Project 365: Day 51

Currently on my nightstand:


No time to blog, since I want to finish the two books on the right before Saturday!

Project 365: Day 50

Some amazing things going on in the skies this week, particularly on Wednesday.


There will be a total eclipse from about 10 pm to 11 pm Eastern time. The partial eclipse window will be an hour longer on either side. Check out NASA's excellent page on this here.

At 10:30 pm EST the US Navy plans to shoot down that errant satellite over the Pacific ocean. It will be 5:30 pm in Hawaii--what is the significance of shooting it down in the exact middle of the eclipse? It's been interesting to talk about with the kids some of what is involved here.

Another site with info on both events is SpaceWeather.

Wow, American Idol will be on for two hours also. It all makes for an exciting Wednesday night. :)

Weekly menu

90 Minute Perfect Pot Roast, mashed potatoes, carrots

blts, cottage cheese, chips

Italian sausage sandwiches

sloppy joes, salad

YOYO

giant burritos

eggplant parmesan with Italian sausage (yes again)


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

On the back burner:
chicken souvlaki, coucous, pita bread
Barb's macaroni/hot wing thing
hot dogs, pasta salad
roasted chicken
cube steak, mashed potatoes, _________
smoked pork chops

Project 365: Day 49

Looks like my kitties have discovered the secret of the toilet paper roll too.



They did this frequently in the old house. I heard a big commotion in my bathroom earlier today, and I figured they were using the bathtub as a velodrome. They do that a lot. Instead they were busy teepeeing.

Recipe - 90 Minute Perfect Pot Roast

We've been here for six months, and I've been unable to find one of our favorite, and easiest meals. (Sniff, sniff.)



I've made pot roast before. Several times. But I've only found one recipe that turns out great.



90 MINUTE PERFECT POT ROAST
(from start to finish, this is really more like a 2 hour roast)

2 T. oil
1 flat, boneless chuck roast, 2-2.5 lbs., with as few muscles as possible, a generous amount of fat separating those muscles, and as much marbling as possible, patted dry with a paper towel
Salt and pepper
2 medium-large onions, halved and thinly sliced (about 2 c.)
1-1/4 to 1-1/2 c. dry red wine
1 T. cornstarch
2 c. chicken broth

Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 450.

Set a heavy bottomed Dutch oven over medium heat on the stove while preparing the meat and onions. Pour oil into medium bowl (or the styrofoam roast tray), add roast and turn to coat. Generously sprinkle both sides of roast with salt and pepper. A few minutes before you plan to brown roast, turn heat to high. Add roast to dutch oven, cook on one side until a solid brown crust forms, 5 mins. Turn roast over, and cook until other side also forms a crust, 5 mins. Remove roast from pot. Tilt pot. If meat has not rendered 1 T. fat, add enough oil to the pot to equal 1 T.

Add onions and saute until soft and golden brown around edges, 5 mins. Add wine (the smaller amount if dutch oven is 9.5" in diameter or less), simmer for 1 min. to burn off alcohol. Return pot roast to pot and turn off heat.

Cover pot with heavy foil, pressing down snugly to form a *concave* lid that touches the roast inside the pan. AND place pot lid on pot. Return pot to burner and cook over med.-high heat until you hear juices bubbling.

Set pot in oven and cook 1 hour and 20 mins. until roast is dark brown and tender and onions and pan juices are nicely brown and caramelized. Remove from oven and let stand, covered, for 10-15 mins. Carefully remove lid and foil from pot and remove roast to a plate.

Skim fat from surface, if you like, and heat onions and drippings over med. high heat. Mix cornstarch with chicken broth and add to drippings. Simmer, scraping pot sides and bottom to loosen brown bits, until thickened slightly, 2 to 3 mins. Return toast to pot to simmer for a minute or two. Remove roast from juices.

Cut meat into thin slices, making sure that you are cutting against grain. Transfer meat to a platter and spoon juice over.

* * *

You can see the appeal of Laura's, which took a grand total of 5 minutes to nuke in the microwave lovingly prepare.

