So we've all been a little crazy with the restrictions imposed on us by this pandemic. I will let you in on a secret: it hasn't bothered me that much! Since I'm a homebody and an introvert, it's been just a small inconvenience. The only thing to really bother me is not having full access to the craft store. The selection of yarn posted online is just not consistent and colors I bought FROM the store say they aren't sold in stores...makes absolutely no sense. I have finished two afghans and am working on a third and made my daughter's friend a bunny outfit for her impending arrival. Just gotta get buttons, which brings me back full circle to needing the craft store. Don't get me wrong, I can go. I just have to wait in line outside the store until I can go in. It's hot and I turn into a big baby in the heat as my internal temperature, according to my dear husband, is 900 degrees. Not ideal, but I'll face that discomfort soon. Good news is my client wants to go to a craft store pretty badly, so I'll at least have company.
The dogs have really gotten the most out of this nonsense as they've gotten to go out with me more than usual since there's not much else to do. We enjoy taking a picnic lunch to a local field or enclosed playground where they can play with a "special" ball. This ball is 10" around and hard plastic (Indestructible Ball). It's a toy a dog pushes around with its feet or snout. Copper absolutely loves it. He is half dead from exhaustion when I take it away from him and he still wants to play. At home he just pushes it straight into the woods and it's way too loud and hard to play with inside the house. Until a couple of trips ago, Steel ignored that ball and would very happily fetch a tennis ball but now he has figured out that the ball is fun and it's more fun for them to play with it together anyway. I took them to Hunting Creek and let them run pretty freely. Steel is hilarious. We'd walked down a trail to the end and turned around to go back, so the boys wandered off the path a bit. Steel was getting a little too far away from me so I called for him to come and he took off like a shot. In the wrong direction. Just picture me yelling and clapping for the dog over the noise of the creek and he is still running as fast as he can to the end of the trail where we just left. Eventually I walked back down there to get him as he's a little stupid and I couldn't assume he'd figure out how to find me. Insert eye roll. Later that same trip Steel very happily started chewing on a rock I was examining for a potential painting, because he thought I was holding it out for him to play with. So sweet; so dumb.
Other changes have been made. My client has not been going to day support and for eight weeks spent MWF with her mom but that crashed and burned, so now she's with me 24\7. I'm feeling a little burn out as I've had 7 hours of reprieve since May 19th, but she's pretty understanding when I need some "me time". We've experienced some very high and pretty consistent negativity from her mom, so we made some new plans today that should help, and it includes less communication and focusing on being proud of our accomplishments and encouraging each other. We've started walking each day, and most recently have been going after dark once it cools down and we even lengthened our route. The dogs go with us and so sometimes even when we don't want to go, we know the dogs need it since they've gotten used to a higher level of activity. We sleep better and feel better too.
I sold my car, or rather, Greg did. He traded it in and got a new work truck, so now I've been driving the Jeep. I love the wind in my hair and so does my client, so it's been really fun. Sometimes hot. The dogs can't go in the Jeep because I can't get them up in it and it's Greg's baby so he won't tolerate the dog hair. BUT, since Nadia just bought her very own brand new car, I can drive her old one and the dogs can ride!
Greg's business just keeps growing and shows no signs of slowing down, so that has been wonderful. I do hate the plague of the business owner--never really having time off. There's always something to do, so he never feels like he can just drop everything. I told him my job is like that too, but I just don't have so many things to juggle like invoices and schedules.
Now that the state has opened back up a bit, I think things will start to feel a bit more normal. My client will start going back to day support for a couple of days a week and we sat down, completely at her request, to write out schedules for day support days and regular days. We have a pretty normal after-dinner schedule where she reads to me (We've started the Little House series which I LOVE) and has time on the computer or phone, then we walk and have our hygiene time. Since we scheduled a block of learning time, she also found some worksheets online to print off for math and is currently working on those. I told her I'd like to take her to the local teacher resource store and find workbooks. We are on fire!
I've been struggling a little with my anxiety and depression, mostly where work is concerned, and mostly because of the negative feedback I get from a controlling guardian. I'm working on a better balance there as she doesn't deal well with the control or negativity either. I actually looked up stress relievers and that's what brought me to my blog today as one of the suggestions was to write. I forgot how therapeutic writing can be and it doesn't even matter if anyone reads it. I hope to continue.
Wednesday, June 10, 2020
Saturday, January 19, 2013
Going Bananas!
