Kaffee Klatsch

A Week Late

2010-11-18T21:06:00.000-05:00

Tonight was another day coming home late. I think this may be our new normal. I'd pulled out the tilapia last night to thaw and planned to finally make those fish tacos I was supposed to make last week. The fish wasn't quite finished thawing, so Sera & Jim got a snack. They loaded up on Triscuits and spinach dip while I started dinner. I was slightly delayed waiting for the fish to finish thawing, so Sera went looking for another snack. I told her that dinner was coming soon so no more snacks. She groaned and said, "but I don't like dinner, Mommy." I told her she didn't even know what we were having. She replied with a distinct sneer, "Yes, I do. Healthy food."

Healthy food or not. She wanted to help. I called her after I fried the fish to help assemble the tacos. I put her on shredded cabbage detail. She loves helping in the kitchen, and she loved the fish tacos.

Baja Fish Tacos

1 c flour
1 t salt
½ t ground pepper
1 ¾ lbs tilapia, cut into strips
1 c water, club soda, or beer (I used water since that’s what I had)
¼ c mayonnaise
¼ c ketchup
1 lime, halved crosswise
vegetable oil
tortillas
shredded cabbage
additional lime wedges
hot pepper sauce

Whisk flour, salt, and pepper in bowl; pour in water or club soda, whisking until batter is smooth. Let stand 15 minutes.

Sprinkle fish with salt and pepper. Squeeze some lime juice over each strip. Let stand 15 minutes.

Mix mayonnaise and ketchup. Refrigerate until tacos are ready to assemble.

Mix fish into batter.

Pour oil into medium skillet and pre-heat. Slide fish strips into oil. Fry until golden.

Fill warm tortilla with 2 fish strips. Top with sauce, cabbage, squeeze of lime, and dash of hot pepper sauce.

Comfort Foods-Updated

2010-11-14T20:36:00.001-05:00

It almost didn't happen today, but I pulled out week 3. Didn't make it to the grocery store to make two of the recipes I had planned, so I went with what I had on hand.

Menu for this week:

Still plan on having those fish tacos. Can't let the ingredients rot on me. I'm thinking Tuesday night dinner this week before I run out of steam.

Shepard's Pie

Chicken and Noodles

Roasted Carrots

Cauliflower Puree

My recipes this week are more empty out the frig and pantry types. The shepard's pie isn't traditional. It's the kid-friendly version.

First, I peeled and cut the carrots. Tossed them with olive oil and salt and roasted at 450 for 30 minutes, stirring once. I was planning to add them to both the ground beef and chicken dishes, but only had enough for one.

I also started steaming the cauliflower I had in the frig in chicken broth until it was soft. I then pureed it and added salt & butter.

Shepard's Pie
2 lbs ground beef
1/2 large onion, diced
3 T flour
1 box beef broth
1 can mushrooms
1 can peas
1 can corn
1 can cream of mushroom soup
cauliflower puree

Brown ground beef and onions until cooked through. Sprinkle with flour and cook, while stirring, for a few minutes. Add beef broth. When it begins to boil, reduce to simmer and add mushrooms, peas, and corn.

I served this mixture over the cauliflower puree for Sera. She enjoyed it.

When I went to pour this into the casserole dishes, it seemed too dry to me, so I added the remaining puree and a can of cream of mushroom soup. I was trying to avoid the soup, but I needed it this time.

The night we eat it, I will cover the top of the casserole with mashed potatoes and some shredded cheese.

Chicken and Noodles

2 lbs chicken tenders, poached & cut into chunks
1 T olive oil
1 T butter
1/2 lg onion, diced
2 T flour
2 boxes chicken broth, low sodium
6 carrots, roasted
2 cans mushrooms
1 can peas
1 bag Amish-style frozen noodles

Heat Dutch oven over high/med-high heat. Add olive oil and butter. When butter has melted, add onions and saute until translucent. Sprinkle flour and cook, while stirring, for a couple of minutes. Don't let the roux get too brown, but cook enough to get out the flavor of raw flour. Whisk in one box of broth. Add chicken and vegetables. Add more broth as needed, and bring to boil. Add noodles and return to boil. Reduce to simmer and cook until noodles are done. Add broth as needed. The noodles will continue to absorb and thicken broth, so you may need to add more broth when reheating.

I hope to avoid having two such similar style recipes for the same week, but I was limited by the emptiness of my refrigerator veggie drawer and reduced to pantry back ups. With that in mind, I was impressed with what I got done. These are two old stand by recipes that Jim and Sera both love, so we're good for another week. Even better, I actually used all the produce I've purchased over the last two weeks instead of throwing out bags of rotting vegetables.

Update - I decided to take a quick photo when I heated up the chicken & noodles for tonight's dinner. Forgive the quality. My kitchen lighting stinks, and I used my phone camera.

Sunday Cooking, Take Two

2010-11-13T21:19:00.000-05:00

For my second week of Sunday afternoon cooking, I decided on the following menu:

beef stew
meatballs
macaroni & cheese
fish tacos
prep cauliflower

The macaroni and cheese recipe comes from an old friend. She posted it on Facebook, and I was intrigued. It's a recipe that is made in a crock pot. It only takes 2 1/2 hours, so it's not a good one to leave going when you're heading out for a day at work. It did sound interesting though to bring to a carry-in. I could lug all the ingredients with me to work. Toss it together, plug it in, and it would be ready by lunch.

For the beef stew, I wanted to try a new recipe. I love beef stew, but I've never really loved it when I made it. I always made it the way I remembered my mother making it. I remember loving hers, but I never loved mine. I saw a recipe on a blog that was an adaptation of a Cook's Illustrated recipe that looked interesting.

The meatballs were from another blog. The blog writer called them "Yummy Balls", and said her family loved them.

And the fish tacos were in my recipe archive. I think I got them from a cooking board years ago.

Results first, and then recipes.

Macaroni and cheese was very good. Surprisingly, it developed a crispy topping. Sera did not care for it because it wasn't creamy like the box stuff.

The beef stew was just amazing.

The meatballs were a little garlic heavy and the rice did not cook in the stated time. I baked them for an additional 1/2 hour, but they were still crunchy. I would make them again, but I'd double the sauce. I think they need to be completely submerged.

And the fish tacos never got made. I saved it for the end of the week. They were to be Thursday's dinner, but they didn't the fish didn't thaw fast enough. In fact, they were still frozen when I checked them Friday morning. On Friday, we decided to go out for dinner and by Saturday, the fish had turned. Poor planning on my part. I'll add the recipe after I try it.

The cauliflower didn't get used either. I haven't checked it, but I'm hoping it's still okay. I plan to either roast it or puree it.

I neglected to mention in my previous post that I froze half of the chili and roasted vegetable soup. I also froze half of the beef stew. My goal is to get to the point that I only do this batch cooking 1-2 Sundays a month.

Macaroni and Cheese

8 oz. elbow macaroni, cooked and drained
4 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese, divided
1 (12 oz.) can evaporated milk
1-1/2 cups milk
2 eggs
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper

Place cooked macaroni in slow cooker that has been coated with nonstick cooking spray. Reserve 1 cup cheese; add rest of cheese and the other ingredients to the macaroni. Mix well. Sprinkle remaining cheese on top. Cook on HIGH at least 2-1/2 hours. Do not remove cover or stir until ready to serve.

To bake in a conventional oven: spray a casserole dish with cooking spray. Pour in macaroni mixture and top with additional cheese. Bake at 350° for 40 minutes or until set and the top is golden brown.

Recipe courtesy of Mr. Food.
Via Pat Barnes

Hearty Beef Stew

recipe adapted from Cook's Illustrated via Joelen's Culinary Adventures

5 pounds boneless beef chuck eye roast, cut into 1 1/2 inch cubes
salt & pepper to taste
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
4 onions, minced (about 4 cups)
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 (6oz) can tomato paste
1/4 cup all purpose flour, seasoned
2 cups red wine
2 cups low sodium chicken or beef broth (I used beef)
3 tablespoons soy sauce
1 pound baby carrots (I just peeled & sliced my own)
1 cup button mushrooms, halved
1 1/2 teaspoons minced fresh thyme (I was planning to use dried & that is when I learned I was out)
2 bay leaves
2 cups frozen peas (I'm a LeSeur girl myself)

Adjust oven rack to lower-middle position and heat oven to 300 degrees.

Pat meat dry with paper towels and season with salt and pepper to taste. Heat 1 tablespoon vegetable oil in large heavy-bottomed Dutch oven over high heat until just starting to smoke. Add half of beef and cook until well browned on all sides, about 8 minutes total, reducing heat if oil begins to smoke or fond begins to burn. Transfer beef to large plate. Repeat with remaining beef and 1 tablespoon vegetable oil, leaving second batch of meat in pot after browning.

Reduce heat to medium and return first batch of beef to pot. Add onion to Dutch oven and stir to combine with beef. Cook, scraping bottom of pan to loosen any browned bits, until onion is softened, 1 to 2 minutes. Add garlic and tomato paste and cook, stirring constantly, until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add flour and cook, stirring constantly, until no dry flour remains, about 30 seconds.

Slowly add wine, scraping bottom of pan to loosen any browned bits. Increase heat to high and allow wine to simmer until thickened and slightly reduced, about 2 minutes. Stir in broth, bay leaves, thyme, and soy sauce. Bring to simmer, cover, transfer to preheated oven, and cook for 1½ hours.

Remove pot from oven; remove and discard bay leaves. At this point, I removed half to a freezer container. To the rest, add carrots and potatoes, cover, return to oven, and cook until vegetables are almost tender, about 45 minutes.

Using large spoon, skim any excess fat from surface of stew. Add the mushrooms, cover and cook over medium heat on the stovetop until meat offers little resistance when poked with fork (meat should not be falling apart), about 15 minutes. Stir in frozen peas, and allow to warm through. Check for seasoning and serve.

Yummy Balls
via Foodmomiac

1 pound ground beef
½ pound ground pork
½ onion, finely chopped
2 cloves of garlic, minced
½ cup uncooked rice
½ cup bread crumbs
1 egg, beaten
½ teaspoon sea salt
fresh ground pepper to taste
1 can tomato soup
1 can water

Combine all ingredients except soup and water. Form into golf ball-sized balls and place into a greased 9 x 13 pan. In a small bowl mix soup with water then pour mixture over meatballs. Bake in a 375º oven for one hour. (Next time, I'd make the meatballs smaller and increase the soup/water mix. After one hour, the rice was still crunchy. I think it's because the top half of the meatballs were not in the sauce. I covered the pan with foil and cooked them for another half hour to get the rice less crunchy.)

Helloooo looo looo

2010-11-13T20:43:00.000-05:00

I'm not foolish enough to think anyone is out there, but it's time to revive the ole blog. It started as my way of keeping a record, and so it shall continue.

Cooking has always been something I enjoy and hate. I love cooking when I'm in a clean, well-equipped kitchen with ideas and ingredients on hand. I hate coming home with no clue what to serve for dinner and less than two hours before Sera should be in bed.

I take on short term projects here and there, but I've wanted to get into a better routine for feeding my family. Over the summer, I started making my own Greek yogurt and canned up some cherry preserves, but didn't get into day-to-day like I wanted.

I've been wanting to do this particular project for some time, and finally started it two weeks ago. So far, I really like it. What is it, you ask?

Cooking on Sunday for the week.

I'm going to use the blog to record what I've made and if it was successful. I'm also going to include recipes because it makes a handy way of remembering what version I've tried. If I ever get the lighting figured out in my kitchen, I might even add photos.

One of the big things I'm doing is prepping vegetables for the week. Fresh vegetables cook fairly quickly, but the prep can be very time consuming.

My first Sunday afternoon was mainly one of chopping. I prepped butternut squash, sweet potatoes, carrots, and parsnips. I also made chili. I did my standard chili this time. Next time, I plan to use my sister's recipe.

Our menu for that first week was chili for two nights. Once with fritos and cheese, and once as the filling for omelets. The vegetables were roasted and served with grilled chicken. I made the leftover veggies into a roasted vegetable soup for another night's dinner with sandwiches.

Chili - this isn't a "real" recipe. It's just what I tend to throw together after I see what the pantry has. It changes slightly each time. The seasonings are to taste.

4 lbs ground beef
2 onions, chopped
2 green peppers, chopped
2 cans chili beans
1 can kidney beans
1 can black beans
1 28 oz can plum tomatoes
1 6 oz can tomato paste
2 14 oz cans diced tomatoes with chili seasonings
cumin
garlic powder
chile powder
ancho chile powder
salt & pepper

Brown ground beef and drain. Saute onions and peppers until softened in large Dutch oven. Add ground beef and remaining ingredients. Use seasonings to taste. Bring to simmer and let cook on low for approximately two hours.

Roasted Vegetables

1 butternut squash
2 large sweet potatoes
6 med carrots
2 large parsnips
olive oil
kosher salt

Peel and chop all veggies to approximately the same size. Place on baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with kosher salt. Roast at 425 for one hour or until vegetables are easily pierced with a fork. I only roasted them for about 40 minutes, and that was not long enough.

Roasted Vegetable Soup

Place leftover vegetables into blender and add chicken broth. Puree until smooth and pour into Dutch oven. Do this in batches so you don't over fill the blender. Add chicken broth as needed to thin out the puree to proper soup consistency. Add herbs such as dill, rosemary, parsley, etc... I sauteed some diced onion in the Dutch oven before adding puree. Next time, I'll add onions and garlic to the baking sheet before roasting vegetables. Also add spices to taste such as garlic, salt, pepper, etc...

Future Runway Designer?

2010-09-05T16:46:00.000-04:00

Sera has been having a very artsy weekend. She spent several hours yesterday watercoloring. This morning, she pulled out her paper and watercolors to do some more. After a few pictures, she decided she wanted to make a dress. She taped together one piece of her paper into a long tube, told me it was going to be for Virginia (her cousin) and got to work. I saw her pulling lots of different things from the craft bag. She cut out about 6 or 7 hearts from construction paper and then I got caught up reading and wasn't really paying attention. She worked hard on her dress for quite some time. After Jim had come upstairs, Sera lifted her finished dress and showed it to us. The tube had become the skirt, the heart a bodice, and she'd made straps. She'd also decorated it, front and back, with her sticky foam pieces and stickers. I have to admit, I'm impressed.

First Day of School

2010-08-16T07:17:00.000-04:00

Sera could not have been more excited about going to Pre-K4 today. She was ready to go back about three weeks ago.
Sent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry

Ready for Delivery

2010-08-09T08:10:00.000-04:00

Sera has decided she's going to be a "mail girl" when she grows up. She asked if I'd go with her to help her find her way home.

She's practicing with her bowl of mail. Apparently we're bringing back scrolls.
Sent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry

It's All Greek To Me

2010-08-01T22:43:00.000-04:00

Have you tried Greek yogurt yet? I love it. I love how thick and rich it tastes. I love it with honey, fruit, & granola. I even love it plain. What I don't love, though, is the price, so I went searching for a recipe to make it myself.

When I was a teenager, I remember receiving a Salton yogurt maker for Christmas. I've been a food nerd for a very long time. I remember it as being fairly easy to make, but deciding that it was too much work when I could buy it so cheaply.

