Homes For Our Troops

I went to a funeral today for a long time family friend. The funeral is not what this post is about. In lieu of flowers, the family suggested memorial contributions to a very worthwhile organization. I had not heard of it before, but I think it is well worth looking into. Homes For Our Troops is an organization that builds specially adapted houses for soldiers who are severely injured while in service to our country at no cost to the veteran.

Scot is a childhood friend who was injured when the Chinook helicopter he was riding in was shot down in Afghanistan. He was fortunate to be selected into this program and groundbreaking for his home begins in April. This is a wonderful blessing for his family.

Now, I am not pressuring anyone into giving money to organizations that I support, but I just want to raise awareness for this great organization. I would like to see them get some well deserved attention.

In memory of Vera and in support of her grandson Scot, thank you for reading this.

Nora Beth Musings

It is no secret that Nora Beth provides constant entertainment around our house. We never know what princess she will appear as or what the daily song and dance will be. She has a mind of her own and is fiercely independent.

The things that she says always keep us entertained. Lately she has had some particularly memorable verbal utterances.

While spending the day together and doing lots of giggling she told me "Mommy, my heart is so happy today." That just makes my heart melt.

After eating and eclectic lunch of finger foods she announced "It's a party in my tummy!"

I took Nora Beth to Ballet Class last night and we were running a few minutes late. Class was just starting when Nora Beth skipped into class and announced "I am here so class can start now!" When it came time to perform the dance on the stage Nora Beth insisted on being Front and Center "So everyone can watch me!" This got a good laugh from all the other parents. Good thing she is not shy.

In the above picture Nora Beth dressed herself in her favorite pink princess dress so she could watch Cinderella for what I am sure is the 1000th time. She dances and sings to every song in the movie.

TWD: Coconut Butter Thins

As promised, this weeks Tuesday's With Dorie features one of my favorite ingredients, coconut! This weeks choice of Coconut Butter Thins are brought to us by Julia of The Barefoot Kitchen Witch. One of the best things about Julia is that she also has a 4 year old kitchen helper!

These cookies came together very easily. I questioned the lime and coriander, but had faith in Dorie. The coconut that I had on hand was unsweetened, so I increased the sugar to 1 cup. I also did not use any nuts, due to a nut allergy at my husbands work. To compensate I also increased the coconut to 1 cup.

The recipe called for putting the batter into a zippered plastic bag and refrigerating. Due to my earthiness, I opted to not use the plastic bag and just piped the cookies onto the cookie sheet. This was very simple. Since I did not chill the dough, it spread a little more than if I would have followed the directions. I can live with this.

The cookies came out of the oven and quickly started to disappear. My girls really liked these. Not to sweet and the lime was a great accent to the coconut. I was afraid they would taste of some sort of tropical drink, but they did not. The flavors were in perfect balance and I also liked the buttery crunch.

The real test to these cookies was when Lamar came home. Of course, he grumbled that I made cookies instead of doing some other important house project, but he quickly recanted. He went back for more than seconds and claimed all the rest for work. The word from work was that the cookies were divine!

A little goaty

On Tuesday I took Nora Beth to a farm out in Scio to see some baby goats. The sun was out, but the weather was still very chilly. Nora Beth had a great time feeding the adult goats and chasing the little ones.

While the goats were a great attraction, the pile of gravel proved to be the real winner. Nora Beth had a great time climbing it and pretending she was on the top of a great mountain.

Later in the evening, Nicole came by with baby Courtney. She is in town for Spring Break. We were so excited to see her and how much Courtney has grown. She is just starting to take her first steps. We hope to spend more time with them later this week.

The Chewie

I skipped the TWD baking challenge this week in lieu of making these Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies simply called The Chewy by Alton Brown. Shianne had a friend over today and we decided to bake. It was a wise decision. These cookies were as close to perfect as I could say. They had a rich caramel undertone that balances with the chocolate chips and just the right amount of salt. The cookies were truly chewy which is a definite feat coming out of my oven since I only bake on stoneware which tends to make crispier cookies. These will definitely be made again in the near future.

