Food budget, revisited

Many of you may remember the food budget experiment that I did back in August. I got so much feedback from that. My blog was linked to, posts copied, numerous e-mails sent to me asking me how I did it. Well, there is even more interested in it now from a whole new group of people. Lamar and I discussed it and he made the challenge to me to do this again. So we will revisit this experiment in February. Why now....well you go on vacation for 2+ weeks and let me know what your checking account looks like afterwards!!!! It is perfect timing. More on this later. I have to get ready for the New Year festivities.

Holiday Trip, Days 10, 11, & 12

OK - you are going to get the past three days all thrown into one post. It is not that we have been exceptionally busy, but more of me being very lazy and choosing to sleep, knit and read rather than update this blog.

One of the highlights of coming to Iowa is making pancakes with Grandma Helen. The girls rush into the kitchen in the morning proclaiming "I want to help!" This time Nora Beth made it first. I was just excited that she was actually wearing her robe, rather than running through the house naked like she usually does. This child just will not keep her clothes on!

Marie had given Nora Beth a jar of Marachino cherries, knowing that it is one of her favorite food groups. She has insisted on putting them on her pancakes every morning. No butter, no syrup, only cherries on her pancakes. She knows what she likes.

These pancakes are very different to me. I like the fluffy kind, these are more of a sourdough crepe style. Right now, the smell of them makes my stomach turn, but the girls and Lamar enjoy them so much that I am putting up with my discomfort, just to keep them happy (or is it I would have discomfort no matter what was being cooked?)


Mary Ann, Shianne and I went to go see the movie Marley & Me. Shianne just finished reading the book and I told her that as soon as she was done reading it we would go to the movie. So two hours later we were in the theatre. She took that declaration from me literally! It was such a cute movie. We laughed (ALOT!) and cried (big, wet, ugly tears!).

Many of you know that I am a big dog lover and we had a Lab named Anna for many years. I was so in love with that dog. She could do no wrong in my eyes. So many things that Marley did in the book/movie were stunts that Anna had done. Anna was a Lab that did not like water, retrieving or exercise. Her place was laying on the floor watching the birds eat her food. She ate the rose garden (yes, all 20 roses!), the lilac tree (this was no seedling), the living room carpet (she was just letting me know we had hardwood) and a chicken (yes the whole chicken, no taking bites here, the whole thing!). Of course there were numerous other stunts that she pulled, but I am just updating a blog, not writing a novel here. Oh, how we miss Anna.

Lamar and I took the girls over to Lennox to see the light display. This whole town decorates for the holiday. The central park is magical looking. The girls really enjoyed looking at the lights. We told them we would get them ice cream for the trip, but we found out that the local DQ still closes for the winter here. I guess no one around here enjoys ice cream when it is 7 degrees outside (I do, I do, hands waving enthusiastically!!!)

We have no water here in rural Iowa. No joke. The snow melted so fast that it overwhelmed the water processing plant, mixed sewer in with the drinking water and a public health warning was issued - no using the water. This really complicates daily life around here. I do not drink the water here anyways, it has a funny taste to me, but now we cannot even wash dishes and I am questioning showering and laundry - yes, my inner germophobe is coming out here! This warning is supposed to last for several days. Lamar stocked up on bottled water and disposable plates to get us through.

I spoke with Lora last night. She is booking a trip to Las Vegas for us to recover from our holidays. I just love it when friends know exactly what I need!

Lamar and I are heading into Des Moines to enjoy the New Years festivities with some college friends. This should be fun. Of course, I have the title of DD this year due to my current pregnancy status....maybe Lamar planned it this way...hum.....

I will update you more next year. Welcome 2009!

Message of Love

I have been thinking long and hard about this post. What will you think? Will you even read it? Will you even care? I know that you read my blog, my stat counter tells me. I find it sad that the only way you can find out what is happening in my life is to view it on-line because you are to scared or proud to pick up the phone. I miss you so much. There has been so much pain over the years.

So much has happened in my life that you do not know about, stuff that I do not publish here. The girls have grown up so much. You do not even know them and they do not know you. Now we have another baby on the way. So many wonderful things have happened. So many fun memories. So many times I needed a shoulder to cry on. Life is to short to not have you involved.

