Outside Temp: 34 F (it's still windy outside, but not too bad.)
What I cooked today:
Pizza and Bread sticks: We got our kit from Little Caesars for Allen's Fundraising last month. It included 3 medium pepperoni pizzas and bread sticks. We also got individual pizzas and cinnamon sticks, but I saved those for another day. The kit was really easy, just pull out the already formed crust, slather on the sauce, sprinkle on the cheese, place the pepperoni and throw in the oven. 8 minutes later, a nice warm pizza is available to be inhaled. Patrick even liked it, and he is very picky about what he eats. I should have bought more!
Update:
Patrick and I spent the day in Great Falls today. Ryan was feeling a little punky and he had a cough, so we let him stay with Grandma and Grandpa and watch movies all day (we didn't think it would be right to bring him into town or school).
We stopped at the Pierce Homes site, where they have some amazing modular homes. Of course, they all looked way too big for us. We are not really in the market to buy anything now, but we wanted to see what our options were. Since, if we were to actually buy a modular home, we would have a basement and the kids would all have their own rooms in the basement, we really only need a master bedroom, a kitchen, a dining room and (maybe) a family room. Perhaps an office or somewhere we can put the computers. But that would only come out to a 2 bedroom house, which they didn't have on site. It was a great experience to see how nice these places looked inside. There was one with an amazing kitchen, that I was just drooling over. Ahhh, how nice it would be to have a large kitchen with some actual counter space. But I'm still just grateful for working electrical and plumbing.
We also stopped by the Treasurer's office and got our permit to use the local dump. Since our place is out in the middle of nowhere, it's quite expensive to have garbage service. Patrick's dad had a permit last year, so they would go to the dump every 2-3 weeks, and remove all our garbage. But, since the permit expired at the end of the year, we have been waiting to get our permit since the first of January. Which honestly means there is a large pile in my garage, waiting patiently for us to remove it. Fortunately, it's been quite cold, so nothing is growing in there and there's no smell. But it's annoying and really needs to be removed. I'm hoping that Patrick can borrow his dads truck this week and get rid of my garbage soon!
We stopped at Office Max, since I had some office supplies I needed to pick up. Allen needed a day-timer to keep track of his homework (since he's apparently forgetting some) and I needed a new binder. Oh my goodness, thing are a lot more expensive outside of 'Back to School' time. Over $5 for a binder? Are you kidding me? They are about $2.50 at Wal-mart. That was the last time I'm going there for things I can get at Wal-Mart. Geez.
And, after we got home, Allen wanted to bring Grandma her pizzas. And, since Allen is about 13 1/2 now, I figured it was time. I let him drive up to the Grandparents, and back. It's about 2 1/2 miles on a dirt road. He did great! Although, he needs to learn about how hard to push the brake, and sometimes it's okay to go 30 MPH and sometimes you need to slow down to 20 MPH. I figure all that will come with time. I'm so excited to be able to teach him out here, with no one on the road, in a pretty safe environment. He was so proud of himself!
Tuesday, January 31, 2012
Monday, January 30, 2012
January 30, 2012
Outside Temp: 38 F (the wind has picked up... it's not in the 50mph range, yet, but it's still pretty windy)
What I cooked today:
Chili and Cornbread: We had our adult faith class tonight, so I needed something quick and easy. Allen joined in, expressing an interest in learning to cook. According to him, "It's a good thing to know". I laughed. Since I didn't learn to cook until the last few years, I firmly believe that it's a good thing to know.
Update:
After last night's canning adventure (until 2:30am) and then getting the kids up for school, I was exhausted. Katie came in around 5am with a nightmare (probably related to the wind) and then we got up at 7am for school. When Ryan and I got home from school around 10:45, we both headed to bed for a few hours. But before we knew it, it was 1pm, and we had to head back to school.
Ryan played PE with the kids from the 1st and 2nd grade class today. He had a great time, which was totally awesome. We will (hopefully) be able to do PE with the kids for the rest of the school year, which will be great for his behavior! It was only for about 20 minutes, but that's amazing for him.
What I cooked today:
Chili and Cornbread: We had our adult faith class tonight, so I needed something quick and easy. Allen joined in, expressing an interest in learning to cook. According to him, "It's a good thing to know". I laughed. Since I didn't learn to cook until the last few years, I firmly believe that it's a good thing to know.
Update:
After last night's canning adventure (until 2:30am) and then getting the kids up for school, I was exhausted. Katie came in around 5am with a nightmare (probably related to the wind) and then we got up at 7am for school. When Ryan and I got home from school around 10:45, we both headed to bed for a few hours. But before we knew it, it was 1pm, and we had to head back to school.
Ryan played PE with the kids from the 1st and 2nd grade class today. He had a great time, which was totally awesome. We will (hopefully) be able to do PE with the kids for the rest of the school year, which will be great for his behavior! It was only for about 20 minutes, but that's amazing for him.
Sunday, January 29, 2012
January 29, 2012
Outside Temp: 47 F (seriously! I'm trying to be patient, but winter is taking it's darn sweet time... I know... I'll hate it by April... )
What I cooked today:
French Toast: I love making breakfast for everyone on the weekend. Since the kids eat at school, we don't do breakfast on weekdays. So, I'm left with weekends to make awesome carbohydrate filled meals that you can pour pure sugar on...
Chicken and Rice Soup: Since I was making stock, Patrick was concerned that my pressure canner didn't actually do it's job last week. So, to prove that it was fine, we used the canned stock from last week for soup today (which was kind of stupid, since I had about 10 quarts of stock simmering on the stove). We popped open the jar, and there was no funky smell or anything. It just smelled like chicken stock. We made up the soup, and it tasted great. So, now he is comfortable with me pressure canning my stock. Oh thank goodness, since that was totally keeping me up at night.
Chicken Stock: about 10 quarts of the stuff. I bought 2 fryer chickens at the store this week (only to find that they were cheaper this week. I borrowed an 8 qt stock pot from Patrick's mom, since I could only fit one chicken in my pot. So, all day long, the stock simmered. I would add some extra water throughout the day, making sure it stayed right up there at the top. Then after dinner, I sterilized the jars, filled them, and placed them in my pressure canner. Of course, my pressure canner can only hold 7 quart jars. So, we had to pressure can them in 2 batches. According to my instructions, I needed to pressure can them for at least an hour, and up to 1 1/2 hours. Since we got the (first batch) of jars into the canner and got it pressurized and going around 10:30, that would make the first batch done around midnight, and the second batch done around 2am. Oh lovely. That was NOT my plan. Oh well, the things you do for good food.
Update:
Because we've been having such awesome wind, we decided not to go skiing today. I know, total shocker. No skiing? How could it possibly be a Sunday that doesn't include skiing. And yet, here we are.
Allen was invited to a movie with a friend, so he was gone by 1pm. Spoiled kid... didn't have to help with the dishes or the laundry all day!
I got caught up on my laundry, which took about 7 loads. Granted, there was some laundry to be done before the septic issues, so I was feeling guilty. And since we didn't have anything else to do today anyway, I spent it babysitting my stock and folding laundry. But no complaints... I love my working septic system.
What I cooked today:
French Toast: I love making breakfast for everyone on the weekend. Since the kids eat at school, we don't do breakfast on weekdays. So, I'm left with weekends to make awesome carbohydrate filled meals that you can pour pure sugar on...
Chicken and Rice Soup: Since I was making stock, Patrick was concerned that my pressure canner didn't actually do it's job last week. So, to prove that it was fine, we used the canned stock from last week for soup today (which was kind of stupid, since I had about 10 quarts of stock simmering on the stove). We popped open the jar, and there was no funky smell or anything. It just smelled like chicken stock. We made up the soup, and it tasted great. So, now he is comfortable with me pressure canning my stock. Oh thank goodness, since that was totally keeping me up at night.
Chicken Stock: about 10 quarts of the stuff. I bought 2 fryer chickens at the store this week (only to find that they were cheaper this week. I borrowed an 8 qt stock pot from Patrick's mom, since I could only fit one chicken in my pot. So, all day long, the stock simmered. I would add some extra water throughout the day, making sure it stayed right up there at the top. Then after dinner, I sterilized the jars, filled them, and placed them in my pressure canner. Of course, my pressure canner can only hold 7 quart jars. So, we had to pressure can them in 2 batches. According to my instructions, I needed to pressure can them for at least an hour, and up to 1 1/2 hours. Since we got the (first batch) of jars into the canner and got it pressurized and going around 10:30, that would make the first batch done around midnight, and the second batch done around 2am. Oh lovely. That was NOT my plan. Oh well, the things you do for good food.
Update:
Because we've been having such awesome wind, we decided not to go skiing today. I know, total shocker. No skiing? How could it possibly be a Sunday that doesn't include skiing. And yet, here we are.
Allen was invited to a movie with a friend, so he was gone by 1pm. Spoiled kid... didn't have to help with the dishes or the laundry all day!
I got caught up on my laundry, which took about 7 loads. Granted, there was some laundry to be done before the septic issues, so I was feeling guilty. And since we didn't have anything else to do today anyway, I spent it babysitting my stock and folding laundry. But no complaints... I love my working septic system.
Saturday, January 28, 2012
January 28, 2012
Outside Temp: 40 F (still windy, but not as windy as earlier this week!)
What I cooked today:
Bran Muffins: I know, this doesn't sound all that great, but they are totally awesome! Patrick's mom gave us a Tupperware container full of mix, which you can put in the fridge and use whenever you're ready. Needless to say, I used up the entire container this morning to make about 2 dozen mini-muffins. The kids went spastic over how great they are! I'd forgotten how great this recipe is, simply because you can mix up the batter, and leave it in the fridge for a few days. Then you can use only what you want at that time. Of course, in my house, I'm sure we'll use up all the batter in one sitting!
Walnut Chicken: Still can't seem to get any snow peas, and I seem to buy fresh mushrooms, just to let them sit and get gross in my fridge. But I can still make the sauce and throw some walnuts in... everyone loved it. I even used up about 2 lbs of chicken that have been sitting in my freezer since before we moved... at least 6 months. Probably closer to 9. Couldn't tell... it turned out great. I guess soy sauce and sherry will do that to chicken. I even made some fried rice to go with the chicken. By the time dinner was over, we were totally full.
Update:
Okay, so we had the guy from the septic draining company come over today to resolve our septic problem. We lifted the lid yesterday, and it looked pretty full. But, the guy said that, although it was about 90% full, it was not the cause of our problems. He did pump it, which caused the scent to blow a few blocks away, all the way to the church. Our neighbors just love us!