But while we don't have Laura's Pot Roast here, we do have Chow Chow in a jar. Don't laugh. Robert's mom used to make the real deal, but she hasn't done that in about 15 years. Beggars can't be choosers, and although we found out this is made with cabbage instead of green tomatoes, it was an AWESOME addition to our pot roast.




Lose Laura's. Gain Chow Chow. Fair trade.

Project 365: Day 48

My son is a pretzel.



He wanted me to give it a try.

Right.

Project 365: Day 47

I went to a baby shower today for Kelly, a new friend who will be traveling to China in a few weeks to adopt their new daughter. (Turns out Kelly and her family moved here from Littleton a year before we moved here. There are several more really weird "coincidences" regarding me and the shower today, all too involved to post here.)



The party was hosted by another friend who has adopted two young daughters from China in the past two years. The whole party was China themed, from decorations to food, VERY cute!



The shower--of course--was an hour away, and the highway was hazy with smoke from one of several fires that have been burning this week. (No, I didn't take this picture with my toes, I was stopped somewhere else!)



After the shower, I raced halfway home to meet Robert at the mall, grab Holly and head back up north for a 4H club visit to a local tack shop.

We got home quite late, the perfect excuse for us to have Very Veggie Guacamole for dinner.

Later in the evening, Holly and I settled in to watch a Partridge Family show. Poor girl, she's so patient with me. While riding in the car, I tortured her by playing my Partridge Family Greatest Hits CD. Twice. And I sang. The CIA is investigating a possible violation of the Geneva Convention.

It was a fun day.

I've been tagged

First it was DeEtta. And then it was Laura, followed quickly by Renita. Third time's a charm, I guess, and I'd better get this done before anyone else tags me again!

Here are the rules: Pick up the nearest book of 123 pages or more. Open the book to page 123 and find sentence number 5. Post the next 3 sentences. Tag 5 people.

From the book A Place to Belong: Book Four in the Sister Circle Series by Vonette Bright and Nancy Moser:

* * *

A glance, then away. "Well . . . yeah."

Soon-ja felt as if the wind had been knocked out of her.

* * *

I tag . . . well, I probably can't tag anyone. There's probably no one left! If you've not been tagged, consider it done now. :)

Recipe - Very Veggie Guacamole

A dumb name; a great recipe.

Confession: We had this for dinner tonight. FOR dinner, not with dinner. The only bad thing in it was the tortilla chips. LOL.

VERY VEGGIE GUACAMOLE

2 ripe avocados, peeled, pitted and mashed
juice of 1 lemon (2 to 2-1/2 T.)
scant 1/2 t. salt
1 large tomato, seeded and diced
1 c. black beans, rinsed and drained
1 c. cooked corn kernels
1 to 2 t. minced garlic
1 T. chopped green onion
2 T. bottled jalapeno peppers, chopped

Place mashed avocado in bowl. Add lemon juice and salt, then remaining ingredients. Serve with corn chips. Makes about 3-1/2 c.

Project 365: Day 46

I took Holly to her riding lesson this afternoon. I dropped her off and ran into town do take care of a few errands, but I came back in time to get a few shots.



There's nothing quite like a girl and a horse.



I can zoom in really tight on this photo and see that she's sticking her tongue out at me. Naughty girl. But look at Buddy. He's smiling for the camera.







Oh, now that's better!



(He's doing it again!)



It was a great day for her to ride!

Project 365: Day 45

We visited a nearby Natural History Museum with our local homeschool group today. It was quite nice in that the museum was on a delayed opening due to the weather--but they made special accommodations for our planned visit! The weather wasn't bad by us, but I guess it snowed a little overnight there, even though it was gone by the time we drove through.

It was a good diversion from our regular day. Trevor enjoyed seeing some of his friends, I met some new moms. Holly hung out and enjoyed not being home doing schoolwork. :)

Valentine's Day recap

Trevor excitedly put together Valentine boxes for Robert and me with little gifts inside.



Is he too sweet? He even added in a few pieces of my favorite cereal (okay, it's my favorite food too), some Kisses and even $1. That'll buy me a nice box of Good n Plenty!