I cannot believe how much time has passed. So many missed opportunities on both sides. So many misunderstandings. In the big picture it is all meaningless. I really hope someday to see you call. Say your sorry. Say I love you. I will say the same. Someday......

Holiday Trip, Day 9

Today can be called the great defrost! We had been hit with an ice storm over the past few days that left a sheet of slippery stuff all over the area. It warmed up enough today to melt the majority of it away. It was really quite beautiful with the sun out, reflecting off of the ice.

I know that this is no where near the Arctic blast that has been happening back home, but I can say the weather is colder here than back home! I keep hearing the stories of my friends who are stuck in their homes, no electricity, cars being towed. My heart goes out to you. You will soon have a defrost!

Today, being Sunday, also means Football, specifically, Viking Football. I made a big batch of Lamar's favorite "Ass Kickin Chili Fixins" and everyone went upstairs to eat and watch the game. Here you see Lamar and his brother Andrew. Fortunately, Minnesota won, so they made it to the playoffs! At least one more week of football is in our future - of course we will be flying home during the game.

While everyone was upstairs watching football, the girls were downstairs enjoying some marshmallows with their hot cocoa. They were having so much fun being silly together.

Holiday Trip, Day 8

Nora Beth has been having so much fun playing "tea party" with Mary Ann's pretty dishes. She has taken over the living room with her set up. Lamar, Andrew, Helen and Mary Ann have all been regular invitees to her table.

It is wonderful to watch how dramatic she is with her serving. She just loves this stuff. She has been very careful with all the the dishes, so far, no casualties for dishes, although there has been an ornament casualty that Nora Beth feels really bad about.

Now, if you sit at her table, you must play the part, as Lamar found out!

Holiday Trip, Day 7

Today we ventured over to see Marie and Don and meet more of Lamar's birth family. This time cousin Shannon was in town with her two sons. It was fun to meet her. Nora Beth really liked playing with the boys. We were able to have a good conversation with Marie, Don, Karen and Shannon. Marie made some yummy treats, the cinnamon rolls were especially delicious. I need to learn how to make mine come out this way (hint Marie - I NEED your recipe!)

We all joked about how we half-way expected Jan to come trotting through the door. We would not put it past her to pull a stunt like that. We made it through the morning with no "surprise" visits.

We are still amazed by how well this reunion has gone with Lamar's birth family. We are so happy that it has been so positive for both sides. When I first found Jan on-line, I was actually scared to give Lamar her info because I had heard so many "horror" stories. Fortunately both sides have come through smiling.

On New Years Day, we will be heading back over to Marie and Don's to meet even more family. I am anxious to see what kind of yummy bread Marie will have this time!

Family Vacation, Day 6 Christmas

We had a great Christmas Day. Andrew and Jean made it to Creston in the morning in time for a big family breakfast. I made Orange French Toast.

The girls were so excited to open their presents. It was fun to watch their excitement. Shianne was so excited about her new MP3 player - exactly what she was wanting. Nora Beth scored some great dress-up silks and fairies.

After the present frenzy, we started making the early dinner. It was a simple meal, but enjoyed by all. Afterwards, we all laid around with full bellies. A great day with family.

The girls played the piano and Andrew took this video. Nora just loves to play along with Shianne.

Holiday Trip, Day 5

Today was a pretty laid back day. Lamar and I ran some errands, mainly to the grocery store (OK we went to all three in town). We now have enough food to feed a small army between both houses. Lamar helped Vane with some home projects that Mary Ann wanted done. I successfully took a nap and did laundry.

We wanted to do an easy dinner, so I made some French Onion Soup and then some of the Butterscotch Pudding that I wrote about last week.

We went to church tonight. Shianne helped light candles with her grandparents and then helped read for part of the service. She looked so grown up - at least from my vantage point - I was in the next room looking through a small window with Nora Beth. Being quiet in church was just to difficult for Nora Beth to handle, she wanted everyone to hear her sing!