He found a blockage about 3 feet from the septic tank, back up the main line. Once he cleared that, he tried to continue snaking up the line. But found that the pipe is damaged. Of course, that means that the entire pipe would need to be replaced. He said the 'break' was kind of like a jagged edge, grabbing hold of any 'thing' that goes past, and probably causing the blockage. My favorite part was that it was probably just toilet paper causing the blockage. The toilet paper could get caught on that 'edge' and start causing the block. So.... we can use the septic, as long as we don't use too much toilet paper. Oh, yea, that's going to be awesome!
On a much lighter note, Allen got to read the first and second readings in church today. He practiced for about an hour, and seemed really ready. Up until the moment he was up there at the lectern. Suddenly, he seemed really, really nervous. While during practice, he was reading nice and slow, once he got up there, he sped up and read much faster. He only stumbled over one or two moments. I was so proud!! We are going to talk to the people at the church about setting up a schedule where we can read. That way, Patrick, Allen and I can take turns. I love this church!!
What I cooked today:
Bran Muffins: I know, this doesn't sound all that great, but they are totally awesome! Patrick's mom gave us a Tupperware container full of mix, which you can put in the fridge and use whenever you're ready. Needless to say, I used up the entire container this morning to make about 2 dozen mini-muffins. The kids went spastic over how great they are! I'd forgotten how great this recipe is, simply because you can mix up the batter, and leave it in the fridge for a few days. Then you can use only what you want at that time. Of course, in my house, I'm sure we'll use up all the batter in one sitting!
Walnut Chicken: Still can't seem to get any snow peas, and I seem to buy fresh mushrooms, just to let them sit and get gross in my fridge. But I can still make the sauce and throw some walnuts in... everyone loved it. I even used up about 2 lbs of chicken that have been sitting in my freezer since before we moved... at least 6 months. Probably closer to 9. Couldn't tell... it turned out great. I guess soy sauce and sherry will do that to chicken. I even made some fried rice to go with the chicken. By the time dinner was over, we were totally full.
Update:
This is my 100th post! I haven't miss a day since I started back in October. And I've had over 2500 views of my blog. You are all totally awesome!!
Okay, so we had the guy from the septic draining company come over today to resolve our septic problem. We lifted the lid yesterday, and it looked pretty full. But, the guy said that, although it was about 90% full, it was not the cause of our problems. He did pump it, which caused the scent to blow a few blocks away, all the way to the church. Our neighbors just love us!
He found a blockage about 3 feet from the septic tank, back up the main line. Once he cleared that, he tried to continue snaking up the line. But found that the pipe is damaged. Of course, that means that the entire pipe would need to be replaced. He said the 'break' was kind of like a jagged edge, grabbing hold of any 'thing' that goes past, and probably causing the blockage. My favorite part was that it was probably just toilet paper causing the blockage. The toilet paper could get caught on that 'edge' and start causing the block. So.... we can use the septic, as long as we don't use too much toilet paper. Oh, yea, that's going to be awesome!
On a much lighter note, Allen got to read the first and second readings in church today. He practiced for about an hour, and seemed really ready. Up until the moment he was up there at the lectern. Suddenly, he seemed really, really nervous. While during practice, he was reading nice and slow, once he got up there, he sped up and read much faster. He only stumbled over one or two moments. I was so proud!! We are going to talk to the people at the church about setting up a schedule where we can read. That way, Patrick, Allen and I can take turns. I love this church!!
Friday, January 27, 2012
January 27, 2012
Outside Temp: 26 F (still a little windy, but at least I'm pretty sure the house won't fall down)
What I cooked today:
Pitas: I'm trying to figure out exactly how to make pitas. We found a recipe, along with pictures describing each stage, that I tried today. About 1/2 of the pitas came out fine. The other half were either too thin, making them crispy like chips, or too thick, making them not rise in the middle. I guess I'll just have to keep trying. The good news is that they taste good!
Pancakes and Bacon: Spoiled family of mine had bacon and pancakes this morning. My buttermilk will expire in a few days, and I wanted to make sure I used it all up before it goes bad. And bacon is always a wonderful treat, since I hate dealing with the grease and mess.
Spaghetti Sauce: I didn't want to get caught coming home this evening and having to figure out what to make for dinner. Once we got home, I just had to put on the pot of water for the pasta and about 15 minutes later, we sat down to a wonderful dinner!
Update:
As you can probably tell from the amount of cooking I did today, I was in the kitchen from the time I woke up until we left for Stanford. But it was worth it! A great breakfast, a great dinner and I even had extra pitas to send up to Grandma's house!
Patrick, Allen and I went into Stanford today, to run some errands. The boys got their hair cut at the local barber shop, we got some checks deposited at the bank there, and we finished up some business stuff with the lawyer.
Allen got his hair cut first. Once he was done, we asked if they could fit Patrick in. The barber (totally awesome guy) said he had sometime right after, but he could work on Patrick about 30 minutes later. So we headed over to the local deli for some lunch. Just after our food arrived, the (again totally awesome) lady who works there came over with her cell phone.
"Since we are a full service community here, I wanted to let you know the barber shop called to let you know that he's ready for you."
Oh my gosh! Are you kidding me? So stinking awesome.
Of course, the barber shop is across the street from the deli. And he knew we were headed over there. But still! Who gets that kind of service anywhere else!
After the men were all cleaned, we headed back to the school for the basketball game. Of course, Allen spent more time hanging out with the kids than watching the game. And Patrick was chatting with one of our neighbors at the concession stand, about the latest issues with the house. Oh well, I enjoyed the company of the ladies I was seated around, and cheered for the team. We got a little testy over some calls the referees made, but I guess that's just how things go.
I've been around enough that when Patrick (finally) chose to join me, I could point out who was whom, and which parents belonged with which student. Okay, I couldn't name them all, but I could probably do about 1/2. Not too bad! I should have it down by the end of the year!
The septic draining guy is coming out tomorrow (THANK GOODNESS!). Of course, he's supposed to be here right around the time we're at church, so I'm not sure how we're going to deal with that. I just can't wait to take a 10 minute shower again (I actually set the timer today, and by 5 minutes, I had barely put conditioner on my hair... I finally shut off the water at about 8 minutes. And I felt guilty the whole time.) Oh, and having toilets that actually flush. And being able to do the dishes, and the laundry (the parents are kind enough to let us use their laundry for the last 2 days). Ok, I really don't want to do either the laundry or the dishes, but I kind of miss being able to. Ugh, did I really just say that!
What I cooked today:
Pitas: I'm trying to figure out exactly how to make pitas. We found a recipe, along with pictures describing each stage, that I tried today. About 1/2 of the pitas came out fine. The other half were either too thin, making them crispy like chips, or too thick, making them not rise in the middle. I guess I'll just have to keep trying. The good news is that they taste good!
Pancakes and Bacon: Spoiled family of mine had bacon and pancakes this morning. My buttermilk will expire in a few days, and I wanted to make sure I used it all up before it goes bad. And bacon is always a wonderful treat, since I hate dealing with the grease and mess.
Spaghetti Sauce: I didn't want to get caught coming home this evening and having to figure out what to make for dinner. Once we got home, I just had to put on the pot of water for the pasta and about 15 minutes later, we sat down to a wonderful dinner!
Update:
As you can probably tell from the amount of cooking I did today, I was in the kitchen from the time I woke up until we left for Stanford. But it was worth it! A great breakfast, a great dinner and I even had extra pitas to send up to Grandma's house!
Patrick, Allen and I went into Stanford today, to run some errands. The boys got their hair cut at the local barber shop, we got some checks deposited at the bank there, and we finished up some business stuff with the lawyer.
Allen got his hair cut first. Once he was done, we asked if they could fit Patrick in. The barber (totally awesome guy) said he had sometime right after, but he could work on Patrick about 30 minutes later. So we headed over to the local deli for some lunch. Just after our food arrived, the (again totally awesome) lady who works there came over with her cell phone.
"Since we are a full service community here, I wanted to let you know the barber shop called to let you know that he's ready for you."
Oh my gosh! Are you kidding me? So stinking awesome.
Of course, the barber shop is across the street from the deli. And he knew we were headed over there. But still! Who gets that kind of service anywhere else!
After the men were all cleaned, we headed back to the school for the basketball game. Of course, Allen spent more time hanging out with the kids than watching the game. And Patrick was chatting with one of our neighbors at the concession stand, about the latest issues with the house. Oh well, I enjoyed the company of the ladies I was seated around, and cheered for the team. We got a little testy over some calls the referees made, but I guess that's just how things go.
I've been around enough that when Patrick (finally) chose to join me, I could point out who was whom, and which parents belonged with which student. Okay, I couldn't name them all, but I could probably do about 1/2. Not too bad! I should have it down by the end of the year!
The septic draining guy is coming out tomorrow (THANK GOODNESS!). Of course, he's supposed to be here right around the time we're at church, so I'm not sure how we're going to deal with that. I just can't wait to take a 10 minute shower again (I actually set the timer today, and by 5 minutes, I had barely put conditioner on my hair... I finally shut off the water at about 8 minutes. And I felt guilty the whole time.) Oh, and having toilets that actually flush. And being able to do the dishes, and the laundry (the parents are kind enough to let us use their laundry for the last 2 days). Ok, I really don't want to do either the laundry or the dishes, but I kind of miss being able to. Ugh, did I really just say that!
Thursday, January 26, 2012
January 26, 2012
Outside Temp: 32 F (the wind has died down, a little. Of course, the car door almost got pulled off when I opened the door, but at least I'm not worried about the house blowing away.)
What I cooked today:
Burgers and Mashed Potatoes: Somehow, on those days I go into town, I really feel absolutely no desire to make dinner. But, of course, the family still wants to eat. Greedy people. We used the ground beef from Cascade Meats, for burgers for the first time. Patrick was amazed at how good it tasted. Who knew there was a such a difference in beef?
Update:
We have plans for tomorrow (Friday) and Saturday, so I decided to make my weekly run into town today, rather than wait until this weekend.
Patrick's mom had something she needed me to pick up from downtown Great Falls. Now, Great Falls has different sections, just like any town. And the downtown area is an older area, that probably was big and new, about 50 years ago. It's not bad, just older. A few homeless people and a few kids loitering. But not bad.