I'd like to share this recipe given to me by my awesome friend Peg.
A couple tips:
I buy shortening in stick form because it's so much easier to deal with.
I bake very moist breads in mini loaf pans (4 for this recipe) so the middle gets done before the outside burns.
If I make this bread without the mixer, I cut the shortening in with the dry ingredients before adding wet.
Banana Bread (the moistest I've ever had)
2 cups flour
1 1/4 cups sugar (I use less)
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
3/4 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup buttermilk** (or whey)
1 cup mashed ripe bananas
1/2 cup shortening
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
Pinch of nutmeg
I like adding 1/4 cup flax seeds, 1/3 cup of nuts or chocolate chips, and sometimes a 1/4 cup of peanut butter.
**You can always freeze buttermilk in cubes to thaw later, or buy powdered buttermilk. You can also make buttermilk in a pinch with milk and vinegar or lemon juice.
In mixer bowl, combine all dry ingredients.
Add wet ingredients and beat on low till combined.
Beat on medium speed for 3 minutes. Pour batter in pans, no more than 3/4 full.
Bake @ 350° for 30-35 minutes or until knife comes out clean from being inserted in the muddle of the loaf. Cool 10 minutes then remove from pans.
Try not to eat it all at once:)
Also, this weekend, I made this healthy snack:
Flatten a piece of bread and spread with peanut butter. Drizzle with honey. Wrap bread around a banana half. I also added a bit of cream cheese to the peanut butter, but the PB wouldn't stick as well, so if I did that again I'd spread PB on one side and cream cheese on the other. I made six of these Saturday, and they were gone in the blink of an eye! I think you could stretch it even further if you cut the banana in half lengthwise as well.
Do you have a healthy snack idea to share?
A couple tips:
I buy shortening in stick form because it's so much easier to deal with.
I bake very moist breads in mini loaf pans (4 for this recipe) so the middle gets done before the outside burns.
If I make this bread without the mixer, I cut the shortening in with the dry ingredients before adding wet.
Banana Bread (the moistest I've ever had)
2 cups flour
1 1/4 cups sugar (I use less)
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
3/4 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup buttermilk** (or whey)
1 cup mashed ripe bananas
1/2 cup shortening
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
Pinch of nutmeg
I like adding 1/4 cup flax seeds, 1/3 cup of nuts or chocolate chips, and sometimes a 1/4 cup of peanut butter.
**You can always freeze buttermilk in cubes to thaw later, or buy powdered buttermilk. You can also make buttermilk in a pinch with milk and vinegar or lemon juice.
In mixer bowl, combine all dry ingredients.
Add wet ingredients and beat on low till combined.
Beat on medium speed for 3 minutes. Pour batter in pans, no more than 3/4 full.
Bake @ 350° for 30-35 minutes or until knife comes out clean from being inserted in the muddle of the loaf. Cool 10 minutes then remove from pans.
Try not to eat it all at once:)
Also, this weekend, I made this healthy snack:
Flatten a piece of bread and spread with peanut butter. Drizzle with honey. Wrap bread around a banana half. I also added a bit of cream cheese to the peanut butter, but the PB wouldn't stick as well, so if I did that again I'd spread PB on one side and cream cheese on the other. I made six of these Saturday, and they were gone in the blink of an eye! I think you could stretch it even further if you cut the banana in half lengthwise as well.
Do you have a healthy snack idea to share?
Friday, December 28, 2012
Tidbit time:)
I'm in a tidbit mood:) So here are a couple of randoms:
My aunt and mother have done this for years, and I love it. It saves a little money, and the color-coordination can be great!
Every year after Christmas, I take all the cards we get from our loved ones and rip 'em up:) No, really! I rip the fronts off and use them as gift tags for the next Christmas. These are perhaps not the best displays, but you get the point! Oh, and just as a bonus, I reused that tissue paper. It was less than lovely looking, so I folded it over bunches of times, then cut down halfway through the paper, making strips. Then rough them up a little, and you've got a little something different:)
This is my "current year" filing station (I hide it behind the TV in the living room bc it's easy to access and nobody can see it back there--it's unused space anyway). That binder has sheet protectors in it that divide my receipts, and a binder clip for my checkbook registers. My general categories are gas, clothing, food, medical, large purchases (and warranties), tools/home improvements, Christmas, and Misc. It changes a little each year. The manila files are for paid bills, pay stubs, and Medical/Dental.