TWD: Blueberry Crumb Cake

This weeks Tuesday's With Dorie is brought to us by Sihan of Befuddelment. This weeks choice is Blueberry Crumb Cake. As delicious as this cake may be, I decided to pass on making it. I am just not a fan of blueberries once you cook them. I will be back next week when one of my favorite ingredients will be used....check back next Tuesday.

Escape Anyone?

Have you ever just wanted to escape? Pack up and just leave with no explanation? No plan? Now, I am not saying that I want to run away from my family. Of course, I would want them to come. I am talking about escaping from everything else. Just start over. Wouldn't that be fun!

I would run away and start a Bed and Breakfast somewhere, probably by the ocean. I would only rent my rooms to world travelers and other B & B owners. That way I could learn about all the places I want to visit and have a place to stay when I get there! What a simple idea. Of course, money would be of no object and I would not actually have to work to keep the B & B running perfectly.

Ahh....to run away.

What would you do?

Spring Fun

We were expecting rain today, but were surprised by some sun breaks between the clouds that never gave us any rain. I just got Nora Beth some new sidewalk chalk, since Lamar seems to throw it out whenever he sees it lying around in the garage.

Shianne drew this butterfly on the driveway. Lamar came home and accused me of drawing it. I guess that this looks like my artwork - I will take that as a compliment. I reminded him that Shianne is able to make a perfect forgery of my signature now (something that she has learned to use to her advantage already!), so it is now wonder that her drawing can look like mine at times.

The girls had a great time decorating all parts of the driveway and stairs. It does not bother me like it bothers Lamar. I was just thrilled that they were occupying themselves outside!




After the art project was finished, the girls decided to throw themselves a tea party. Shianne made the food and I made some tea. They had such a good time. Nora Beth even got dressed in a fancy dress and matching hat!

I had a class to teach this afternoon, so Lamar took the girls to a movie. A great way to have some Daddy time while making the house quiet for my class.

The girls were also able to feel the baby move for the first time today. Lamar has not even felt that one yet - he is never around when it is kicking away. Nora Beth was amazed by this new movement happening in my stomach.

I would have to say that the girls had a pretty good day today!

The Busy Week

I had mentioned earlier that we had a busy week. It was full of events that are not normally on our schedule. Shianne had a music performance at school. She was having a great time with her classmates as it began.
We were actually blessed with a few moments of sunshine during the week. Needing some time outside myself, Nora Beth and I headed to the front yard. She was having so much time picking the crocuses.
Lamar and I were able to go out on Wednesday night with some friends. We went to a local bar for some Live Band Karaoke. I am emphatic about not being a singer, but it is fun watching others get up on stage. We had a great time. Lamar even had his time with the mic!

Super Hero Powers, I need you!

We have all had weeks were there is so much to do that we wonder how to clone ourselves just to get the basics done. That is the week I am having. We have so many special events on the calendar and when paired with the normal craziness, I am running around with no break. This is where I need my Super Hero cape so I can fly around and get it all done. Today alone, we have softball practice, ballet class, special piano class and the school play. At this point, everyone will be lucky if they get cold cereal for dinner. Maybe some super hero powers will "poof" some dinner on the table!

It is days like today that I long for lazy Sunday mornings. The ones where the only pressing tasks are eating a late breakfast, reading the paper and cuddling with the girls. This is the Sunday morning we just had. Here is Shianne cuddling with her cat Jibby.

TWD: French Yogurt Cake

This weeks Tuesdays With Dorie challenge is brought to us by Liliana of My Cookbook Addictions. A French Yogurt Cake with Marmalade Glaze.

To tell you the truth, I really was not excited to bake on Monday. I had a lot on my plate already and I was getting ready to have friends over for dinner. I decided to jump in and bake this and just serve it as dessert to my friends.