So, I went to park my car about 1/2 a block from where I needed to go. And then I realized it had a parking meter. Hmmm, change. Change is necessary when you park at a parking meter. Change would be good right about now. So, I put the car into park, pulled out the keys and tossed them on the dashboard, while I went scrounging around for some loose change. There was nothing (or at least no money, lots of trash and misc crap) in the center console of the car or on the dashboard. So, I went searching in my purse. Knowing that I did this last weekend, at the game, looking for that extra quarter to get some just food from the concession stand, I wasn't surprised to find no change at the bottom of my purse. I kept searching, in pockets that I don't usually use. I felt my fingers close around a few coins, praying that they were not pennies. Ahhh, nickles. Whew.
I grabbed my purse and went up to the meter. 6 minutes per nickel. Shouldn't take more than 15 minutes, so I put my last 3 nickels in the meter and headed up the street.
I got the things I needed and headed back to the car about 10 minutes later. As I was walking up to the car, I patted my pockets, looking for the keys. Nothing. Hmm, maybe in my purse. So, I reached into my purse, while I shook it, hoping to hear that jangling of the keys. Nothing. As I reached the car, I looked through the front windshield. There were my keys, sitting on the dashboard, right where I'd left them.
Which made me immediately think of two different options.
Either a) Downtown isn't that bad of a place and what nice people are in Great Falls.
or b) My car looks so dirty and lame, that no one in their right mind would try to steal it.
I figure it's closer to b). See, that's why I keep my car so dirty!
As I may have mentioned before, we sometimes have problems with the house were renting. Lately, we have been having trouble with our septic system. It started back in October, when the main bathroom started backing up, with water from the sink filling up the bathtub. And the toilet stopped flushing correctly. We've been using the master bathroom for the last few months, until we finally got around to calling a plumber. (yea, I know, it's been 3 months... we are that lazy!)
So, the last day or two, the master bathroom began having the same problems. The toilet stopped flushing correctly, but would finally empty after about 10-15 minutes. And the shower would stop draining after about 5 minutes in the shower.
We finally decided it was time to call a plumber. The company we called said it sounded like the septic tank needed to be drained. So, the next question is the obvious one... where is the septic tank? And can we actually access it?
Patrick spent a few hours outside in the back yard, looking around for the septic cover. The plumbing company said they could try looking for it, but if it was buried under frozen ground, we would be out of luck. Most of the ground seemed pretty hard, but we didn't know if it was frozen, or just hard. Fortunately, the e-mail we sent to the owner had a response, giving us an area to at least look in. We finally found the tank cover, thank goodness! Unfortunately, the plumber can't come out until Saturday.
So, until then, I've warned the kids, 2-3 minute showers, laundry is being done at the parent's place, dishes are being done in a filled bucket of warm soapy water, not running the water for 30 minutes. There is no real way to stop from using the toilet, but I'm thinking of investing in a chamber pot... anyone know where I can find one? (ewwwww.... shudder....shudder)
Right now, I'm trying (really, really trying) to see this as a humbling experience. I will never take advantage of working plumbing again! And it gives us one more reason to look a little harder into a new place to stay!
What I cooked today:
Burgers and Mashed Potatoes: Somehow, on those days I go into town, I really feel absolutely no desire to make dinner. But, of course, the family still wants to eat. Greedy people. We used the ground beef from Cascade Meats, for burgers for the first time. Patrick was amazed at how good it tasted. Who knew there was a such a difference in beef?
Update:
We have plans for tomorrow (Friday) and Saturday, so I decided to make my weekly run into town today, rather than wait until this weekend.
Patrick's mom had something she needed me to pick up from downtown Great Falls. Now, Great Falls has different sections, just like any town. And the downtown area is an older area, that probably was big and new, about 50 years ago. It's not bad, just older. A few homeless people and a few kids loitering. But not bad.
So, I went to park my car about 1/2 a block from where I needed to go. And then I realized it had a parking meter. Hmmm, change. Change is necessary when you park at a parking meter. Change would be good right about now. So, I put the car into park, pulled out the keys and tossed them on the dashboard, while I went scrounging around for some loose change. There was nothing (or at least no money, lots of trash and misc crap) in the center console of the car or on the dashboard. So, I went searching in my purse. Knowing that I did this last weekend, at the game, looking for that extra quarter to get some just food from the concession stand, I wasn't surprised to find no change at the bottom of my purse. I kept searching, in pockets that I don't usually use. I felt my fingers close around a few coins, praying that they were not pennies. Ahhh, nickles. Whew.
I grabbed my purse and went up to the meter. 6 minutes per nickel. Shouldn't take more than 15 minutes, so I put my last 3 nickels in the meter and headed up the street.
I got the things I needed and headed back to the car about 10 minutes later. As I was walking up to the car, I patted my pockets, looking for the keys. Nothing. Hmm, maybe in my purse. So, I reached into my purse, while I shook it, hoping to hear that jangling of the keys. Nothing. As I reached the car, I looked through the front windshield. There were my keys, sitting on the dashboard, right where I'd left them.
Which made me immediately think of two different options.
Either a) Downtown isn't that bad of a place and what nice people are in Great Falls.
or b) My car looks so dirty and lame, that no one in their right mind would try to steal it.
I figure it's closer to b). See, that's why I keep my car so dirty!
As I may have mentioned before, we sometimes have problems with the house were renting. Lately, we have been having trouble with our septic system. It started back in October, when the main bathroom started backing up, with water from the sink filling up the bathtub. And the toilet stopped flushing correctly. We've been using the master bathroom for the last few months, until we finally got around to calling a plumber. (yea, I know, it's been 3 months... we are that lazy!)
So, the last day or two, the master bathroom began having the same problems. The toilet stopped flushing correctly, but would finally empty after about 10-15 minutes. And the shower would stop draining after about 5 minutes in the shower.
We finally decided it was time to call a plumber. The company we called said it sounded like the septic tank needed to be drained. So, the next question is the obvious one... where is the septic tank? And can we actually access it?
Patrick spent a few hours outside in the back yard, looking around for the septic cover. The plumbing company said they could try looking for it, but if it was buried under frozen ground, we would be out of luck. Most of the ground seemed pretty hard, but we didn't know if it was frozen, or just hard. Fortunately, the e-mail we sent to the owner had a response, giving us an area to at least look in. We finally found the tank cover, thank goodness! Unfortunately, the plumber can't come out until Saturday.
So, until then, I've warned the kids, 2-3 minute showers, laundry is being done at the parent's place, dishes are being done in a filled bucket of warm soapy water, not running the water for 30 minutes. There is no real way to stop from using the toilet, but I'm thinking of investing in a chamber pot... anyone know where I can find one? (ewwwww.... shudder....shudder)
Right now, I'm trying (really, really trying) to see this as a humbling experience. I will never take advantage of working plumbing again! And it gives us one more reason to look a little harder into a new place to stay!
Wednesday, January 25, 2012
January 25, 2012
Outside Temp: 33 F (it's been warm all day, but very, very windy... see below)
What I cooked today:
Pita Bread and Tzatziki sauce: I wanted to try the pita bread again. Last time, they turned out okay, but not great. They didn't puff up as much as I thought they would. So, I thought maybe I rolled them out too thin. This time, I rolled them out too thick. And I (silly me) thought that parchment paper would be enough to keep them from sticking while they rose. Next time, I'm going to grease them before letting them rise. They stuck to the parchment paper, which made them lose any rise they had. Still, they were pretty good and Patrick and I ate them all.
Beef Stew: Allen has been asking for stew for a few days, so I grabbed a packet of beef out of the freezer last night. Before I took Ryan to school, I browned the meat and tossed it in the crock pot with some potatoes, onions and carrots (I meant to put in celery, but I forgot). A few spices and some water, and I just let it do it's thing. Connor loves the potatoes, Allen loves the beef, Katie tolerates it.
Biscuits: The best side dish to my beef stew... I made 12, which was just enough. I think Katie puts too much honey on hers, but they made up for the stew that she didn't eat.
Update:
It's windy. Okay, that doesn't do it justice. It's really windy. Nope, still not enough. It's like a hurricane out there! That's a little closer.
Overnight, both Katie and Allen woke up, asking if the house was going to blow away.
So, this morning, I'm snoozing in my nice warm bed (did I ever mention how awesome my electric mattress pad is?) and I guess something woke me up. Perhaps it was the bus driver honking the horn, wondering why we were not rushing out of the house. Perhaps it was simply my brain's way of letting me know there was something wrong. I cracked open my eyes, and looked over at the clock. I realized there was a problem when I noticed that it was light in the room. It's usually still dark here at 7am, when my alarm goes off. So, why am I in bed when it's light outside? Then I see the clock. 1:43am. Flashing. No, that's not right. Hmmm... Oh crap. Power went out.
I jumped out of bed and grabbed my phone. Amazingly, it had the correct time on it. 7:41am. Crap. Missed the bus. I rushed around the house, waking up kids and getting them ready. Katie didn't really understand that we were only a few minutes late, and she thought we had missed school entirely. Not that lucky, girl.
Exactly 9 minutes later, we were in the car, headed to school. We got there around 8:05, which isn't too bad, considering school starts at 8.
The best part of the story, is that my alarm clock has a battery backup. I just never bothered to put a battery in! So, I got home from school, I immediately grabbed a 9-volt battery and put it in my alarm clock.
The power continued to flash off and on for the next 4-5 hours. Not really a problem, since Patrick and I both have laptops, which will just go over to battery power. The dryer would shut off, but I just restarted it. But when you're on the phone, the phone is cordless and obviously plugs in to an outlet. I had to call the same person back 3 times during one phone call, since the power kept flashing off.
I talked to Patrick's parents later in the morning. They have a 'weather station' that gives all sorts of useful information. Apparently, we had sustained wind around 50 MPH with gusts around 75 MPH. Hmmm, I vaguely remember that a Category 1 hurricane is around 65 MPH?
Well, it was a little windy.
What I cooked today:
Pita Bread and Tzatziki sauce: I wanted to try the pita bread again. Last time, they turned out okay, but not great. They didn't puff up as much as I thought they would. So, I thought maybe I rolled them out too thin. This time, I rolled them out too thick. And I (silly me) thought that parchment paper would be enough to keep them from sticking while they rose. Next time, I'm going to grease them before letting them rise. They stuck to the parchment paper, which made them lose any rise they had. Still, they were pretty good and Patrick and I ate them all.
Beef Stew: Allen has been asking for stew for a few days, so I grabbed a packet of beef out of the freezer last night. Before I took Ryan to school, I browned the meat and tossed it in the crock pot with some potatoes, onions and carrots (I meant to put in celery, but I forgot). A few spices and some water, and I just let it do it's thing. Connor loves the potatoes, Allen loves the beef, Katie tolerates it.