Fast forward a few years. Okay, okay, more than a few, and I've changed my mind. I will admit that it's easier to pay $.50 for the yogurt sale of the week, but Greek-style yogurt is more like $2.00. Plus, I kind of like the idea of controlling what goes in it myself. I haven't experimented with organic milk yet because it has to be done differently. That will be my next goal. For now, I'm just using regular milk.

I've made one batch so far and will make another tomorrow. I plan to start making it weekly. Maybe I'll even get pictures some time.

Greek-style Yogurt
Adapted from Salad in a Jar

2 qts milk
1-2 t yogurt with active cultures (you may use your own once you've made a batch)
1/2 c non-fat milk powder, approximately

Optional Flavorings:
vanilla
honey
flavored syrups (ie. Torani)
fruit jellies, preserves, butters
fresh fruit
your imagination

Pour milk in microwave/oven-safe bowl. Microwave on high for 6 minutes. Stir to prevent skin from forming and check temperature with an instant-read thermometer. You want to get the milk to 175º-180°.

Now allow the milk to cool back down between 110º-120°, and stir in the yogurt starter and the powdered milk. If the milk is hotter, it will kill the active culture and your yogurt will fail. The powdered milk will help give the thicker Greek consistency, and it will increase the protein level as well. I've read anywhere from 1/4 c to 1 c per 2 qts of milk. I used 1/2 c.

Cover your bowl and place it in warm area. It needs to maintain a temperature of 100º-110°. I followed the directions to preheat my oven for only one minute and then left my bowl in the oven with the light on. This seemed to maintain the temp. I also wrapped my bowl in a towel. If you have a newer oven or crockpot that maintains at that temperature level, you can set it and not have to keep checking like I did.

The time it takes to become yogurt can vary. I checked after 5 hours, and it wasn't ready yet. I then had to run errands so didn't check it again until 8 hours passed. At 8 hours, the bowl contents had become gelatinous and you could see the whey, a yellowish liquid, forming, around the edges.

At this point, you have yogurt. To continue on with Greek-style, you need to strain the excess whey. Line a colander with cheesecloth or coffee filters or use a fine mesh strainer. Gently pour your yogurt into the colander, and set over a bowl. Allow the whey to drain. The longer you let it drain, the thicker your yogurt will be. Leave it too long, and you'll have yogurt cheese.

Mine sat for about 2 hours. It was thick, but I'll let it go a little longer next time.

Once the yogurt has drained, pour it back into a large bowl and whisk it to get the right consistency. You can also add flavorings at this point. Chill and enjoy!

I made 6 one-cup portions, plus a little extra from 2 qts of milk. The milk cost $1.98. The initial yogurt to get a starter cost $2.00. And the box of powdered milk cost around $2.00.

Even if I'm generous and charge myself $.50 for the yogurt and powdered milk, making this yogurt cost around $2.50. Six containers of Greek-style yogurt would have cost $12.00. Quite a savings. The process is lengthy, but it's really easy. You're just checking temps, and then whisking and adding flavors. I've been eating it with a spoonful of my cherry preseves and some granola for breakfast. It's awesome and, with the extra protein, very filling.

Be sure to go to Salad in a Jar's website and read her directions and comments for a lot more ideas.

Reading is Fundamental

2010-08-01T11:04:00.002-04:00

Summer is winding down, yet Jim finally started his vacation. Our niece, Theresa, has also arrived to spend these last two weeks before school begins visiting us. It's been a quiet summer at home. Other than a quick two-night camping trip, we've been home the entire summer. I don't think that has ever happened before. I didn't realize until now how much we travel. Whether it's a long trip down south to see my family or weekends in nearby cities, we always go somewhere every summer. Why, the last two summers included cross-country trips to Utah. This might explain why I've been feeling a little housebound lately.

On the flipside, I've been able to spend some time learning to make yogurt (recipe coming), canning cherry preserves, and making scones. I've also spent a lot of time with Sera. It's been wonderful to watch as a whole new world is opening for her.

It started in the beginning of the summer. For months now, she's been asking us how different words are spelled. Sometimes she just wanted to know, and sometimes she'd write down the words to make a card. One day in June on the way home from swimming lessons, I stopped at a red light. Sera started reading the letters on the door of the BBQ place at the corner. O P E N She then sounded it out and yelled, excitedly, from the back seat, "Open, mommy. It says open!" We cheered all the way home. She is now sounding out words everywhere.

This morning, Sera & Jim put Finding Nemo on to watch. She woke a bit out of sorts & needed some couch & cuddling time. When the opening credits came on, Jim told me that Sera had a revelation. She sounded out Nemo's name when she realized she'd been saying it wrong all along. She told daddy that Nemo was Knee Mow, not Mee Mow. She proudly shared that fact with me when I joined them later.

I love seeing her love for learning as she adds more and more words to her reading vocabulary. Pretty soon, she'll be reading her bedtime books to us.

Not Starbuck's Vanilla Scones

2010-07-26T21:45:00.000-04:00

Two weeks ago, Sera & I spent the morning shopping at Target. She was not excited at the prospect so I bribed her by stopping at the Starbucks inside for her favorite vanilla milk. She claimed to be hungry, so I bought her a mini vanilla scone to go with it.

She sat at the table like a little princess daintly eating her scone and wiping her mouth with her napkin. In other words, totally unlike the way she usually behaves while eating. She loved that scone so much that she stayed focused on it completely. An older woman even stopped as she passed to comment that she didn't even know children could be that well-behaved while eating anymore. I decided not to disabuse her of this impression.

The entire time we shopped she begged for another scone. I'm not ashamed to say I held this out as the reward if she behaved in the store. On the way out I bought three more scones. They were .75 each or 3 for $1.95. It was a no brainer.

A few days later, we headed north on our camping trip. When we hit Kalamazoo, Jim asked Sera if she wanted anything. She asked to go to Starbucks for a scone. We drove across the city to get to a Starbucks. It was actually near the highway we needed, but not the shortest route to get there. Daddy got her another scone.

When we got back home from camping, I started researching for a knockoff recipe. I kept finding the same recipe everywhere I looked. I think I'm crediting the person who actually created the recipe or at least claims to be.

I'd already made my cherry preserves, let them sit their 24 hours undisturbed, and was ready to try them, so I decided to make a batch of these scones to try them with. As it happened to be my birthday, they became my birthday cake, too.

I have to admit they are not much like the Starbucks scone, but I think they're better. Jim loved them, but Sera wasn't as impressed. She wanted them to be exactly like the one she already loved. It's an easy recipe, and one that could easily be changed by adding different flavorings, nuts, fruit, or chips. They also went perfectly with the cherry preserves.

Not Starbucks Vanilla Scones
Adapted from Mary M @ cooks.com

2 c all-purpose flour
2 t baking powder
1/2 t baking soda
1/2 t salt
1/2 c sugar
5 T unsalted butter (I used salted because that's what I had)
1 c regular full-fat sour cream
1 large egg yolks
2 t vanilla extract
1/2 c white chocolate chips, approximately

1 1/2 c powdered sugar (I didn't measure this, & I know I didn't use nearly this much)
1 t. - to taste water (I used milk. Add just enough to make a pourable glaze)

1. Preheat oven to 400F.

2. Whisk together dry ingredients in a medium bowl.

3. Cut the cold butter into the dry ingredients until flour resembles coarse meal.

4. In a separate bowl, whisk together the sour cream, egg yolk, and vanilla extract until blended. Add this and the white chocolate chips to the flour-butter mixture and stir with a fork until dough forms a cohesive ball. Use a spatula to get the dry bits fully incorporated. (It may not seem to have enough liquid at first, but the dough will eventually come together.).

5. Place the sticky dough onto a parchment-lined (or ungreased) baking sheet and pat into a disk about 1-inch in height. Cut the dough into wedges but do not separate. Or scoop dough into a mini scone pan if available. (Yield will vary depending on how big you slice the wedges.).

6. Bake for 15 minutes or until golden brown on top. (Mine were too thick, so I baked them for about 25 minutes. I then pulled them apart and baked them for another 5-10 minutes.)

7. Place powdered sugar in a medium bowl, and add water (milk) one teaspoon at a time, mixing vigorously until smooth and runny.

8. Use a pastry brush to apply a thin layer of glaze over the hot scones. Brushing rather than drizzling gives a smoother appearance and requires less glaze. (I confess; I drizzled.)

9. Serve immediately. Store cooled scones in an airtight container.

Cherry Season

2010-07-17T17:18:00.000-04:00

We're having a low-key stay-at-home summer this year, but we did venture out for a camping weekend in Michigan over 4th of July weekend. On our way home we stopped and picked up two bags of freshly picked sweet cherries. Jim ate a few, but I wanted to expand my canning experiences, too.

After a few days home, I halved & pitted the remaining cherries and ended up iwth eight cups. I wasn't ready to process them, so I mixed them with some sugar and froze them until I was ready. Earlier this week I was. I decided to make preserves. Of course, I went online to find a recipe. I found a recipe for jam, but changed it slightly to make preserves instead. I have always preferred preserves, plus it's easier. To make jam, you have to cook the fruit until it all breaks down or run it through a food mill. To make jelly, you have to strain the fruit out leaving only the clear jelly part. But with preserves, you have chunks of fruit mixed through out.

Sweet Cherry Preserves
Adapted from Sugarcrafter

8 cups sweet cherries, halved & pitted
4 Tbsp lemon juice
2 Tbsp lime juice
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
2 pkgs powdered pectin
8 cups granulated sugar

Mix cherries, lemon juice, lime juice, and cinnamon in a large pot and heat over medium-high heat until it starts to bubble. Add the pectin, and boil over high heat for 2-3 minutes. Add the sugar, and bring to a hard boil. Then stir constantly for one minute.

Pour into sterilized 1/2 pint jars, and process for 10 minutes in a waterbath canner. I got 10 jars of preserves from this batch.

The original recipe also included cardamom and rum. I left them out because I didn't have any, but I think they would have added an interesting dimension.

Even without, these preserves were a big hit. We'll be enjoying these for months to come. Now I wish I'd bought even more cherries because I'd like to can some pie filling and another recipe I found for canning the cherries without cooking them first.

Teaching An Old Dog

2010-06-21T20:52:00.000-04:00

Look at me; posting two days in a row. For the last couple of years, I've been a BzzAgent. Basically, they send me products and coupons to try and tell people about. A few weeks back, they sent me samples of the CoverGirl & Oil of Olay Simply Ageless line. I received foundation, blush, concealer, and corrector. I was very nervous and skeptical about trying this product. First, I had to pick the colors from an online form. Second, I'm a loyal, loyal makeup consumer. I find something I like and I stick with it. I've only used two foundations previously for any length of time. I started with Clinique as a teenager, and I switched to MAC in my 30s. I've tried others here and there and quickly discarded them. I've never tried a "drugstore" brand that I liked at all.

It sat for a week or two before I even opened it up to try it. It was a little tricky to open. I was able to open three of the containers, but had to get Jim to open the fourth. I started to think I was makeup container impaired, but I've since read of many others who had problems. I think there is a basic design flaw happening here.

That, however, is the only flaw. I absolutely love this makeup. I've now officially switched to a "drugstore" brand. The corrector immediately evens out my skin tone. The concealer does a great job of concealing without caking up. But it's the foundation that won my heart. It applies smoothly and stays smooth. It feels cool, almost liquid-like, when you apply it with the sponge. It dries instantly though. The coverage is smooth, even, and matte. It remains suspended somehow on your skin without sinking into any lines or wrinkles, so you don't have that cakey, nasty building up in the lines of your face. Another added bonus is that it has an SPF of 22. I went with their second lightest shade, and it's a perfect match for my skin tone. The blush is a little more challenging. The color I chose is a tad too dark for me, and I haven't quite mastered applying a creamy blush as opposed to the powder version I've always used. I think the problem here is more user error than product, so I'm not letting it sway my opinion.

In short, I give this product a huge thumbs up!

Another Reason Why Drugs Are Bad

2010-06-20T22:05:00.000-04:00

Let me begin by saying that this post has nothing to do with this picture. It's just one I took the other day with my phone. It scares me a little because I see a flash of Sera in 12 years. She's growing up so quickly.

During Easter week, we took our annual spring break trip to Gulf Shores. Unfortunately, I had a minor medical issue that came up at the beginning of our week that ended up requiring a small in-office surgical procedure. Life got much better post-surgery because the pain was greatly reduced and the Vicodin was doing a fine job of taking care of what was left.

Because I was taking this pain relieving drug, Jim did all the driving home. I kept insisting that I felt fine, but smart man refused to let me drive. We got home very late and just collapsed. The next day we woke up and unloaded the car. Since the next day was a work day, I was pretty focused on getting us unpacked and laundry done to start the work week. If you'd asked me, I would have insisted I was right on top of things, and I was. Unfortunately, I have very little memory of the details of the day. What does this mean?

In my haste to get unpacked and things put away, I put away Sera's birthday presents right away. Most we found because I'd put them away in the drawers we use to store Sera's toys in the living room. We searched and couldn't find two of her gifts though. Not only couldn't we find them, I had absolutely no memory of ever seeing them. We were sure we didn't leave them behind in the condo because we triple-checked the condo. We've left things behind on more than one occasion. Where could they be?

One was a dvd my mother had given Sera. She had watched it over and over in the condo and loved it. The other was a coloring set my dad and step-mother had given her.

About two weeks ago, I found the dvd. It was actually in the dvd cabinet, but just not in the right place. Yesterday, the coloring set showed up. I have no idea where it was. I just noticed that Sera had it out and was coloring with it.

It's more than two months later, but she finally has all her birthday presents.

Remember, drugs are bad...if you need to remember what you were doing while you took them.

In Defense of Shannon and Sayid

2010-05-24T18:08:00.000-04:00

If you're not a Lost fan, then you might want to skip this one. If you are a Lost fan, odds are good you'll never see this post, but I still feel compelled to voice my opinion.

I've read a few blog posts about last night's finale. Most of the frequent writers appear to have really enjoyed it. The comments show a mixed bag of reactions.

There's no mixed bag here. I loved it. I found it to be very satisfying ending to a series I've really enjoyed over the years. While I've enjoyed the various stories, I'll admit that it's more about the characters for me. These are characters I've come to love in all their human frailties.

The one thing that everything I've read that everyone seems to agree on is the Sideways world ending for Shannon and Sayid. They hate it. Oh, where's poor Nadia? Poor Nadia is where she's supposed to be as far as I'm concerned.

Don't get me wrong, I don't hate Nadia. I just don't feel that she was Sayid's one true love. Nadia was Sayid's childhood friend, his victim, and his wife. He idealized her, and he felt guilty about what he'd done to her when he worked as a torturer for the Iraqi Republican Guard. He had Nadia on a huge pedestal built of childhood dreams and guilt. As fun as it might be to pine for her, it's not real love.

Shannon's short tenure on the show showed a spoiled rich girl who expected everyone to wait on her and cater to every whim. To call her unlikeable is to be kind. Then something unexpected happened, Shannon started growing up. It was brief, too brief, but we saw Sayid and Shannon connect. Each knew the worst of the other, yet love started to grow. I hated Shannon at the beginning, but loved seeing this turnaround. She was becoming a mature human being capable of putting another first, and then she was shot.

