Project 365: Day 31

I'd read on one of my local homeschool lists about something about an ancient weapons/collectors store that opened up nearby. I usually don't pay close attention to details, and this was no exception. When we were up in Roanoke today, I dragged my somewhat-unwilling family along to find the shop. We ended up staying for an hour.

Roanoke Armoury is a fascinating place, including more than 100 swords in the sword room, and a wide variety of WWII and Civil War books and memorabilia. The owner, Bobby, has spent a lot of time in the middle east and Africa and has a passion for what he sells. Holly posted another neat picture.

Robert later commented a few times something to the effect, "Well, you didn't tell me they had ___________!" Well, I didn't know!

So soup bones and ancient weapons. Lots of excitement around here today.

Know your meat guy

This is my food savings tip of the day, the week, the month. It may be my best tip all year. Back in November, I began chatting with Charles, the guy at the meat counter. I introduced Robert to him yesterday, and they began talking about bones for soup. Charles told Robert that they'd be trimming a bunch of T-bones today, and he'd save the bone trimmings for us if we came back.

Robert makes a lot of beef noodle soup, and he usually ends up buying a combination of neck bones and ribs. It's gotten to be a rather expensive for homemade.

When we went back to the store today, Charles was gone. But he'd kept the bones in back for us, and another meat guy rolled them out on a big tray, all packaged up. For $0.29 a pound. We ended up with 25 lbs. of meat and paid a grand total of $8. That's going to make four giant pots of soup.

I could only fit three of the packages into my freezer, so it's no surprise we'll be having soup tomorrow night. Well, Robert and the kids will. I don't like that stuff!

Project 365: Day 30

I'm not sure if I like this photo or not. It's very difficult to see what I'm photographing, and I was thinking it was my least favorite I've posted this year for Project 365.

But then I realized that the reason I don't like it is the SAME reason that I found it so intriguing in the first place.

Do you see that little wooden shack right there tucked in the trees?



I've driven up and down my street at least 300 times since August, and we walked it several dozen. I can't believe I've NEVER noticed this shack. I saw it for the first time yesterday. In the summer and fall, it's surely well hidden behind the leaves, but the leaves have been down for two months. It's right beside a driveway, so close to the road that I could probably throw a rock near it. (No bets that I'd hit it.) I'm dying to ask the neighbors about it.

We found a similar shack right by our property line last month. Although the structure was no longer standing, the walls had fallen down and we could see the tumble of rocks that used to be the chimney, along with an iron bedstead. Before this land was developed twelve years ago, it was owned by a dairy farm. Although old logging trails crisscross throughout, our road certainly didn't exist. I don't know where the main house was, but it's likely that no one knew anyone lived out this way. I don't know about the place in the photo, but the one closer to our house was inhabited less than 100 years ago.

We're in The Moonshine Capital of the World. Not much would surprise me here. Really.

:)

Project 365: Day 29

As I ran out the door on my way to town today, I went back in the house for my camera, mumbling something about "never knowing when I'll see something exciting." Sure enough, someone had trailered llamas right into the middle of town. (Hmm, I should point out that that IS exciting out here!)





And I took this later just because I liked it. It still thrills me to stop in the middle of the road and take pictures without worrying about anyone driving up behind me. :)

Recipe - Pork Chops with Beef Gravy

My mom tried this recipe and passed it on. It was super fast and easy to make. It's also pretty forgiving, easy to substitute the few ingredients. Best of all -- TA DAA -- everyone liked it. A LOT. (Holly picked out the onions.)

The only thing I would do differently next time is make mashed potatoes or rice to go with the great gravy!




Pork Chops & with Beef Gravy

2 T. cornstarch
1-3/4 c. beef broth (I used 1 can beef consomme and added a can of water)
1/8 tsp. pepper
cooking spray
6 bone-in pork chops, 1/2” thick (I used thin sliced, since it's what I had)
1 medium onion, sliced

Mix cornstarch, broth and pepper until smooth. Set aside.

Spray skillet with cooking spray and heat over medium-high 1 minute. Cook pork chops 10 minutes or until browned. Set chops aside. Remove skillet from heat.

Spray skillet with cooking spray. Add onion. Cook over medium heat until crisp-tender. Stir cornstarch mixture and add to skillet. Cook until mixture boils and thickens, stirring constantly. Return chops to skillet. Cover and cook over low heat 5 minutes or until chops are done.

* * *

Thanks, Mom!!

Project 365: Day 28

My loopy buddy Laura and I are cyber twins. We lead freakishly parallel lives. We use much of the same curriculum, and we read a lot of the same books. There are an incredible number of similarities. Laura began noticing it over the summer. I was a little slower (eyes rolling), but I can blame it on moving. We still continue to be surprised several times a week: we watch Raiders of the Lost Ark, and I see that her family watched it that week too. I make roasted chicken for dinner, and Laura e-mails me a pic of the roasted chicken she made the night before. I'm the City of Austin (lol); well, you already know what Laura is. And now I'm right behind her on the P365 loop! So if you read her blog first, you probably already know what I'm up to.

We were able to loan out our Jotham's Journey book this year--to Laura and her family. We received it back yesterday, and she was SO sweet to include some extra goodies for me!!! There's a Christmas CD that she made for us of her favorite Christmas music; several Arbonne products, and White Chocolate Cappuccino mix. Does this woman know me or what?

