May Day = Hearts!!

This year May Day is a very special day. This year we celebrate the arrival of the newest, littlest, and sweetest heart. Our own little Darling Heart. I don't know yet how to relate him to this pack of cards, after all, we've already got a Jack O'Hearts, and he's certainly not a Joker, I guess for now I'll just call him SweetHeart. For he is all that, and more.

Our little sweetie came into the world in the pearly, early hours of the morning, before the sun was even up. (And I can tell you that it was a LONG night!) After a lot of work, and such, we had a baby!


So... ta-da!

Ideas for feeding a largish family - Improvisational Pancakes!

Whenever my parents come to visit, they are always surprised how well we can feed our largish family. I really can't say "large" family, because our family currently only has 7 members, and I know lots of families that have 10 or more. Not that I'm judging, just comparing my largish to their large. I digress, back to food.

I have several techniques to keep the food budget manageable, and still provide a decent variety of meals. First is meal planning. There are several schools of thought on this. One is to plan out meals, by day, as I've seen loads of bloggers do for "Menu Plan Monday." Another is to have a decently stocked pantry, and fly by the seat of one's pants, deciding on what to make as the spirit moves you. Yet another is to make the same or sorta the same foods every week. I sorta do all of them.

Breakfast at our house follows a very (almost painfully) predictable pattern.
Sunday - bacon or sausage, eggs, and toast. Yes, EVERY Sunday. It is the only day of the week that we have meat for breakfast, and the eggs provide enough protein that the kids can make it through church without STARVING before lunch.
Monday - Oatmeal. Nearly always oatmeal for Monday. Occasionally, I'll make Cream of Wheat or Quick-cooking steel cut oats, but that's how far I vary from that.
Tuesday - Pancakes. Here I like to have a little fun. I consider pancakes as my way of using up leftovers. Got leftover squash? Throw it in the pancakes. Leftover rice? Throw it in the pancakes. Overripe bananas? Banana pancakes. One apple rolling around the fruit drawer? Apple pancakes! My pancake recipe to follow this post. It is endlessly variable.
Wednesday - Cold cereal, and/or toast and/or yogurt and/or get it yourselves, because this is the one day I don't feel like cooking.
Thursday - Scrambled eggs and toast.
Friday - Usually pancakes again.
Saturday - Whatever I'm feeling like making. This is the one day we might even make waffles, if I'm feeling really motivated. Also, if I've purchased bagels, we'll do them on Saturday.

My Improvisational Pancake Recipe
Makes enough for a hungry family of 7

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup whole wheat flour (or all purpose flour, or combination of flour and wheat germ, leftover rice, etc.)
1 cup rolled oats (regular or old-fashioned, not instant. If you are mixing in leftover cooked oatmeal, you can use a little more.)
2 teaspoons baking soda (or 1 tablespoon baking powder but don't sour the milk later on.)
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 cups milk, soured with vinegar. (unless you're using baking powder, in which case, don't sour)
3 eggs, beaten
1/3 cup vegetable oil (or melted butter, margarine, I've even used shortening when I've been low on everything!)

Directions: Mix up the dry ingredients. Mix up the wet ingredients (and any moist stuff, like squash, bananas, leftover rice or oatmeal, etc.) and pour into the dry ingredients. Stir together. Look at the batter. Does it seem over-thick? Add a little milk. Does it seem runny? Mix in a little more flour. You can decide, because it will vary depending on the ingredients and humidity of the room.

While mixing the stuff together, start getting your skillet hot. You want it pretty hot before you start putting batter on it. Once its hot, and your ingredients are mixed, spray with oil, or just dribble a little bit on and spread it around with your turner, and make your pancakes. I use 1/4 cup (a little on the shy side), but you can make them big or tiny, or in the shapes of little people, or turtles, or whatever.

Serve with butter, syrup, applesauce, or whatever you like.

Some other things you might mix in: blueberries, other berries, cornmeal, chocolate chips, pretty much any non-citrus fruit, dried fruit (make sure to soak it first to soften it if necessary), spices - cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, allspice, anise, cardamom, etc., mashed potatoes, yogurt (can sub for some of the milk), cottage cheese, just use your imagination, and the contents of your cupboard and fridge for inspiration.

Next time: What about lunch??

Getting to the nut of the issue

My 13 year old daughter, Ace, asked me today while we were in the car: "Mom, what is the point of cheating? I mean, lets say you pass something by cheating, you will just have to do the next course, which will be harder. If you don't know the material, how will you manage, other than to cheat more?"