Sayid's true love was referenced often, and everyone assumed it was Nadia. Seeing him married to her during his time back in the "real" world cemented that belief for many. We didn't really see too much of their relationship with each other until sideways world. Once again, Nadia was the dream, not his reality. Would Nadia have married his brother if they were soulmates? Would Nadia's first reactions be to send Sayid into harm's way to protect her way of life, if they were soulmates? Would Nadia's first reactions be to question what Sayid had done after she sent him to fix things, if they were soulmates? Wouldn't she believe in him? Trust him? Wouldn't she know that he would only act in defense? She would, if they were soulmates.

When FLocke aka Smokey offered Sayid the chance to have his wish come true, to be reunited with his love, everyone assumed Nadia. I hoped for Shannon.

Sayid deserved a flawed love who knew, accepted, and loved him. He did not deserve to be constantly tested and found wanting by his love on a pedestal.

The reunion that got to me the most was actually Sawyer and Juliet, but Sayid and Shannon was my close second.

Happy Mother's Day

2010-05-09T16:52:00.000-04:00

Dinner with my two favorite people.
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Back Track

2010-05-06T12:00:00.000-04:00

I'm going to backtrack a little on my last post on one item. I'm not so sure that I'm excited about Guji Guji. This book was on a list of books people were recommending for adoptive families that Rumor Queen was putting together on her blog. Several people mentioned Guji Guji.

I looked for it on Amazon, but it's out of print and ridiculously expensive there. I did, however, find it at a very low price on eBay. I ordered it last week, and it arrived on Tuesday. I read it quickly in the car as we were on our way out when we got the mail and thought it was cute.

Last night, I read it to Sera as her bedtime story. I didn't care for it much on the second read through. It's the pretty standard tale of a mama duck sitting on her nest. One of the eggs is much larger than the others, but she doesn't notice it. When the eggs hatch, three ducklings and a crocodile are born. They become a loving family. So far, it's all good. Three crocodiles appear and inform Guji Guji that he is not a duck; he is a crocodile. They are portrayed as the evil villians of the story. They practically bully Guji Guji into helping them trap and eat the ducks. Guji Guji, of course, finds a way around their plan and protects his duck family.

On the surface, it's pretty standard. Crocodiles are pretty evil if you're a duck. I liked the way mama duck loved all her children regardless of their differences. My concern is the message that anyone who looked like Guji Guji was scary and bad.

Tell me, am I overreacting? I'm not sure if I am or not. On the one hand, ducks would think crocodiles are scary and bad. They eat them. On the other hand, I don't want Sera to get the message that only the duck (us) family is good and that crocodiles (Chinese people) are bad.

Why Am I So Different?

2010-05-05T10:50:00.000-04:00

I knew this question would come some day, and some day soon, but I still was caught a little off-guard. One of Sera’s favorite television shows is Sid the Science Kid on PBS. He has a certain turn of phrase and cadence that Sera copies now when she asks questions. She had it when she asked this one Monday afternoon.

I hesitated for a few seconds as I tried to figure out what exactly she was asking. I don’t want to overwhelm her with information she’s not old enough to process yet, so I asked her how she was different. She shrugged. I asked if she was different from her friends at school. She nodded. I asked her if she was different from me. She nodded again. I asked her if she could tell me what was different. She shrugged.

I explained that everyone was different. We all had things that were different from other people and things that were the same. I told her that her eyes and hair were different from mine because she was born in China. She immediately argued that our hair was the same. I agreed that we both had brown hair, but I showed her how my hair is wavy and her hair is straight. We also talked about people having different color hair.

She then changed the conversation to tell me she had received an invitation to the ball at the palace and took off to change her dress.

She is a very diverse pre-school, but she is the only Asian child in her room. There are a few other Asian children there, but they’re in the baby room and the 2 year room. They actually just moved here from China. One of the teachers told me about them, but I haven’t seen or met them yet. I’d say her room demographics are pretty close to my school’s, about 50% Caucasian, 30% Latino, and 20% African American.

On Tuesday, she started talking about how she’s a big girl now and shouldn’t have a baby seat any more in the car. She should have a big girl seat. We explained that her seat isn’t too small yet, and it’s safer than a booster. We’re not ready to move her. Her car seat is good to 65 pounds. I’m betting she could technically sit in it until middle school. We won’t be that cruel, but she’s just finally broken the 30 pound mark. She was 30 lbs, 5 oz at her well child check last Friday and 38”. That just seems small to me to switch her to a booster. I like the safety of the 5-point harness vs. shoulder belt.

Later that evening, she told me that she wanted to be bigger than me. I told her that she would never be bigger than me (thank God!), but that she was growing and getting bigger the way she was supposed to.

I think the Tuesday conversations are directly related to Monday’s question. She is starting to notice that she’s smaller than her friends and her eyes are different. Her skin tone isn’t a factor because she’s exposed to such a range that she doesn’t feel different there. In a stroke of perfect timing, a book I bought on eBay arrived yesterday that deals with some of these differences, Guji, Guji. I do think she’s entering a normal stage of development, one where she is starting to be more aware of things around her. I need to make sure my development keeps up with hers.

1st Trip to Build-a-Bear

2010-04-30T17:00:00.000-04:00

Sera was given a giftcard for her birthday. Is anyone shocked that she picked out the frilliest dress she could find to make a kitty bride?
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Overheard at the Grocery Checkout

2010-04-23T09:56:00.000-04:00

Sera (twirling in her new dress while holding her purchase of a tube of mini M&Ms): Like my new dress?

Hearing-impaired Geriatric Gentleman (bagging our groceries): You want a sack?

Sera: No, thank you. I don't want a snack.

Sera: Mommy, why he ask me I want a snack? I got M&Ms.

Me (observing and holding in laughter)

Jim (paying for groceries and oblivious to this conversation)

Grocery shopping can be fun!

It's Four

2010-04-20T07:42:00.000-04:00

In case you were wondering. The question?

How old does your child need to be before they realize their mother can't sing?

Every morning on our way to school, Sera sings. She also directs. She tells us what to sing and counts us down with ah-one, ah-two, ah-one, two three.

Yesterday, she assigned us each a song. We sang. She then gave Jim and herself another song and told me to be the audience.

This morning, we were listening to a Disney CD. I started to join in on a A Whole New World. Sera stopped to remind me I was the audience now.

I knew this day would come. But Sera doesn't know something very important. It's a motto a friend and I created in college. We threw off the shackles of embarassment at our lack of singing voice and declared, "If you can't sing well, sing LOUD!"

Mwwhahaha

Note: Yes, Sera turned four last Saturday. We've had a slight hold up in getting the photos on the computer, but a huge spring break/birthday photo extravaganza is coming up soon.

Fire Them All

2010-04-12T08:28:00.001-04:00

I read and hear every where about how that Rhode Island school deserved what it got. Those teachers and that union needed to learn a lesson. It's so disheartening when you see people who just accept "news" at face value instead of learning all the details. Here's an excerpt from a blog that most people won't see. I found it to be very interesting.

What Went Down in Georgia

By Susan Graham

On Sunday, The Washington Post posed the question, "Our kids need great teachers. Who makes the grade?" Well, it might help if there were a data based rubric of what makes a great teacher, but Marc Fisher walked away from his experience observing potential with the Center for Inspired Teaching acknowledging that

Maybe there is such a thing as an "inspired teacher" -- someone who listens well and takes students at face value, someone with high standards and perseverance who is also warm, vulnerable and loving. Sounds like a character who exists only in fiction -- and that's part of the problem with the school reform movement.

That's a little vague, but maybe it will help some of the overworked school system HR directors. They've got their hands full this fall because it seems that we've discovered a new fix for broken schools. Just load up a bunch of silver bullets and fire the whole staff (including the cafeteria lady and the custodian). Surely everyone has heard that on February 25th in Central Falls, Rhode Island, all the teachers at Central Falls High School were fired. The story was blasted across the evening news. The New York Times covered the story.The blogosphere buzzed.

CONTINUE READING

Three Years Ago

2010-04-02T13:27:00.001-04:00

I had big plans to write today's post earlier in the week, but it didn't happen. To compare photos over the years, you'll have to go to my archives for previous April 2nds.

Because three years ago today the most precious being was placed in my arms. In two weeks and a day, she will turn four years old. Watching her bloom has been one of the greatest joys of my life. Another has been watching Jim bloom as her father. I don't think anyone could love a child more.

This is always a poignant time for me. March 31st is our wedding anniversary, 10 years!, and April 2nd is our family day anniversary. A time to reflect on life before and life with Jim and Sera.

No disrespect to Kansas, but life before was Kansas and life now is Oz, full of color and songs.
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Ready, Daddy!

2010-04-02T11:57:00.000-04:00

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Did You Hear About This One?

2010-03-30T19:35:00.000-04:00

I just learned about this movie, and I have to say it sounds very interesting. Babies follows four babies from around the world for one year. From top to bottom, they are Bayar from Mongolia, Hattie from San Francisco, Mari from Tokyo, and Ponijao from Namibia.

Was this movie on anyone else's radar? I think it's going to be interesting to see how different and how alike their daily lives are throughout the year.

Disclaimer: In the spirit of full disclosure, I became aware of this movie because I'm a BzzAgent, and there are prizes for agents who generate the most hits, Facebook fans, etc... I'm sharing this because I think the idea of the movie is interesting. The prizes are all baby-related, and Sera has outgrown that need. Can't say I miss changing those diapers, but I do miss those baby snuggles. On the other hand almost 4-year-old snuggles are pretty darn good.

Imagine That

2010-03-30T12:03:00.000-04:00

Eating good, nutritious food keeps students healthier and improves their academics.

Jamie Oliver's school dinners shown to have improved academic results
Absences down after chef changed junk food menu - a result which is a boost for celebrity as he struggles for US support...

Rachel Williams guardian.co.uk, Monday 29 March 2010 20.21 BST

read more

Pieces & Parts

2010-03-29T10:24:00.001-04:00

Did you watch? Jamie Oliver's new show, Food Revolution, began last Friday. I did, and I'm hooked. It's no secret that school lunchs leave a lot to be desired. It's time that everyone sees how unhealthy they truly are.

I work in a school that has almost 70% of the students qualifying for free/reduced lunch. This means they also get breakfast. For far too many, these are their only two meals of the day.

Guess what they eat. The favorite choice for breakfast is pop-tarts and for lunch, it's french fries.

We've been working on eating healthier at home. Buying meat and eggs from a local butcher who only buys from local farmers. He has a huge sign up in the store that none of their meat has any additives or hormones added. I choose to believe. We buy regularly from the farmer's market when produce is in season here. The pickings got light over the winter, but I canned a lot of our locally grown apples and froze bags and bags of fresh corn. Next year, I plan to preserve even more.

This year Jim is talking about putting in a garden as a project for him and Sera. I told him you grow it, I'll cook or preserve it.

We're far from perfect with this, but we're trying. Ice cream is much too regular a part of our diet and those Girl Scouts made a few bucks from us, but we're working hard to improve. Too many children don't have these opportunities.

Can you imagine a 5 or 6 year old child not being able to identify a tomato? I can see not knowing what a beet or an eggplant is, but a tomato, a mushroom, or a potato? That is one of the things this show highlights, and it's appalling.

We wonder why so many schools are struggling to educate our young?

Maybe their brains are starving from lack of nutrients?

Update: Another link you may find interesting, Fed Up with Lunch: The School Lunch Project.

Easter Fair

2010-03-28T17:41:00.001-04:00

Yesterday, Sera's school had an Easter Fair with an Easter egg hunt, face painting, a man making balloon animals, hats, swords, bracelets, you name it, and, of course, the Easter Bunny himself.

Sera had a wonderful time, and for the first time, sat on the lap of a costumed character. She didn't even hesitate. I think part of the reason is she was very comfortable there. It's her school, and she knows all the ladies who work there. She'd run from one thing to the next and called every one by their name. We've been very happy with her daycare/school, and this is one of the reasons why. They are always doing something a little extra.

Playhouse Disney

2010-03-19T19:25:00.000-04:00

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On a Pedestal

2010-03-03T10:51:00.000-05:00

Every morning we have the radio on in the car. It’s set to our local NPR station. For the first half of the ride, we don’t listen as Sera keeps us quite entertained. During the second half, we catch a little news on our way to work.

This morning we heard Frank Deford’s opinion piece on whether or not athletes should be held to a higher standard than other famous people. While I think this could be a worthy discussion, he sure picked two bad examples.

Tiger Woods

and

Charlie Sheen

Both have been in the news lately for less than stellar reasons. One is an athlete, and one is an actor. I concede that the media has given Tiger Woods a much more difficult time.

I don’t think the reason is because he’s an athlete. Let’s look at their reputations. One has a 20+ year reputation as a wild child who is a womanizing, drinking, drug abusing, party guy. One has built a reputation as a golden boy who does no wrong and rarely fails.

Who was on a pedestal? Who were we just waiting for the other shoe to drop?

Is it any surprise that the story with legs is Tiger’s and not Charlie’s?

Growing Up

2010-03-02T08:04:00.002-05:00

We want it to happen. It’s what we work for every day. And yet, when it does? It breaks your heart just a little bit.

Growing up.

Independence.

It's the little things that catch you off guard and make you realize it’s happening so quickly.

Sera loves clementines and ate her weight in them in December. I hadn’t bought them again as they’d really gone up in price. Over the weekend, I found some on sale for $5 a box and bought one. Sera was very excited and wanted to eat them as soon as I showed them to her. I grabbed three of them thinking we’d share. I peeled one for her, one for me, and the other to share. She ate hers and then she ate the third one and asked for more. She’d just eaten a sandwich, so I figured dinner was out for her. I was hungry and started to make something for me. I peeled one more clementine for her and went to the kitchen to make dinner. While I was in there, she started asking for another one. I didn’t want to give her another until I was sure she wasn’t going to eat dinner, so I told her I was busy cooking. A few minutes later, I hear her shout out that she did it. I go and see what she did. She peeled her own clementine.

The next thing happened this morning. She has absconded with all her little snack bowls. I think they’re in her kitchen. She wanted to take some cereal with her in the car, so I grabbed a sandwich bag and poured in a handful of cereal. I put it down on the coffee table when I sat down to brush Sera’s hair and put it up in a ponytail. She picked up the bag. I asked her if she wanted me to open it. Just last week she’d tried and still couldn’t get it open. She told me no that she could do it, and she did. Then she showed me that she could close it again.

Little things – peeling your own clementine, opening and closing a zip-loc bag. Nothing major, yet they made me a little sad.

My baby is growing up, and I’m thrilled. Yet…

A Little Inspiration to Keep Us Going!

2010-02-23T19:53:00.000-05:00

Uh Oh

2010-02-21T20:50:00.000-05:00

This is what happens when you let your child watch Project Runway.
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Five, Schmive

2010-02-21T13:03:00.001-05:00

Sera got one of those 20 piece puzzles for Christmas. The pieces were still on the larger size and it was recommended for ages 3 & up. She and I put it together one time. After that, she would pull it out and put it together over and over again. She's been asking for more puzzles, so the other day we picked out this one. It's 100 pieces for 5 & up. As you can see, it didn't take her too long to knock it out. When I opened it and saw it was regular puzzle pieces and no longer the special toddler type, I was a little concerned. That went away when she had two pieces together within seconds.