(And I find it quite funny that Blogger's spellchecker recognizes "cappuccino.")

Laura, thanks for being such a great cyber sister, and thank you for blessing me with all these goodies!

WHAT city am I?

You Are Austin

A little bit country, a little bit rock and roll. You're totally weird and very proud of it. Artistic and freaky, you still seem to fit in... in your own strange way. Famous Austin residents: Lance Armstrong, Sandra Bullock, Andy Roddick

What American City Are You?

I found this cute quiz on Robin's blog. Robin is always ever so thoughtfully posting lovely pictures of the amazing blue Colorado sky so I don't forget what I'm missing!

I don't know that I'm Austin. I've never been there; I've never been to Texas. I might be totally weird but I'm blissfully ignorant. And I'm not artistic, nor too freaky. But I (think I) fit in. And I'm strange.

Weekly menu

I guess I should keep some type of update about my monthly food bill. This is the first time we've really paid attention to what we spend. The grocery bill, including extras like kitty litter, bathroom things, etc., was ~$700. The killer was that we spent another $150 on eating out, which is one BIG area that we'll be looking to cut back on. I know that it was one not-so-big lunch that made up a big chunk of that--Robert and I each had a margarita, and that's never good for food bills.

* * *

My grocery problem this week is that I did a big grocery shopping earlier today, but I didn't actually BUY anything so that I can make any of these. So much for planning!


pork chops (new recipe from Mom), crescent rolls, sauteed yellow squash, corn

YOYO

Indian butter chicken, rice, canned pineapple

pizza

Renita's Plantation Supper

baked potato soup/Trevor

Superbowl: hot wings; jalapeno poppers; and must add something that might seem remotely healthy


Lunch (with or for):
smoothies
grilled PB&J
Linda's Marinated Mozzarella
parmesan pesto things

On the back burner:
Robert's beef noodle soup
Barb's macaroni/hot wing thing
pot roast
cube steak
sloppy joes
Italian sausage

Project 365: Day 27

Ugh, this is where I spent too much of my day. I pulled something in my lower back, took a stronger pain med, and slept for a few hours. And then laid there for a few hours. Only things accomplished today:

1) talked on the phone (a lot)

2) made school schedules for the week

3) made dinner

Well, even looking at the short list makes me feel a little better!

Project 365: Day 26

Trevor played in a large chess tournament today. These occur almost monthly and are open to area schools. He plays with his homeschool club. For me, it meant 5-1/2 hours of sitting on hard chairs in a cafeteria, chatting with some of the other club moms. It was another nice chance to socialize. :)

For Trevor, it meant placing 13th in a field of 42 fourth and fifth graders and bringing home a nice trophy. (The trophies pictures are for several different divisions.) This is his third tournament and his best showing yet.

And once again I was left to wonder what purpose toilet paper has in public school bathrooms . . . By the time you use enough to actually work, half the roll is gone. Any possibly savings for buying the cheap stuff is effectively . . . well . . . wiped out. LOL.

Project 365: Day 25

Seventeen years, and I still like this guy.

Kind of.

:)

In Freedom's Cause - Revisited

When I'd posted a few weeks back that we were giving up Henty's In Freedom's Cause, I felt like a huge failure. It's okay (with me) if I'm not big into teaching music, or that I don't know the answers to math right away, or that I'm not completely enamored with science. But literature? Reading out loud? That's the whole reason I homeschool. (To keep my children captive while I read books under the guise of educating them.) And while we have sometimes quit reading books for various reasons, I never thought I'd quit Henty because it was overwhelmingly boring.

Dorothy questioned why these books were so popular anyway. She doesn't like them either, and she listed several other authors that are equal (uh, only better). It was a brief comment but stuck with me.

Although I stopped reading In Freedom's Cause out loud to Holly, I was determined to continue reading the book on my own. My interest had been piqued, and it wouldn't be so daunting reading it to myself. I wouldn't have to skim over parts that said the same thing five times. I would no longer stop to discuss side issues with Holly, and we wouldn't be wasting time by rolling our eyes at each other as I droned on. I was actually kind of looking forward to reading solo.

That lasted for half a chapter.

Around the same time, I'd been searching for Braveheart. I know it's a really violent movie, but my focus was on having Holly know the story. My library's copy was misplaced, and Robert finally rented it. Meanwhile, after discussing it with a friend, I changed my mind about letting (forcing) Holly to watch the movie, still thinking I would watch it myself. I just had to know how the story turned out.

But since I don't like to watch movies of any kind, it sat around unwatched until it was overdue, and we returned it.

In the end, I printed off a few websites about Wallace and Bruce, and Holly wrote a blurb about each one. I read her papers to finally find a quick and easy ending to the story.

On the plus side, almost any book now seems tolerable. We're reading Morning Star of the Reformation, and while it's not Holly's favorite book, she's not minding it that much because she knows how bad it could be.

Another reason I wanted to stick it out with Henty was because I'd planned to skip an upcoming unit on Chaucer--I was lacking the Barbara Cohen book that the curriculum calls for. Last week, I found that used for a great price, so we'll do it after all, and I won't feel like I'm skipping too much in history.

In a nutshell (haha), this is how my school year's gone. I start out with a great idea, then think about it four different ways over the course of a month and finally dump it.