The green pocket folder is for my bills. It has two pocket-thingies in it. The front folder there (green) is paid bills...I keep them there until it gets full enough to move them. That front orange pocket is where I keep the mortgage booklet and any bills that don't need to be paid right away. On the reverse side of that is where I keep other important papers that aren't bills, like our KOA membership card. I also have a pocket for anything that I'll need for end-of-year taxes, and a pocket for yearly membership-type stuff. The last pocket is reserved for keeping papers I have no idea what else to do with:) I keep the folder open-side up so I can just throw things in when they come in the mail, then deal with them when I pay bills.
My actual bill schedule is set up in a spreadsheet. This has earned me the "nerd" title. But I don't pay anything late and I always know how much is due, when, and anything else I care to know...so HA! I can't seem to upload the spreadsheet, so I'll have to figure that one out later.
And thank you Jill Botham, for letting me borrow your computer thus allowing me to post pics!!
My aunt and mother have done this for years, and I love it. It saves a little money, and the color-coordination can be great!
This is my "current year" filing station (I hide it behind the TV in the living room bc it's easy to access and nobody can see it back there--it's unused space anyway). That binder has sheet protectors in it that divide my receipts, and a binder clip for my checkbook registers. My general categories are gas, clothing, food, medical, large purchases (and warranties), tools/home improvements, Christmas, and Misc. It changes a little each year. The manila files are for paid bills, pay stubs, and Medical/Dental.
The green pocket folder is for my bills. It has two pocket-thingies in it. The front folder there (green) is paid bills...I keep them there until it gets full enough to move them. That front orange pocket is where I keep the mortgage booklet and any bills that don't need to be paid right away. On the reverse side of that is where I keep other important papers that aren't bills, like our KOA membership card. I also have a pocket for anything that I'll need for end-of-year taxes, and a pocket for yearly membership-type stuff. The last pocket is reserved for keeping papers I have no idea what else to do with:) I keep the folder open-side up so I can just throw things in when they come in the mail, then deal with them when I pay bills.
My actual bill schedule is set up in a spreadsheet. This has earned me the "nerd" title. But I don't pay anything late and I always know how much is due, when, and anything else I care to know...so HA! I can't seem to upload the spreadsheet, so I'll have to figure that one out later.
And thank you Jill Botham, for letting me borrow your computer thus allowing me to post pics!!
Wednesday, December 19, 2012
YOGURT!
As requested, crockpot yogurt:
I have done this quite a few times now and love, love, love it!!
I have stopped buying yogurt because this is so easy and economical. Case in point: A gallon of milk costs about $3.50; I use half a cup of the previous batch of homemade yogurt as the culture, so other than a little sugar and vanilla, there's very little cost besides. I use the whey that is drained out in place of buttermilk. That saves me money by not having to buy buttermilk at $1.75 a quart. So, my 8 or more cups of yogurt costs about $4 to make; minus $1.75 the whey saves me it's $3.25. I used to pay about $10 for that much Gogurt or Activia.
We like to add our own fruit or cinnamon-it's delicious plain too, and the kids use it to make smoothies. I like to make healthy popsicles and yocheese (similar to cream cheese but more tart) by continuing to stain until it's the right consistency.
INGREDIENTS & SUPPLIES
8 cups of milk
1/2 cup yogurt with live cultures
Crockpot
Bath towel
Cheesecloth
Strainer
DIRECTIONS
http://www.thatmamagretchen.com/2012/05/crockpot-yogurt.html
The only thing I do different is that I use a blanket instead of a towel...oh, and I use a coffee filter in the bottom of my strainer instead of cheesecloth. I find that I have to strain it for a few hours to get the consistency I like, and I do it in the fridge. I'll have to try it on the counter next time before refrigerating to see if that half hour straining really works:)
I have stopped buying yogurt because this is so easy and economical. Case in point: A gallon of milk costs about $3.50; I use half a cup of the previous batch of homemade yogurt as the culture, so other than a little sugar and vanilla, there's very little cost besides. I use the whey that is drained out in place of buttermilk. That saves me money by not having to buy buttermilk at $1.75 a quart. So, my 8 or more cups of yogurt costs about $4 to make; minus $1.75 the whey saves me it's $3.25. I used to pay about $10 for that much Gogurt or Activia.