Now she didn't do the whole thing alone. Jim and I both worked on it at different times with her, but she did the majority of it herself.

Jim isn't a big fan of puzzles, but I have fond memories of hours spent with my mom and my sisters working on huge puzzles. In fact, we rarely ate dinner at the table because it usually had a puzzle on it. I look forward to spending many hours over the years working on puzzles with Sera.

Understudy in the Audience

2010-02-20T21:03:00.000-05:00

The high school where I work is performing their Spring (?) musical this weekend. It's Beauty and the Beast. I waited until Thursday night to let Sera know that we were going to see it on Friday. She was very excited and asked to wear her Belle dress.

Needless to say, Sera loved it. She especially enjoyed meeting the actors afterward. She was shy at first, but soon got into it. If I had been seconds faster taking this picture, you would have seen the biggest smile. She was practically speechless when she met Belle.

Sera's best buddy, Lily, and her mom met us there. Lily wore her best Snow White dress. You can imagine the reactions they got from the crowd. I think they stole the show.

And, no, this was not the Lone Ranger version of Belle. Since she's a student at my school, I thought it prudent to mask her. Between that and the Belle wig, she's pretty much disguised.

Flying While Fat

2010-02-17T12:28:00.000-05:00

The biggest story the last few days has been about Kevin Smith's (director/writer/actor) experience with Southwest Airline and their size policy.

In a nutshell, he was flying a one-hour flight home from a convention. He'd purchased two seats round-trip because he can afford it, and he wanted more personal space. He arrived at the airport early and went standby on an earlier flight. He was the last person seated. Within moments, the same person who had just called him to be seated came and told him that he had to leave the plane because he was too large for his seat. He showed the agent that he fit the criteria. He was able to buckle his belt, without an extender, and had the armrests down. The agent insisted he deplane.

In a phone conversation with a Southwest corporate employee, she admitted that he had been chosen because he was the last passenger and not because of his size, but they've refused to admit that publicly.

You'll see countless stories out there making fun of "fat" Kevin Smith. If you read the comments, you'll find some horrific statements by typical internet trolls.

For a different perspective, read this story.

Is There a Better Way to Spend a Saturday?

2010-02-13T21:10:00.000-05:00

I So Cited I Cwy

2010-02-12T09:40:00.000-05:00

Today is the first day of our four-day Winter Recess. Our usual morning routine on school days is for me to get up about 5:15 and get dressed. I then get Sera up about 5:45 and get her dressed. On non-school days, Sera is always the first one up. She comes to our room and climbs into bed. She will usually sleep until 7:30-8ish if I don't wake her.

Not this morning. She was up at her usual school morning time. She climbed in to bed with us and dozed until 6:30ish. The first thing she said to me was "I really want to go to school today, Mommy." She knew we were doing the wrong morning routine for a school day, but today is a very special day at her school. It's the Valentine's Party. Our girl never met a party she didn't like.

She carefully planned her outfit for today. I bought this dress for her a few months ago on clearance. I bought it in a size so she could wear it next year. it's kind of an odd dress because it's like a Christmas dress. It's that soft thick velvety type material, but instead of being red with white trim, it's pink with light pink trim. It has a hood and hearts along the hem. She didn't care for it when she first tried it on because it's a little big, so it's been hanging in her closet where she can't even see it waiting for next year. In the car on the way home last night, she asked if she could go buy a dress for the party. I told her no, that we could find something in her closet for her to wear. She shouted out, "I know. I can wear my dress with the hearts on the bottom." It took me a few minutes to remember that she had this dress. She has her complete wardrobe inventory in her head.

We still took it easy this morning with Jim not taking her in until 8:30. In the last few minutes before she left, Sera was sitting by the living room table. She told me she was so excited about the party that she was going to cry. Of course, she didn't actually cry. She did leave quite happily with her bag filled with Valentine's, grapes, & bananas.

Who Dat!

2010-02-10T21:15:00.002-05:00

It might be Wednesday, but I'm still loving the idea of the New Orleans Saints being the Superbowl champs. I grew up rooting for the underdogs known as the Saints. My mom was raised in New Orleans, and I have lived there many times in my life. I've really been missing New Orleans for a while now. The last time we were there was just a few months before Katrina hit. I'm seriously in need of a New Orleans fix.

Up here in northern Indiana, they try to imitate one New Orleans tradition. King Cakes are available in the grocery stores from Twelfth Night until Mardi Gras Day. I remember going to King Cake parties when I was a child. If you got the piece of cake with the baby, you were supposed to host the party the following year. I moved back to New Orleans about a year after I graduated from high school and worked for a couple of hotels before returning to college. The king cake tradition in the office was to bring one in every Friday. The person who got the baby had to bring in the following week's cake. It was fun and gave us something to look forward to during some busy weeks. I have absolutely no idea where the idea of baking a small plastic baby into a cake come from. I do know that originally it was a nut. Sometimes a dried bean is used.

The second of the two hotels I worked at during this time was the Hyatt Regency. The Hyatt is physically connected to the Superdome. In fact, I parked my car in the Superdome parking lot. I worked as one of the secretaries in the Catering department when I was first hired. One of the events we catered was a huge Sunday breakfast for the Saints on any home game day. That year I was able to get Archie Manning to sign a football that I gave my stepbrother for Christmas.

See, it all ties together. New Orleans, Saints, and King Cakes.

The other day I started looking up the websites for some of the better bakeries in New Orleans to see about ordering a King Cake. Uh, no. The going price is $40 plus overnight shipping. That's crazy! Then Jim brought home a slice of King Cake on Monday that a coworker had made. We were talking about it that evening when Jim asked me how hard it would be to just make one. I had no idea. I'd never tried. I checked my computer recipe files and found two I had saved. I didn't read the directions, but skimmed through the ingredient list. We had everything we needed. It was pretty obvious on the way home yesterday that today had a strong chance of being a snow day. I told Jim & Sera that if it were, we'd make a King Cake. It was, and we did.

It was so much easier than I thought it would be. I ended up combining the two recipes. There were aspects of both I liked better. A King Cake is basically a brioche that is filled with a cinnamon-sugar blend or a cream cheese and/or fruit filling and topped with icing and purple, green, and gold sugar. I did the cream cheese filling without the fruit.

King Cake

Cake:

2 1/4 t dry yeast (or 1 envelope)

1/4 c warm water
1 t sugar
1 t flour
1/2 c milk
1 c butter
1/2 c sugar
2 egg yolks
2 whole eggs
4 c all-purpose flour, approximaely

Filling:
8 oz cream cheese
1/4 c sugar
2 T flour
2 egg yolks
1 t vanilla

1 16-oz can fruit pie filling, drained, optional

Egg Wash:
1 egg
water

Icing & Decorative Sugars:
2/3 c powdered sugar
2 t lemon juice, to taste
water
6-8 t sugar
yellow, green, red, & blue food coloring

Mix the yeast with the warm water. Stir 1 teaspoon of the sugar and 1 teaspoon of the flour into the yeast, and set aside.

Bring the milk to a boil, and stir in the butter and the sugar. Pour into a large mixing bowl. Let the mixture cool to lukewarm. Beat in the egg yolks, whole eggs and the yeast.

Beat in approximately 2 cups of flour, until the dough is fairly smooth, then gradually add enough additional flour to make a soft dough that you can form into a ball. Knead it, by hand or machine, until smooth and elastic. I used my Kitchen Aid mixer, switching to the dough hook as soon as it started forming a ball.

Lightly oil a bowl, turn the dough once or twice in it to grease it lightly all over, cover with a cloth and leave to rise in a warm spot until doubled in size, about 1 1/2 to 2 hours. Since it's so cold here today, I heated my oven to 110 and then turned it off. I set the dough inside my oven to rise.

This makes enough dough to make two cakes. I divided my dough by weight, formed half into a disc, and placed it inside a freezer bag. It's now living in my freezer waiting to be finished.

Preheat oven to 375.

With the other half, I formed a long sausage-type roll before rolling it out into a rectangular shape. Roll it out as thin as a pie crust.

Mix egg with water to create an egg wash. Fold the long edge of the dough over the filling, brush top with egg wash, and then overlap the other edge over the filling as well. It should now look like a long roll folded in thirds. Brush with additional egg wash, if desired, to seal dough. Gently maneuver the cake on to a well-greased or parchment-lined baking sheet forming a circle. As you move the cake to your baking sheet, carefully flip it over so that the seam side is down. Pinch the ends together to form a circle. You can squeeze and form your dough ring to manipulate it into a more even circle. Cover, and let it rest for 30 minutes. Brush with remaining egg wash, and bake for 25-35 minutes. The cake should have risen and be a golden brown. Cool.

Mix powdered sugar and lemon juice. Add enough water to slightly thin out the icing. Don't make it too thin like I did.

Separate sugar into three containers. Mix 2 drops of yellow in one dish, 2 drops of green in the second, and 1 drop each of red and blue into the third. Mix sugars until you have gold, green, and purple sugar.

Pour icing over cooled cake. Allow your 3-year-old to sprinkle the sugars liberally over the top. The messier, the better!

Stand Back Everyone

2010-02-07T15:35:00.001-05:00

Sera's musical tribute to Captain Hammer!

(Sera likes to wear fancy dresses after her nap, but she's not so quick to comb her hair. :O)

She Wants to Write So Badly

2010-02-06T20:47:00.000-05:00

Sera likes to make the shopping list. You can be sure that two of the words are strawberries and grapes.
Sent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry

What Were You Doing Three Years Ago?

2010-02-01T19:49:00.000-05:00

Jim and I were walking on the moon.

Three years ago this afternoon, Jim and I received a life-changing phone call. Here are the words I posted that day:

Jim and I are proud to announce we have a daughter.

Her name is Liang Xiao Sheng. We plan on calling her Sera XiaoSheng. It was going to be Sera Elizabeth XiaoSheng, but we dropped that idea as soon as we saw what letter her name started with. She's from the Liangping SWI in the Sichuan Province, and she was born on April 17, 2006.

We hope to travel in April and have her in our arms before her first birthday. We won't have pictures until next week, but we've been assured she's beautiful. I never doubted that.

These are all the details we know now. Off to make more phone calls and to celebrate.

Life is wonderful!

UPDATE: We will receive more information and photos on Monday.

Here are the photos we received a few days later:

And here's our princess today. She is a princess; just ask her. Her name is now Cinderella Tiana Serafina. Daddy is her Prince Charming, and me? I'm the wicked stepmother and loving every minute of it.

Diva in Training

2010-01-31T20:33:00.000-05:00

For those of you who aren't on Facebook with me, you wouldn't know that last weekend we finally had some family photos taken. A friend of ours wants to take her photography hobby to the next level, so she bought lights and a background. We headed over there on Saturday morning with several changes of clothes ready to play. We had a great time, and she got some really good shots.

We'd been home about an hour when Sera told me that she really liked taking pictures and could we do it again. The week before I'd let her watch the premiere of Project Runway with me. I'd dvr'd it. She loved it. She asked if she could draw dresses, and I could make them. Considering I haven't sewn since I was a teenager, it could be an interesting project. The second week she watched, she started imitating the models on the catwalk.

Her other new habit is walking around with pursed lips after putting on her "lipstick". The rest of the world knows it as chapstick.

We are going to be in such trouble.

Here are some of the photos from our shoot:

First Joke

2010-01-22T11:59:00.000-05:00

Sera's been working on this joke thing for some time now. She didn't quite get it. She kept doing a variation of a knock knock joke, but without a punch line. Her typical version went like this:

Knock, knock

Who's There?

Strawberry

Strawberry who?

::peals of laughter::

This week she told what I consider her first real joke. I think she learned it in school. She told me that daddy taught her, but he denies it.

Why did the chicken sit on the eggs?

I don't know. Why?

Because they didn't have any chairs!

:: peals of laughter:: (but this time I laughed, too.)

Another Morning Conversation

2010-01-21T10:11:00.001-05:00

Sera: Mommy, know what I want?

Me: What, sweetie?

Sera: I want to go on a plane and go to China.

Me: Me, too. I loved visiting China.

Sera: and go where there are lots of babies. I want one, a real one. I only have mommy and daddy and Theresa and Shadow. I want a brudder or sister like Ava or the other Lily. You know, the one with Jack. I want one. Pleeeaaaassse. And you know Ava with Ben and Peter. Can I get one, pleeeeaaass?

Now how do you answer that? I acknowledged what she said and then suggested breakfast.
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Something to Share

2010-01-20T10:52:00.000-05:00

Sometimes you read something and you just want to share it. Be sure to read the comments, too. Well, maybe not all of them, but they're enjoyable, too.

Nil by mouth

By Roger Ebert on January 6, 2010 11:38 PM

I mentioned that I can no longer eat or drink. A reader wrote: "That sounds so sad. Do you miss it?" Not so much really. Not anymore. Understand that I was never told that after surgery I might lose the ability to eat, drink and speak. Eating and drinking were not mentioned, and it was said that after surgery I might actually be able to go back to work on television.

Success in such surgery is not unheard of. It didn't happen that way. The second surgery was also intended to restore my speaking ability. It seemed to hold together for awhile, but then, in surgeon-speak, also "fell apart." continue reading

Need to Earn Extra Money?

2010-01-19T09:20:00.000-05:00

Can you dress up like a princess and read a fairy tale. Do you have some spare china and tulle? Can you make a tea sandwich and cut it into a flower shape? Have I got the business for you!!

I was looking online for some birthday party places in our area. Sera's birthday isn't until April, but she's obsessed, so I figured I'd better start coming up with a plan. I already told you her plan.

The main problem is where to hold her party. She wants everyone to come to our house. Our home is not set up well for parties. At least not parties of more than 4 people. We have a nice large room we want to re-do on the 2nd floor. When we do, it would be a great place to send the kids while the adults stay downstairs in the living room. As it is, we'd all have to be in one pretty crowded room.

In my searching, I found the perfect party planning service for Sera. They host tea and other girl-friendly parties for young girls complete with china, tulle covers for the seats, a trunk filled with hats, boas, etc... and best of all, you can book Cinderella to appear.

The most basic package is $28 per person with an 8 person minimum. Cinderella is another $150 per hour. Holey Smokes! By the time you add cake, favors, etc..., you're looking at over $500. That is insane for a 4-year-old, and you should see the add-ons. They'll provide princess dresses, make up, fashion show/runway, invitations/thank you notes, and they have theme parties, too. Your kid wants an American Idol karaoke, luau, spa party, etc...? They're in luck.

These parties could easily hit $1000, and they don't even provide a location!!!! I can't imagine their business is booming in this economy, but I could be wrong.

While Sera would absolutely adore this party and having Cinderella show up would be her dream come true, it ain't happening. I'm just glad she hasn't figured out how to Google yet.

Where Does She Get This?

2010-01-14T10:57:00.000-05:00

Last night Sera and I were driving home after her gymnastics class. She was planning, as usual, her birthday party. The fact that we went to one last weekend certainly helped spur on this discussion, but, to be honest, she talks about her birthday party almost daily. We didn't have a party last year. I don't think we have a choice this year.