I think this gets to the nut of the homeschooling issue for us. My kids are taking subjects to master the knowledge. G-school students (and most private school students) are taking the subjects to mark time, and gain grades. Testing is paramount importance to schools. Schools are judged by how well students do on tests; teachers are judged by how well students perform on tests; students are judged on how well they perform on tests. Without good grades on tests, students can't join the sports teams, be in band or other extra-curriculars. Many kids get monetary rewards from parents, relatives, and even from the schools themselves for getting A's or B's on the report card.

With all this pressure to perform, and the relative ease of cheating, is it any wonder that it is so rampant in the institutional school system?

I thought Ace's question was very relevant. If a person cheats their way through elementary, junior and high school, and then into college, how is this really benefiting them in the long run? They haven't gained ownership or mastery of the course material. So what's the point, then?

In our homeschool, we don't use "grades" as such to mark progress. Either the kid knows it, and can move on, or doesn't, in which case, we go back, review the trouble spots, and learn the material. When well-intentioned people ask me how I can be sure my kids are really learning without grades, I really want to know, how can you be sure that their kids are really learning if all you have to go by is a letter on a piece of paper.

Spam issues

I take a little break, and trolls get in and spam my comments.

Maybe I would get more traffic if I kept the nudie comments, but I think it is in much better taste to simply remove the garbage.

I'll get around to a real post soon. There's much to blog, but little creative motivation here.

Taco Week - Day Five

The best so far. Seriously, I was thinking that "Must Have Mushroom and Cheese" tacos would be, at best, weird. They are really delicious!!! My kids thought so too, and they are NOT mushroom fans. However, the pan was nearly licked clean after they had dinner! The recipe is posted over at the Penzey's website, so let me tell you a few things before you go over there and download this utterly fantastic recipe.

1. I have no pictures, because the tacos were eaten before I could get my camera out - yes, even mine. YUM!

2. the Chihuahua cheese is an absolute MUST, it is so mild and creamy, it really elevates the dish.

3. This taco doesn't really taste like Tex-Mex, or anything else you might order at a Mexican restaurant, but don't let that stop you from trying it out.

4. The mushrooms really are good. Even if you don't like mushrooms, and I have some kids here who really don't care for them tell me that these were good.

Tomorrow I'm going to try some dessert-type tacos, with any luck. Yum!!

Taco Week - Day Four

Today's tacos come complements to the Penzey's Spices catalog. I made the turkey tacos with Penzey's Arizona Dreaming spice mix, but I wasn't super impressed with these. Maybe the turkey was a little blander than the steak, it certainly seemed dryer. Fortunately, we topped these with guacamole and chopped red bell pepper, and that boosted the flavor right up to yummy. Next time I make tacos with ground turkey, I think I'll stick to a regular taco spice mix, for the extra flavor.

Tasty Turkey Tacos

1 lb. ground turkey
1 small onion, chopped
2 Tbsp. canola oil
1 Tbsp. Arizona Dreaming seasoning mix
1-2 cups guacamole

Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the ground turkey and onion and cook for about 8 minutes, until nicely browned, breaking up the turkey into chunks and stirring it to brown on all sides. Shake the Arizona Dreaming seasoning mix and cook, stirring, for about 2 minutes. Served topped with guacamole.

Taco Week - Day Three

Welcome to day three of Taco Week at the Heart household!!

Continuing the theme of TACO, is a classic, Steak Tacos. These tacos are really delish, getting thumbs up all around. What's new about them is the seasoning isn't my usual Penzey's Taco Seasoning, but rather Penzey's new Arizona Dreaming seasoning. The current catalog has an offer for a free bottle of it, so get a catalog, QUICK!

Arizona Dreaming seasoning mix has a different aroma than the normal taco seasoning. It smells like spice, of course, but also cinnamon and cocoa, and other savory things. The aroma really pops when it hits the heat, like nothing I've smelled before. Really good.

The recipe, is from the Penzey's catalog.

Steak Tacos

1 lb. boneless rib-eye steak, cut into 1/2 inch cubes (at $9.95/lb, this was too dear, so I substituted cheaper sirloin. It was still really good!)
1 Tb. canola oil
4 tsp. Arizona Dreaming seasoning mix

Heat the oil in a skillet over high heat. Cook the steak in small batches until it is crispy brown and rare. Return all the cooked steak to the pan, and shake 1/2 of the Arizona Dreaming. Toss the steak around, and add the rest of the seasoning. Serve in your favorite shells with shredded cheddar if desired.

I used crisp corn shells, and topped mine with shredded Mexican blend cheese, and prepared salsa. I served it up with a bean salad with sweet and sour dressing, the kids preferred left over Mexican rice from yesterday.