We like to add our own fruit or cinnamon-it's delicious plain too, and the kids use it to make smoothies. I like to make healthy popsicles and yocheese (similar to cream cheese but more tart) by continuing to stain until it's the right consistency.
INGREDIENTS & SUPPLIES
8 cups of milk
1/2 cup yogurt with live cultures
Crockpot
Bath towel
Cheesecloth
Strainer
DIRECTIONS
- Pour 8 cups of milk (or 16 cups which is 1 gallon if you're doubling the recipe) into a large crockpot. Set to LOW for 2 1/2 hours.
- Turn crockpot off and let sit with lid on for 3 hours.
- Add 1/2 cup yogurt (or 1 cup for a double recipe), place lid back on, and wrap a bath towel around the crockpot. You're goal is to make a dark, insulated environment for the live cultures to exponentially grow.
- Let crockpot sit covered (with lid and towel), not heating for 8-12 hours. I usually try to start the yogurt process by 3pm in the afternoon so this 8-12 hour step happens overnight.
- In the morning, your milk will look like the top photo above - YOGURT!
- Line a strainer with a cheesecloth and strain yogurt to desired consistency. Without straining your yogurt will be a drinkable consistency - perfect for smoothies. But, if you're wanting to spoon eat it or make it more like "normal" you'll want to strain it for 15-30 minutes.
http://www.thatmamagretchen.com/2012/05/crockpot-yogurt.html
The only thing I do different is that I use a blanket instead of a towel...oh, and I use a coffee filter in the bottom of my strainer instead of cheesecloth. I find that I have to strain it for a few hours to get the consistency I like, and I do it in the fridge. I'll have to try it on the counter next time before refrigerating to see if that half hour straining really works:)
Monday, November 19, 2012
One Little Rant
First of all, I'd like to mention that no matter who I voted for and whether that candidate wins or loses, I believe a large part of patriotism is being supportive of the President. I do not have to agree with everything accomplished or being worked on for the future, but I do not appreciate seeing others openly bash the man elected for the office. Not only that, but I think the general public has forgotten that the President does not do anything to change the country by himself...there are lots of people that make up Congress and the Senate that help make decisions and changes.
That said, I do see a growing trend toward enabling people to be supported by their government. Don't make me out to be heartless, just realistic. I find it ridiculous that the government doesn't seem to see that they are simply fanning a flame instead of helping people learn to be better citizens. I give to charities and am extremely careful to not be wasteful, but I am certainly not rewarded for being a good citizen. Morals only seem to be a mere obstacle for lots of folks these days.
And perhaps our government should remember this little tidbit of wisdom: give a man a fish and he'll eat for a day; teach a man to fish and he'll eat his whole life.
Why not just focus on forward thinking and figuring out how to turn this country into the wonderful place our forefathers had in mind?
Will you forgive me for ranting?
That said, I do see a growing trend toward enabling people to be supported by their government. Don't make me out to be heartless, just realistic. I find it ridiculous that the government doesn't seem to see that they are simply fanning a flame instead of helping people learn to be better citizens. I give to charities and am extremely careful to not be wasteful, but I am certainly not rewarded for being a good citizen. Morals only seem to be a mere obstacle for lots of folks these days.
And perhaps our government should remember this little tidbit of wisdom: give a man a fish and he'll eat for a day; teach a man to fish and he'll eat his whole life.
Why not just focus on forward thinking and figuring out how to turn this country into the wonderful place our forefathers had in mind?
Will you forgive me for ranting?
Wednesday, October 31, 2012
The Snacks make me Snap
I just got finished making my monthly dinners list and now I'm working on all the extras...like homemade pizza bagels and granola bars. I have been struggling for some time to find snacky foods that are easy to make and liked by the whole brood. I know I spend entirely too much money on snacks. Goldfish, gummy snacks, chips...it all adds up SO quickly! I tried homemade "goldfish" crackers, which I loved, but didn't go over well and didn't stay fresh long.
The kids are crazy about their smoothies and I feel great about those, but you can't easily pack a smoothie for lunch. I'll continue to work on that.
This month, I will focus on putting more freezer-to-oven meals together ahead of time, and also some mixes for cornbread and cookies, etc. That should help a lot. I've tried before to make those items and freeze so I just have to thaw, but I really can't deal with the less-than-fresh taste. Maybe I'm packing them wrong.