After we came home from church, I dished up the pudding while Nora Beth put on her own performance in front of the tree. I am not sure what she was singing - a tune that she made up on her own, but she owned her performance. We then enjoyed the pudding and let the girls open one present each. They were so excited to do this.

Now one part that I skipped over was the big announcement that Lamar and I did over dinner. We have been keeping a secret, and we are no longer able to stay quiet. We are expecting a baby....yes, I am PREGNANT!!!!! The new little Lindsay should be joining us sometime in late July. We are very excited about this, although there will be many changes around our house in the next few months to help accommodate the new baby.

It is late on Christmas Eve. I am ready for bed. I am sure to have two girls up early in the morning to see what is under the tree.

Holiday Trip, Day 4

We left Minneapolis this morning and took our time driving to Mankato - yes that city from Little House on The Prairie. We stopped to visit Deb, a friend of Lamar's from Church Camp. We cut the visit short so we could get back on the road. The forecast did not look pretty and we wanted to make it to Creston tonight.

The roads actually looked good. We had no problems driving until we hit Osceola, about 30 minutes from Lamar's home town. This is where the freezing rain hit and the roads were covered in a sheet of ice. We drove very slowly and made it into his parents driveway safely. It was such a relief to make it inside. Nora Beth was about at her breaking point of being good.

Looking back at our time in Minneapolis, it was not quite what I was looking forward to. I was hoping the city would be more decorated for the holiday. We barely found any decorations. Having been in Chicago at Christmas time before, I was blown away by the beautiful storefronts and decorations. I really wanted the girls to experience this. It looks like I will be advocating for a trip to Chicago or New York for Christmas in the next few years. That would be a fun trip.

Holiday Trip, Day 3

Today was a day that I just gave into touristy stuff. We went to the Mall of America. Now I have been there before, so I was not disillusioned to what this place really is. It is a mall - on a very grand scale. It has all the stores you can find just about anywhere else. The big difference is the fact that there is an amusement park in the center of the mall. Now from a child's perspective, this place is amazing!

We arrived, at the Rainforest Cafe - a huge hit with the girls, then walked around the first two levels to let the food sit a bit before we went on any rides. We let the girls ride on anything they wanted. Lamar and Shianne did the roller coasters, while I stayed with Nora Beth and did the kiddie rides. Both girls had a great time. It was great to see so many smiles and giggles from them.

We gave each girl an allotted amount of money to spend on anything they wanted. Nora Beth made a doll and found some pink clothes for her at the doll making store and Shianne found a funky watch she is really happy with. They each were really careful with their choices.

For dinner we went to Bubba Gumps Shrimp Co. Another touristy location, but we had a great time. Nora did not venture far from her standard of mac and cheese, but Shianne loved her plate shrimp.

We made it back to the hotel tired and with full bellies. We all went to bed early. We have to get up in the morning and make our way to Creston, with a stop to see a friend on the way. The roads look terrible today, so it will be slow driving.

Holiday Trip, Day 2

We had a wonderful morning of sleeping in, not something we usually get to do. The whole morning was very laid back as we got ready to walk to the Metrodome for the much anticipated Viking game. Today's game was against the Falcons.

The walk was short, only 4 blocks, but very cold. It was -33 with the wind chill factored in. Nora Beth did not like this temperature and insisted that Lamar carry her since her legs would not work in cold weather according to her.

While waiting for the gates to open (the longest 15 minutes ever!) the Viking Ragnar came out to greet the crowd. Nora Beth was scared of him, Lamar was just about at his feet showering him with kisses!

Since we arrived to the game so early to watch the warm up, Shianne and I went exploring the stadium. We came back with some face paint.

We had great seats, 6th row on the corner where the players come onto the field. We had a great view of the field and Lamar was able to talk to players as they came out on the field.

Unfortunately, the game did not favor the Vikings. The Falcons won 24-17. Not a pretty game for the Vikes.

When the game was over, we were able to get on the field. We had met a sports agent from Corvallis on our way in and he got us down on the field. The girls had a great time running around. We were able to meet Esera Tuaolo, a former Beaver and Viking player who was being interviewed on the field.