My photo is a little odd. Nearly every one looks like carnage, thanks to the salsa. This one is the least gory.

The Arizona Dreaming

Taco Week - Day Two

Well for the second day in our week of tacos, I made a Tomato, Avocado and Black Bean Taco from the Weight Watchers in 20 Minutes cookbook, along with Knorr Mexican Rice mix. The kids were okay tending towards meh on the tacos, but they really liked the rice. I thought the tacos were pretty good, with the main bonus being that they were really quick to make. I'm not sure on the size of the tortillas. The recipe called for 6-inch tortillas, but there was way more bean filling than would fill 6 tortillas of that size. But, the extra will be good on a salad, I'll bet!

Tomato, Avocado, and Black Bean Taco

1 Tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 onion, chopped
1 Tablespoon taco seasoning (like that from Penzey's)
1 (15 1/2-oz.) can black beans, rinsed and drained
3 plum tomatoes (I used 2 regular ones from the garden!)
6 (6-inch) corn tortillas, warmed
2 cups finely chopped romaine lettuce
1/2 small Hass avocado, pitted, peeled, and diced
6 Tablespoons prepared salsa
1/4 cup light sour cream

Heat the oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onion and taco seasoning and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion is softened, about 4 minutes. Transfer to a large bowl. Add the beans and the tomatoes, toss to combine.

Sprinkle the center of each tortilla with 1/3 cup of lettuce, 1/3 cup of beans, 1/6 of the avocado, 1 tablespoon of salsa, and 2 teaspoons of sour cream. Fold the tortilla to enclose the filling.

Serves 6

Apple Fest!

The lovely town of Long Grove, Illinois has an apple fest every year. With the kids at home wanting to do something different, we ventured out to Apple Fest.

One "must" at Apple Fest is eating apple cider donuts. The lines for the donuts are long, long, but worth the wait, because they are so yummy. Here Three and Jack O'Hearts are keeping themselves busy playing "Miss Mary Mack" on the wall while waiting for the line to move.


Little Four wants to play too, but she would rather dance to the music being sung at the nearby pavilion. We could hear the music everywhere we went, luckily the band was a generic cover band, and not playing something weird.

Nice Hair!

AT LAST!! Apple cider donuts. Yum! We found a sunny spot out of the wind, and enjoyed our treat.

They are covered in messy cinnamon-sugar, but no one minded.

We walked around a bit, stopping in some of the cute little stores, but decided it was time to go. Before we got to our car, it began to rain lightly, and we were treated to a beautiful double rainbow.


Deuce gave Four a pony ride back to the car, since she was a little sad that I didn't pony out the cash for the real pony rides!

Maybe next time.

Taco Week

This week is going to be Taco Week. Chicken tacos, Steak tacos, vegetarian tacos, pork tacos, bean tacos, and so on. Stay tuned, I'll even try (try - sigh) to post a picture and recipe or two.

Taco Week - Day One - Taco Crescent Casserole
Taco Week - Day Two - Tomato, Avocado and Black Bean Tacos
Taco Week - Day Three - Steak Tacos
Taco Week - Day Four - Tasty Turkey Tacos
Taco Week - Day Five - Must Have Mushroom & Cheese Tacos

So Long Friend...

I've been dreading writing this post - Our newest Heart - Astro - Passed away from suspected heat stroke a couple of weeks ago. Ace and Deuce were in New York visiting relatives when it happened. Not the best telephone call I've ever made.

I still feel guilty about it, he was struck down while I was taking him for a walk. I miss him too. The King of Hearts and I have been discussing a new dog, but I think it will have to wait for a while. The summer is getting too busy for me to try to get a new dog assimilated to our routines. So for now, we are enjoying Carmen. It is hard to tell if she misses Astro or not. She is clingier, and more affectionate for sure, but that could also be because Ace, Deuce, and Three are off at camp right now. The house is very empty with them gone.

So the summer ticks by.

Playing Cowboy

Jack O'Heart's latest passion is for cowboys. I love that we can do these "boys" units together, and he really likes to learn. For the cowboys unit, I've been reading aloud Ralph Moody's book, The Home Ranch. Although the boy drifts in and out of listening, while coloring pictures from the Dover "History of the Cowboy" coloring book, I think he's been mostly getting it.

Along with the book and coloring pages, we've been doing some activities out of Kicking Up Some Cowboy Fun! book. Mostly I like the book. It is full of interesting tidbits of information, and lots and lots of different things to do, from crafts to activities, to just thinking about things.The main drawback? It is completely disorganized, and there is no index. Argh! How frustrating to find just what you're looking for!