Biscuits: The best side dish to my beef stew... I made 12, which was just enough. I think Katie puts too much honey on hers, but they made up for the stew that she didn't eat.
Update:
It's windy. Okay, that doesn't do it justice. It's really windy. Nope, still not enough. It's like a hurricane out there! That's a little closer.
Overnight, both Katie and Allen woke up, asking if the house was going to blow away.
So, this morning, I'm snoozing in my nice warm bed (did I ever mention how awesome my electric mattress pad is?) and I guess something woke me up. Perhaps it was the bus driver honking the horn, wondering why we were not rushing out of the house. Perhaps it was simply my brain's way of letting me know there was something wrong. I cracked open my eyes, and looked over at the clock. I realized there was a problem when I noticed that it was light in the room. It's usually still dark here at 7am, when my alarm goes off. So, why am I in bed when it's light outside? Then I see the clock. 1:43am. Flashing. No, that's not right. Hmmm... Oh crap. Power went out.
I jumped out of bed and grabbed my phone. Amazingly, it had the correct time on it. 7:41am. Crap. Missed the bus. I rushed around the house, waking up kids and getting them ready. Katie didn't really understand that we were only a few minutes late, and she thought we had missed school entirely. Not that lucky, girl.
Exactly 9 minutes later, we were in the car, headed to school. We got there around 8:05, which isn't too bad, considering school starts at 8.
The best part of the story, is that my alarm clock has a battery backup. I just never bothered to put a battery in! So, I got home from school, I immediately grabbed a 9-volt battery and put it in my alarm clock.
The power continued to flash off and on for the next 4-5 hours. Not really a problem, since Patrick and I both have laptops, which will just go over to battery power. The dryer would shut off, but I just restarted it. But when you're on the phone, the phone is cordless and obviously plugs in to an outlet. I had to call the same person back 3 times during one phone call, since the power kept flashing off.
I talked to Patrick's parents later in the morning. They have a 'weather station' that gives all sorts of useful information. Apparently, we had sustained wind around 50 MPH with gusts around 75 MPH. Hmmm, I vaguely remember that a Category 1 hurricane is around 65 MPH?
Well, it was a little windy.
Tuesday, January 24, 2012
January 24, 2012
Outside Temp: 39 (and WINDY!!)
What I cooked today:
Banana Bread: If you can call it that. I think I probably put in too much banana anyway, but that was insignificant compared to the other problems. First off, I forgot to grease the pan. It was a non-stick and I know better, but I thought it wouldn't make a difference. It does. Second, my temperature gauge in the oven is stuck at 450. The temp in the oven was supposed to be 350, and since I saw it so high, I turned down the temp, and opened the oven to cool it down. After a few minutes, I just prayed that it was cooking, closed the oven door and let it keep cooking, but I didn't turn the temp back up. Which means it probably tried to cook at an oven temp around 275 or 300. Needless to say, the bread was totally messed up. If you take into account the 'too much banana', it was pure mush. Even when I tried to turn the heat up and cook for an extra 15 minutes, it was dense and really, really moist. The taste wasn't bad, but it looked really ucky. I ate a few bites, but tossed most of it. I guess it was time for me to have a significant cooking fail.
Cornbread: To make me feel better about my banana bread, I made up my cornbread for dinner. I was very happy to find that it worked out just fine and tasted great. I hate to quit on a fail, so now I have a success to sleep on!
Chili: Always the best meal with cornbread, it's easy and (relatively) quick. Katie and Connor don't like it that much, but the rest of us ate enough to finish off the pot. Bummer, no leftovers for lunch tomorrow!
Update:
So, as you probably all know, we're renting the place we are living in. When we moved in here back in September, I asked Patrick directly, "How long are we going to be here?". Of course, he didn't have a clue. And I since I doubted that it would be forever, I chose to leave about 30 boxes packed in the garage. Most of those boxes contain books, china or crystal or computer 'stuff'. All things that you don't use on a daily basis. And as much as I hate packing, I couldn't see myself wasting the time unpacking, just to re-pack everything a few months later.
As a result, I never bothered to move my file cabinet inside. I can hear you saying, "but a file cabinet isn't a box or books?". I know... I know. The file cabinet got moved half way inside, but never made it as far as my desk. So, for the last few months, the 'to be filed' pile on my desk just kept growing. I have 5 of those plastic stacking file trays on my desk, trying to be mildly organized. One tray for bills, one for school work, one for the business, one for the sale of the CA house, one for medical stuff, one for coupons, one for insurance stuff, one for information that needs to be kept (but not actually used). Oh wait, that's more than 5. So, once I ran out of room in my file trays, the paperwork started migrating across the desks. Patrick and I have two 'L' shaped desks that meet in the middle, to form a 'U'. The paperwork was all the way from my side onto his side. There was no part of the desk that could be seen under all that crap. The worst part was that more than half of it was garbage that needed to just get thrown away (newspapers, used envelopes, junk mail, etc).
My 'chore' for the day was to move my file cabinet into place under my desk (it came with the desk and fits perfectly) and to clear the junk. It took me about 30 minutes just to clear the spot under my desk where the file cabinet was going to go. Then I went in search for those green hanging file folders, and the file folders. I knew I had them... somewhere.
I found the file folders (a box of about 500 multi-colored that I picked up about 3 years ago, in one of my mad 'organizing' fits). They were in the first box I looked in, and I breathed a sigh of relief. It was short lived. I realized quickly that the hanging file folders were not in that box. Ugh. Okay, maybe this next one. Nope. Next one? Nope. What about over here? Nope. This one? Nope. Crap.
My boxes in my garage are stacked, about 4-5 boxes high. Most of them are somewhat labeled, but how descriptive is 'Books', or 'Office Stuff' or 'Misc Stuff from School Room'. And there is not really a lot of room in my garage (it's filled with 2 cars, a washer and dryer, 6 computers, 3 monitors, 4 non-snow tires for the van, and all those boxes). So, squeezing between the Miata and a bookshelf, I tried moving things enough to read the useless labels. Finally, I thought I saw something that might be it. But it was at the bottom of a stack, that wasn't accessible from this side of the garage. So, I went back into the house, out the back door, across the yard and into the back door to the garage. And there, under a box labeled 'Patrick Dress Shirts' (nope, don't need that here much) and another box labeled 'Wire Racks for bathroom' (I wasted a box on those?), I found a box labeled 'Old School Books, Paper, Office'. And at the bottom of that box, I found the stupid green hanging file folders. It only took an hour!
At that point, it was time to take Ryan to school, so I put off my chore until we got home, around 4pm. Then I got to work on the massive paperwork laughing at me. Two garbage bags later, and one whole file cabinet drawer filled, my pile is gone. I still have a few things on my desk, but the clutter is gone. And more importantly, I can find important documents if I need to. But really, why am I keeping old electric bills and Connor's spelling test from 9 weeks ago? I don't know, but now at least it has it's place!
The best part of the day was finding the phone number for the transplant center in Seattle (on a scratch piece of paper no less), that we were supposed to call a month ago to set up an appointment. I also found the phone numbers for business accountants (another scratch paper) that I was supposed to call 2 weeks ago. I didn't find the check for $250 we got last week (that prompted my chore in the first place), but it's probably in the car. Oh crap... tomorrow's project.
What I cooked today:
Banana Bread: If you can call it that. I think I probably put in too much banana anyway, but that was insignificant compared to the other problems. First off, I forgot to grease the pan. It was a non-stick and I know better, but I thought it wouldn't make a difference. It does. Second, my temperature gauge in the oven is stuck at 450. The temp in the oven was supposed to be 350, and since I saw it so high, I turned down the temp, and opened the oven to cool it down. After a few minutes, I just prayed that it was cooking, closed the oven door and let it keep cooking, but I didn't turn the temp back up. Which means it probably tried to cook at an oven temp around 275 or 300. Needless to say, the bread was totally messed up. If you take into account the 'too much banana', it was pure mush. Even when I tried to turn the heat up and cook for an extra 15 minutes, it was dense and really, really moist. The taste wasn't bad, but it looked really ucky. I ate a few bites, but tossed most of it. I guess it was time for me to have a significant cooking fail.
Cornbread: To make me feel better about my banana bread, I made up my cornbread for dinner. I was very happy to find that it worked out just fine and tasted great. I hate to quit on a fail, so now I have a success to sleep on!
Chili: Always the best meal with cornbread, it's easy and (relatively) quick. Katie and Connor don't like it that much, but the rest of us ate enough to finish off the pot. Bummer, no leftovers for lunch tomorrow!
Update:
So, as you probably all know, we're renting the place we are living in. When we moved in here back in September, I asked Patrick directly, "How long are we going to be here?". Of course, he didn't have a clue. And I since I doubted that it would be forever, I chose to leave about 30 boxes packed in the garage. Most of those boxes contain books, china or crystal or computer 'stuff'. All things that you don't use on a daily basis. And as much as I hate packing, I couldn't see myself wasting the time unpacking, just to re-pack everything a few months later.
As a result, I never bothered to move my file cabinet inside. I can hear you saying, "but a file cabinet isn't a box or books?". I know... I know. The file cabinet got moved half way inside, but never made it as far as my desk. So, for the last few months, the 'to be filed' pile on my desk just kept growing. I have 5 of those plastic stacking file trays on my desk, trying to be mildly organized. One tray for bills, one for school work, one for the business, one for the sale of the CA house, one for medical stuff, one for coupons, one for insurance stuff, one for information that needs to be kept (but not actually used). Oh wait, that's more than 5. So, once I ran out of room in my file trays, the paperwork started migrating across the desks. Patrick and I have two 'L' shaped desks that meet in the middle, to form a 'U'. The paperwork was all the way from my side onto his side. There was no part of the desk that could be seen under all that crap. The worst part was that more than half of it was garbage that needed to just get thrown away (newspapers, used envelopes, junk mail, etc).
My 'chore' for the day was to move my file cabinet into place under my desk (it came with the desk and fits perfectly) and to clear the junk. It took me about 30 minutes just to clear the spot under my desk where the file cabinet was going to go. Then I went in search for those green hanging file folders, and the file folders. I knew I had them... somewhere.
I found the file folders (a box of about 500 multi-colored that I picked up about 3 years ago, in one of my mad 'organizing' fits). They were in the first box I looked in, and I breathed a sigh of relief. It was short lived. I realized quickly that the hanging file folders were not in that box. Ugh. Okay, maybe this next one. Nope. Next one? Nope. What about over here? Nope. This one? Nope. Crap.