She was naming different girls and which Disney princess dress they should wear. Oh yes, she definitely wants a princess party. Then she started talking about the boys in her pre-school and how they could dress up as princes. Somehow, I don't see that going over quite as well.

She has selected her entertainment. "Daddy can play the guitar and sing while we all dance." I don't know if he's aware yet. He'd better start her rehearsals.

She's even choreographed the beginning of the party.

"When my friends come and ring the doorbell, you can call upstairs for me. I'll yell that I'll be down after I finish putting on my makeup."

It's really hard not to laugh in the car when she starts going into these details, but I want to know where she gets it. I rarely wear make-up, and if I do, it's usually just mascara and lipstick. I don't think I've ever yelled down the stairs that I would be down after I finished. As far as I can recall, there's not been a scene like this in any of her princess movies or shows. Unless SuperWhy, Sid the Science Kid, or Dinosaur Train are dealing with subjects that I'm not aware of, she's doing this all on her own.

Why does the thought of that terrify me?

Early Mornings

2010-01-13T10:26:00.000-05:00

"Mommy! I need to go potty!"

Look at alarm clock - 4:00 AM.

"Go ahead."

Sounds of bathroom activity.

"Mommy! Can you help me wash my hands?"

Why, oh, why didn't I wait to teach her about handwashing until she was tall enough to reach the faucet from her stepstool.

"Okay."

Handwashing takes place. Stumble back to bed where Sera waits patiently for me to settle in before climbing up and over me to lie inbetween Jim and me.

While this takes place have the dog bark wildly and loudly because he's jealous. He's not allowed on the bed.

Drift just to the edge of sleep.

"Mommy, my belly hurts. It's hungwy."

"It's too early for breakfast. Sleep a little more first."

Drift just to the edge of sleep.

"But, mommy, I need pillow!"

Hear sounds of shifting and snugglilng. Daddy must have dealt with this.

Drift back to sleep.

ALARM

Snooze

ALARM

Snooze

ALARM

Okay, okay. Get up, and head to shower.

"Mommy! Whatcha doin'?"

"Going to take a shower."

"Mommy, are you going downstairs?"

"No"

"Mommy, I hungwy."

"After we're dressed, you can have breakfast."

And how did your day begin?

A New Year

2010-01-12T10:24:00.000-05:00

I've really fallen behind in posting, and that makes me mad at myself. There are lots of little reasons - none good. Probably the biggest one is that by the time I have some quiet time to sit down and write something, I'm too tired. No excuses though. This is how I record our memories of the little things that we might forget, and I need to get back on it. The picture has nothing to do with this post. Wonder Woman went to a superhero birthday party last weekend.

Here's one story I've been meaning to share.

Christmas this year was very exciting. Sera completely got the whole Santa thing. She watched Dora's Christmas special over and over and was very well informed about the dangers of the naughty list. Swiper had to do an awful lot of work to get off that list.

Because she was so excited, Jim and I were sure this would be the first year of being awakened pre-dawn to see what Santa brought. To our surprise, we woke up before she came to our room. My next thought was she just didn't wait for us. I walked in to her room to find her sitting in the middle of her bed with the saddest face I've ever seen. When I asked her what was wrong, she looked up at me with this sad face and said, "mommy, there is no Santa." To translate, she was telling me that Santa hadn't come to our house. Her response when I asked her why she thought that was to tell me that she'd listened all night and never heard his jingle bells, so he no come. I reminded her that Santa wouldn't come when she was awake so maybe she didn't hear the bells because she was sleeping. She wasn't buying it. I carried her to our room where she repeated her sad tale to daddy. He suggested that he go downstairs and let Shadow out. While he was down there, he'd check and see if Santa had been by and come back to let us know. This gave him a few minutes to get the video camera turned on and the remote in his hand.

Even after he came back and told us that it looked like Santa had visited, she wasn't buying it. We had her wake Theresa and go downstairs. When she saw her new dollhouse, she squealed with excitement.

Santa had come after all.

She's still talking about that naughty list.

Like Yesterday

2009-12-29T12:06:00.001-05:00

About two years ago, I remember reading someone's 1000 day post and thinking it was a good idea. I counted the days and scheduled it in my Outlook calendar. Then I forgot all about it.

Sunday night I received a reminder. For just a minute I stared blankly at the reminder and then it clicked. Yesterday was 1000 days since the day Sera was placed in our arms, and the day we officially adopted her. Our situation was unusual in that our adoption took place as soon as we received her. Our group didn't have the customary 24 hours in between. It didn't matter. Sera was our child from the moment she was placed in our arms.

It's hard to believe it's been 1000 days when it seems like just yesterday in so many ways. If I had to describe the difference in life before Sera and life with Sera, I'd compare it to The Wizard of Oz. Life was perfectly fine as we knew it, but then she came into our life. Suddenly the world was filled with colors I never noticed and a vibrancy that had never existed for me. We've run into a few flying monkeys and a poppy field or two, but the journey is the most exciting one I've taken.

1000 Days

2009-12-28T22:12:00.002-05:00

Can you guess?

Merry Christmas!

2009-12-25T14:41:00.000-05:00

To make up for my lack of posts and pictures, I have pictures ranging from her friend's birthday party to Jim's birthday, her recital, Christmas Eve, and this morning.

Cheerleaders Birthday Party

Starting a formation

Here's one corner

As close as we got to complete

Swinging on the bars

Daddy's birthday cake personally decorated by Sera

On stage singing Jingle Bells

Sera and her friend, Lily, having a girl's night. We decorated gingerbread men

and sugar cookies. Have you noticed how often Sera wears that princess dress?

Sera & Theresa after our Christmas Eve dinner at our

favorite Chinese restaurant

Sera's face when she realizes she & Theresa received

matching nightgowns on Christmas Eve

One final pose before bedtime

First, I have to interject with a little story. Jim & I woke up and were surprised that Sera hadn't come into our room yet. I went to check on her and found her sitting on her bed looking out the window. She gave me the saddest face and said, "Mommy, there is no Santa Claus." In Sera-speak, this means she thought he hadn't come. I asked her why she thought that, and she told me that she waited and waited and never heard his jingle bells. I took her back to our room where she told Jim the same sad story. He volunteered to go peek while he let Shadow out. She was quite thrilled to realize that she just didn't hear the jingle bells in her sleep. She was quite excited when we came down the stairs.

Sera is in the more is not less camp of accessorizing

Merry Christmas from Magi, Jim, & our princess.

Miss Literal

2009-12-22T09:15:00.000-05:00

Yesterday morning we headed out to breakfast. As we pulled into the parking lot, Sera asked if we were in town. Assured we were, she then asked if Santa Claus was coming.

Because, you know, Santa Claus is coming to town.

Why I'll Never Be a Food Blogger

2009-12-13T07:55:00.003-05:00

or a cookbook author.

The other night I made a chowder for dinner, and Jim suggested I post about it. He also reminded me how bad I've become about posting. While he's right about the second part, the first part is much harder.

First, I never think to take pictures while I cook or even of the finished product.

Second, I'm very bad about measuring. I'm very much a toss in what's in the frig type of cook. Usually, this produces a very good end result. Also usually, it's hard to reproduce.

I had some cream in the garage refrigerator that I knew I need to use. I'd bought it to make creamed corn for Thanksgiving, but missed the step about soaking the corn overnight and never made it. It starts with a box of dehydrated corn that I received as gift. Apparently, it's a popular Pennsylvania item. I read on a food blog about this being a must-have for their Thanksgiving when I remembered I had a box in the pantry that I've never known how to prepare.

Anyway, I digress...just another reason while I'll never be a food blogger.

I also knew that we had a bag of potatoes that didn't have much life left and 1/2 a bag of corn in the refrigerator. The corn I'd shucked and frozen in August. It was in the frig and thawed, so I needed to use it up. We also had about 3/4 pound of grilled chicken that Jim had grilled a few days before.

To me, that all sounded like chowder.

I diced up about 1/4 lb of low-sodium bacon and rendered it in the bottom of my LeCreuset dutch oven. Have I ever said how much I love my LeCreuset pans? I have three, and they're all fantastic. I put the bacon aside and sauteed about 1/4 of a gigantic onion, maybe 3/4 cup in the bacon grease. Then I added cubed potatoes. I cubed up one gigantic potato and about 4 small ones. Maybe 2-3 cups. I also added the corn. I decided the thawed corn didn't look like enough, so I added part of a frozen bag, too. I'm guessing about 1 1/2 - 2 cups.

Starting to see the problem? Not really good with measuring. I then added Trader Joe's low-sodium, organic chicken broth. How much? Enough to cover the potatoes. I also put in a little cream, maybe 1/2 cup, and some kosher salt & white pepper. I brought it up to where it was just about to boil, covered, and reduced to simmer for about 15 minutes. This cooked the potatoes almost completely through.

While the potatoes finished cooking, I added the leftover grilled chicken. If I'd had any more leftover vegetables, I'd have added them, too. Oh, did I mention I found a small container with about 1/2 cup of mashed potatoes? I added them, too. They did a great job of thickening up the soup into a more chowder-like consistency. I also used my potato masher to mash up the cubed potates once they finished cooking. I didn't mash them completely. It's more like I broke them up a bit.

To finish, I added another splash, about 1/4 c, of cream and the remnants of three opened bags of cheese I found in the frig. It was Mexican-blend, mild cheddar, and colby-jack blend. Tasted to see if it needed more salt, and served.

It was delicious, and like most soup/stew like meals, even better the next day for lunch. Though by then, it could probably have used a bit of thinning out with some more broth.

Now how in the world do you recreate that much less write a recipe?

She's Too Smart For Me

2009-11-29T10:37:00.004-05:00

Jim and I were just having a conversation while Sera watches Cinderella for the 999th million time. He was telling me that Sera wants to make chocolate chip cookies today. I said that we might have a problem because I don't think we have a full bag of chocolate chips. Sera immediately popped up with a you know what, mom? This is what she said:

Mommy, you know what? Remember when we have chocolate for campfires. We could take one and break it up into little bits and then we can make cookies.

I was just dumbstruck that she could make that cognitive leap so quickly.

A few minutes later, I asked Jim to take some butter out of the fridge to begin softening. I do have a partial bag of chocolate chips and some white chocolate, so I'll just mix them. I think she deserves to have her request to bake cookies fulfilled.

Jim asked me if I wanted real butter or margarine. I told him that I use real butter when I bake. Sera immediately popped up with "I use pretend when I bake".

This girl cracks me up.

Go to Sleep, Go to Sleep, Go to Sleep, My Baby

2009-11-28T11:06:00.000-05:00

Though she has several baby cribs, Sera chose to fold all her blankets up and make a bed for her baby. She told me the other day that her baby had a hard day. I was sympathetic as you can see sleeping all day on a tower of blankets is taxing.
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One Proud Papa

2009-11-27T17:47:00.000-05:00

Sera & Daddy playing superheroes. Sera is Hawkgirl, & Daddy is Superman. Jim couldn't be any happier.
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Happy Thanksgiving!

2009-11-26T17:15:00.003-05:00

I am thankful for very many things, but she's number 1.

Still Alive

2009-11-18T10:45:00.004-05:00

And some day, I'll even post again. I have no excuse. In the meantime, are you ready for a medical emergency?

(Click on the score to go to the test)

100%

Find Quiz Answers Here

Happy Halloween

2009-10-31T21:02:00.003-04:00

I'm so behind on posting here, and I have no excuse. It just seems that when I have time to sit down and write a post that my brain has died for the day. It's become so much easier just to update my FB status. Shame on me because this will be Sera's book some day.

I don't have the normal fun trick or treating pictures like I've had in the past, so I'm sharing a few pictures I took last week at a Halloween party. Forgive the quality as I forgot my camera and was a little shaky that day, so the pictures appear slightly out of focus. I'd had a minor, unexpected, office surgery two days before and was still recuperating. I wasn't going to let Sera miss that party though. She was so looking forward to it. I'm especially glad now that we went.

When my friend volunteered to host this party, I offered to provide the cupcakes. The idea I came up with was very fortuitous. I made one batch of cupcakes, and Jim made another for me. The morning of the party, I quickly frosted them. I brought small containers of about nine different toppings, sprinkles, etc..., and we let the kids decorate their own. Sera was a huge fan of this idea, and all the others seemed to enjoy it as well. We just put a spoonful of each topping around the perimeter of a paper plate with the cupcake in the center.

This is the weekly playgroup. Sera doesn't get to go weekly, but we go whenever we're on break and during the summer. Sleeping Beauty is in the same boat as Sera so her mom and I signed them up to take gymnastics and ballet together. It's really helped both of them to have someone in the group they see regularly. We (the moms) had talked about how by the time our girls warmed up to everyone, the party was always over. The other kids meet weekly and are very comfortable together.

We had to pass on going out tonight because Sera is on day four of H1N1. Jim picked her up Wednesday after school and noticed how warm she was. He took her temp and it was 101. Wednesday is our gymnastics/ballet night. I had a meeting after school and was planning to rush home, pick up Sera, and race to get there on time. When I got his text, I cancelled our plans.

I took Sera to her pediatrician the next morning. They were fantastic. As soon as I told them her symptoms, they had me scheduled to come in with an appointment within two hours. Her fever was up to 103 that morning, but responded well to Motrin.

We had to wait a very long time once we got to the doctor's office, which is very unusual at this practice. I wasn't upset though because I knew they were being slammed. I was just grateful they'd worked us in so quickly. Sera was having a great time in the waiting room. We finally made it to an exam room and waited a long time again.

When the doctor entered, she seemed uncharacteristically frazzled and apologized for the wait. I assured her that we understood and were fine. She then told me that the morning had gone down hill as the child in the next exam room was so ill they'd just called for an ambulance.

When she saw Sera bouncing around the room and having a good ole time, she got a quizzical look. I laughed because I knew what she was thinking. I went over Sera's symptoms again with her. I also mentioned that she was acting in a way she never had before with a fever. Even at its highest, she was still cheerful and happy. When the fever went below 100 though, she practically went manic. She was like that Wednesday night and Thursday morning. As soon as the Motrin kicked in, she would start twirling, dancing, singing, hanging upside down, and just generally acting like she'd lost it. The doctor smiled, nodded and said, "ah, Motrin high."

Luckily, the crazy behavior didn't last. She's doing very well though. She's congested, coughing, and running that fever. Today her fever didn't get quite as high, and she was even fever-free several times during the day without the aid of Motrin.

Jim is also congested and coughing, but doesn't have a fever. I'm coughing, but no fever and no congestion. We could just have colds, or we could also have a mild case of H1N1. Adults don't always get the fever. We're all sticking pretty close to home and just trying to get healthy again. I'm considering hiring a HazMat team to make sure the entire house is disinfected, sterilized, whatever it takes. Okay, maybe not a HazMat team. I did buy all new toothbrushes and will be stripping all linens and washing in hot water. Everything is getting wiped down, too. If there's a germ in this house, I want it gone.