* * *

Not knowing when we'd get home, I spent last night making most of tonight's dinner. The reviews:

PW's pan fried steak: Waaaay overseasoned. I used half of her seasoning recipe on two steaks. It didn't stop me from eating it, but it was too salty. Holly couldn't eat it; Robert didn't like it. Trevor--well, he's like me, he likes everything.

PW's garlic mashed potatoes: Everyone liked these! I was surprised, I didn't know how the garlic would go over (a hit!). I mashed them over low heat, seeing if it would dry them a bit, and I was worried they were too dry--but that wasn't the case. I even have some leftover garlic that I can't wait to use on something!

Ginger's spinach Madeline: This is always a hit, as expected.

PW's chocolate pie: I used some sort of pasteurized egg product. I can handle ONE raw egg in a little bit of cookie dough, but four raw eggs in this seemed gross. At home, I realized my eggs were fat free. I beat them in according to the pie directions, and everything came out fine. Robert and Trevor thought the pie was too sweet; Holly and I have never thought that about any food. It was quite good, and she and I are happy to eat the rest to spare the guys all that sugar. :)

I can't even talk about the half box of Valentine candy I ate after dinner. Ugh.

Happy Valentine's Day!

For God so loVed the world
..... .that He gAve
. ..... . .His onLy
. . ... ...begottEn
. . . ...... . .SoN,
. . . . . ........ .That whoever
...... .believes In Him
...... . .should Not perish
... ...but have Everlasting life.

John 3:16

Project 365: Day 44

I have love/hate feelings towards the seagulls. They are rather cute, funny to watch, and I like hearing their obnoxious screeching. I always got a kick out of seeing them in Colorado, imagining the gusts of wind blowing them over the Sierras. They crack me up here, gathering in the occasional parking lots.

But they are also nasty, gross little beggars, nothing more than sylphlike pigeons. I imagine them to be bug infested, horrid little germ carriers.

They still make me smile, as long as I don't think about them too much.

Book Review - An Undivided Heart by Vonette Bright and Nancy Moser

This is book three of the pleasantly entertaining Sister Circle series. I started reading the series two years ago and picked it up again when I found that my library carried it.

When Evelyn Peerbaugh's husband dies unexpectedly, she begins taking female borders into her home as a way to gain income. The books revolve around the different women, their friendships and personal lives. As some of the women move out, they remain friends of Evelyn's and thus remain in the storylines. Other women are introduced as they move into the house.

I would much prefer the Yada Yada Prayer Group books. But they aren't an option, and these are a nice diversion. The series has grown on me since book one, and I just started reading book four, which is the final story.

If you're actively looking for something to read, this is a gentle and easy series to slip in and out of.

Weekly menu

soup, grilled cheese sandwiches

pizza

spaghetti, bread sticks, salad

Valentine's: Because I am completely uninspired, we're having PW's pan fried steak (NY instead of ribeye), PW's garlic mashed potatoes, Ginger's spinach Madeline, and PW's chocolate pie (with pasteurized eggs, not raw)

sweet and sour meatballs, egg rolls, wontons

YOYO

Italian sausage


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

On the back burner:
Barb's macaroni/hot wing thing
pot roast
sloppy joes
hot dogs, pasta salad
chicken souvlaki, coucous, pita bread
roasted chicken
smoked pork chops
giant burritos
BLTs, cottage cheese, chips
cube steak, mashed potatoes, _________

Project 365: Day 43

Oh, dear. The Potomac Primaries should not be a laughing matter, should they?

Robert reviews his choices for President and decides to laugh instead of cry.

Actually, he's laughing at a joke he made. He does that a lot. He's usually the only one.

Haha.

Project 365: Day 41 and 42

My brain is still half frozen. Here's the rundown in pictures.

We came home from church yesterday to find the power out.



Thinking it wouldn't be down for long, Robert took Holly to riding. Trevor and I played Mancala.



And Scattergories.



I have been glad over and over again that we've hung on to this regular phone. Our others are cordless and require electricity. Whenever the power goes out (here or at the old house), we have to search for this old phone, but it's been a huge relief to have it. I called the power company and was told to expect power by 7:30.



Trevor settled in to play Gameboy.



I reached for my book.



Robert and Holly came home, and we ended up heading into town to eat at --TADA-- McDonald's. It was yukky. In a yummy, greasy and gross sort of way.