My boxes in my garage are stacked, about 4-5 boxes high. Most of them are somewhat labeled, but how descriptive is 'Books', or 'Office Stuff' or 'Misc Stuff from School Room'. And there is not really a lot of room in my garage (it's filled with 2 cars, a washer and dryer, 6 computers, 3 monitors, 4 non-snow tires for the van, and all those boxes). So, squeezing between the Miata and a bookshelf, I tried moving things enough to read the useless labels. Finally, I thought I saw something that might be it. But it was at the bottom of a stack, that wasn't accessible from this side of the garage. So, I went back into the house, out the back door, across the yard and into the back door to the garage. And there, under a box labeled 'Patrick Dress Shirts' (nope, don't need that here much) and another box labeled 'Wire Racks for bathroom' (I wasted a box on those?), I found a box labeled 'Old School Books, Paper, Office'. And at the bottom of that box, I found the stupid green hanging file folders. It only took an hour!
At that point, it was time to take Ryan to school, so I put off my chore until we got home, around 4pm. Then I got to work on the massive paperwork laughing at me. Two garbage bags later, and one whole file cabinet drawer filled, my pile is gone. I still have a few things on my desk, but the clutter is gone. And more importantly, I can find important documents if I need to. But really, why am I keeping old electric bills and Connor's spelling test from 9 weeks ago? I don't know, but now at least it has it's place!
The best part of the day was finding the phone number for the transplant center in Seattle (on a scratch piece of paper no less), that we were supposed to call a month ago to set up an appointment. I also found the phone numbers for business accountants (another scratch paper) that I was supposed to call 2 weeks ago. I didn't find the check for $250 we got last week (that prompted my chore in the first place), but it's probably in the car. Oh crap... tomorrow's project.
Monday, January 23, 2012
January 23, 2012
Outside Temp: 28 F (it was over 32 most of the day, which makes for some very slushy roads)
What I cooked today:
Chicken Stock: I cooked up about 4 quarts of chicken stock today, which I then canned in my pressure canner. Now, I can just put them in my pantry and use them whenever I need them, without having to defrost! I still have 2 more fryer chickens, so I see this happening 2 more times in the next few days.
Orange Chicken: With the stock cooking all day, I forgot that I had to actually make dinner. I had some chicken defrosted from a few days ago, so I whipped up the orange chicken sauce and cooked up the chicken. I didn't spoil the kids with fried rice, but they still ate up every bite. I even had a few tablespoons of sauce left, which everyone fought over to pour over their rice. Katie tried to steal my last bite of chicken, but I wouldn't let her! Bad mom!
Update:
Ryan had speech therapy today, and I had in the back of my head that it was not at 8:00, like usual. But for the life of me, I couldn't remember when I was supposed to be there. So, I brought all the kids to school at 8, and waited. And waited. Around 9am, I gave up and headed home. I walked through the door, only to be greeted by Patrick telling me the speech therapist would be there by 9:30. So, we turned right around and headed back to the school.
So, when the speech therapist told me today that she would be there at 9:30 next week, I put it right into my Outlook calendar the moment I stepped in the house. Hopefully, I won't forget next week!
It turned out to be a blessing, since Ryan finished with speech right around the same time the kids were outside for recess. So, Ryan headed out with the other kids. There was a large section of ice that was still frozen, and the kids were skating over it in their boots. The kids helped Ryan skate over it as well! He had so much fun!
We had our Adult Faith class tonight, which is always nice (and not just because it's 2 hours with no kids!). The program we are working on is a series of DVD sessions, about 50 minutes each. It's a great program and we have time to stop the video and discuss what we are learning. It's nice to be able to spend time, talking with our wonderful neighbors, and simply being a part of the community.
What I cooked today:
Chicken Stock: I cooked up about 4 quarts of chicken stock today, which I then canned in my pressure canner. Now, I can just put them in my pantry and use them whenever I need them, without having to defrost! I still have 2 more fryer chickens, so I see this happening 2 more times in the next few days.
Orange Chicken: With the stock cooking all day, I forgot that I had to actually make dinner. I had some chicken defrosted from a few days ago, so I whipped up the orange chicken sauce and cooked up the chicken. I didn't spoil the kids with fried rice, but they still ate up every bite. I even had a few tablespoons of sauce left, which everyone fought over to pour over their rice. Katie tried to steal my last bite of chicken, but I wouldn't let her! Bad mom!
Update:
Ryan had speech therapy today, and I had in the back of my head that it was not at 8:00, like usual. But for the life of me, I couldn't remember when I was supposed to be there. So, I brought all the kids to school at 8, and waited. And waited. Around 9am, I gave up and headed home. I walked through the door, only to be greeted by Patrick telling me the speech therapist would be there by 9:30. So, we turned right around and headed back to the school.
So, when the speech therapist told me today that she would be there at 9:30 next week, I put it right into my Outlook calendar the moment I stepped in the house. Hopefully, I won't forget next week!
It turned out to be a blessing, since Ryan finished with speech right around the same time the kids were outside for recess. So, Ryan headed out with the other kids. There was a large section of ice that was still frozen, and the kids were skating over it in their boots. The kids helped Ryan skate over it as well! He had so much fun!
We had our Adult Faith class tonight, which is always nice (and not just because it's 2 hours with no kids!). The program we are working on is a series of DVD sessions, about 50 minutes each. It's a great program and we have time to stop the video and discuss what we are learning. It's nice to be able to spend time, talking with our wonderful neighbors, and simply being a part of the community.
Sunday, January 22, 2012
January 22, 2012
Outside Temp: 19 F (a little windy, but just beautiful!)
What I cooked today:
French Toast: So, I've been making french toast for years, with mostly eggs and a splash of milk. But I looked at a recipe yesterday that had about 1 1/2 cups of milk to about 3 eggs. I was stunned. Who knew that french toast was supposed to be mostly milk, with just a few eggs? So, I made toast today with about 4 eggs and a lot more milk than I usually use. I also added in some vanilla. And while I was too busy to actually eat them, they smelled much more like the french toast smell that I love. Next time, I might actually have enough time to eat some myself!
Update:
By the way, on a totally unrelated topic, have any of you ever had that day where everything ticks you off? You wake up irritated, and every voice, every noise, everything around you just sets you off and you can't seem to control it. You find yourself yelling at the kids or your husband, for things that usually don't bother you? And worse yet, you know you are being unreasonable and you can't stop? No? Oh crap.. I mean, me either.
So, it's Sunday, which means it's a ski day!
We all headed up to the mountain late this morning. Patrick and Allen both said their boots fit much better since we talked to the ski guys in town on Friday. Ryan wasn't really in the mood to ski, so we only stayed on the slopes for about 1 1/2 - 2 hours, before we headed into the lodge for hot chocolate. I think he really just wanted the bag of toys I was smart enough to remember to bring.
About an hour later, Katie came wandering into the lodge. She said she had a headache, and was hungry and wanted some Italian soda. About 30 minutes later, Connor came in and said he was done for the day.
So the 3 kids and I hung out in the lodge for another hour, playing cards and reading and munching on fries. Allen showed up and helped me keep Ryan occupied, allowing Patrick and Grandpa about 30 minutes of freedom. Then we all packed up and headed out to the Lazy Doe for steaks and burgers.
On the way down the mountain, I stopped to get a Sunday paper (I love my coupons) and we found the item below in a shopping cart. Patrick insisted that I get a picture with the kids.
What I cooked today:
French Toast: So, I've been making french toast for years, with mostly eggs and a splash of milk. But I looked at a recipe yesterday that had about 1 1/2 cups of milk to about 3 eggs. I was stunned. Who knew that french toast was supposed to be mostly milk, with just a few eggs? So, I made toast today with about 4 eggs and a lot more milk than I usually use. I also added in some vanilla. And while I was too busy to actually eat them, they smelled much more like the french toast smell that I love. Next time, I might actually have enough time to eat some myself!
Update:
By the way, on a totally unrelated topic, have any of you ever had that day where everything ticks you off? You wake up irritated, and every voice, every noise, everything around you just sets you off and you can't seem to control it. You find yourself yelling at the kids or your husband, for things that usually don't bother you? And worse yet, you know you are being unreasonable and you can't stop? No? Oh crap.. I mean, me either.
So, it's Sunday, which means it's a ski day!
We all headed up to the mountain late this morning. Patrick and Allen both said their boots fit much better since we talked to the ski guys in town on Friday. Ryan wasn't really in the mood to ski, so we only stayed on the slopes for about 1 1/2 - 2 hours, before we headed into the lodge for hot chocolate. I think he really just wanted the bag of toys I was smart enough to remember to bring.
About an hour later, Katie came wandering into the lodge. She said she had a headache, and was hungry and wanted some Italian soda. About 30 minutes later, Connor came in and said he was done for the day.
So the 3 kids and I hung out in the lodge for another hour, playing cards and reading and munching on fries. Allen showed up and helped me keep Ryan occupied, allowing Patrick and Grandpa about 30 minutes of freedom. Then we all packed up and headed out to the Lazy Doe for steaks and burgers.
On the way down the mountain, I stopped to get a Sunday paper (I love my coupons) and we found the item below in a shopping cart. Patrick insisted that I get a picture with the kids.
I know there is a story to this deer head in a shopping cart, but I haven't asked yet. It's almost more fun to let the kids come up with a story on their own!
Saturday, January 21, 2012
January 21, 2012
Outside Temp: 35 F (Really nice outside today... but the snow is turning to slush and that's annoying to drive in)
What I cooked today:
Pancakes: I'm getting good at making these, such that I don't have to look at the recipe anymore. But I need to start making more, since my oldest keeps trying to take them all!
Update:
Eight years ago, our lives changed forever. There were times in the last 8 years that I have wondered if we would ever get to his 8th birthday. And here we are, with him doing better than ever, in a new world. I tend to believe that this is God working his magic. If you have given me the choice, I would never have thought to ask for this crazy life, full of way too much medical information and less money than I thought we would have. But I can't imagine being any happier than I am right now. So, as is often the case, God knows what He's doing.
Grandma and Grandpa had a wonderful dinner for us, and Grandma's Aunt made a delicious chocolate cake. Ryan did his best to be gracious for his present, with a little bit of prompting from his mother (Ryan, say Thank You...). I'm so glad we are up here!
What I cooked today:
Pancakes: I'm getting good at making these, such that I don't have to look at the recipe anymore. But I need to start making more, since my oldest keeps trying to take them all!
Update:
HAPPY 8th BIRTHDAY, RYAN!!