Halloween wasn't skipped entirely though. Sera got the new Tinkerbelle movie, some stickers, and an Ariel Pez Dispenser and was completely thrilled. Her night got even better though. Sera got some surprise visitors. In the next subdivision over from our house lives a family that have become good friends to us. Tammy used to teach at my school and now teachs at Jim's. Her son is a high school senior and does our yard work. Their daughter is 12. Her name is also Sara. She babysat Sera one evening at their home. Justin and Sara and a group of Sara's friends showed up at our house with treat bags in hand. They all wanted to share with her since she couldn't go out trick or treating. It was the sweetest thing. Justin and Sara are great kids, and it's because they have great parents.

I hope this holiday was warmer and healthier for all of you. We'll try again next year.

Here's Your Hint

2009-10-19T18:09:00.000-04:00

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Can You Guess Where We Are?

2009-10-19T18:06:00.000-04:00

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Peter Peter Pumpkin Eater

2009-10-19T14:11:00.003-04:00

Remember those pie pumpkins I mentioned? Well, I decided to make and freeze my own pumpkin puree. I used Ree's (Pioneer Woman) tips on how to do this. It wasn't difficult at all, except that my food processor wasn't quite up to the task. I switched to the blender, but even so I kept having to add some water to get it to puree. I didn't think it was too watery when I bagged it up, but hours later I had second thoughts. It's too late though because they're frozen now. I probably should have let them drain in some cheesecloth before packaging.

I decided to use my scale and portion out 15 oz per bag. Most recipes seem to call for one can or 15 oz, so this seemed to make the most sense to me. By the way, two small pumpkins produced 6 15-oz bags of puree.

And a heal quickly shout out to my nephew, Peter, who decided to try sledding down the stairs and broke his arm in two places. Next time you want to sled, Pete, come visit us. It's much better in the snow!

Autumn Days are the Best

2009-10-18T16:36:00.004-04:00

Autumn 2007 at Thistleberry Farm

Autumn 2008 at Thistleberry Farm

Autumn 2009 at Matthys Farm

Yesterday was a gorgeous October day. The highs reached into the 50s for the first time in six days. Every year the China playgroup has gone to Matthys Farm, but we've never made it. It always fell smack in the middle of Sera's naptime. This year we decided to join in. The group was much smaller as we were competing with a huge football game in the area. It actually worked out for us because the farm was virtually empty. No crowds at all.

Sera and I arrived very early. I was hoping she'd nap on the way, and I planned on parking and reading my book while she napped. HA! She had other plans. We had to park in a field in the back. As we got out of the car, Sera very excitedly noticed a tractor heading our way. It was pulling a trailer filled with people. When Sera saw the people, she told me quite firmly that she was not going to ride that. Then she said maybe she would when she was older...with her daddy.

We wandered around a bit while we waited. When the others arrived, we went into a greenhouse set up with hay bales as tables and benches. We all shared some cider and donuts before heading out for the hayride. I had told Sera it was completely up to her if we went. She stared at the steps to the trailer and then back at me. When I asked her if she'd like to go, she gave a firm, stoic nod and began to climb up the stairs. We rode out to the corn maze where we were dropped off. When we left the maze, we were at the pumpkin patch where Sera picked out a pumpkin. We then rode back to the main part of the farm. The next two hours were spent at the petting zoo and playground. The girls ran and played and had a wonderful time.

Before leaving, we went back to the market at the entrance where I purchased 20 lbs of potatoes for $5.00, gigantic green peppers marked 4 for $1.00, Sera's pumpkin that we'll carve, some pie pumpkins, and almost two full bushels of apples for $20.00. I didn't intend to buy that many apples. I wanted to buy one bushel because I want to make and can some apple butter and maybe some applesauce. After I bought one bushel, I was talking to the man who was getting it for me. I told him what I planned to do, and he didn't think I had the best apple for that purpose. The apple he recommended was actually less than $20 for the bushel, so he said he'd give me some of the original apples I had purchased to make up the difference. He took the top of the box off and started filling it up. I went outside to load up the car since he was going to send someone out with my apples. They ended up putting two boxes or almost two bushels worth in the car. I'm going to need to go through my apple recipes. It's either that or make an awful lot of apple butter.

Today, I roasted the pie pumpkins and will make puree from them. I've got the seeds drying out for pepitas. I'm also thinking about canning some pepper jelly with those pretty green peppers. I bought some jalapeno peppers, too, just in case. It's a good thing we have a three day weekend coming. I see a lot of canning going on over the next week or two.

Silly Sera

2009-10-05T18:35:00.002-04:00

5 Minutes for Mom is holding another photo contest, and I couldn't resist posting this recent picture. Sera is posing and showing off her long, orange hair. You really need to click on the shot to get the full effect of her smug grin. I personally love the way she's leaning back on her arm. The theme for this contest is silly kids. I think Sera definitely qualifies.

3 Word Sunday

2009-10-04T16:30:00.002-04:00

Sera loves to type on my computer. I open up a Word document and let her type away. She especially likes picking out the letters in her name, but just general typing works, too. I stepped off a slippery slope last week when I went to PBS' Super Why. She discovered how to play computer games. Alpha Pig has a couple of age-appropriate alphabet games that she just loved. I'm sure you can all guess where this is headed. I lost my laptop.

Since a new computer isn't in the cards right now, I did the next best thing. Actually, it's just as good if not better in Sera's mind. She can turn this one on and off all by herself and it's just filled with all sorts of games. Best part of all? There's one section that lets her type all the letters she wants.

Another Illusion Shattered

2009-09-28T21:32:00.002-04:00

This morning Sera informed me that when she's a big girl, she's going to go potty like this. She then stood in front of the toilet with her legs spread and her hands at her groin. I had to break the bad news to her that she would always have to potty sitting down, only boys stand. She then decided she wanted to be a boy.

Can't say I blame her. I know there were definitely some times in the woods or at beach bonfires when I wished I could potty like a boy, too.

3 Word Sunday

2009-09-27T10:36:00.003-04:00

For some time now, Sera has been proudly telling anyone who asks her name that she is Sera S E R A 3. Somehow her age became part of it, too. She would scream with excitement everytime she saw those letters in any order anywhere.

Whenever she finds herself with paper and crayon, pencil, or pen, she starts to "write". She always asks us to write her name, and she would then scribble all around it and tell us it was her name.

More recently, she's become fascinated, almost to the point of obsessed, with letters. She has these letters that stick to the side of the tub when they get wet, and she and daddy would play with them at every bath night.

At school, they've started working on writing letters. They've done L, E, F, and H.

The other day, Sera asked Jim which word was Ursula in The Little Mermaid and can now identify that word wherever she sees it.

Her favorite TV show is now Superwhy. She gets very excited when they find the super letters and shouts them out.

This morning, Jim headed down to the basement to check his email. He was gone maybe 10 seconds when Sera was calling down to ask if she could join him. She loves going down to his sanctum. While he was watching the morning news and working on the computer, she was sitting on his lap doodling on his notepad. To say he was shocked when he looked down to see what she had written would be an understatement.

I'm just amazed. She's three! Maybe this is what 3-year-olds do now. I can only go on my own experience, and I don't remember knowing anything before kindergarten. Even kindergarten was a half day of arts and crafts. We didn't try to learn our letters and begin reading until 1st grade. I know that kids are expected to come into 1st grade now already knowing how to read and write, but this still amazes me.

At this rate, she'll be reading by Christmas. Holy Cow!

It's a Saturday Night

2009-09-26T20:37:00.003-04:00

and I got somebody.

Jim is out for boys' night, and Sera and I stayed home for girls' night. We made cupcakes, and I introduced her to one of my favorite movies, Dirty Dancing. She loved both, and I loved watching her enjoy both. In a miracle of timing (wink, wink), the cupcakes were ready for for icing at the exact moment Baby and Johnny took their relationship to a whole new level.

She got so excited about the dancing scenes that she started joining in. Enjoy her show.

3 Word Sunday

2009-09-20T14:44:00.002-04:00

Breakfast is Jim's specialty. If it's in the refrigerator, it's likely to end up in an omelet. He's made all sorts of combinations, and all have been delicious. This mornings concoction included small slices of potato, ground beef, Rotel tomatoes, mushrooms, and cheese. Sera also gets into the breakfast thing. She brought me an egg and tea.

Both were delicious!

If You Were Worried About Disney Buying Marvel

2009-09-14T21:12:00.000-04:00

Then you might not want to click on Spider-Mickey. I, on the other hand, found it hilarious!

3 Word Sunday

2009-09-13T12:57:00.002-04:00

Yesterday was spent at another birthday party for one of the girls in the playgroup. McKenna's mom chose a slumber party theme. While they're all too young for an actual sleepover, the kids had a great time at the party dressed in their bedtime finest. It was a cute theme.

Responsibility, Persistence, Goals - REVISED

2009-09-07T13:56:00.002-04:00

REVISED: The speech is now available on line. I'll add it to the bottom of this post.

Those are the words that apparently are going to be used to mind-control our youth. Unless you've been living under a rock, you've heard of the brouhaha that has developed over the President's plan to give a speech tomorrow at 12n et. His speech is being aired live on C-Span and at the White House website.

I have to confess that this whole thing just blows my mind. People are claiming that schools are being required to air the speech, that it's all some nefarious plot to brainwash our children into supporting President Obama's agenda.

First, no one is being required to do anything, unless you're referring to the schools who've been told they cannot air the speech in their class. Apparently a speech speaking to children about education is not appropriate?

Secondly, I don't claim to be an expert, but if speaking for 20 minutes were enough to completely impart a message to my students, they'd all have As. My job would be a piece of cake. I wouldn't waste my time repeating the same lesson and presenting it in multiple methods. I wouldn't speak, demonstrate, and give them written handouts. I could just say the words, and they'd all know it. Man, wouldn't that be great?

Twenty minutes isn't enough time to convince our youth to twist their parents' arms into supporting health care or any other goal the President has. All parents can rest assured that they're safe from being bullied by their children.

Twenty minutes is enough time to reinforce a message they've heard before. A message that, hopefully, they're hearing at home and at school already. A message that many, however, don't hear at home, and don't listen to at school because they think it isn't relevant to them. They haven't seen it in their own lives, but now it's different. It's a message that you can look differently from others. Your skin can be darker. You can be raised by a single mother. You can come from a difficult background. And you can succeed.

Agree with him or not, Barack Obama is a President whose background is vastly different from any President who went before him. And very similar to one that children are living with every day.

Maybe it's because I teach in a school with a high low-income population. My students come to school every day from homes that are less than ideal. Sure, I have some students whose parents are married, have their own room, hot meals on the table, regular doctor and dental visits, and everything that every child deserves.

Far too many, however, have a parent in prison or just gone. A mother working the streets or making meth in the family home. They come home to empty homes and empty refrigerators. Instead of working on homework, they're taking care of younger siblings. Or worse, they've decided that it's not worth their time because they can make great money selling that meth mom makes. Talk about your family business.

Children in these circumstances do still dream of a better life. They set these huge goals and are convinced this is the answer to their dreams. What does it matter that they can't make the high school team, they'll still be the next LeBron James. They hear about the adventures of Kobe Bryant and Chris Brown and think this is acceptable behavior. I remember students talking about how Kobe was "set up 'cause they want to take a brother down" and how Rihanna "had it coming" because Chris Brown is so cute that she should have treated him better. Their dreams are all about basketball and rapping. These men are their heroes.

Something different happened last year though. All of a sudden these students started wearing political t-shirts and campaign buttons. You and I know that they weren't listening to speeches, checking past voting records, and determining the candidates position on various issues. They were excited to see someone who looked like them. Someone who had set goals, been persistent in his focus, taken responsibility for his own success, and risen to a level they never dreamed possible.

Do I want them to grow into voters who continue to make their decisions this way? Of course not, but it was the first thing for so many that actually engaged them in the process. The first time they realized they could be part of the process. Until they know they can set their own goals and that their future can be what they want it to be, the only process they understand is how our criminal justice system works.

To hear this man speak to them directly, to talk to them about putting education first, that to succeed at their goals they must take personal responsibility could make a huge difference in their lives. Obviously, it won't sway all our students. Those who don't want to hear this message won't. They don't hear it when it's said by people in their daily lives, and this won't make a difference. But it will for others. Others who've also heard this message, but never believed it was for them. This could be their turning point.

And for the students whose parents are appalled by everything our President does, these 20 minutes will not erase your lifetime of influence. Surely these beliefs you express are strong enough to handle 20 minutes. Unless you're worried that they might hear the words and wonder what was so heinous about the message that they start to question.

Is that the real fear?

Educating means giving our children all the facts and allowing them to make their own conclusions. Sometimes they'll agree with us; sometimes they'll disagree. Sometimes they'll go through their rebellions when they disagree with anything you believe in just because you believe it. And then sometimes they come full circle back to where they started and decide maybe you were right after all.

If you disagree with our President, don't ignore his words. Don't block what he says. Read the speech that is going to be released today. Watch his speech tomorrow. If not live, then in one of the many taped versions that will fill the Internet. Greet your children when they come home from school, and discuss it. Talk about what you agree with and what you don't.

That's one of the greatest things about our country. We don't have to all agree. I think, however, that we do all agree on taking responsibility, setting goals, and being persistent in working to attain those goals.

I'm going to include here the suggestions posted by the Dept of Education. It is my understanding that the main controversy was a suggestion in the prek-6 section for students to write a letter to the President saying how they would help reach these goals. The letters were then to be returned to them at a later date to review their progress. That suggestion has now been changed to write a letter to themselves to assuage those who are convinced that addressing the letter to the President is an unreasonable request.

Menu of Classroom Activities
President Obama’s Address to Students Across America
(PreK-6)

Produced by Teaching Ambassador Fellows, U.S. Department of Education

September 8, 2009

Before the Speech
· Teachers can build background knowledge about the President of the United States and his speech by reading books about presidents and Barack Obama. Teachers could motivate students by asking the following questions:
Who is the President of the United States?
What do you think it takes to be president?
To whom do you think the president is going to be speaking?
Why do you think he wants to speak to you?
What do you think he will say to you?
· Teachers can ask students to imagine that they are delivering a speech to all of the students in the United States.
If you were the president, what would you tell students?
What can students do to help in our schools?
Teachers can chart ideas about what students would say.
· Why is it important that we listen to the president and other elected officials, like the mayor, senators, members of congress, or the governor? Why is what they say important?
During the Speech
As the president speaks, teachers can ask students to write down key ideas or phrases that are important or personally meaningful. Students could use a note-taking graphic organizer such as a “cluster web;” or, students could record their thoughts on sticky notes. Younger children could draw pictures and write as appropriate. As students listen to the speech, they could think about the following:
What is the president trying to tell me?
What is the president asking me to do?
What new ideas and actions is the president challenging me to think about?
· Students could record important parts of the speech where the president is asking them to do something. Students might think about the following:
What specific job is he asking me to do?
Is he asking anything of anyone else?
Teachers? Principals? Parents? The American people?
· Students could record questions they have while he is speaking and then discuss them after the speech. Younger children may need to dictate their questions.

After the Speech
Teachers could ask students to share the ideas they recorded, exchange sticky notes, or place notes on a butcher-paper poster in the classroom to discuss main ideas from the speech, such as citizenship, personal responsibility, and civic duty.
Students could discuss their responses to the following questions:
What do you think the president wants us to do?
Does the speech make you want to do anything?
Are we able to do what President Obama is asking of us?
What would you like to tell the president?