When we came home, we lit all the candles and electric lanterns.



Holly wrote; Trevor and I played more games; Robert did...I have absolutely no idea what he did. The power came back on and we were quite excited. And then it went off one minute later. We went to bed expecting it to come on in the middle of the night. It didn't.

Assuming that the power would be on, Robert had promised the kids McDonald's for breakfast if it was still out.

(Note: This is a sure way to guarantee the power won't come back on anytime soon.)



I really didn't care about the food. I just needed caffeine. Badly and lots of it.



Feeling human again, we toured the town. This means we checked out the wind damage that tore the roof off this store last night.



At Holly's suggestion, we stopped at the library. I was just glad for a warm place to hang out. The kids were glad to see computers.



We came home briefly. By this time, the novelty had completely worn off. Worse, the power company continued to tell us that we might not have power until 4 p.m. on Wednesday. It was difficult pretending that this was FUN, and we found another excuse to head back to town. Honestly, we just wanted to sit in a warm car. And shop at Walmart. And Lowe's. Anything to be out!

We finally came back home to the freezing house. Rummaging through science materials, I found a thermometer, but since I don't know how to convert Celsius to Fahrenheit, I just knew that 10C was too cold.

Robert made us hot chocolate, coffee and tea by heating water on the bbq. He's SO resourceful, he takes SUCH good care of us, and he puts an element of FUN into stuff like this. He put soup on the bbq too, when WOOOOOOOOOOOO, everything came back on!!!!! Just in time, because after 30+ hours of no heat, I was truly miserable and my toes were beginning to freeze.

I found out that 10C roughly equals 51F.



And we were SO happy that Robert even smiled for the camera.



I am SOOOO thankful that:
nothing major spoiled in the freezer;
we didn't have to go to bed in the freezing house;
we didn't have to wake up in the freezing house;
and we can now flush the toilets whenver we want!!!

Everyone will sleep well tonight.

Blown away

Our power was knocked out sometime yesterday morning. In the past, it's been easy to make an adventure out of it. We'd light a fire in the fireplace, pretend we were living Little House on the Prairie.

But we don't have a fireplace anymore, nor any type of alternative heat. Our well pump is powered by electricity.

We had severe high winds all day yesterday. Trees were knocked down across roads, and we saw and heard chainsaws in an effort to clear the trees. Last night, power was out from Kentucky through central Virginia (at least in many locations). The power company said our specific outage was caused by three breaks in our lines, and they were expecting to get our power up by 7:30 p.m. At 8:30, it went back on--for about 60 seconds, before blinking and going out again.

This morning, they were no longer giving out times for different areas, just that all was expected to be back on by Wednesday at 4:00 p.m.! Eeek!!!

Thanks to Holly, who wanted to check her email, we are at the library for now--staying warm and playing on the computers. Besides, I was desperate to come into town and get COFFEE. It would not be good to have a day without caffeine.

It goes without saying that I don't want to go for two more days without power. Robert said it's weird to have the power out without snow on the ground. But it's not like it's warm out!

Project 365: Day 40

We don't have to fax things very often, but it always ends up being a huge chore. We have to drive into town when the fax store is actually open and pay a few dollars per page. Of course it's never something that can wait a day or two. Between gas and fax charges, it's ridiculously expensive (my library doesn't fax).

I'd looked at fax machines several months ago, but I only found combination printer/copier/scanner/faxes. Since I didn't need any of that, I gave up searching. I don't print that much, just a few school schedules and other minor things each week. I don't buy the color ink cartridges, and I certainly don't print photos from home.

But I was back on the computer last night, reading through online computer magazine recommendations and personal user reviews. The huge variations drove me batty, and I was left absolutely clueless (admittedly nothing new).

Today, Robert and I hit the store. Because I don't "need" a new printer, and have no use for a scanner or home copier, we ended up buying just a fax machine. After the rebate, it was $40. This was much better than the fancy $150 all-in-one that Robert really wanted. He liked the cute little screen. But honestly, it was so big that I would have had to park it in my garage. Oh . . . wait . . . I don't HAVE a garage . . .