Meanwhile, I'll be keeping my eyes open for Rosemary Sutcliffe, Mary Ray, Barbara Willard, etc. as Dorothy suggested. Thanks again, Dorothy, you don't know how freeing and encouraging your response was!

Project 365: Day 24

Trevor's been interested in a cooking class for several years, but his concern has been that there might not be a lot of boys. And between me and Holly, he's had his share of females lately. I was happy to sign him up for a class through the local hs co-op--taught by a mom with two boys, and we knew another boy who would be there too.



While I'd already met the mom once through our homeschool group, even though she lives on the completely opposite side of the county, I also ran into her last month at the neighbor's house across the street. Definitely that small town thing . . .

The kids stayed busy making baked potato soup . . .



and pumpkin roll. It was like a giant pumpkin Hoho, and Hohos are one of my very favorite foods in the world. The roll was really cool, I've seen them made before and have always been intimidated. Watching the kids gave me a little more confidence--but now I don't HAVE to make it. Trevor can!


Meanwhile, I snapped 60 pictures and still had plenty of time to visit with the other mom. To top it off, WE were able to share the lunch that the kids made!



The baked potato soup was awesome. It will be on our menu in the next few weeks.




And the pumpkin roll--well, Trevor brought home a slice for Robert. And I have my hopes pinned on Trevor for making this for us again!

Recipe - Garbanzo Salad

I found this online while searching for something to go with Spanish Rice. Trevor's studying the Islamic invasion of Spain this week, so we planned a meal around it. This was much better than Robert and I figured it would be. The kids liked it at first, but quickly tired of it. The dressing is very light, it's a perfect summer dish, and I'll definitely be making it again!

GARBANZO SALAD

1 - 15 ounce can of garbanzo beans, drained
1/2 green bell pepper, chopped--------yuck, I hate crunchy things, so I skipped these and
1/2 red bell pepper, chopped ----------chopped up some roasted red pepper instead
1/2 c diced sweet yellow onion
1/2 cup of cherry or grape tomatoes
2 T lime juice
2 T oil
1/2 t ground cumin
1/4 t sea salt
1/4 t black pepper
1-2 minced garlic cloves
10 black olives, sliced
1/4 c parsley, chopped (optional)


Combine all ingredients in glass salad bowl, stir well, and chill before serving.

Makes 4 side servings; double recipe for main dish.

Project 365: Day 23

Trevor and I went for a walk just in time tonight. It's only a month after winter solstice, yet it seems like the sun's staying up for an hour longer already. It was chilly--I wore a fleece jacket and a second coat, gloves and heavy socks. Trevor wore just his regular long sleeved shirt (no jacket) and Crocs without socks. He made ME cold, but he didn't seem to mind.

Recipe - Roast Chicken with Vegetables

I found this recipe in the paper nine years ago titled something like "Roast Chicken for Dummies." I'd never roasted a whole chicken before and was happy to see how quick and easy it was. Very conveniently, everyone at my house continues to enjoy this.

ROAST CHICKEN WITH VEGETABLES

8 whole carrots
2 medium yellow onions
8 small red or white potatoes
2 t. salt
1 t. pepper
1 whole chicken, about 3-1/2 lbs.

Preheat oven to 425. Lightly spray a large roasting pan.

Peel and cut carrots into 1-1/2" long pieces; cut larger pieces in half. Peel each onion and cut into quarters. Wash potatoes, but do not peel or cut. Sprinkle vegetables on bottom of roasting pan.

Sprinkle with 1 t. of salt and ½ t. of pepper. Remove giblets from chicken, wash chicken and pat dry. Sprinkle with remaining 1 t. salt and ½ t. of pepper. Set chicken, breast side up, in pan and roast in center of oven for about 1 hour, maybe 1 hour 15 mins. until vegetables are done. Halfway through roasting, turn vegetables. Serves 4.

(I peel my potatoes. I cook the chicken on top of the vegetables, so the chicken doesn't get soggy on the bottom, and I don't turn the vegetables. If I use a bigger chicken, I have to increase the cook time; a 4 to 4-1/2 lb. chicken takes about an hour and 45 mins.)

Book Review - It's All About Him: Finding the Love of My Life by Denise Jackson

Country superstar Alan Jackson's wife Denise wrote this nice little story about her marriage and her life without and with Christ. Denise and Alan were high school sweethearts who struggled for a few years before Alan hit the big time. All the fame and money were never enough--until they found Jesus, rededicated their lives to Him, to each other, and are living happily ever after.

It's not a bad book. It's very simply written, a mindless read, mildly interesting. Not particularly noteworthy, other than the fact that it's written about someone famous. (But I'm really enjoying Superbowl champ Coach Tony Dungy's autobiography.) You might enjoy Denise's book if you are a fan or just like happy endings.

Drive yourself nuts

Here's a fun little website that will "guess the number" that you pick.

Click here.

And if anyone is a computer smarty, please share how it's done. (I know it narrows the number down between the color and a successive box, but how does it show up in the first door at the end? Or is it written to show up in the first door no matter which you choose? Because you can open other doors and they will have different numbers.)

Project 365: Day 22

Holly at the computer

I wait longer and longer to get on the computer. It started with CD-ROM games when she was little, and gradually spread to a few online websites. E-mail was added in, slowly at first, and now like a typical 13 year old. Add blogging and Project 365. All of it translates into more "wait" time for mom.