I recently started making our yogurt in the crockpot (amazingly simple) and as a bonus, when I drain the whey, I use it as a buttermilk substitute in a new-found biscuit recipe:
http://www.thecountrycook.net/2012/02/butter-dip-biscuits.html
I am going to have to find a much larger pan and double the recipe because we could not stop eating them!! Personally, I just stick the pan in the oven to melt the butter while I mix up the rest and then the crust is a little crispier because the pan is already hot. We eat this kind of thing as snacks as well (along with my Sourdough bread that is to die for) and they do great for an after-school snack or breakfast. But I obviously want to snack on something other than bread.
Got any snack food ideas for me?
The kids are crazy about their smoothies and I feel great about those, but you can't easily pack a smoothie for lunch. I'll continue to work on that.
This month, I will focus on putting more freezer-to-oven meals together ahead of time, and also some mixes for cornbread and cookies, etc. That should help a lot. I've tried before to make those items and freeze so I just have to thaw, but I really can't deal with the less-than-fresh taste. Maybe I'm packing them wrong.
I recently started making our yogurt in the crockpot (amazingly simple) and as a bonus, when I drain the whey, I use it as a buttermilk substitute in a new-found biscuit recipe:
http://www.thecountrycook.net/2012/02/butter-dip-biscuits.html
Butter Dip Biscuits
Now, you can certainly cut this recipe in half if you'd like a smaller and thinner biscuit.
But big and fluffy is how I roll.
Ingredients:
1 stick (1/2 cup) unsalted butter (see notes below)
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
4 tsp. granulated sugar
4 tsp. baking powder
2 tsp. kosher salt
1 3/4 cup buttermilk
Directions:
Preheat oven to 450F degrees.
Spray an 8-inch square baking dish with nonstick cooking spray.
In a microwave-safe bowl (or you can use the baking dish that you'll be baking these in), melt stick of butter in the microwave.
In a medium bowl, mix together the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt.
Pour in the buttermilk.
Stir until a loose dough forms.
Batter will be a bit sticky.
Press biscuit dough into baking dish (right on top of the melted butter).
It is easiest to spread it out with your hands.
You won't get it perfectly even, but hey, that's okay, these are homemade, remember?
Some of the butter will run over the top of the dough, that's perfectly okay.
Some of the butter will run over the top of the dough, that's perfectly okay.
My baby gives these a thumbs up.
He's a biscuit lover too.
Take a sharp knife and cut the biscuit dough into 9 squares before baking.
Bake for about 20-25 minutes, rotating dish once during baking.
If you notice that some of the butter that is coming up to the top is getting brown,
just take a paper towel and dab around the edges a bit.
Oven times do vary since different ovens have different hot spots, but basically biscuits should be golden brown on top
and spring back to the touch.
I am going to have to find a much larger pan and double the recipe because we could not stop eating them!! Personally, I just stick the pan in the oven to melt the butter while I mix up the rest and then the crust is a little crispier because the pan is already hot. We eat this kind of thing as snacks as well (along with my Sourdough bread that is to die for) and they do great for an after-school snack or breakfast. But I obviously want to snack on something other than bread.
Got any snack food ideas for me?
Wednesday, October 24, 2012
Taste of Awesome
We've all had those mishaps that render a favorite piece of clothing unwearable...like a hole in my favorite cashmere sweater. I thought I was going to have to throw it away. I put it aside because I just couldn't bring myself to throw it away without a proper mourning period.
It was during this sad time that I was eyeing a yardsale find-a backpack-that I had "girlyfied" with SPARKLES, and I realized that my sweater may have a chance after all!! So I dashed to my sewing box, broke out the sequins, and dolled that sweater up. As soon as I figure this stupid picture-to-computer issue out, you will get a glimpse of my eternal awesomeness...JK...or not;)
And the moral of the story is, (drumroll please) that with a little time and creativity, anything is possible. Well, maybe not ANYTHING, but most things.
What have you resurrected lately?
It was during this sad time that I was eyeing a yardsale find-a backpack-that I had "girlyfied" with SPARKLES, and I realized that my sweater may have a chance after all!! So I dashed to my sewing box, broke out the sequins, and dolled that sweater up. As soon as I figure this stupid picture-to-computer issue out, you will get a glimpse of my eternal awesomeness...JK...or not;)
And the moral of the story is, (drumroll please) that with a little time and creativity, anything is possible. Well, maybe not ANYTHING, but most things.
What have you resurrected lately?
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