So now I have a lovely little fax machine that will probably earn its keep within four months. And my printer will probably break down before then, and Robert can tell me, "I told you so!" Or probably not.


:)

Book Review - The Burgess Bird Book for Children by Thornton W. Burgess

I typically don't review our read alouds here, but The Burgess Bird Book is an exception. As homeschoolers, we have delighted in getting to know Bobby Coon, Lightfoot the Deer, Paddy the Beaver, and all the creatures in and around the Green Forest. Most of the books tell the story from the perspective of each individual animal.

The Bird Book differs in that Peter Rabbit is the main character. Through the course of the year, Peter greets many of the different birds that come to or through the area, learning about their different characteristics: physical appearance, nesting habits, food choices, songs, and bird cousins.

We learned a lot from this book. Some of the physical descriptions got rather tedious, and the kids didn't miss anything when I skipped over the longer details. There were over 40 very short chapters, and we were able to read several a day. Holly was definitely too old for this book--at 9, Trevor loved it; he's our long-time biggest Burgess fan. They would look up each new bird, usually two or three to a chapter, in our Virginia Field Guide. (We had the Colorado book and enjoyed it so much that I looked for the VA version specifically when we moved.)

This was an excellent book seamlessly tying entertainment and knowledge into one. For a great preview/sample (pdf format), click here.

If you have younger kids and aren't familiar with this author, I can't recommend Burgess highly enough. I prefer the longer chapter books on individual animals books over the Old Mother West Wind stories.

Book Review - Quiet Strength: The Principles, Practices & Priorities of a Winning Life by Tony Dungy

As head coach of the Baltimore Colts, Tony Dungy's team won the Superbowl last year. But this autobiography tells the story of Tony the man, from his childhood in Michigan, his school experiences, his football career as both a player and a coach, his personal family life, and of his deep Christian faith.

Pros: interesting; Tony seems like a genuinely nice guy; a pleasant overview of football, coaching, and the various people with whom he worked. He successfully shared enough of his life but left out private details, and I didn't walk away feeling like I knew "too much."

Cons: I'm not a football fan, and the second half of the book detailed several different football plays; also in the second half of the book, Tony played a bit of the "race card," which I find pointless.

I enjoyed reading Tony's perspective on his life and of his priorities. Robert also read this book within the first day or two that I brought it home from the library. It was well-balanced and refreshing, definitely not just for football fans.

Project 365: Day 39

I went to the church Ladies Lunch today at a Mexican restaurant. I was a little nervous at first (what if I didn't recognize anyone?), but it was a really fun time. Over a dozen women were there, and I enjoyed getting to know them better.

Robert declared this photo "gross." I kind of liked it. It's no surprise that I was the only person taking pictures. It's nice that new people are tolerated, no matter how odd they might seem.



Note to self: Next time, make sure you're not the only one ordering Margaritas.

(Okay, that's a joke, that didn't really happen.)

Project 365: Day 38

I've been testing out my Macro setting on my camera. I thought I needed a special lens for this, but I accidentally found the button a few days ago. Lucky for me, I figured out how to turn it off too.



Several hours have been spent with my camera inches away from different kinds of food, my dogs face, and on the ladybug that's permanently taken up residence in my bathroom this winter. The truth is that I just don't want to see such things quite to clearly.

And just for good measure, I caught the sunset too. Although I'm addicted to minor photo editing, this is how it came out of my camera, and there's absolutely no way to improve it. :)

Project 365: Day 37

February. 70 degrees and cloudy yesterday; mid 60s and rainy today.

Trevor and I took Dogzilla on our walk yesterday up the street. Maybe we'll do that again--next year. Our dog is a slug in the house, but he's a complete spaz in public. That's putting it mildly, he's an absolute embarrassment. For six years, we had the opportunity to get him FREE training lessons, but we never did. (Further proof of how lazy I am.)

I didn't use a leash with him yesterday. First of all, we're out in the middle of nowhere, and I feel guilty even putting him on a leash. Second, it's not fun. Third, I couldn't find the leash.