The cake was very simple and came together easily. My resistance was breaking down. After cooling the cake I frosted it with some leftover Meyer Lemon Cream Cheese frosting that I had from the weekend. The two were a perfect match.

After a wonderful dinner with friends, we enjoyed this cake. It was perfectly paired with our wine and was a great ending to our evening.

It's a.....

We went to our ultrasound on Friday and were able to finally see the baby. Nora Beth was fascinated by the baby. The tech even gave Nora Beth her own copy of a picture so she can keep it in her room. The baby definitely resembles Lamar - bald and a belly!!!LOL! Baby let us see all the important parts and we are happy to announce that we are having a ..... healthy baby!

A moment of serenity

I know that the photography is not the best here, but just take a moment to enjoy the beauty of the moon. This is what we saw from our front porch this evening. The moon was just above the rooftop below us on the hill (that is their antenna in the view). It was so beautiful to look at.

Still Here

I know it has been a week since I have posted. Not much has really happened around here. I have been working around the house, mainly in my office and in Nora Beth's room. Pictures to come of both soon.

On Saturday night, Lamar and I went to the Second Annual Winemakers Dinner for Namaste Vineyard. Just like last year, the food was delicious. We enjoyed great conversation with the couples around us. This year I was unable to indulge in the vino due to the little one in my belly, but Lamar made sure none went to waste.

On another note, I do have a funny story from the past week about Nora Beth. I was helping out a friend and took her mother to a doctors appointment. Upon returning back to her apartment in a retirement community, she fell and I was unable to get her back up. I called for some emergency help and told Nora Beth to wait by the front door for help to arrive. When she saw help approach she announced "Hurry, my mommy is having a baby!" This is not quite what they were expecting to hear, especially in a retirement community. We all got a good laugh once they realized that I was not in labor and that it was a situation they could handle easily. Fortunately, my friends mother was fine. We left with a funny story to tell.

TWD: Lemon Cup Custard

I made this dessert at the last minute to be able to blog about it today. The past week just got away from me and the next thing I knew, it was Tuesday. I was actually looking forward to this weeks challenge since the ingredients were so simple, and most importantly, it did not require a house mortgaging quantity of chocolate.

This week is hosted by Bridget of The Way The Cookie Crumbles. The ingredients could not have been any simpler, just milk, eggs and lemon zest. It called for baking the custards in individual custard cups. I don't own these, so I made them in one large bowl and just dished it up for individual servings. The presentation would have been better in the individual ramekins, but, I made due.

Shianne really liked this dessert. I thought it was good, but not quite the creamy lemon dessert that I was looking for. Of course, Nora Beth would not touch it because of it's lack of chocolate. The lemon flavor was really mild, and in my opinion, needed the extra addition of some lemon extract.

Bridget, thanks for hosting this week!

Food budget, The End

I know that I have been absent for about a week. This past week has really been a blur. Not much of anything has happened, except I have felt terrible from the flu bug that kept a hold of me. Not much cooking happening. My family has been fed some scrounge meals - you know the ones that take as little effort as possible and the parts of the meals do not match.

I added up what we spent for the month on food and we came to a grand total of $281.19. This breaks down to an average of $70.30 per week. That is almost $40 UNDER BUDGET for the month. Yeah - we did it!

I was asked the question of weather I think it is better to do one big grocery stock up each month or to make multiple trips throughout the month. This answer varies for different people. For us, I have found that it is best to stock up on the dry staples once every other month and then fill in with lots of fresh produce and dairy on a weekly basis. Having a weekly meal plan really cuts down on the waste. It is also handy to have the makings for a few basic meals always on hand for those days that just get out of hand - we all have them.

For the next month I am really going to work on cleaning out the freezer. I need to get it defrosted. We are planning on investing in a large quantity of buffalo meat and pork. BBQ season is just around the corner and we will have a new baby before we know it. I am still going to try to keep to this food budget to help lessen the blow of purchasing the meat.