in the good ol' summertime

as a school teacher, i relish summer vacation.

summer vacation for me means:
less stress,
less hectic schedules,
no homework for kids,
more fun time with my boys.
more daylight,
friends,
family,
more time to sleep,
more time to reflect,
creativity,
days without makeup,
pool days,
time to read for leisure,
wildflowers,
gardens,
travel,
fresh veggies,
time to cook,
twilight on the porch,
fireflies,
and simple joy.

today, i slept in--for me that means any amount of time past 6 am.  then i trekked out for a long walk. and returned to read for a bit then fix lunch with yummy farm produce and farm eggs while i watched taped episodes of the barefoot contessa.  i have no definite plans for the rest of today...ahhhhh.

lunch:

fried eggs with veggie confetti (me)
wine berries & strawberries

nachos with pico-de-gallo (kids)

currently reading:
defying isis

2 timothy 4

the secret thoughts of an unlikely convert

number the stars

escape from lemoncello's library

today grateful for:

cool temps

good health

God's truth

God's presence

God's provision

clean water and electricity

summertime

fresh, local, organic food

no time like snow time

today marked the seventh snow day this month.   we went back to school yesterday but another storm came through overnight.   the boys have loved having time to play video games more than usual.  i have enjoyed the time as well, but the time has been a strange "playmate."  

in the summer or when we are on a scheduled break, i have plans for what we will do most days.   however, on these snow days, especially on days when we get the call in the dawn hours, there are no plans.  

today after the snow stopped at mid-morning, i shoveled our normal snow path up our driveway and dug out the car.   since we have gravel, i do not shovel the entire drive.  i have found doing so results in all sorts of stray gravel in the summer lawn.   i am thankful for the active exercise of shoveling.   


over the last few days, i have not done as much housework as i should.  instead i have found other diversions-- reading and cooking (and jamming out---today to ben harper.)   i go back and forth in my love-hate relationship with cooking.   in the years, especially that first year, after andy died i avoided cooking.   i was not inspired and often i was tired physically and emotionally.   i missed cooking for another adult.   in the past few years, i have found my inspiration from the french culture and my own experiences with food.

several years ago, after watching the movie "julie and julia" i began to venture into recipes from julia child's book, "mastering the art of french cooking."   i fell in love with boeuf bourguignon.   then this past summer i devoured several books---"my sweet life in paris" and "my paris kitchen" both by david lebovitz, as well as "one soufflé at a time: a memoir of food and france" by anne willan and "my life in france" by julia child.

in the summer, i am inspired by the organic vendors and what they have available at the farmers' market.  i have experimented with vegetables i had never heard of or had never eaten prior to last year---celeriac, kale, beets, and fennel to name a few. 

i think i love making bread more than anything else.   my oldest son devours it, so i get the opportunity to make bread sometimes three times a week.  it is gratifying when someone enjoys the food you have created for him.

cooking and reading take me to new places.   one day i hope to visit europe---france, italy, the united kingdom and israel with my boys.








dinner:

spinach, gouda and ricotta quiche

homemade rolls

currently reading:
2 blogs with lenten devotionals:         www.shereadstruth.com and www.aholyexperience.com

jeremiah

my single mom life

today grateful for:
my boys

snow days

His provision  

good health and the ability to complete household tasks

electricity

music

books

January reflection

Well, I'm back after a long absence from blogging. With this last day in January, I have been working around the house, soaking in the wonderful sunshine, and reflecting upon some goals I set for this month.

• To eat from the freezer and pantry for a month
• To walk at least 10,000 steps a day
• To come up with a system for motivating the boys to complete household chores

Eating from the freezer/pantryTo accomplish my first goal, I had to get organized. It has been a bit easier since I have had several Saturdays at home. Last year both boys were wrestling, so every Saturday from December through February we were occupied with all day meets.

Except for purchasing some perishables such as milk, butter, eggs and cheese, every meal has been from our "storage." Since I work full time, I do much of our meal prep on the weekends:

• Making our bread and tortillas (I buy gluten free instead of making it because I can’t master making any loaf bread that doesn't feel like a brick.)  I am soooo thankful for my bread machine. I have had it since we were first married--it is 16 years old. Thankfully we didn't chose a cheap machine. It is a workhorse and worth every penny. I do bread dough in it that I then use in many different ways. 
• Cooking a week's worth of meat on the weekend (We have quite a bit of meat in the freezer. I love meat, especially pork, from a local farm. They raise pigs and chickens and process them to sell at the farmer's market. I stock up during the warmer months.)
• Planning menus a week(or more) at a time (A February goal is to develop a more organized system for doing this.)

Walking  at least 10,000 steps a day 
I purchased a computer bracelet that tracks my steps and sleep. Some days I exceed my step goal by walking as I work and other days I have to do more walking in my "leisure" time to reach the goal. I have a bit of a long term goal to get back into running. This is -very- long term since I have to shed quite a few pounds to ease the stress on my knees. I miss running, especially the benefits of weight loss and endorphins.

Motivating the boys to complete household chores
Good ol' Pinterest--I used pinterest to find a system to use. I adapted a couple I found into my own system. For us, each chore week begins on Saturday. This is so the boys can earn their weekend screen time. We do not watch TV or play video/computer games during the week, because several years ago I grew tired of the battles at school night bedtime or during our morning weekday rush. Then the boys were grouchy when I asked them to turn off the devices. Therefore, they earn their time by completing all their required chore, homework, etc. cards by Friday. Another help is we each have assigned laundry days.