And this shows the real picture of my house. If you came here, the tables and counters would be cleared off completely, it's usually free of dust and freshly Windexed; clutter is at a minimum. But that's just the outside appearance. You never want to check the closets or otherwise look too closely.

The truth is that my house is like my computer desk. The computer is inside a kitchen closet that was built as the laundry room. (The laundry room was moved to the basement so we'd have a hiding place for the computer.) When the closet doors are closed, everything looks neat and tidy. But open the doors, and it's quite a mess--papers and other stuff that Holly and I never seem to "get through."

Hmm. It kind of sounds like my LIFE!

Book Review - Year of Wonders: A Novel of the Plague by Geraldine Brooks

This historical fiction is based on true events of 1666 when the plague came to the town of Eyam, Derbyshire. The townspeople made a voluntary commitment to remain within the village borders, in an effort to prevent the spread of the disease.

Narrated by 18 year old widow Anna, her young sons are among the first victims. Anna is employed as the rector's maid, and along with his wife, Anna works tirelessly through the year to tend to the sick and diseased within the town.

Anna's voice is far more educated than her position belies--her words are eloquent and haunting. I was quickly drawn into her story.

For the most part, I enjoyed the book. Unfortunately, a subplot reveals a dark side of the pastor, which was creepy and took away from the story. I found this book at the library as I was searching for fictional plague stories for Holly. Recommended as entertaining reading if you have an interest in the subject.

Project 365: Day 21

We didn't get all of our school work done today; not good, since Mondays are usually our busiest school day each week.

Holly had a chance to ride today, even though it was 35 degrees. Robert took her, and Trevor begged to go along. Wow, everyone wanted to leave me alone. How could I argue with that? I did nothing special with my free time, but instead ran errands in town.

I came home right before they did, and I ran up the street with my camera. I haven't been that way in a few months! This was taken partway down the driveway. It's been sunny for days, but the snow's not melted yet in the shade. Trevor's snowman has turned a little scrawny, but he lives on.

:)

Weekly menu

taco salad

YOYO?

roasted chicken with potatoes, carrots, onions; crescent rolls

Arrozo Con Pollo, fried corn tortillas, and garbanzo salad, as Trevor studies the Moors

Robert's beef noodle soup, french bread

breakfast burritos

ravioli, garlic bread, salad



Lunch (with or for):
smoothies
grilled PB&J
Linda's Marinated Mozzarella
parmesan pesto things

On the back burner:
pork chops (ask mom for recipe with beef broth/onions)
Renita's Plantation Supper
baked potato soup/Trevor
grilled flank steak
Indian butter chicken, rice, canned pineapple
Italian sausage
sloppy joes

Project 365: Day 20

An unexpected negative about going to church an hour away is that we are ravenous at lunchtime but usually aren't ready to head home. While Holly and Trevor eagerly anticipate Taco Bell, McDonald's or Wendy's, Robert and I have been reluctant to drop $20-$25 on fast food every Sunday. It's not really feasible to bring food--it's all we can do to get out of the house on time to begin with, and a picnic in the car when it's 20 degrees outside is NOT fun.

After church today, we were trying to run more errands before going home for a late lunch. Trevor mentioned Sam's Club--two slices of pizza and a pop for $2.50. It was a good alternative . . . not to mention that we then cruised the store for free samples. We were still so stuffed at dinner time that everyone chose to do a YOYO* night. Somehow, I ended up the clear winner in this, since I didn't have to cook!

*YOYO = You're On Your Own

Project 365: Day 19

Emily got me hooked on Bare Minerals a year and a half ago. I'd used Clinique for years and it was no longer working well with my skin. Emily said great things about Bare Minerals, including the tip that it was "only" $60 for the starter kit. I almost fell off my chair. I thought about it for a year before I finally was brave enough to give it a try.

Within the first few days, my skin felt terrific--even when I wasn't wearing it. The foundation lasts forever; in a year and a half, I am partway through my second pot. I use it every day, and I don't tend to skimp on it, but you just don't need a lot. It's easy to blend, and although it's in powder form, does not look powdery or act like your grandma's powder. I still like the way it looks and feels on my face.

Last year, I bought one of the smaller eye kits, and a few weeks ago, I ordered a "party pack." Okay, I don't remember the "official" name, but it was a set of nine eye shadows and liners, slightly smaller than the standard size. FUN stuff, I'm enjoying trying new colors and mixing and matching.

I also bought the liner sealer, since my Bare Minerals liner often wears off. Wow. You mix a drop of this in with the powder liner, and it sticks like Magic Marker. In fact, my regular make up remover (admittedly, I just use baby oil) would not budge this stuff, and I had to buy real remover to get it off. I put some on my hand to see how long it would last, and it held up to handwashing and regular chores for the entire day, still looking good in the evening.

Yep, fun stuff...great stuff.

Recap of the week

Trevor's snowman

We had a couple of things canceled this week, including the homeschool group game night that Trevor and I had planned to attend. Our museum field trip and riding time for Holly were rescheduled because of the weather. We spent some volunteer time one afternoon at the food bank.

"Choice" does not seem to go hand-in-hand with public education here, so when I see an opportunity, I look twice. There is a high school option for children that are very strong in math and science. The program has been around for many years (20?), and a friend and I attended an informational meeting this week. I wanted to see if it's something we'd consider for Trevor.