The walk back to the hotel was even colder than the walk there, we did not have the adrenaline of the game anticipation to keep us warm. The girls got into the pool to finish out the evening. Tomorrow we are going to the Mall of America.

Holiday Trip, Day 1

We spent the night last night in Portland so we did not have to deal with questionable roads early this morning. We arrived at PDX at 4:30 AM and found a packed house! We are not the only family trying to get out of town today. An hour and a half later, we are finally through the check in process (with two very tired girls) and we are rushing to get to our plane. We get on the plane and all seems to be well with our trip.

The plane is de-iced and the plane approaches the runway....then stops! The pilot comes on and announces that we have to wait on the runway for about 1 hour until we are cleared to take off because of weather in Minneapolis. The groans from the plane were in stereo.

We finally take off and have a smooth flight. Nora Beth is kept happy watching movies on my laptop and Shianne reads while I sleep. Lamar talked football with everyone around who would talk and played with his new MP3 player.

Upon approaching Minneapolis, we get the word that there is to much snow on the runways and we would have to circle for another hour until they are cleared. At this point we are all tired and hungry.

Luggage and rental car went smoothly. We make it out of the airport and realize that driving was not going to be any fun. Snow everywhere! No one driving in actual lanes - it was a free for all on the freeway.

We arrived at the hotel, unloaded and headed to the downtown area to find some food. We end up getting lost in the skyway system, but finally find a place to eat. There was going to be a parade downtown that we thought the girls would like. As soon as we stepped outside we realized that we did not have it in us to brave the cold. -13 is just too cold for me to be outside. Back to the hotel we went for dessert and a warm bath.

Tomorrow we are going to the Viking Game - a highlight for Lamar.

So the day did not go as planned, there were some delays, but as a whole, not a complete loss. We arrived safely and are warmly snuggled into bed tonight.

Snowed In!

The snow started falling on Sunday morning. The girls got up extra early and started asking to go outside and play. It was just a dusting to start out with. I fed them breakfast, bundled them up and sent them outside. The wanted to have a snowball fight and build a snowman.

There was not much to build a snowman with, in fact I think they have equal amounts of bark dust and snow for this creation. They had so much fun.

I think our house looks so pretty with snow around it. I snapped this before the first melt started to happen. Later, the neighborhood kids would claim our driveway as the best place to sled down.

I had one lone flower in the front yard. I think the snow will do it in sometime today. What a contrast, a vivid purple flower with winter snow.

The snow was pretty much gone by noon. Shianne had her winter piano recital today. We trekked out and made it. She did a wonderful job on her 3 songs. Nora Beth was on her best behavior, but did not like the music so she covered her ears. By the end of the recital, the weather was changing again and we could see the snow coming in. We made it home, but any longer and we would have had a problem getting up our driveway.

It is now Wednesday and I have not left the house with the girls. To much ice and no good reason to leave. More snow and ice is moving in today. I am just going to clean around the house, let the girls play in the craft room and I am sure some hot cocoa by the fire will be in order.

Jasmine, We will miss you

Lamar has had his cat Jasmine for about 15 years. She lived in the TKE house (this explains many of her issues) and has moved around with us over the years. She only likes Lamar. The vet often told us that she would not have any problems if she was able to be alone with Lamar and the rest of us moved out. We did our best to accommodate her over the years. She really did have a great life as the "alpha animal" of the house. She did not have to follow the rules that the other animals had to. Antidepressants also helped.

Jasmines health has been going down hill over the past 2 years, but a drastic decline in the past 3 months. We made an appointment for her to go to the vet before we left on our holiday vacation. On Sunday evening, I noticed a drastic turn in her health. Lamar and I had a discussion and we decided that the most humane thing for us to do was to take her to the emergency vet clinic in town and have her looked at. We both knew that she would not be coming home. We let the girls say goodbye and Lamar left with Jasmine.

Normally this would be an easy drive, but a snow/ice storm had moved in a few hours earlier and the roads were a mess. Lamar passed 4 accidents in the first two miles of the drive. I felt so bad for him driving on the bad roads taking his cat in to the vet. He made it without any incidents, but the vet did not have good news. He found a growth in her abdomen that was taking up half of the space. With Jasmine unable to stand, eat or be comfortable, Lamar officially made the decision to let her go.

