olde st has been
under the weather. she posted that and (i stress the and) how much fun
they have been having even though little bubs has had to stay inside or
close to their dwelling. there does not seem to be any stress in her
voice (words). i have thought to myself how can this be? another friend
of mine recently posted on fb that her little guy threw up several times
in a store......and even though it was disgusting she was not stressed.
how can that be? in both situations neither friend let the situation
ruin their day/experience. it is a choice!!! so......i sit here in
the truck typing this post. we are on our way to see v and g downstate.
even if someone gets sick i have a choice. i can react whatever way i
want. i am choosing to respond positively.
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