Today's activities were learning about the chuck wagon. Here is our chuck wagon. As you can see, Jack O'Hearts is our cookie!
The box at the back holds the food and cooking supplies. In the front is the bedroll, first aid, and clothing for the other cowboys (cowgirls.)
Three and four are enjoying their nice light, plastic meal of plastic play food. Yum-o!
Unrolling the bedroll - actually a blanket that I've had since I was a very little girl. It's a little threadbare, and stitched in a few places, but I don't feel bad playing with it out in the lawn!

Darth Vader Leadership Tip #2

Darth Vader Leadership Tip #2

Hire not just for the job at hand. Try to determine the candidate’s potential career track and how he will develop.

-
Luke, you can destroy the Emperor. He has foreseen this. It is your destiny.
D. Vader

ht. Nolo Promiterre

"So what do you want to be when you grow up?" has got to be a kids' worst question. Right up there with "What are you doing to the dog with that Sharpie?"

The problem with what do you want to do when you grow up is that kids don't have a clue what they want to be when they grow up. They look at the future, and the figure they could really be the next president, Pulitzer prize winner, astronaut, or in my case, ballerina. Its just not a fair question.

On the other hand, looking at your kids strengths can help them choose a more likely end result (or for that matter, intermediate result, we all have the same end result.) then it becomes a little easier to plot a path to get there. How will your child develop? Is college in the future? Then it might be a good idea to see whether you child can begin accumulating credits through CLEP course tests, AP tests, and Dual credit enrollment with a local community college. Maybe a class or two here and there, but it will pay off in time and money on the other side.

On the other hand, maybe you child has a passion for music, art, or drama. That might be in the future, as it sure looks for a few of my kiddos. How can I help them to achieve the goals of music school? Obviously by taking the kid to lessons and encouraging (meaningful) practice.

Looking ahead doesn't mean fitting your kid into a mold they cannot break out of, just - looking ahead - and trying to see the steps to take before the kid actually takes them.

DisneyWorld - Day One

Disney, Part 1: As you can tell, the flight was long, and the kids were TIRED when we arrived! We had to be at the airport at 7:00 or so - which meant getting up at 5:00 to eat, load the car and drive the hour or so to the airport.

What makes sitting on an airplane so dad-gum tiring, when all you are doing is sitting? Another mystery.






The weather in Orlando was certainly warmer than Illinois, though, and we were able to walk to Downtown Disney from our hotel. Downtown Disney is a nice place to wander around. There is plenty of Disney "flavor" to get the kids excited about going to the actual park, plus there are some decent restaurants there too.

Heading into Downtown Disney there is a great toy shop, with this neat giant Tinkertoy Sculpture. The kids are starting to perk up a bit.

Stopping for ice cream at the Ghiredelli Chocolate shop. Yum!

Double Yum!

Could anyone enjoy their ice-cream any more than this??

The Lego store in Downtown Disney is really neat. There are loads of models, big and small for people to see, and to be inspired by. My kids really liked the around the world models that were mounted on the outside of the store. This one is of Sydney, Australia.

Not in this picture: The gigantic Lego Sea Monster that was placed in the lagoon. It was really huge. I can't imagine how many green Legos it must have taken to create it.

"Mom - can I make this one?" Sure. Right. You just go right ahead.

We hung out for a while in Downtown Disney, but eventually made our way back to the hotel to rest up for the next day's adventure at The Magic Kingdom.

To be continued...

Making More Stuff

Here are some more things I've been making:This one is for my df Karen (out of her own beads.) Now I did add some of my own, but the beautiful blue ones came from her. (I would like everyone to disregard the ray-gun in the background. It was a gift to my son from my sister and it just won't go away. Note to D.J., this was the best dollar you ever could have spent. It is perfect for cowboys, robots and superheroes.)

I made this bracelet and earring combo too:

This one also for Karen. Like it?

Lastly, this one is a gift for my niece:
I really like how the stones and crystals contrast. The big grey ceramic hearts were a find too! You can't really tell from the picture, but I found some nice gunmetal toned findings for this one too. It is really sweet. I've been doing a lot of "test wearing" of it to make sure it isn't pokey. Riiight.

Not for the kids!

Okay, lets talk about grown-up stuff here, that is, some TV shows that I heart, but that are SO not for kids.

1. Coupling. Coupling was a series that was put out by the BBC for four seasons. You can get them on DVD. It was about the relationships that developed between a girl, a guy, his ex, her ex, his best friend and her best friend. It was not Friends. But it is very, very funny. Laugh out loud and roll on the floor funny. Worth watching after the kids are in bed. There's no excessive skin, so if they wander out to see what's so funny, you won't be embarrassed by the shot on the television when you put it on hold.