Also, by having them complete chores by Friday, I am not spending my Saturday trying to play catch up or nagging them.


My February goals are:

• creating a system for easier, more organized meal planning
• beginning to "run" some each week
• going back to a weekly family night.

lunch:
leftover quiche, 

leftover buffalo chicken chili

bread

listening to:
recorded episodes of "the pioneer woman"

currently reading:
the last girls

praying the scriptures for your teenagers

Psalms

today grateful for:
sunshine!!!

when boys play outside in the sunshine

my elderly neighbors down the road who are so kind to us and especially to our sweet dog

God's peace

thankful, day 24

I am thankful my oldest enjoys cooking with me. When he was little he used to enjoy watching Alton Brown and Emeril. He makes a mean guacamole, delicious farmers breakfast, and yummy apple cobbler. Bacon is what he does better than anyone! Today we made Dutch Apple Bread together.


dinner:
chicken noodle soup

listening to:
christmas music

currently reading:
overcoming dyslexia
pioneer woamn cooks food from the frontier
roll of thunder hear my cry
praying the scriptures for your teenager

today grateful for:
my boys
hanging with my boys
our lifegroup
sunday
thanksgiving sunday at grace
worship songs
cold weather
electricity
good health & safety
working automobile
unity and community

thankful, day 17

     I am thankful for electricity, crockpots and pressure cookers. As a working mom with a hectic family schedule, these are invaluable tools to be able to make hot meals. In the chilly months, I use them at least 4x a week.

     Today, I made minestrone soup for our Sunday lunch (including for my scout returning from a WET, chilly weekend camping trip) while I also prepped a chicken for the stock and meat.

lunch:
soup and sprouted-grain bread

currently reading:
run your butt off
1 corinthians 13   
kizzy ann stamps  
praying the scriptures for your teenager

today grateful for:
my boys 
scouts 
the weekend
a warm, dry house
a washing machine and dryer 
internet, computer, and instructional videos on youtube

Movie watching and "projects"

It has been difficult to blog as of late due to problems with my computer, therefore, I am trying to get caught up. I have handwritten drafts of several blogs which hopefully I will be posting over my break from now until early January before I am again swamped by work and the mundane. I think blogs are valuable memory keepers. Over the past year I have been rereading many of Andy’s blogs and I am so thankful for his writings. I had his entire blog printed into a soft bound book for the boys.

I recently rented the movie "Julie and Julia." It took me two evenings to fit in time to watch it—but it was worth it and now I am inspired. Movies can be incredible instruments—they can inspire us in many ways. Andy enjoyed movies immensely and credited many of his creative romantic lines to movies that inspired him. My father-in-law, several years ago just after exiting from seeing “Shaft”, valiantly fended off an attacker who was attempting to rob him while he was in the theater men’s room. We were thankful he had seen an action movie that night –no telling how history might played out had he had been to a romantic comedy.

My first inspiration/project is cooking. I have not felt like being creative in the kitchen, tackling menu planning, or even thinking about dinner for most of the nights in this year since Andy died. As many know, the boys and I spent numerous evenings eating out in this time. In the 2 years prior to Andy’s death, I had become quite proficient in the practice of frugality. After his death, I was all about convenience. Recently this chore became more complicated when my youngest was diagnosed with wheat and gluten allergies. It became a menacing chore of facing the daily grind of planning a meal for:

1) a picky, picky eater with allergies,
2) a tired, single mom on weight watchers (who gained back 20+ lbs in the last year)
3) and an average elementary age boy.

I cannot explain why this movie inspired me to not only to cook again but to venture out more creatively with food. Perhaps it is the fact the actresses portraying the main characters made it seem possible for the “average” woman to be triumphant in the art of cookery. So I dug up my Martha Stewart Living and Everyday Food magazines and I purchased Mastering the Art of French Cooking in order to try new recipes. Thus far, I have had success with all but one (snap peas with mint-ick!) which I have attempted. I will try to remember to post the menu/recipes of the day at the bottom of each blog entry from here on out.

My second inspiration/project from the movie is a mental one. In the movie, the narrator states Julie Child made the French people she encountered pleasant. So I asked myself-do I positively influence the people I encounter? My answer would be, “no.” As a Christian, my joy should overflow and spread to others. I remember a TV commercial in which a man was walking down a crowded street talking on his cell phone and smiling from from ear-to-ear. His smile was so genuine and joyous that it spread infectiously to the strangers around him.

A few years ago in the face of a challenging work environment, I set a daily goal. I sought out someone, every morning within 15 minutes of arriving at work, to compliment or spread extra joy to in order to start the day on a positive note. I do not know why I stopped doing that. I do know for me it does not seem to come naturally to be a “glass half full” person. Two of my colleagues at work just naturally seem to see the positive and radiate joy, laughter and fun in everything they do. Shouldn’t we all be that way---especially Christians?

Notes to self:
smile more
spread more smiles
daily strive to love from the source
finish study of joy/then blog about it
refrain from kicking the computer when Firefox crashed 6 times during the composition of this post (deep breath)

Currently listening to STING, “If on a winter’s night”

Dinner tonight:
Mediterranean chicken with feta cheese over orzo
Pois Frais en Braisage (buttered peas)

Today grateful for:
A delightful, long lunch with my best friend
Daycares being open
5K run and 1.5 miles on elliptical
my boy who gave me an "I love you" banner