Yes, I know that's four years away, but there's nothing like planning ahead. It works for me. We put Holly on the charter school waiting list when she was one, and our foresight gained her kindergarten entrance. It also opened my eyes to the different curriculum and school choices that were available, surely a precursor to our ultimate decision to homeschool.

Anyhow, the math and science school has definitely possibilities, and now I can keep an eye on Trevor's math progression over the next few years to make sure he has the pre-requisites that would allow him to apply.

That was also the night that my GPS led me onto a dirt PATH adjacent to both the school and a busy intersection. That was rather embarrassing, but at least it was dark and other cars couldn't see the numbskull who was driving. Besides, I'm getting almost used to these little unexpected side trips . . .

Our school year is officially half over, yippee!

We're excited!

Holly was able to get in a great riding lesson, hitting a trail with her instructor and another girl, whom she really liked. She passed on the opportunity to ride this weekend, however, with the weather being so yukky (a little more snow and a lot more cold in the forecast).

Trevor played outside in the snow for several hours. I'm glad he enjoyed it so much, and I am wondering if this is the most snow we'll see this year. Part of me hopes so, but the kids like it so much.

Yesterday's sunset

We're just plugging along, and what is usually a dreary time of year has not been so dreary.

Project 365: Day 18

What the heck?

Earlier this week, I heard that today, Friday, was a state holiday. I knew that Monday is a federal holiday, honoring Martin Luther King. I figured that someone in Virginia did a poor job planning holidays this year, and that both days were celebrating King.

We all know the famous phrase about assuming . . .

Today IS a state holiday--Lee-Jackson Day, a day in which state offices shut down to honor jointly Robert E. Lee and Stonewall Jackson.

Interesting.

(Can I say it's the oddest thing I've encountered here in the past five months?)

And I thought all I had to do to "be Southern" was drink sweet tea and say "y'all."

In a really odd twist, when President Reagan in 1983 declared a national holiday honoring Martin Luther King, Virginia decided to add it on to the already existing Lee-Jackson Day. Lee-Jackson-King Day was a single official holiday here until 2000, when King was finally given his own day.

I know we won't be celebrating Lee-Jackson Day today (although we won't do anything remarkable for MLK Day either). But it will give me pause to wonder how in the world one would have gone about celebrating Lee-Jackson-King Day . . .

Project 365: Day 17

My very own snow angel. Awwwwww!



The kids were so happy when they woke up and found it had snowed a few inches overnight! They were so sweet, and the snow fell gently for several hours. This is our first snow of the season. (Hah, in January, I LOVE it!) It may well be the most snow we get all year. Over the weekend, our neighbors mentioned that it's been many years since there's been a big snow here. "What's 'big'?" we asked. "Oh, 'bout a foot," they replied. ("YES!!!!" I'm thinking the whole time!)

A neighbor had his big tractor out and plowed the road. This was great, I do worry about our street in the snow, because it's very narrow, with several hills and twists--and I imagine it to be quite unforgiving.

But I cracked up when he came and plowed our driveway. There may have been 4" of snow total, my van could have made it out without any problem. I thanked him and felt rather guilty. I doubt I would have shoveled it off my driveway in Colorado. (And I was wondering exactly what a snowplow would do to the gravel on my driveway too.)



It was great to know how friendly and helpful the neighbors are!

Project 365: Day 16

WHERE did the maid go, and why did she leave this giant mess of dinner dishes here?



Oh yeah. She's probably out taking pictures somewhere.

Project 365: Day 15

We have psychotic weather. For some reason, I thought it was exclusive to Colorado.

10:15 a.m. The first real snow I've seen falling this winter.


11:15 a.m. Back to the usual blue sky.


BUT I'm not complaining!

Project 365: Day 14

It may be Stickville . . .


but there's always something exciting!


(So much for me leaving my camera at home when Robert's in the car. I could have missed a shot like this!)

Weekly menu

Kids: McDonald's; Parents: YOYO

Robert's choice; Kristine won't be home

reuben sandwiches, pasta salad, chips

breakfast burritos

galoush, salad, french bread

grilled cheese and soup

???

Lunch (with or for):
smoothies
grilled PB&J
Linda's Marinated Mozzarella


On the back burner:
grilled flank steak
taco salad
chicken

Project 365: Day 13

Here's something you don't see every day! It's a nicely "restored" Ford Pinto, complete with collector plates. (And if you don't know what a Pinto is, please don't ask, because then I'll just feel old.)

Robert and I saw this in town. He was NOT thrilled when we drove past it and I begged him to drive around the block so I could take a picture.

I'm sure he's regretting buying me this new camera.

In fact, after telling me that I can NO LONGER bring the camera in the car when he's driving, he amended that to I can NO LONGER bring the camera in the car when he's there.

Sure, honey. Anything you say!

Q&A

I was going to post about Trevor's science curriculum . . . But then I saw this on Renee's blog and shamelessly stole it. Um, thanks, Renee!!!


1. WHO WERE YOU NAMED AFTER?

No one.

2. WHEN WAS THE LAST TIME YOU CRIED?

Serious crying, probably a few months ago. Sentimentally tearing up, sometime in the past day or two.

3. DO YOU LIKE YOUR HANDWRITING?

Sure. It's much neater since teaching third grade cursive.

4. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE LUNCH MEAT?

