Tuesday, February 15, 2011

Losing the Battle

Pin It Now! I think I may be losing a long, well-fought battle sooner rather than later. It's 4 against 1, and I think my thickly built wall may have just been breached.

My "weapons" (excuses) cannot hold out much longer. Weapon, I mean excuse #1, doesn't quite work anymore. My kids are no longer little requiring constant attention and training, which would drain every last drop of energy right out of me. So, excuse #1-- no energy from babies and toddlers just doesn't cut it anymore.

Excuse #2--Soon, I may not be able to wield my being-dirt-poor-can't-afford-it sword.

Excuse #3--The fact that I don't like messes will always remain a true and reliable defense, but how much damage can I really do with only one arrow left in my quiver?


And I think my family is mistaking my research, planning and preparation for enthusiasm.


So, are you dying to know what I am researching? Dogs. Yes, dogs. I know, most have heard me say the best kind of dog is no dog, but the 4 humans that share a home with me don't agree, especially the smallest human.

If it's really going to happen, and if I really must wave my white flag of surrender, well, it's going to be done right. And by right I mean my way. :)

Of course I am exaggerating a little, but seriously, I want to be completely prepared so it can be a good experience for all of us. That means lots of Caesar Milan DVDs, books from the library, and whatever else I can get my hands on!!!!


Oh, and I think I have already picked out the me perfect breed (my family agrees). Anyone want to take a wild guess which particular breed we are reading up on? Here's a photo of a darling puppy as a hint!


image credit

Wednesday, February 09, 2011

Make Your Own French Fries

Pin It Now! Making your own fries does take more time, but I think they are much healthier and they taste pretty good, too. Plus, when you get a huge bag of potatoes on sale, it's a great way to save money while providing a healthy snack or side dish to a meal. :)

Here's what I do:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

I usually use about 4-5 baking potatoes for a side dish to feed a family of 5.

I like to use my crinkle cutter but a regular knife will do. I like to cut medium sized fries, so they aren't too difficult to remove from the baking sheet. I leave the skin on.

After cutting, I put the raw wedges into a bowl. I drizzle olive oil over the potatoes and mix--coat well. Next, I add spices: salt, pepper, garlic powder and sometimes I add in a dash of red pepper. I don't want my fries too spicy!

Very lightly oil the baking sheet and spread out the fries. I cook mine for about 30 min. I tend to like them a bit crispy. Too soft and they won't come off the baking sheet without a fight!

I really do like these fries--but they are different then the frozen kind or the fast-food kind.

Once you get the hang of it, they are so easy to make!!!



Also linked to Tasty Tuesday

Thursday, February 03, 2011

Can I Pick 2?

Pin It Now!

Recently, the kids and I finished our journey through the book of Proverbs. Our purpose for this particular study was lots of memorization!




Here's what we did:



We'd read a proverb together during our morning Bible time. I'd have the boys each pick one verse from that proverb to memorize. To make this especially personal for them, they could pick whatever verse they wanted--whichever verse spoke to them the most.


Then, they would write their verses down. Mullin chose to write his verses on note cards and Lincoln chose to write his in a notebook.


The next day, we would review memory verses.


And this continued for the next few months--read, write, and review.


By the time we finished, they'd memorized 31 verses. (Except for Shiloh ~ I only assigned 4 verses from the entire book, and she learned them very well!)


What we did next:



I told the boys to narrow their favorite Proverbs verses down to 5. Then, for their last Proverbs assignment, I wanted all of the kids to pick just one to print out and hang up in their rooms.


With a hopeful look in his eye, Lincoln asked me, "Can I pick two?"



"Um, YES! Of course!" Like I'd say NO. :)


Here's what they picked:



One of my favorite verses in Proverbs is Proverbs 3:5-6 ~ "Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him and He will direct your paths."


Lincoln chose that one and Proverbs 3:11-12 ~ "My son, do not despise the Lord's discipline and do not resent His rebuke, because the Lord disciplines those he loves as a father the son he delights in." (Hmm, I guess technically he chose 4 verses. :))


Mullin chose Proverbs 3:27 ~ "Do not withhold good from those who deserve it, when it is your power to act."


Shiloh picked Proverbs 22:6 ~ "Train up a child in the way he should go and when he is old, he will not depart from it." ( She even cut out pretty paper as a background on which to glue her verse. She was so happy about hanging it up by her bed. So sweet.)

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