Eight years ago, our lives changed forever. There were times in the last 8 years that I have wondered if we would ever get to his 8th birthday. And here we are, with him doing better than ever, in a new world. I tend to believe that this is God working his magic. If you have given me the choice, I would never have thought to ask for this crazy life, full of way too much medical information and less money than I thought we would have. But I can't imagine being any happier than I am right now. So, as is often the case, God knows what He's doing.
Grandma and Grandpa had a wonderful dinner for us, and Grandma's Aunt made a delicious chocolate cake. Ryan did his best to be gracious for his present, with a little bit of prompting from his mother (Ryan, say Thank You...). I'm so glad we are up here!
Friday, January 20, 2012
January 20, 2012
Outside Temp: 39 F (Are you kidding me?? Where did winter go? I guess this is one of those 'chinooks'.)
What I cooked today:
Pancakes AND Cream of Wheat: I offered pancakes, and my daughter looked at me, with those pleading eyes, and said 'Can we have Cream of Wheat?'. I was stunned. Who picks Cream of Wheat over Pancakes? Apparently, my daughter does. And since I can't deny her with those pretty eyes, I made both. Of course, when the first batch of pancakes came off the griddle, she was right there, grabbing one. Spoiled kids.
Pasta: Too lazy after a day of shopping to make dinner, we had pasta. Just pasta, with butter and Parmesan cheese. No sauce. No vegetables. No side dish. No protein. Just pasta. Really starchy day.
Pita Bread: We went out to a Greek place for lunch in town, and I'd forgotten how much I love Greek food. So, I picked up some yogurt and some cucumbers in town today, and when we got home, I found a simple recipe for pita bread. I love it. I'm too lazy to make a proper dinner for my kids, but I have enough energy to make bread. Makes no sense, I know.
Update:
The kids don't have school on Fridays, so today became our day in town.
Allen and Patrick both were having problems with their ski boots, so we brought them into the ski place to have the boots looked at. Apparently, the boots become harder and harder to put on as they get colder. That is why they have boot warmers in the ski lodge (who knew???). The guy at the shop told us to make sure that the boots were warm (like sitting next to the heater in the car on the drive up to the mountain) before trying to put them on. We'll probably go up on Sunday, so we'll see if his advice works.
Patrick's boots were a little more complicated. He bought these boots about 5 years ago and he has always had problems with him. Wide feet. So, the guy spent about 2 hours with him, adjusting, bending, splinting and other modifications to a pair of boots that were 5 years old. Patrick said they were more comfortable than they have ever been. He might even go up on the mountain on Sunday!
We got to go out to a local Greek place, where we spent about 30 minutes chatting with the owner. She explained how they made their lemon chicken orzo soup and where they get their gyro meat. She has a place out by our house, a little closer to the mountains, and we told her to give us a call if she wanted a local weather report. I love it out here! We meet the nicest people!
We then stopped for some thermals for Connor and Ryan (since they didn't end up with any... how did I miss that one?) and a few extra sweaters and long sleeved shirts.
The weather had been around 5-7 degrees in Great Falls all day. It was still around 8 or so, when we headed back home. About 10 minutes outside of Great Falls, I happen to glance up at the temperature gauge and it suddenly went from single digits to 35. In an instant. Okay, maybe like 2 miles, but it was so fast we didn't even register the 10's or the 20's. When we got home, it was 37. Oh my goodness! It's like summer out here! We immediately turned off all of our space heaters and we just have the pellet stove going. It's a nice 65 F in our house right now, and I'm typing without gloves. Hmmmm, not sure how I feel about the sudden change, but it's definitely interesting.
What I cooked today:
Pancakes AND Cream of Wheat: I offered pancakes, and my daughter looked at me, with those pleading eyes, and said 'Can we have Cream of Wheat?'. I was stunned. Who picks Cream of Wheat over Pancakes? Apparently, my daughter does. And since I can't deny her with those pretty eyes, I made both. Of course, when the first batch of pancakes came off the griddle, she was right there, grabbing one. Spoiled kids.
Pasta: Too lazy after a day of shopping to make dinner, we had pasta. Just pasta, with butter and Parmesan cheese. No sauce. No vegetables. No side dish. No protein. Just pasta. Really starchy day.
Pita Bread: We went out to a Greek place for lunch in town, and I'd forgotten how much I love Greek food. So, I picked up some yogurt and some cucumbers in town today, and when we got home, I found a simple recipe for pita bread. I love it. I'm too lazy to make a proper dinner for my kids, but I have enough energy to make bread. Makes no sense, I know.
Update:
The kids don't have school on Fridays, so today became our day in town.
Allen and Patrick both were having problems with their ski boots, so we brought them into the ski place to have the boots looked at. Apparently, the boots become harder and harder to put on as they get colder. That is why they have boot warmers in the ski lodge (who knew???). The guy at the shop told us to make sure that the boots were warm (like sitting next to the heater in the car on the drive up to the mountain) before trying to put them on. We'll probably go up on Sunday, so we'll see if his advice works.
Patrick's boots were a little more complicated. He bought these boots about 5 years ago and he has always had problems with him. Wide feet. So, the guy spent about 2 hours with him, adjusting, bending, splinting and other modifications to a pair of boots that were 5 years old. Patrick said they were more comfortable than they have ever been. He might even go up on the mountain on Sunday!
We got to go out to a local Greek place, where we spent about 30 minutes chatting with the owner. She explained how they made their lemon chicken orzo soup and where they get their gyro meat. She has a place out by our house, a little closer to the mountains, and we told her to give us a call if she wanted a local weather report. I love it out here! We meet the nicest people!
We then stopped for some thermals for Connor and Ryan (since they didn't end up with any... how did I miss that one?) and a few extra sweaters and long sleeved shirts.
The weather had been around 5-7 degrees in Great Falls all day. It was still around 8 or so, when we headed back home. About 10 minutes outside of Great Falls, I happen to glance up at the temperature gauge and it suddenly went from single digits to 35. In an instant. Okay, maybe like 2 miles, but it was so fast we didn't even register the 10's or the 20's. When we got home, it was 37. Oh my goodness! It's like summer out here! We immediately turned off all of our space heaters and we just have the pellet stove going. It's a nice 65 F in our house right now, and I'm typing without gloves. Hmmmm, not sure how I feel about the sudden change, but it's definitely interesting.
Thursday, January 19, 2012
January 19, 2012
Outside Temp: -6 (I actually went outside today! High of +1, Low of -15... I think the coldest part of this storm is over... for now)
What I cooked today:
Soup: So, I was going to make split pea soup, since I got a ham hock from the butcher shop in town a few weeks ago. I defrosted the last of my chicken stock (from October) and threw it in a pot, with the ham bone. Then I added the requisite onions, carrots and celery. Then Patrick asked me to add lentils and garbanzo beans, since he doesn't like the mushy-ness of split pea. But I wanted some creamy-ness, so I added about 1/2 cup of split peas to his 2 cups of garbanzo and lentils. I had some fresh thyme, so I added that, along with some salt and pepper. About 6 hours later, I served up the soup. Patrick didn't like the bits of ham that fell off the bone, but other than that, it was great. Warm and hearty.
Dinner Rolls: I used Patrick's mom's recipe for sweet bread and made up about 60 dinner rolls. The recipe makes quite a lot of bread, but I figured I could save the leftover rolls to munch on for the next few days. There are probably less than 20 left. Connor probably had an even dozen. He really, really likes these rolls!
Update:
We were going to go into town today, but Patrick was working this morning, and by the time he finished, it was already noon. The kids had an early out (they got out of school at 1pm), so I didn't want them to come home to an empty house. So, we put off the trip to town until tomorrow.
So, today, I spent most of the day fooling around on the computer. I played a little bit of a computer game (it's the boys, but it's fun just the same), and played with Ryan and read a little. A totally lazy day. My big accomplishment was making the dinner rolls. I feel a little guilty, since there is plenty to be doing around the house. I could have done more laundry, or vacuumed the family room, or swept the kitchen. But I didn't. I just played and relaxed. Okay, that's the end of my guilt!
What I cooked today:
Soup: So, I was going to make split pea soup, since I got a ham hock from the butcher shop in town a few weeks ago. I defrosted the last of my chicken stock (from October) and threw it in a pot, with the ham bone. Then I added the requisite onions, carrots and celery. Then Patrick asked me to add lentils and garbanzo beans, since he doesn't like the mushy-ness of split pea. But I wanted some creamy-ness, so I added about 1/2 cup of split peas to his 2 cups of garbanzo and lentils. I had some fresh thyme, so I added that, along with some salt and pepper. About 6 hours later, I served up the soup. Patrick didn't like the bits of ham that fell off the bone, but other than that, it was great. Warm and hearty.
Dinner Rolls: I used Patrick's mom's recipe for sweet bread and made up about 60 dinner rolls. The recipe makes quite a lot of bread, but I figured I could save the leftover rolls to munch on for the next few days. There are probably less than 20 left. Connor probably had an even dozen. He really, really likes these rolls!
Update:
We were going to go into town today, but Patrick was working this morning, and by the time he finished, it was already noon. The kids had an early out (they got out of school at 1pm), so I didn't want them to come home to an empty house. So, we put off the trip to town until tomorrow.
So, today, I spent most of the day fooling around on the computer. I played a little bit of a computer game (it's the boys, but it's fun just the same), and played with Ryan and read a little. A totally lazy day. My big accomplishment was making the dinner rolls. I feel a little guilty, since there is plenty to be doing around the house. I could have done more laundry, or vacuumed the family room, or swept the kitchen. But I didn't. I just played and relaxed. Okay, that's the end of my guilt!
Wednesday, January 18, 2012
January 18, 2012
Outside Temp: -16 (high for the day was -9... low was -22)
What I cooked today:
Lasagna: I made a double batch of lasagna... one for tonight and one to throw in the freezer for another time... And what better way to freeze a batch of lasagna than in nature's own deep freeze!
According to the weather reports (which I don't actually believe), they claim that this is as cold as it's going to get. It should get up to single digits tomorrow, and back into the 20's by Saturday. Then again, they also said that it should be about -2 right now, not -16, so I'm preparing for a few more days of below 0. No big deal. :)
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| The frost on my bedroom window... |
Lasagna: I made a double batch of lasagna... one for tonight and one to throw in the freezer for another time... And what better way to freeze a batch of lasagna than in nature's own deep freeze!
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| Yes, this is a 9x13 baking dish full of lasagna, sitting on my front porch, covered in snow. |
Update:
So, winter is here. It took a little longer than I expected, but it's here. No doubt in my mind.