2. Torchwood. Torchwood is a spin off of Dr. Who (Yes, I am a geek) but there is actually very little interplay between the two series. Most of the show is actually relatively tame, but there is some guy-on-guy kissing from time to time, and naturally, the other type as well. The series is heavily sci-fi, but there is a lot of interesting interplay between the characters that makes it worth watching even if the plot seems a little... far fetched. Watch after the kids are in bed, but some episodes might be okay for the older kids to watch. Little nudity, but kissing (sometimes suggested more) between all genders, including alien (if you consider that a gender.)

3. TrueBlood. TrueBlood is an HBO series based on the Sookie Stackhouse books written by Charlaine Harris. I've read the books, and didn't hold high hopes for the TV series to be as good. It is. I still question the casting of Anna Paquin as Sookie, mainly because in the book she's supposed to be prettier, but she is a solid actress, and sells the part, so this is only a minor quibble. The male actors are drool-worthy (pant, pant) especially Sam Trammell, who plays Sookie's boss, Sam. Watch when the kids are out of the house. Loads of nudity and everything that goes with it. Very R-rated.

Making Stuff

I've been busy making stuff today. First, I made this for my dear friend who lives in Florida:

Pretty cute, huh? Just the thing for slipping on with a pair of jeans, and a cute top and being warm!

Then, I made these for me.



Which, if you've been to my house would totally make sense, since I have this thing about elephants.

Lastly, but not leastly, I made these yummy things!


They're super easy, and really delish! Plus they look like they took some work (which they so didn't.)

White Chocolate-Pecan Candies

1 1/2 bags white chocolate chips
1 tablespoon butter
1 tablespoon oil
1 cup coarsely chopped pecans
Some pecan halves (about 30)

Empty the white chocolate chips into a microwave-safe bowl. I used my Pampered Chef Classic Batter Bowl (love it!). Microwave on high for 1 minute. Stir. Microwave it for another minute. The chips should be melty by now. Mix in the butter and oil. Mix in the chopped pecans.

Use a small scoop (about 1 Tablespoon) and drop by scoops onto a sheet of waxed paper on a cookie sheet. Press a pecan half into each while it is still soft. Put in the fridge (or cold garage!) until firm.

Makes about 30.

Its beginning to look a lot like.....

Well, it's beginning to look a lot like something, anyway.

We're less than two weeks away from Christmas, and still have no tree. The decorations are all still snug in their boxes yet from last year. I still have the halloween door decoration hanging on our front door. The hubby hung up the lights outside over Thanksgiving, so we aren't completely ignoring the holidays, but it just feels so... unChristmassy.

I suppose part of the problem is I'm doing no holiday baking this year. Now don't get all over me. Look at the ticker at the top of the page. I'm close to losing 25 pounds! I've been walking between 4 to 5 miles at least 3 times a week, and I'm working very hard at regaining my pre-children shape. Baking mountains of cookies runs counter to that goal. Besides, I can't help but eat them. My self-control around them is nil. So no baking.

I've been trying to come up with other holiday traditions that don't center around eating. Like playing and singing music, and the children made and decorated gingerbread houses. I think this year we might go to the "Winter Wonderland" at the Cuneo. Very cool lights!

So if you have any neat ideas to help get into the Christmas spirit, pass them along. I need a little Christmas NOW!

IP Tuesday

It's Independent Project Tuesday again. Three is working on one of her Try-its, the "Stitch it Together" badge. All morning long she's been sewing buttons to a piece of fabric to make a button collage. When she's done, we're going to mount it to cardboard, so she can hang it. Naturally, the button project looked neat to Jack O'Hearts, and so he did his own button collage as well. He actually sewed 4 buttons onto a piece of cloth. Way to go kids!

Ace and Deuce are busy making gingerbread houses. They mixed up the dough this morning, and are now busy cutting out the pieces and getting them ready to bake. You can find the directions they are using here.

I've been doing my own independent project as well. I've completed the first chapter of my book. I finished last night about 11:00 p.m. It seems to go better late at night, maybe because it is a mystery novel. Who knows. Anyway, I've not been to bed before midnight all week. (poor hubby.)

It is a good feeling to finally have some forward progress on the novel. yay!

December is here

I woke up last night to a familiar and very unwelcome sound.

A horrifying sound.

I get chills even now as I think upon it. It is that awful.

It was the low, rumbling, grating sound of a snowplow going down my street.

December is here for real.