It seems unreal for her to not be in the house now, she has been with us so long. We will miss you Jasmine.

TWD, Real Butterscotch Pudding

I was excited when I saw the recipe for next week, Real Butterscotch Pudding. It is hosted by Donna of Spatulas, Corkscrews and Suitcases (recipe will be posted on Dec. 23). This recipe is supposed to be for next week, but I am doing it out of order so I can make this. We will be gone for the next two challenges so I wanted to get this in this week. Butterscotch is one of Lamar's favorite flavors. He helped me out a lot today with the girls, so he really earned his treat. This pudding was very easy to make and fortunately I had all the ingredients on hand.

This pudding had a very different flavor than the stuff that comes from a box in the grocery store. You can really taste the scotch and it was not overwhelmingly sweet. After finishing his serving, Lamar proclaimed "I like Dorie!" He is even making plans for me to repeat this for a holiday function we are attending.

I served this in Martini glasses. The girls thought this was extra special to eat their dessert out of such an "adult glass." It is the little things that can make a simple pudding dessert extra-special. I really should do this more often.

Fun with Play Dough and Balloons

Nora Beth just loves to play with Play Dough. I just hate the stuff from the store because of its smell and mess. Lamar hates the mess. I decided to make some play dough for Nora Beth. It stays soft and does not make nearly the mess. It is so easy and cheap to make and the dough lasts for weeks. I would much rather have her sit at the counter and play for hours than sit in front of the TV.

My recipe is

3 cups flour

1.5 cups salt

6 tsp cream of tartar

3 tbls oil

3 cups water

Dissolve salt in water

Add all ingredients to a large pot

Stir constantly over medium heat until a ball forms and pulls away from sides

knead dough mixture until the texture matches the store bought stuff

while kneading add food coloring, glitter, vanilla or peppermint extract

Store in an airtight bag while not being used

Here Nora Beth is making pizza. She was so happy rolling out the dough and layering it for toppings.

Now, Nora Beth is not the only one who has fun with kid toys. We went to Lamar's Holiday Work Party. As a way to loosen up the group, games that involve some sort of embarrassment are played. Lamar always volunteers for this. The object of this game was to stuff as many balloons under the shirt as possible. This was hilarious to watch.

At the end, he removed some of the balloons and pranced around. He was so proud of his "full rack!"

Tuesdays With Dorie, Sugar Cookies

It is Tuesdays With Dorie day! This weeks challenge of Grandma's All Occasion Sugar Cookies is hosted by Ulrike of Küchenlatein. These cookies are a variation of the standard sugar cookie recipe that we all seem to use this time of year for roll out cookies. The batter came together easily, but was softer than the recipe I usually use. I was feeling quite lazy, so I opted to just roll the dough into a log and chill it for about 4 hours. Nora Beth and I then cut slices off the log, put on the cookie sheet and sprinkled with colored sugar. They ended up looking more like birthday cookies than anything that comes from my kitchen this time of year. They were delicate and buttery with a hint of vanilla. The family approved, since the plate was clean by the next morning.

Bread - in 5 Minutes!

I have posted several times about bread recently. I am really enjoying baking bread on a regular basis now. I can survive without R2D2! I got a new cookbook a while back called Artisan Bread in 5 Minutes A Day. The title made it sound to good to be true. A fresh loaf of bread in 5 minutes with no kneading? Well it is true. The whole idea is that you make a large batch of dough and keep in refrigerated and you pull out the necessary amount when you are ready to bake. This is so easy and the results are just delicious.

This is a loaf of light whole wheat bread that we enjoyed for dinner tonight. This is the third loaf from my current batch in the fridge. Each loaf is tasting a little more "sour" exactly the way the recipe said it would.

I am thinking that after we return from our holiday trip, I may actually bake bread on a daily (or almost daily) basis. I am borrowing a Grain Grinder from a friend (Thanks Linda!) and I have been grinding my own flour to use with each recipe. This has such a different flavor from the flour purchased in the store.