I opened my blinds this morning and the windows were totally frosted over. People pay good money to make a window look this awesome. It's downright pretty. The picture at the top of the post is a close up of this window. Of course, I closed those blinds up 2 seconds after taking this picture.
We knew it would happen sometime, and it finally did. We woke up this morning to frozen water pipes. Just enough water in the tank for a few flushes of the toilet, and then nothing. Not a drop. Not a dribble. Nowhere in the house. The house was actually at around 55-60 degrees, but we were using the pellet stove and the space heaters, not the central heat. Since the central heat registers are in the floor, we decided to turn it on to see if it would heat up the pipes.
After about 30 minutes, water started to flow again. So, we shut off the heat and went on with our morning. About 2 hours later, I started a load of laundry only to find that the water was gone again.
So, Patrick went outside to the access panel that leads under the house. We had purchased some heat tape (the kind that attaches to the pipes and plugs in to an outlet to keep them warm) about 2 months ago, but we never got around to actually putting it on the pipes. I guess we wanted to experience the wonders that is -22 degrees, climbing under the house in the snow and wind. Oh joy.
The hole he climbed into wasn't large enough to actually get into, just enough to get his upper body inside. We put a space heater in the hole, so he wouldn't freeze while attaching the heat tape. But his legs were sticking out the hole, so I put a blanket on them, and used some insulation to cover the hole while he worked. It took about 45 minutes to get the tape all attached. During that time, the water started flowing again (thanks to the central heat), and as of now (at -16), we still have water. And, of course, the outlet that is next to the access panel, where you are supposed to plug in the heat tape, is on the circuit that doesn't work. So, we had to run an extension cord from the enclosed porch. Fortunately, there is a gap in the door to the outside, so we could close the door with the extension cord going through the bottom (and extra towels pushed up against the base of the door to keep out the cold. I assume the heat tape is doing it's job, but we'll have to see how things look in the morning.
While working under the house, Patrick realized that the skirt that surrounds the house has lots of holes. They may be vents, I'm not sure, but they were definitely letting lots of cold air under the house. So, when the kids got home from school, he put Allen to work. They went around the house, shovelling snow around the outside to create a barrier on all those holes. So, right now, I have about a foot of snow surrounding the base of the house. It might actually be doing some good, since both Ryan and Katie's rooms seem a little less cold (I can't say warmer, since 58 degrees isn't really warm, but it's less cold than, say, 50?)
We are surviving the cold just fine. I sewed together a few pieces of fleece, with a little fluff in between, to make a pretty cozy blanket. Of course, it took me longer to remember how to use my sewing machine than the time it took to actually sew the blanket. But I did it! I figure next time I head into town, I'm picking up some more fleece and making a few more blankets. It's nice and warm and works great when you're on the computer and you want something to warm up your legs and toes.
According to the weather reports (which I don't actually believe), they claim that this is as cold as it's going to get. It should get up to single digits tomorrow, and back into the 20's by Saturday. Then again, they also said that it should be about -2 right now, not -16, so I'm preparing for a few more days of below 0. No big deal. :)
Tuesday, January 17, 2012
January 17, 2012
Outside Temp: -11 F (The high for the day was 1 F... it will probably drop another few degrees tonight.)
What I cooked today:
Chili: Always nice to have a warm toasty meal when it's a little cool outside.
Cornbread: The cornbread was such a hit last night, the kids asked for it again tonight. No big deal, since it's so easy!
Update:
The temp was less than 0 most of the day. But there was very little (if any) wind. So, it didn't feel much colder outside than it was when it was 20, with a lot of wind. That wind chill factor is an amazing concept, one that I've never really experienced before.
So, our house is a manufactured house, with an addition. And, apparently, when they added the addition, they insulated between the house and the addition, but left a gap at the bottom. And that gap was seeping cold air into a closet, and then into the house. So, Patrick asked his dad for some left over insulation, and we shoved that into the gap, and that seems to be staving off some of the cold.
We also found that there is a significant gap in the front door. It's leaking cold air in as well. So, we currently have about 5 towels pressed up against the base of the door, hopefully keeping that leak at bay.
We have been holding off using the propane central heat, since it is extremely ineffecient. It's a 500 gallon tank, and it registers the volume in percentages. So, I'm having Patrick go check each day (or so) to see how much we use. I think we've gone through about 10% in the last few days. With a 500 gallon tank, each percent is about 5 gallons, so that's almost 50 gallons. At $2.50 per gallon, thats $125! And we're only turning the heat on when it gets below 60.
So, we had the parents pick up an extra space heater and they had an extra at their house. So, we turned off the central air, and are just using the pellet stove and the space heaters. We put a space heater in the dining room/office area, one in Ryan's room, and we already had one in our bathroom. The pellet stove is in the addition (the boys room and family room are in there). Right now, the house is holding steady at 60 degrees (which is a little chilly, but just fine). Ryan's room is up to about 68, since his little space heater is just heating his room. And everyone else has electric mattress pads. (we actually put a back heating pad on top of him last night, and he was nice and toasty). I'm currently typing with knit gloves on, and I have a blanket over my legs. But once you've got yourself all set, it's not that bad!
The hot water heater is also propane, so that could be adding to the amount we're using. But I'd really, really like to try to keep our costs under control. As it is, our electric bill is going to be high, with all these space heaters. But at least my family won't freeze!
What I cooked today:
Chili: Always nice to have a warm toasty meal when it's a little cool outside.
Cornbread: The cornbread was such a hit last night, the kids asked for it again tonight. No big deal, since it's so easy!
Update:
The temp was less than 0 most of the day. But there was very little (if any) wind. So, it didn't feel much colder outside than it was when it was 20, with a lot of wind. That wind chill factor is an amazing concept, one that I've never really experienced before.
So, our house is a manufactured house, with an addition. And, apparently, when they added the addition, they insulated between the house and the addition, but left a gap at the bottom. And that gap was seeping cold air into a closet, and then into the house. So, Patrick asked his dad for some left over insulation, and we shoved that into the gap, and that seems to be staving off some of the cold.
We also found that there is a significant gap in the front door. It's leaking cold air in as well. So, we currently have about 5 towels pressed up against the base of the door, hopefully keeping that leak at bay.
We have been holding off using the propane central heat, since it is extremely ineffecient. It's a 500 gallon tank, and it registers the volume in percentages. So, I'm having Patrick go check each day (or so) to see how much we use. I think we've gone through about 10% in the last few days. With a 500 gallon tank, each percent is about 5 gallons, so that's almost 50 gallons. At $2.50 per gallon, thats $125! And we're only turning the heat on when it gets below 60.
So, we had the parents pick up an extra space heater and they had an extra at their house. So, we turned off the central air, and are just using the pellet stove and the space heaters. We put a space heater in the dining room/office area, one in Ryan's room, and we already had one in our bathroom. The pellet stove is in the addition (the boys room and family room are in there). Right now, the house is holding steady at 60 degrees (which is a little chilly, but just fine). Ryan's room is up to about 68, since his little space heater is just heating his room. And everyone else has electric mattress pads. (we actually put a back heating pad on top of him last night, and he was nice and toasty). I'm currently typing with knit gloves on, and I have a blanket over my legs. But once you've got yourself all set, it's not that bad!
The hot water heater is also propane, so that could be adding to the amount we're using. But I'd really, really like to try to keep our costs under control. As it is, our electric bill is going to be high, with all these space heaters. But at least my family won't freeze!
Monday, January 16, 2012
January 16, 2012
Outside Temp: -1 (it was as low as -3 at some point last night... Since there is no wind, it doesn't feel that cold. Okay, so it's cold, but it's not THAT cold... )
What I cooked today:
Cornbread: I found a recipe at Fabulously Frugal for cornbread that didn't fall apart when you tried to butter it! It even had this awesome crispy crust that was made because you melted the butter in the 9x13 pan and poured the batter on top. Maybe a little sweeter than Patrick likes, but I thought it was great!
Potato Soup: I have been wanting to try my hand at a chowder for a while, but Patrick doesn't usually like things with heated milk, so I've been holding off until I could find a good recipe. And I think I've found it. It doesn't have any Cream of Anything soup, which he absolutely hates. It was just onions, celery, chicken broth (courtesy of my broth from October), potatoes, milk and a little flour. It called for Rosemary, which I don't have, and Thyme, which I did. Patrick had 3 servings and I had 2. It was warm and cozy. I added some bacon, since I didn't have any ham. I would be great with clams, too!
Update:
So, waking the kids up this morning, and glancing at the thermometer, I found that it was 1 degree outside. Like one more than zero, one. Of course, Allen comes out dressed for school in a t-shirt and jeans. His version of warm clothes was a sweatshirt over his t-shirt. And he complained about being forced to wear his jacket. But to his credit, he didn't complain about the cold when he got home.
We were on our way home from school, while listening to country radio (is there any other kind?). A song came on with the last line of the chorus of: "Someone give me an Amen". And Connor asks me, "Mom, why would anyone want a hairnet? (he thought they said 'someone give me a hairnet!') I couldn't stop laughing!
Tonight we had our weekly Adult Faith meeting. We're watching a great series on Catholicism. It's great because we stop every 10-15 minutes to discuss what we have just watched. Tonight we had 14 people, which was great! I love hearing everyone's views on things!
And, we heard about another place that we might be able to rent. Someone had bought the house in Geyser that we were looking at, so the place she was renting will be available. I'll be calling over there in the morning, to see what the status of the place is. We weren't sure if it was a 3 bedroom or a 4 bedroom. 3 would be kind of tight, but we'll have to see.
The house has been a little colder than usual, with the colder weather, but I can't complain. We did turn on the heat last night, since the pellet stove just can't keep up. But that's what it's for, so I don't mind. We also put the plastic window insulation on the window in my bedroom. Of course, the window is on my side, so I've been dealing with the draft (have I mentioned my totally awesome electric mattress pad?). This evening there was a ton of condensation on the plastic. I guess it's doing it's job.
What I cooked today:
Cornbread: I found a recipe at Fabulously Frugal for cornbread that didn't fall apart when you tried to butter it! It even had this awesome crispy crust that was made because you melted the butter in the 9x13 pan and poured the batter on top. Maybe a little sweeter than Patrick likes, but I thought it was great!