Not ham.

5. DO YOU USE SARCASM ALOT?

Oh, NEVER.

6. DO YOU STILL HAVE YOUR TONSILS?

Last time I checked.

7. WOULD YOU BUNGEE JUMP?

Haha, no.

8. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE CEREAL?

Frosted Mini Wheats.

9. DO YOU UNTIE YOUR SHOES WHEN YOU TAKE THEM OFF?

Crocs don't have laces. And my tennies are slip on (I don't wear them anyway.)

10. DO YOU THINK YOU ARE STRONG?

No!

11. What is your favorite ice cream?

Breyer's mint chocolate chip.

12. WHAT IS THE FIRST THING YOU NOTICE ABOUT PEOPLE?

I really don't know.

13. RED OR PINK?

Pink.

14. WHAT IS THE LEAST FAVORITE THING ABOUT YOU?

I certainly wouldn't TELL.

15. WHO DO YOU MISS THE MOST?

I'm supposed to miss someone?

16. WHAT COLOR PANTS AND SHOES ARE YOU WEARING?

Blue striped pj bottoms and socks.

17. WHAT WAS THE LAST THING YOU ATE?

Dry Frosted Mini Wheats and a glass of milk.

18. WHAT ARE YOU LISTENING TO RIGHT NOW?

The dishwasher.

19. IF YOU WERE A CRAYON, WHAT COLOR WOULD YOU BE?

Copper.

20. FAVORITE SMELLS?

Dh's cologne; my kids.

21. WHO WAS THE LAST PERSON YOU TALKED TO ON THE PHONE?

Mother in law.

22. DO YOU LIKE THE PERSON WHO SENT THIS TO YOU?

Yes! (But I stole it from her.)

23. FAVORITE SPORTS TO WATCH?

Iron Chef America? American Idol knockdown?

24. HAIR COLOR?

Brown.

25. EYE COLOR?

Brown.

26. DO YOU WEAR CONTACTS?

No.

27. FAVORITE FOOD?

Frosted Mini Wheats, pizza, ice cream.

28. SCARY MOVIES OR HAPPY ENDINGS?

Happy endings.

29. LAST MOVIE YOU WATCHED?

We're watching Raiders of the Lost Ark and will finish tomorrow.

30. WHAT COLOR SHIRT ARE YOU WEARING?

An old blue thermal shirt of Robert's (my pjs).

31. SUMMER OR WINTER?

Summer!

33. HUGS OR KISSES?

Hugs.

34. FAVORITE DESSERT?

Ice cream.

(Hmm. Wonder why there isn't a number 35?)

36. What book are you reading now?

A fictional book about the Plague, Tony Dungy's bio, a book about the James River, the Daily Bible, and I may have forgotten one.

37. What's on your mouse pad?

Cute personalized cartoon graphic of our family. (Ew, it's really dirty too.)

38. WHAT DID YOU WATCH ON TV LAST NIGHT?

Full House DVDs with Holly.

39. FAVORITE SOUND?

Crickets and bugs at night!

40. ROLLING STONES OR BEATLES?

Either is okay, I'm not overly fond of either.

41. WHAT IS THE FARTHEST YOU HAVE BEEN FROM HOME?

Mystic, CT when I lived in California?

42. DO YOU HAVE A SPECIAL TALENT?

Yes!

43. WHERE WERE YOU BORN?

New Jersey!

Project 365: Day 12

We are not nearly as dependent upon our library this year, but this week's books reflect upcoming school topics: medieval France; the plague; Chaucer. (I should have bought that Barbara Cohen/Chaucer book, but we'll have to muddle through without!)

While in the online catalog, I stumbled upon this movie (The Inn of the Sixth Happiness) starring Ingrid Bergman as Gladys Aylward. But a closer look at the amazon reviews indicate this may not be a great choice. We read the book a few months ago, but (not surprisingly) Hollywood has taken many liberties, and I have no desire to do a bit by bit comparison. On the plus side, we rarely ever sit down to watch a real movie, so no one should be too disappointed.


(Besides, if we want "reality," Robert picked up Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark . . . and American Idol begins on Tuesday. lol)

Project 365: Day 11

The morning after a day of rain in the woods.

Curriculum! (Part 34B)

I started writing about science curriculum two months ago. And it took me two or three times longer than that to decide what we were going to use this year.

It seems that Apologia is by far the most popular middle school science curriculum. But when I first saw it several years ago, I wanted to cry. I knew it would never be a good fit at our house; Holly and I would both hate it. It was way too dry and way too long. I've been considering other possibilities--ANY possibility--ever since.

My loopy friends Cindy and Lisa highly recommended Rainbow Science. The hardest part about choosing Rainbow was the cost. Curriculum definitely increases in cost as the kids get older. It included a two year textbook and all supplies for 7th grade, but the cost was $250. (There's also a teacher's manual and a lab book.) I don't have to say that's a lot of money to commit. But Cindy and Lisa continued to encourage me, and Lee always recommends investing in your weakness.



We jumped in with both eyes closed, but it's been an excellent choice. Seventh grade covers physics, chemistry and biology. The program is set up for two lessons per week, plus one lab. The lessons are short, 1-2 pages, jam packed with information, along with great photos; the labs, which vary in length, are self-explanatory and usually basic. Each lab typically requires several materials, and it's been a huge convenience to have everything right there in the kit. The only thing I've needed to come up with is a gallon of distilled water.