Instead, Trevor and I repeatedly shouted, "Lucky. LUCKY!! LUCKY!!!!!" 2,371 times. I don't know why, maybe we thought Lucky would finally listen. He did have a good time. But I think it's much better for me if he just runs in the woods around our house.

Anyway, the weather's been lovely. We've been sleeping with the windows open.

Project 365: Day 36

Holly's 4-H club sometimes meets in a grocery store conference room. The blinds are pulled for the meeting, but I spotted this view. I liked the different perspective. It no longer fazes Holly when I pull out my camera in public (poor girl). It was only 8 p.m., but the town apparently shuts down at 7.

Weekly menu

I think I'm being optimistic. Tuesday was 70 degrees, and Wednesday should be the same. But by the time I'm planning on summer meals, the weather will cool again.

*************

Robert's beef noodle soup

chicken, potato salad, bread

YOYO

cheeseburgers, cabbage ramen salad

giant burritos

BLTs, cottage cheese, chips

cube steak, mashed potatoes, _________


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

On the back burner:
Barb's macaroni/hot wing thing
pot roast
sloppy joes
Italian sausage
hot dogs, pasta salad
chicken souvlaki, coucous, pita bread
sweet and sour meatballs, egg rolls, wontons?

Project 365: Day 35

I am SO lazy.

When we moved in to this house, there were no mirrors, no towel racks, no toilet paper holders. Robert and I went shopping at Lowe's, and price was a major consideration. While I didn't really care for these toilet paper holders and matching hand towel racks, I chose them because 1) they matched the bathroom fixtures, 2) they had enough in stock for all three of our bathrooms, and 3) they were on clearance (deciding factor there).




I didn't like the open end. I worried the t.p. or towels would fall off. That hasn't been the case.

But what surprised me is how much I ended up really liking these.

Yes, they match the fixtures. Yes, all three of the bathrooms match. Yes, there were a great price. But what I really like is that I never have to pop out the holder to put the new toilet paper on. It's simple to do one handed, slip off the old roll and slide on the new.

For some reason, it just makes life seem so easy. I'm a sloth.

Project 365: Day 34

What do you do when you spend an hour in the car driving to church? Robert cracks jokes to wake us up (even though it's after 9:00 a.m.). I watch the clock, wondering if it would ever be possible for us to get there five minutes early (apparently not).

As iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another. Pro. 27:17

Robert immediately knew this was the place for us. With all that's happened in the past year or so, it was no surprise that the first sermon Rob heard spoke directly to him. Speaking to the pastor after the service, it wasn't a surprise to know that he'd changed his sermon at the very last minute and didn't know why. And I guess it wasn't a surprise that Robert stayed and chatted for more than an hour before coming home. (When did my husband turn into such a talkative guy?)

Enthusiastically, Robert dragged us along the following week. It was nice, but I needed more convincing. Why couldn't we choose one of the 140 churches that were closer to home? And couldn't we leave the house sometime after 9:00 a.m.? (Well after?)

But we already know and love Calvary Chapels' teachings. This pastor is challenging and stretches us. The leadership seems strong and committed. This church is the perfect size. (I'm not sure what that is, maybe 150 people?) The people are soooooo incredibly friendly. I have been so happy to meet a lot of families here that homeschool. (Have I met anyone that hasn't?) We enjoy the worship team. There are many opportunities to meet during the week. And every time I go, I'm convinced again. Finding this church has been an answer to prayer, a wonderful blessing.

Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another – and all the more as you see the Day approaching. Heb. 10:25

Project 365: Day 33

This has only happened a few times. Conveniently, I had nothing better to do.

Project 365: Day 32

I TOOK THIS PICTURE!!!!!! How cool is that?!?!



Lisa in ME posted on this technique a few weeks ago. As soon as I saw the ice this morning, I knew today was the day to give it a try. Holly and I just had to wait for the rain to stop, and she took an amazing picture of this too. We didn't know how they'd really turn out until we put them on the computer, and we are quite pleased! Many thanks to Lisa for sharing this great tip!

Ice storm!

I don't think I've ever seen anything like this before.



It was an incredible day to go out and take pictures.



But we had to be careful of all the ice that was melting and crashing down from the tops of the trees, and the noise was almost deafening.



It was completely amazing.