Extension of the Speech

Teachers could extend learning by having students:
· Create posters of their goals. Posters could be formatted in quadrants, puzzle pieces, or trails marked with the following labels: personal, academic, community, and country. Each area could be labeled with three steps for achieving goals in that area. It might make sense to focus first on personal and academic goals so that community and country goals can be more readily created.
· Write letters to themselves about how they can achieve their short-term and long-term education goals. Teachers would collect and redistribute these letters at an appropriate later date to enable students to monitor their progress.
· Write goals on colored index cards or precut designs to post around the classroom.
· Interview one another and share goals with the class to create a supportive community.
· Participate in school-wide incentive programs or contests for those students who achieve their goals.
· Write about their goals in a variety of genres, such as poems, songs, and personal essays.
· Create artistic projects based on the themes of their goals.
· Graph individual progress toward goals.

Menu of Classroom Activities
President Obama’s Address to Students Across America
(Grades 7-12)

Produced by Teaching Ambassador Fellows, U.S. Department of Education
September 8, 2009

Before the Speech
· Conduct a “quick write” or “think/pair/share” activity with students. (In the latter activity, students spend a few minutes thinking and writing about the question. Next, each student is paired with another student to discuss. Finally, the students share their ideas with the class as a whole). Teachers may choose to ask the following questions:
What ideas do we associate with the words “responsibility,” “persistence,” and “goals?”
How would we define each term?
Teachers then may choose to create a web diagram of student ideas for each of the words.
· Have students participate in a “quick write” or brainstorming activity. Teachers may ask students:
What are your strengths?
What do you think makes you successful as a student and as a person?
· Teachers may engage students in short readings. Teachers may post in large print around the classroom notable quotes excerpted from President Obama’s speeches on education. Teachers might ask students to think alone, compare ideas with a partner, or share their thoughts with the class. Teachers could ask students to think about the following:
What are our interpretations of these excerpts?
Based on these excerpts, what can we infer that the president believes is important in order to be educationally successful?
· Create a “concept web.” Teachers may ask students to think of the following:
Why does President Obama want to speak with us today? How will he inspire us?
How will he challenge us?
What might he say?
Do you remember any other historic moments when the president spoke to the nation?
What was the impact?
After brainstorming answers to these questions, students could create a “cause-and-effect” graphic organizer.
During the Speech
· Teachers might conduct a “listening with purpose” exercise based on the following ideas: personal responsibility, goals, and persistence. Teachers might ask pairs of students to create a word bank at the top of a notes page that has been divided into two columns. On the right-hand side, students could take notes (trying to capture direct quotations or main ideas) while President Obama talks about personal responsibility, goals, or persistence. At the end of the speech, students could write the corresponding terms from the word bank in the left-hand column, to increase retention and deepen their understanding of an important aspect of the speech.
· Teachers might conduct a “listening with purpose” exercise based on the themes of inspiration and challenges. Using a similar double-column notes page as the one described above, teachers could focus students on quotations that either propose a specific challenge to them or that inspire them in some meaningful way. Students could do this activity individually, in pairs, or in groups.

Transition/Quick Review
· Teachers could ask students to look over their notes and collaborate in pairs or small groups. Teachers might circulate and ask students questions, such as:
What more could we add to our notes?
What are the most important words in the speech?
What title would you give the speech?
What is the thesis of the speech?

After the Speech

Guided Discussion:
· What resonated with you from President Obama’s speech? What lines or phrases do you remember?
· Whom is President Obama addressing? How do you know? Describe his audience.
· We heard President Obama mention the importance of personal responsibility. In your life, who exemplifies this kind of responsibility? How? Give examples.
· How are the individuals in this classroom similar? How is each student different?
· Suppose President Obama were to give another speech about being educationally successful. To whom would he speak? Why? What would the president say?
· What are the three most important words in the speech? Rank them.
· Is President Obama inspiring you to do anything? Is he challenging you to do anything?
· What do you believe are the challenges of your generation?
· How can you be a part of addressing these challenges?

Video Project:
· Teachers could encourage students to participate in the U.S. Department of Education’s “I Am What I Learn” video contest. On September 8, the Department of Education will invite students age 13 and older to submit a video no longer than two minutes in length, explaining why education is important and how education will help them achieve their dreams. Teachers are welcome to incorporate the same or a similar video project into a classroom assignment. More details will be released via www.ed.gov.

Transition/Quick Review
· Teachers could introduce goal-setting activities in the following way to make the most of extension activities:

“When you set a goal, you envision a target that you are going to reach over time. Goals are best when they are “Challenging,” “Attainable,” and “Needed” (CAN). For example, a good goal might be: ‘I want to boost my average grade by one letter grade this year so I can show colleges that I am prepared.’ But, every good goal also needs steps that guide the way. These steps keep you on track toward achieving your goal. For example, my first step might be improving in all of my subjects by one letter grade. My second step might be completing 100-percent of my homework in all of my classes during the first week of school. My third step might be taking an extra hour to study for all of my tests during each marking period. My fourth step might be attending a tutoring session or getting an adult to help me whenever I do not understand something. My last step might be the most important: asking an adult in my life to check on me often to make sure that I am completing each of my steps. Your steps should add up to your goal. If they don’t, that’s okay; we fix them until they do!

Let’s hear another example of an academic goal for the year and decide what steps would help to achieve that goal…

Now I want you to write your personal academic goal for this year and the steps that you will take to achieve it. We can revise our steps each marking period to make sure we are on track.”

Extension of the Speech

Teachers could extend learning by having students:
· Create decorated goals and steps on material that is the size of an index card. The index cards could be formatted as an inviting graphic organizer with a space for the goal at the top and several steps in the remaining space. Cards could be hung in the classroom to create a culture of goal setting, persistence, and success, and for the purpose of periodic review. (See the “Example Handout” section.)
· Create posters of their goals. Posters could be formatted in quadrants, puzzle pieces, or trails marked as steps. These also could be hung around the room, to be reviewed periodically and to create a classroom culture of goal setting and for the purpose of periodic review.
· Interview and share their goals with one another and the class, establishing community support for their goals.
· Create incentives or contests for achieving their personal goals.
· Write about goals and the steps to achieve them in a variety of genres such as poems, songs, or personal essays.
· Create artistic representations of goals and the steps to achieve them.

Here are prepared remarks that President Obama is to deliver at noon ET Tuesday a
Wakefield High School in Arlington, Virginia.
Source: The White House

Hello everyone – how’s everybody doing today? I’m here with students at Wakefield High School in Arlington, Virginia. And we’ve got students tuning in from all across
America, kindergarten through twelfth grade. I’m glad you all could join us today.

I know that for many of you, today is the first day of school. And for those of you in kindergarten, or starting middle or high school, it’s your first day in a new school, so it’s understandable if you’re a little nervous. I imagine there are some seniors out there who are feeling pretty good right now, with just one more year to go. And no matter what grade you’re in, some of you are probably wishing it were still summer, and you could’ve stayed in bed just a little longer this morning.

I know that feeling. When I was young, my family lived in Indonesia for a few years, and my mother didn’t have the money to send me where all the American kids went to
school. So she decided to teach me extra lessons herself, Monday through Friday – at
4:30 in the morning.

Now I wasn’t too happy about getting up that early. A lot of times, I’d fall asleep right there at the kitchen table. But whenever I’d complain, my mother would just give me one of those looks and say, "This is no picnic for me either, buster."
So I know some of you are still adjusting to being back at school. But I’m here today
because I have something important to discuss with you. I’m here because I want to talk with you about your education and what’s expected of all of you in this new school year.
Now I’ve given a lot of speeches about education. And I’ve talked a lot about
responsibility.
I’ve talked about your teachers’ responsibility for inspiring you, and pushing you to
learn.
I’ve talked about your parents’ responsibility for making sure you stay on track, and get your homework done, and don’t spend every waking hour in front of the TV or with that Xbox.
I’ve talked a lot about your government’s responsibility for setting high standards,
supporting teachers and principals, and turning around schools that aren’t working where students aren’t getting the opportunities they deserve.
But at the end of the day, we can have the most dedicated teachers, the most supportive parents, and the best schools in the world – and none of it will matter unless all of you fulfill your responsibilities. Unless you show up to those schools; pay attention to those teachers; listen to your parents, grandparents and other adults; and put in the hard work it takes to succeed.
And that’s what I want to focus on today: the responsibility each of you has for your
education. I want to start with the responsibility you have to yourself.
Every single one of you has something you’re good at. Every single one of you has
something to offer. And you have a responsibility to yourself to discover what that
is. That’s the opportunity an education can provide.
Maybe you could be a good writer – maybe even good enough to write a book or articles
in a newspaper – but you might not know it until you write a paper for your English
class. Maybe you could be an innovator or an inventor – maybe even good enough to
come up with the next iPhone or a new medicine or vaccine – but you might not know it
until you do a project for your science class. Maybe you could be a mayor or a Senator or a Supreme Court Justice, but you might not know that until you join student government or the debate team.
And no matter what you want to do with your life – I guarantee that you’ll need an
education to do it. You want to be a doctor, or a teacher, or a police officer? You want to be a nurse or an architect, a lawyer or a member of our military? You’re going to need a good education for every single one of those careers. You can’t drop out of school and just drop into a good job. You’ve got to work for it and train for it and learn for it.
And this isn’t just important for your own life and your own future. What you make of
your education will decide nothing less than the future of this country. What you’re
learning in school today will determine whether we as a nation can meet our greatest
challenges in the future.
You’ll need the knowledge and problem-solving skills you learn in science and math to
cure diseases like cancer and AIDS, and to develop new energy technologies and protect our environment. You’ll need the insights and critical thinking skills you gain in history and social studies to fight poverty and homelessness, crime and discrimination, and make our nation more fair and more free. You’ll need the creativity and ingenuity you develop in all your classes to build new companies that will create new jobs and boost our economy.
We need every single one of you to develop your talents, skills and intellect so you can help solve our most difficult problems. If you don’t do that – if you quit on school – you’re not just quitting on yourself, you’re quitting on your country.
Now I know it’s not always easy to do well in school. I know a lot of you have challenges in your lives right now that can make it hard to focus on your schoolwork.
I get it. I know what that’s like. My father left my family when I was two years old, and I was raised by a single mother who struggled at times to pay the bills and wasn’t always able to give us things the other kids had. There were times when I missed having a father in my life. There were times when I was lonely and felt like I didn’t fit in.
So I wasn’t always as focused as I should have been. I did some things I’m not proud of, and got in more trouble than I should have. And my life could have easily taken a turn for the worse.
But I was fortunate. I got a lot of second chances and had the opportunity to go to
college, and law school, and follow my dreams. My wife, our First Lady Michelle
Obama, has a similar story. Neither of her parents had gone to college, and they didn’t have much. But they worked hard, and she worked hard, so that she could go to the best schools in this country.
Some of you might not have those advantages. Maybe you don’t have adults in your life
who give you the support that you need. Maybe someone in your family has lost their job, and there’s not enough money to go around. Maybe you live in a neighborhood where you don’t feel safe, or have friends who are pressuring you to do things you know aren’t right.
But at the end of the day, the circumstances of your life – what you look like, where you come from, how much money you have, what you’ve got going on at home – that’s no excuse for neglecting your homework or having a bad attitude. That’s no excuse for talking back to your teacher, or cutting class, or dropping out of school. That’s no excuse for not trying.
Where you are right now doesn’t have to determine where you’ll end up. No one’s
written your destiny for you. Here in America, you write your own destiny. You make
your own future.
That’s what young people like you are doing every day, all across America.
Young people like Jazmin Perez, from Roma, Texas. Jazmin didn’t speak English when
she first started school. Hardly anyone in her hometown went to college, and neither of her parents had gone either. But she worked hard, earned good grades, got a scholarship to Brown University, and is now in graduate school, studying public health, on her way to being Dr. Jazmin Perez.
I’m thinking about Andoni Schultz, from Los Altos, California, who’s fought brain
cancer since he was three. He’s endured all sorts of treatments and surgeries, one of
which affected his memory, so it took him much longer – hundreds of extra hours – to do his schoolwork. But he never fell behind, and he’s headed to college this fall.
And then there’s Shantell Steve, from my hometown of Chicago, Illinois. Even when
bouncing from foster home to foster home in the toughest neighborhoods, she managed to get a job at a local health center; start a program to keep young people out of gangs; and she’s on track to graduate high school with honors and go on to college.
Jazmin, Andoni and Shantell aren’t any different from any of you. They faced challenges in their lives just like you do. But they refused to give up. They chose to take responsibility for their education and set goals for themselves. And I expect all of you to do the same.
That’s why today, I’m calling on each of you to set your own goals for your education – and to do everything you can to meet them. Your goal can be something as simple as doing all your homework, paying attention in class, or spending time each day reading a book. Maybe you’ll decide to get involved in an extracurricular activity, or volunteer in your community. Maybe you’ll decide to stand up for kids who are being teased or bullied because of who they are or how they look, because you believe, like I do, that all kids deserve a safe environment to study and learn. Maybe you’ll decide to take better care of yourself so you can be more ready to learn. And along those lines, I hope you’ll all wash your hands a lot, and stay home from school when you don’t feel well, so we can keep people from getting the flu this fall and winter.
Whatever you resolve to do, I want you to commit to it. I want you to really work at it.
I know that sometimes, you get the sense from TV that you can be rich and successful
without any hard work -- that your ticket to success is through rapping or basketball or being a reality TV star, when chances are, you’re not going to be any of those things.
But the truth is, being successful is hard. You won’t love every subject you study. You won’t click with every teacher. Not every homework assignment will seem completely relevant to your life right this minute. And you won’t necessarily succeed at everything the first time you try.
That’s OK. Some of the most successful people in the world are the ones who’ve had the most failures. JK Rowling’s first Harry Potter book was rejected twelve times before it was finally published. Michael Jordan was cut from his high school basketball team, and he lost hundreds of games and missed thousands of shots during his career. But he once said, "I have failed over and over and over again in my life. And that is why I succeed."
These people succeeded because they understand that you can’t let your failures define you – you have to let them teach you. You have to let them show you what to do
differently next time. If you get in trouble, that doesn’t mean you’re a troublemaker, it means you need to try harder to behave. If you get a bad grade, that doesn’t mean you’re stupid, it just means you need to spend more time studying.
No one’s born being good at things, you become good at things through hard
work. You’re not a varsity athlete the first time you play a new sport. You don’t hit every note the first time you sing a song. You’ve got to practice. It’s the same with your schoolwork. You might have to do a math problem a few times before you get it right, or read something a few times before you understand it, or do a few drafts of a paper before it’s good enough to hand in.
Don’t be afraid to ask questions. Don’t be afraid to ask for help when you need it. I do that every day. Asking for help isn’t a sign of weakness, it’s a sign of strength. It shows you have the courage to admit when you don’t know something, and to learn something new. So find an adult you trust – a parent, grandparent or teacher; a coach or counselor – and ask them to help you stay on track to meet your goals.
And even when you’re struggling, even when you’re discouraged, and you feel like other people have given up on you – don’t ever give up on yourself. Because when you give up on yourself, you give up on your country.
The story of America isn’t about people who quit when things got tough. It’s about
people who kept going, who tried harder, who loved their country too much to do
anything less than their best.
It’s the story of students who sat where you sit 250 years ago, and went on to wage a
revolution and found this nation. Students who sat where you sit 75 years ago who
overcame a Depression and won a world war; who fought for civil rights and put a man
on the moon. Students who sat where you sit 20 years ago who founded Google, Twitter
and Facebook and changed the way we communicate with each other.
So today, I want to ask you, what’s your contribution going to be? What problems are
you going to solve? What discoveries will you make? What will a president who comes
here in twenty or fifty or one hundred years say about what all of you did for this
country?
Your families, your teachers, and I are doing everything we can to make sure you have
the education you need to answer these questions. I’m working hard to fix up your
classrooms and get you the books, equipment and computers you need to learn. But
you’ve got to do your part too. So I expect you to get serious this year. I expect you to put your best effort into everything you do. I expect great things from each of you. So don’t let us down – don’t let your family or your country or yourself down. Make us all proud. I know you can do it.
Thank you, God bless you, and God bless America.