For more than a year, I'd hoped, then planned, then begged Robert to teach Holly science this year. When we finally got the materials in September, I mentioned it again, and he seemed surprised that I'd asked. (It seems to be a male genetic trait in the family.) He was less than enthusiastic. I considered giving it over to Holly to do on her own; it's written at a 7th grade level. But the author often states that the parents should be at least familiar with the material, so I knew it would be best if I committed myself. I'm learning a LOT. Usually Holly and I do the lessons together, sometimes she'll do them on her own. When she needs a lab helper, I'll volunteer.



While we've used some type of science curriculum throughout elementary, I've tried to keep it relaxed, allowing my kids to follow their interests. Rainbow has been a great transition into a formal science program. It's easy, even for a non-sciencey mom, to teach, and Holly finds it engaging. (She catches the concepts much more quickly, and I'm often left scrambling to look at my answer book to see if she's right--and she always is.) It would have been possible to bring Trevor along in this, he would not have had trouble keeping up but would have needed guidance with the labs. Rainbow has definitely been a HIT for us this year.

Project 365: Day 10

AARRGGHH!!!!

I.
can't.
stand.
to.
have.
stuff.
all.
over.
my.
floor.
or.
my.
table.

It's okay when someone is sitting there actively working in it, but this was here overnight. And while my ds would say it's all cleaned up, I don't think it's looking much better yet tonight.

:0

Project 365: Day 9

One of the new things I'm doing this year is creating a food budget. I'm not sure exactly how I want to go about it; I've never been on a food budget before. It's not like I've ever freely spent thousands of dollars on food. I watch for buy most of my meat and produce on sale, check the grocery ads, and definitely compare prices. But I've never paid much attention to exactly how much I'm spending either.

Welcome to 2008.

Robert and I have decided to trim the fat on our food bill (pun intended). We'll see how it goes. At this point, I'm watching my purchases more closely, cutting back on snack food, planning my meals with prices in mind, and considering some of the suggestions that my loopy friends made when they participated in a challenge a few months back. At the end of the month, I'll have a good baseline, and then I can set a goal to go lower.

So far, it seems pretty fun, and I think I'll enjoy challenging myself.

Project 365: Day 8

Trevor pondering his next move at chess club tonight.

Project 365: Day 7

Trevor and I walked to the end of the street, enjoying the record heat.

Nooooooooooo!

"Noooooooo! No! No, no, no! I don't WANT to go back to school todaaaaaaaaayyyyyyy!!!!"

The screaming and crying this morning was almost unbearable. But I finally pulled myself together and was able to wake Holly and Trevor up to start the day.

This has been a bomb of a school year for us. (But I honestly have to wonder if I always think that at this time of year.) This year has never gelled for us like in years past, where we've always crammed as much as possible in over the first few months, so that we could slow down and relax a little when the post-Christmas winter doldrums hit.

I'd planned a one week Christmas break. Ours lasted three. And after such a long break, there's no way we can jump back into school with two feet. I've scheduled an "ease-back-into-it" kind of week.

We stopped reading Tabitha (our Advent story) and will read several chapters a day this week to finish on Friday.

Trevor's Christmas photo journal died a sudden death when school stopped. He's decided to take photos of his gifts and write about those instead.

After attempting to tackle Henty and read In Freedom's Cause (about Scotland's liberation from England in the 1300s), I finally gave Holly the good news today: We've stopped reading it. This was NOT a fun book to read.

Holly's science lab from our last week of school still is not completed, so it goes on this week's schedule.

As much as I love Artistic Pursuits (and will review eventually), Holly continues to loathe it. I've tossed that aside too, allowing her to keep her own Project 365 blog. I'm determined to count something for art this year . . . and we've really wanted her to get back into photography, even without an instructor.

To top it off, we hit 67 degrees today. We almost broke out the bathing suits. It was a good end to a day that didn't look so bright at the beginning. I'm just hoping we can make it through four more this week.

:)

Weekly menu

spaghetti, salad, breadsticks

YOYO

french onion soup, salad, bread

pizza

Grilled Fusion Pork Chops, couscous, peas

shrimp in garlic wine sauce, rice or noodles, broccoli

turkey in the crockpot, mashed potatoes, peas, cranberry nut bread, pumpkin pie


Lunch (with or for):
smoothies
grilled PB&J

On the back burner:
breakfast burritos
galoush
reuben sandwiches, pasta salad, chips
grilled flank steak
taco salad
chicken

Project 365: Day 6

"Mom, how did your legs get so tan?"



My 9 year old son's question struck me like a knife. It's a homeschool mom's biggest fear. Not only have I stunted him socially, I've also stunted him culturally. The poor child does not know what pantyhose is.

He doesn't remember when I used to work. In general, I make sure I don't have to wear them, preferring summer dresses and sandals, or slacks (when I have to dress up, that is).

Pantyhose, nylons. They've always been a torture to me. I can remember wearing them to church when I was 10. (Which leads to the obvious question, what 10 year old wears nylons to church? I have no idea.) And every time I wore them, I would feel sick and end up leaving the service early. I never minded wearing the little lace doily on my head (part of the dress code when we went with my Grandma); but the nylons were insufferable. I've always hated the way they strangle my waist.