This new found enjoyment of baking bread does not call for any special equipment, but I am really eyeing a bread stone and pizza peel to make the process easier (and more authentic).

A Three Martini Day

A while back, my friend Eryca posted about having a two martini day. We have all had them. The days where it seems that everything is falling down around you, and it is only 9 AM. That is my day today.

Nora Beth had an accident in her bed, so I get her in the tub and strip her bed. I am rushing around the house because I have two important meetings today. I get Nora out of the tub and breakfast in front of her then jump in the shower myself....then I hear Shianne scream "Nora's Puking!" I rush out of the shower, almost slip on the tile then clean up the second mess of the morning. This is where I declare it a one Martini day.

I realize that my plans for childcare this morning are about to change. I can't take her to Melina's sick. Lamar is unable to help out since he is already at work. I call Lora to bail me out. This makes Nora happy since her Ya-Yo (what she calls Lora) is coming over. Then the heating contractor calls and says they are on their way over - a day early. This has to be a one in a million chance - to have a contractor actually be a day EARLY!

Lora is on her way over, the contractors show up and I am dressed for my first appointment. Then my appointment calls and cancels - she has the same stomach bug that has Nora Beth on the couch with a bowl in front of her. This is where I declare it a two Martini day.

Lora shows up and we are chatting and looking at pictures, Nora is happily entertained with TV and her before mentioned bowl is getting some attention from the cat (argh - another mess!). I am just getting ready to leave for my second important appointment of the day, when the phone rings. That appointment cancels. It is officially a THREE martini day now and it is not even noon yet.

So why do I have a picture of Boba in this post? He looks like he could use a martini after Nora Beth had her way with him last night. She thought Boba would make a cute princess.

Tuesdays With Dorie, Take 2

I had an epiphany on Sunday. This Tuesday's With Dorie was causing some stress for me, mainly because I could not guarantee that I could bake on every Tuesday. Then it hit me. I do not have to bake on Tuesday, I just have to blog about it on Tuesday. Light bulb moment! I baked on Monday for Monday Night Football.

This weeks challenge of Linzer Sables (p.134) was delicious. The recipe can be found here. I chose to use Filberts (aka hazelnuts for anyone outside of the Pacific Northwest) since they are my favorite nut of all time. The recipe had an option of making the cookies into sandwich cookies, which I of course did. I did not have the raspberry or apricot jam that the recipe suggested, so I used some of my homemade carrot cake jam, thinking it would pair well with the nuts. HOME RUN......These were delicious! I am not sure if my substitution is within the "rules," but, for those of you who know me well, when do I listen to rules? It is a well known fact that I am completely unable to follow a recipe.

The dough was easy to make and cleanup was a breeze. My only complaint was that the dough got soft quickly and was difficult to handle. Fortunately, it made a small batch of cookies so I was able to work through the dough quickly. These will definitely make another appearance in my kitchen again.

Now looking at my photography. I am realizing that if I am going to get serious about this food blogging (and eventually make my own cookbook) I need to improve my photography of food. I have been doing research on this one. I have envisioned some props and better lighting and even a new camera (hint hint Santa). I know I have stuff in my craft room that will work, I just have to find the back half of my craft room, ugh!

The pain of War!

This past Saturday marked the Civil War between Oregon State University and University of Oregon. Being the huge football fans that we are (ahem...Lamar is), we of course could not miss the game. We got a smokin deal on a package of tickets a few months ago and were able to see all the November OSU games. We gave up our season tickets last year in protest to the "Mandatory Donation" that comes with them.

The weather could not have been any better for the game. We arrived in Corvallis early so we could spend the day tailgaiting with friends. Lots of yummy food, drinks, games, tossing of the football and friendly rivalry with those wearing the yellow and green.



The game had huge Rose Bowl implications for OSU. We NEEDED them to win.

Some kids were selling items that they made as a fundraiser. Lora thought she needed to have an apron. Just what are you going to do with that apron since you do not cook, Lora?

It was finally time for game time. We walked the two blocks to the stadium. We did not know that we were marching to our deaths as OSU fans. The game was a BLOWOUT! OSU went down hard. We still had a great time. Next year....I feel a comeback!