3 Word Sunday

2009-09-06T15:15:00.003-04:00

Can You See It?

2009-09-03T21:46:00.000-04:00

It's way down there. Just a glimmer, but I think it's a light at the end of a very long, very dark, and very windy tunnel.

This time I don't even hear the train whistle.
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Crazy Cleaning Confessions

2009-09-01T16:13:00.003-04:00

The gang at Mom Central are hosting a blog tour. The good news is there's a contest, and you can enter to win a Kenmore appliance. Who couldn't use a new appliance or two?

All you have to do is videotape yourself cleaning and giving us some crazy advice on what you'll do to get clean laundry and dishes. I was checking out the entries in the gallery. There are some cute ones, but I have to say my favorite is Manly Traditions in Laundry. Isn't it wonderful when good cleaning advice is passed down from father to son?

I don't know about you, but there is little I dislike more than cleaning. Unless it's living in a mess. Kind of have a problem there, don't I?

I'm sure that a lot of my quirks come from the fact that I didn't get married until I was 38. Add to that is the fact that I pretty much lived by myself for the previous 10 plus years. I got into the habit when I was on my own of cleaning at some pretty bizarre times. I would also tackle one room at a time while moving everything that didn't belong in that room to the next room. Then I'd tackle the next room, putting away anything that belonged there and moving the rest on to the...well, you get the idea. The thing is that my schedule usually had some pretty wacky hours. I usually found myself doing this cleaning at 1:00 am.

Fast forward to my life now with a husband and a 3-year-old and the 1:00 am cleaning time just isn't practical anymore. What I've learned about myself is that I still prefer cleaning by myself. I don't mind everyone pitching in on the picking up part, but when it's time to start scrubbing? Well, then I want the audience gone or doing the work for me. And when it comes to laundry, just get out of my way. I do all our laundry. Jim throws in the occasional load, but I've found that I much prefer to do it myself. That way everything gets folded the way I want it folded. The things I want to air dry, get air dried, etc... When it's time to put it away though, you're on your own. Pick up your clean clothes and get them outta my way.

The other thing that really helps me clean is actually pretty embarassing. It's 100% effective though. It's just not very pretty to observe. What is it, you ask? Annoy me. I mean really. Do you very best to make me as mad as you can. This is most effective during a certain week known as PMS week. Get me really riled up, and I will scrub everything around me. There's something about the adrenalin rush associated with getting really, really mad that gets me going. I can clean everything in about half the normal time, but you really want to be very, very far away when I do.

In conclusion, I'd have to say that my craziest cleaning tip is to go on a PMS anger-fueled cleaning frenzy.

What's your craziest tip? Will you make a video and try to win a new washer and dryer or dishwasher? Let me know if you do!

I wrote this post while participating in a blog tour campaign by Mom Central on behalf of Kenmore and received a gift card to thank me for taking the time to participate.

3 Word Sunday

2009-08-30T14:22:00.003-04:00

A Good Day

2009-08-24T19:22:00.003-04:00

It's week two of school and things are falling into place. Last week was just hectic. Besides all the normal back to school stuff, I had a few other things to deal with. We switched from trimesters to semesters, so we went from five 75 minute classes to seven 50 minute classes. At least once a day last week, I found myself running out of time in class. Adjusting to 25 fewer minutes was harder than I thought. We also have a new software program for attendance and grades. It's not difficult, but it's one more new thing.

Today, we got out of the house on time. I was ready for all my classes. I timed everything correctly today. We came home to a clean house. While I was in the kitchen cleaning shrimp and making dinner, shrimp creole & spinach salad, Sera was in her kitchen making "cupcakes". I could watch her from the pass-thru in my kitchen. I loved it when she told me that she was cooking in her kitchen just like mommy cooks in her kitchen. Dinner was on time and on the table instead of trays in front of the television. After dinner, Jim put away the leftovers and cleaned the kitchen. Sera was so tired that she's already in bed and willingly.

Can it get better? I don't think so.

3 Word Sunday

2009-08-23T12:22:00.004-04:00

Some of you might remember when I wrote about the demise of my stoneware baking pan. One person who did was a friend from 30 years ago - from high school. Since I've linked my blog to my Facebook account, I've found that I get fewer comments here, but that people I hadn't seen in years have now reconnected.

Pat was a friend in high school. I remember her as being outgoing and crazy and just really envying her confidence and ease in dealing with people. I always felt shy and awkward and like I didn't really fit into the high school scene. I had my group of friends that I was comfortable with, but there were so many circumstances back then that made me just want to crawl under the nearest furniture and hide.

Because of Facebook, I've learned that Pat was enrolled in culinary school (she recently graduated!) and is following her dream of working in the food world. I've shared with her my experiences in that world, too. When she read about my pan, she immediately contacted me as she had one that she'd never used and wanted to send it to me. It arrived this weekend. I love it and can't wait to use it.

Thank you, Pat, for the pan and the friendship!

Back To School

2009-08-17T07:47:00.000-04:00

Sent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry

3 Word Sunday

2009-08-16T17:44:00.000-04:00

Who Doesn't Want Free Stuff?

2009-08-14T21:21:00.001-04:00

I can't imagine anyone who doesn't like to win something. 5 Minutes for Mom is doing their back to school giveaway. Good luck!

Future Librarian?

2009-08-14T17:55:00.000-04:00

Sera loves to go to the play area at the mall. While she does enjoy playing, her favorite thing to do is gather up the abandoned books and reshelve them. I'd say she has a future in library or a bookstore.
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Sadness

2009-08-14T14:17:00.003-04:00

Can you see it? That thin hairline fracture? That's the death knell for my favorite pan; it's my 13"x 9" Pampered Chef Stoneware pan. We received this as a wedding present over nine years ago. I've made countless meals in it. Pampered Chef does have a lifetime warranty on their products, but you have to have the receipt. Even if I had bought it myself, I can guarantee I would not be able to find the receipt. Since it was a gift, I never even had one.

I used it yesterday to roast a turkey breast. While washing it this morning, I heard the crack. I'm using it right now to hold cobs of corn as I blanch them prior to cutting off the kernals and freezing them. It's the last of the corn and the last hurrah for my pan.

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Indiana Means Corn

2009-08-11T17:06:00.002-04:00

It's corn time! This year I thought I'd buy some to put up in the freezer. We eat a lot of corn, and end up buying a lot of canned corn. Even though we buy the low-sodium versions, I still think we can do better (and it will taste better) if we freeze our own.

One of the things I've really enjoyed this summer is going to the Farmer's Market on Tuesday mornings. Less than half of the Saturday vendors set up, but the ones I usually patronize are usually there. Our Farmer's Market is only open on Tuesday, Friday, and Saturday. Fridays actually have fewer vendors open than Tuesday, and Saturday is insanely busy.

This morning, I headed out there to buy some corn. Since I've never actually bought it in bulk and frozen it, I wasn't sure how much I would need to make this a worthwhile project. My usual produce vendor didn't have corn today, but the stand next to it did. Their sign read 3 for $1.00. As I stood there pondering, the young (20ish) man asked if he could help. I told him I was trying to decide how much to buy since I wanted to freeze it. He waited patiently, but didn't offer any suggestions as to how much it would yield. It would have been helpful, but I wasn't surprised. Finally, I just said to give me $20.00 worth. He pulled out his cardboard sign and looked it over for a few minutes. He then called across the aisle to an older gentleman and asked him how much for 20. The man replied that 21 would be $7.00, so around $6.70. I interrupted to say not 20 ears of corn, $20.00 worth. Out came the cardboard sign again. I mentioned that since it was 3 for $1.00 and I was buying $20.00, then it would be 60 ears of corn.

Around the corner came a 40ish woman who asked the young man what he was doing, he explained that I wanted to purchase $20.00 worth of corn. She went right to her calculator. I said nothing because I was thinking there must be some kind of quantity discount and they were trying to figure out exactly how much corn to give me. After a few minutes of her playing with the calculator and the man, who had now pulled out a pencil, doing the math by hand on his piece of cardboard, I heard the woman tell him that it would be 30 ears of corn. Once again, I interrupted to say that if it was 3 for $1.00 and I wanted $20.00 worth wouldn't that be 60 ears of corn? She looked at me for a minute. Tapped some more numbers in her calculator and agreed with me.

I stood there in disbelief. They had actually spent all this time trying to do such basic math, not trying to calculate some kind of discount like I had assumed. As a teacher, you can imagine how disappointing it was to see. Not being able to handle this level of math is the equivalent of math illiteracy. We're not talking Algebra or Calculus or Geometry. We are talking basic multiplication.

I shared this story with Jim so he can pass it on to his students. They don't want to be either party in this scenario. They don't want to be the retailer who tried to charge me double, nor would they want to be the customer who would pay double. You lose in both cases.

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3 Word Sunday

2009-08-09T15:26:00.002-04:00

Performance Anxiety

2009-08-08T22:20:00.003-04:00

Apparently my oven has it.

A little history. We moved into our house exactly nine years ago this month. Brand new house, brand new appliances. Within the first year, we had an issue with the oven. It just stopped working. I called the company who makes our oven and arranged for a repairman. A simple swap of a part that was apparently causing issues with many customers' ovens and we were back in business. At least for a few months until it happened again. Replaced the same part, and no more trouble for years.

Until Thanksgiving 2008, when the oven stopped working as I was roasting our Thanksgiving turkey. Of course, my father and stepmother were visiting us for the first time at our home. The oven would just stop working. I would restart it, and it would start back up and work for a bit before stopping again. That turkey took forever to finally get done. We figured we'd wait until the holiday weekend was over before calling a repairman, but the oven worked just fine after that day. It didn't happen again.

Until this week. This time it was a chicken I was roasting and our guest is our niece, Theresa. The chicken went in the oven at 5 and should have been finished by 6:30. It was 9 by the time it was finally cooked. We'd already given up and eaten Li'l Ceasar's $5 pizza by the time it was finished. It made a fine dinner the next night though.

Now what do I do? Call the repairman to have him come out and the oven works just fine? Or wait until it is well and truly dead?

A Touching Story

2009-08-08T14:22:00.001-04:00

If John Hughes death plunged you into a vat of memories from the 80s, I think you will enjoy this post from his penpal.

I Dare You To Watch This & Not Cry

2009-08-05T15:49:00.000-04:00

Isn't it wonderful?

Build Families, Not Barriers

2009-08-03T11:35:00.000-04:00

Build Families, Not Barriers

3 Word Sunday

2009-08-02T17:47:00.004-04:00

3 Word Sunday is back, and I'm thrilled. Thanks, PugMama, for hosting!

Laugh of the Day

2009-07-31T08:00:00.000-04:00

All politics aside, this is just funny.

The Power of the Big Girl Bed

2009-07-30T14:19:00.003-04:00

Sera and I got home last night from visiting my sister, Marcia, and her family in Atlanta. We had a wonderful time. One of the things that Sera most enjoyed was playing and napping in her Cousin Ava's big girl bed.

While we were out of town, Jim took down Sera's crib and put up her bed. We were well overdue. Sera has slept in beds anytime we've gone out of town, but it was just so easy keeping her in the crib at home. She still easily fit in it, plus it kept her contained. I didn't want her wandering around the house while we slept and tumbling down the stairs or something worse. We've talked about her getting a big girl bed for months and finally decided to wait until summer. The summer was getting away from us because I didn't want to change her room and then go out of town.

Last night before she went to bed, I told Sera that if she woke up needing to go to the bathroom, she could now get up on her own and go. She tested this. Within five minutes of Jim leaving her room, she was calling me to say she had to go potty. Of course, she didn't actually have to go. That meant we had a little chat about staying in bed and getting up only when she really needed to potty. I tucked her back in, and she slept soundly until she came into our room at 7:30 am to let us know it was wake-up time. She was beaming with pride.

After a lazy morning at home, we decided that Sera and I needed a fix from our favorite Chinese restaurant. A quick stop at Wal-Mart to buy some new curtains for her room because paranoid mommy wants the blinds down now, and then home for naptime.

Normally, she chooses one of us to take her up (usually Jim) and gives the other hugs and kisses. Today when I told her to pick who was taking her upstairs, she first chose Jim. Then she changed her mind and said that she didn't need anyone to take her up. She's a big girl. We agreed. She gave us both hugs and kisses and headed upstairs.

And we sat.

And we waited.

And we looked at each other.

Any minute we knew that we'd hear her run around or call one of us or get into something.

And we waited.

Nothing but silence.

Jim went upstairs to see what she was doing. Guess what he found?

Sera was all tucked in under her blankets and sound asleep.

That was way too easy.

Batter Up

2009-07-27T19:58:00.000-04:00

Sent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry

Afternoon on Wheels

2009-07-26T17:42:00.000-04:00

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Drive-in Frisbee

2009-07-24T20:26:00.000-04:00

Even though we're in Atlanta, we still ended up at the drive-in on Friday night. Love it!
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Ridiculous

2009-07-24T20:19:00.000-04:00

I don't expect a full bag when I open a pack of Doritos, but I do expect more than 25%.
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Gridlock

2009-07-23T17:12:00.000-04:00

In case anyone was wondering, this is what it looks like when interstate traffic comes to a complete stop in Kentucky!
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One Of The Best Things

2009-07-21T11:34:00.002-04:00

We all know why it's important to get to a healthy weight. It's to improve our health, to improve the way we feel, to improve the way we look, to get more energy, blah, blah, blah...

Want to know one of my favorite parts? Going through my closet and trying on a shirt that hasn't fit in years.

And it fits.

Yay, It's a Harade!

2009-07-18T20:37:00.002-04:00

This morning I turned on the TV to find out the weather forecast for the day. The Saturday morning news show was pre-empted because they were broadcasting a parade. It's Enshrinement Weekend for the College Football Hall of Fame, and there was a big parade going on downtown. All sorts of football bigwigs, floats, balloons, bands, etc... Sera got very excited and wanted to go see it. I had to tell her that by the time we got there the parade would be over.

She's been a big fan of parades or harades as she calls them since seeing the one in Mesick for the Mushroom Festival. When we came downstairs, she decided that if she couldn't go to the parade, she'd make her own.

Sera is developing a very rich and colorful fantasy world, and I love every imaginative minute she's having.