When I grew up About twenty years ago, I tried the hideous thigh high hose. My tummy felt fine, but all of my thigh fat was pushed up and out, spilling over the tops of the thigh bands. Not particularly attractive, even under clothing.

My only relief to the hose came when I would slice the waistband with scissors, a few inches on each side. It seemed wrong to immediately and deliberately ruin a nice, new pair of hose, but at least I could breathe, and I no longer was left with a waist welt when the hose came off.

I wasn't thinking of that on my wedding day. I brought brand new hose (a pair and a spare) to the church to get dressed. As I pulled on the new pair, I knew I was in big trouble. (Why I even wore the stupid stuff baffles me now; no one would have known exactly what I was wearing under that dress.) Someone remembered my dad carried a pocket knife, and I gingerly sliced through the new hose, saving the day.

Since I stopped working six years ago, I've worn nylons just a few of times, not even once a year, just when I would wear a skirt to church for Christmas. I definitely prefer jeans, slacks or casual dresses, and I don't go anywhere where I have to dress up.

I forgot how much I dislike nylons, until I pulled them on again this morning. (I bought a skirt for church a few weeks ago, and I don't think I'll be buying another anytime soon.) The first pair I pulled on ran right in the middle of my shin. I'm just glad it happened before I left the house.

Anyway, I'm not sure what I said in response to Trevor's question. But it's clear we both need to get out more.

Project 365: Day 5

::snicker::

Cornbread Recipe

So the Chicken-Chipotle-Mango Sausage only went over well with me and Trev. We have similar tastes, and we certainly aren't as picky as Rob and Holly. I'm not sure if they really liked the Black Beans and Rice in a box either. But everyone liked the cornbread.

CORNBREAD

1 c. flour
1 c. cornmeal
1/2 c. sugar
1 t. salt
2 t. baking powder
1 c. milk
1 egg
1/3 to 1/2 c. oil
1/2 t. vanilla

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Lightly grease a 9" round or 8" square pan.

In a bowl, combine the dry ingredients, and then stir in the wet ingredients until well combined. Pour batter into prepared pan.

Bake 22-28 mins. until golden brown on top, or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the bread comes out clean.

Cooking with Kristine

I like cooking, and I enjoy trying new recipes. I often post recipes, whether they are old favorites or new hits. I like to think I've turned into a pretty decent cook, but it hasn't always been that way.

One popular food I've never successfully made is Minute Rice. And if you think I'm exaggerating, you'd be wrong. I tried many times for twenty years before finally giving it up as hopeless five years ago.

My kids think that making boxed macaroni and cheese requires the water to boil over the sides of the pan. Good thing, because I do that more often than not.


Many times, no matter how good I think a new recipe looks, it doesn't turn out the way I've envisioned. This has happened enough over the years that Robert always had the Dominos Pizza phone number ready just in case. And he wasn't joking.

After watching Food Network for the past two years, my family expects me to "plate" the food and take a picture before we eat. Unfortunately, I don't keep the pictures of the food that doesn't live up to its expectations. (Otherwise this would be one rreeaallyy long post.)

A few months ago, Robert promised Trevor a "seafood night." He left it for me to pull off. This was harder than it sounds, because Robert and Holly do not eat seafood. The idea sat on my Weekly Menu for quite a while before I came through. Trevor thinks he likes crab cakes. I say "thinks" because the only one he had was several years ago. Included on "seafood night" were crab cakes.


Do they look good? They weren't. I reviewed a few dozen recipes before coming up with one that seemed pretty easy and was highly rated. I think the voting was rigged.

Then there was the Italian Wedding Soup a few weeks ago. We used to buy Safeway's homemade Italian Wedding Soup. It was great but really expensive. In an odd coincidence, my mom said that she made the soup, and Mike liked it so much that he made more the next day. I was so excited to find out what recipe she used--she was rather incredulous and replied, "He opened a can of Campbell's--Italian Wedding Soup."

So I decided to make my own. Again, I scoured through recipes, choosing the highest rated one, 5 out of 5 stars from 4,985,549 reviews (or close). Making 140 little meatballs wasn't easy.


But the sad thing was when the soup did not taste that great. There we were with a giant pot of soup, and most of us gamely tried to finish what was in our bowl. That was a recipe rating that was definitely rigged too.

So about that Dominos Pizza backup thing: It's a problem now, living in Stickville. We actually DO have a Dominos, it opened after we moved here. We're glad about that, except it's 20 minutes away, and they don't deliver out here.

When I told Robert yesterday that I was planning to have the Chicken-Chipotle-Mango Sausage last night for dinner, he suggested I stop at the store and get a take and bake pizza. (He's a pretty tactful guy.) We may have let it sit out too long before baking it, I'm not sure. The crust had risen too much and wouldn't slide off the plastic tray to go into the oven. We ended up folding it in half and calling it a calzone. We were desperate. While we were able to finally get the pizza off the tray, it didn't cook up that well, hard on the outside, not cooked enough dough in the middle. Holly ate just the pizza insides, minus the sausage. Trevor ate just the sausage. Robert and I each had only one piece (which I guess is really equivalent to two pizza slices).



It's tough to have a pizza backup when you can't count on the pizza to turn out.

(We had the Chicken-Chipotle-Mango Sausage tonight instead, and as usual, only two of us liked it. Oh well!)

Project 365: Day 4

On the back road to town.