Potato Soup: I have been wanting to try my hand at a chowder for a while, but Patrick doesn't usually like things with heated milk, so I've been holding off until I could find a good recipe. And I think I've found it. It doesn't have any Cream of Anything soup, which he absolutely hates. It was just onions, celery, chicken broth (courtesy of my broth from October), potatoes, milk and a little flour. It called for Rosemary, which I don't have, and Thyme, which I did. Patrick had 3 servings and I had 2. It was warm and cozy. I added some bacon, since I didn't have any ham. I would be great with clams, too!
Update:
So, waking the kids up this morning, and glancing at the thermometer, I found that it was 1 degree outside. Like one more than zero, one. Of course, Allen comes out dressed for school in a t-shirt and jeans. His version of warm clothes was a sweatshirt over his t-shirt. And he complained about being forced to wear his jacket. But to his credit, he didn't complain about the cold when he got home.
We were on our way home from school, while listening to country radio (is there any other kind?). A song came on with the last line of the chorus of: "Someone give me an Amen". And Connor asks me, "Mom, why would anyone want a hairnet? (he thought they said 'someone give me a hairnet!') I couldn't stop laughing!
Tonight we had our weekly Adult Faith meeting. We're watching a great series on Catholicism. It's great because we stop every 10-15 minutes to discuss what we have just watched. Tonight we had 14 people, which was great! I love hearing everyone's views on things!
And, we heard about another place that we might be able to rent. Someone had bought the house in Geyser that we were looking at, so the place she was renting will be available. I'll be calling over there in the morning, to see what the status of the place is. We weren't sure if it was a 3 bedroom or a 4 bedroom. 3 would be kind of tight, but we'll have to see.
The house has been a little colder than usual, with the colder weather, but I can't complain. We did turn on the heat last night, since the pellet stove just can't keep up. But that's what it's for, so I don't mind. We also put the plastic window insulation on the window in my bedroom. Of course, the window is on my side, so I've been dealing with the draft (have I mentioned my totally awesome electric mattress pad?). This evening there was a ton of condensation on the plastic. I guess it's doing it's job.
Sunday, January 15, 2012
January 15, 2012
Outside Temp: 4 F (kind of chilly... we had snow for about 5 seconds today...)
What I cooked today:
French Toast: Always a crowd pleaser, and I even spoiled everyone with bacon.
Enchiladas: One of these days, I have to come up with a recipe for enchiladas that doesn't use the Schillings or McCormick seasoning packet. Until then, I guess they are stuck. I need to make about 1 1/2 times the sauce as what the seasoning packet makes, since I always end up with tortillas, cheese and space in my second 9x13 pan for more cheese enchiladas, but no sauce. If I had the seasonings, I could just make more sauce. Added to the list of things to do.
Update:
Totally lazy day for me.
Allen and Grandpa went skiing.
Patrick and Connor went into town to get Connor a new game he's been wanting (he finally used up his Christmas money).
And Katie and Ryan and I just sat around, watching TV, playing games and reading in my nice warm bed, with it's awesome electric mattress pad.
The weather was chilly most of the day (in the teens, then the single digits), so I finally broke down when the temp inside hit 55 and turned on the heat (we had the pellet stove running, but its not magical). When Patrick got home, he cleaned out the pellet stove and it started heating the house more. It's now in the low 60's inside which is fine with socks and a long sleeve shirt and a hoodie and a blanket across my legs. After finishing my blog, I'm probably going to crawl back into bed with my awesome electric mattress pad, and read for an hour or so. Did I mention how awesome my electric mattress pad is?
What I cooked today:
French Toast: Always a crowd pleaser, and I even spoiled everyone with bacon.
Enchiladas: One of these days, I have to come up with a recipe for enchiladas that doesn't use the Schillings or McCormick seasoning packet. Until then, I guess they are stuck. I need to make about 1 1/2 times the sauce as what the seasoning packet makes, since I always end up with tortillas, cheese and space in my second 9x13 pan for more cheese enchiladas, but no sauce. If I had the seasonings, I could just make more sauce. Added to the list of things to do.
Update:
Totally lazy day for me.
Allen and Grandpa went skiing.
Patrick and Connor went into town to get Connor a new game he's been wanting (he finally used up his Christmas money).
And Katie and Ryan and I just sat around, watching TV, playing games and reading in my nice warm bed, with it's awesome electric mattress pad.
The weather was chilly most of the day (in the teens, then the single digits), so I finally broke down when the temp inside hit 55 and turned on the heat (we had the pellet stove running, but its not magical). When Patrick got home, he cleaned out the pellet stove and it started heating the house more. It's now in the low 60's inside which is fine with socks and a long sleeve shirt and a hoodie and a blanket across my legs. After finishing my blog, I'm probably going to crawl back into bed with my awesome electric mattress pad, and read for an hour or so. Did I mention how awesome my electric mattress pad is?
Saturday, January 14, 2012
January 14, 2012
Outside Temp: 37 F (and dropping... it's supposed to be in the 20's tonight and into the single digits by tomorrow night... we'll see... )
What I cooked today:
Pancakes: I'm getting pretty good and making these... It's Alton Brown's recipe, and you make your own 'pancake mix', similar to Bisquick. Then you add the butter, buttermilk and eggs to the mix when you're ready to use it. It's really thick, but makes really great pancakes. And I think it's cheaper than Bisquick, since it's just flour, salt, sugar, baking powder and baking soda.
Walnut Chicken: We got home late from town, but everyone still wanted to eat. Spoiled children. Fortunately, I had left the chicken out to defrost, so it was pretty easy. I even made up Fried Rice to go with it. We finally had dinner on the table around 10pm!
Update:
We went to church and then Patrick and I ran into town. But first, we went for a little drive up to the house that might be for sale. On the way, I saw a new friend, pictured below. He was kind enough to pose for me! I've been wanting to get this picture for a few months, ever since I saw him the first time. Okay, so it's probably not the same guy, but he's a close relative!
What I cooked today:
Pancakes: I'm getting pretty good and making these... It's Alton Brown's recipe, and you make your own 'pancake mix', similar to Bisquick. Then you add the butter, buttermilk and eggs to the mix when you're ready to use it. It's really thick, but makes really great pancakes. And I think it's cheaper than Bisquick, since it's just flour, salt, sugar, baking powder and baking soda.
Walnut Chicken: We got home late from town, but everyone still wanted to eat. Spoiled children. Fortunately, I had left the chicken out to defrost, so it was pretty easy. I even made up Fried Rice to go with it. We finally had dinner on the table around 10pm!
Update:
We went to church and then Patrick and I ran into town. But first, we went for a little drive up to the house that might be for sale. On the way, I saw a new friend, pictured below. He was kind enough to pose for me! I've been wanting to get this picture for a few months, ever since I saw him the first time. Okay, so it's probably not the same guy, but he's a close relative!
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| The view from the road up to a house we are looking at. Just beautiful. |
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| The Missouri River... iced over... I took this from the passenger side, while we were driving... I'll get a better picture next time. |
January 13, 2012
Outside Temp: 22 F
What I cooked today:
BBQ Pork Ribs: I had some pork ribs from October in my freezer and they really, really needed to be gone. So, I defrosted them, tossed them in some BBQ sauce and threw them in the oven. 40 minutes later, dinner... So easy!
Update:
Patrick and I went for a drive today. We've been here for a few months now, and Patrick hasn't really had a chance to drive around the countryside. I took him up the hill behind the parent's house, and we got a great picture.
We ended up getting stuck in the snow, but since the Aveo is so light, it was pretty easy to push it out of the snow. We missed the turn we intended to make, and ended up on an un-maintained road. Who knew there was such a thing as an un-maintained road?
After our drive, Allen and I went into Stanford for the basketball games. It seems like the main source of entertainment for a Friday night... high school basketball. I think about half of the town was there!
What I cooked today:
BBQ Pork Ribs: I had some pork ribs from October in my freezer and they really, really needed to be gone. So, I defrosted them, tossed them in some BBQ sauce and threw them in the oven. 40 minutes later, dinner... So easy!
Update:
Patrick and I went for a drive today. We've been here for a few months now, and Patrick hasn't really had a chance to drive around the countryside. I took him up the hill behind the parent's house, and we got a great picture.
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| The weather was a little overcast, but pretty just the same. |
After our drive, Allen and I went into Stanford for the basketball games. It seems like the main source of entertainment for a Friday night... high school basketball. I think about half of the town was there!
Thursday, January 12, 2012
January 12, 2012
Outside Temp: 39 F (ugh, it's summer again... goodbye snow...)
What I cooked today:
Nothing... Dinner at the parents.
Update:
Allen WON the National Geographic Geography Bee today! Now the real test begins! He has to take a 70 question test next week, along with every other school winner in the state. The top 100 students compete in Billings in March. So, now we get to really start studying!
We went into Stanford today to talk to our lawyer about our business. We are officially a Montana business, complete with our new business bank account. Our California business is dissolved and now we just have to close out our old business checking account.
We went up to the parent's place for dinner to celebrate Grandpa's birthday. Grandma made awesome pork chops and we even got to have carrot cake for dessert! Afterwards, we played Clue with Katie, and it was so hard to play with 5 people. I think that everyone got confused at one point or another. Patrick won, but it was really close.
We talked with a lady in the school today about her house, that will be coming up for sale in a few weeks. It sounds almost too perfect, so I'm trying to stay grounded. They have a previous agreement with a company that has first right of refusal when they sell, and if they refuse, we might be interested. We're trying to just be patient and let things happen. We put the word out that we were looking for a place and she heard and wanted to let us know about her place. There are times that gossip is a good thing!
What I cooked today:
Nothing... Dinner at the parents.
Update:
Happy Birthday to Patrick's Dad!
Allen WON the National Geographic Geography Bee today! Now the real test begins! He has to take a 70 question test next week, along with every other school winner in the state. The top 100 students compete in Billings in March. So, now we get to really start studying!
We went into Stanford today to talk to our lawyer about our business. We are officially a Montana business, complete with our new business bank account. Our California business is dissolved and now we just have to close out our old business checking account.
We went up to the parent's place for dinner to celebrate Grandpa's birthday. Grandma made awesome pork chops and we even got to have carrot cake for dessert! Afterwards, we played Clue with Katie, and it was so hard to play with 5 people. I think that everyone got confused at one point or another. Patrick won, but it was really close.
We talked with a lady in the school today about her house, that will be coming up for sale in a few weeks. It sounds almost too perfect, so I'm trying to stay grounded. They have a previous agreement with a company that has first right of refusal when they sell, and if they refuse, we might be interested. We're trying to just be patient and let things happen. We put the word out that we were looking for a place and she heard and wanted to let us know about her place. There are times that gossip is a good thing!
Wednesday, January 11, 2012
January 11, 2012
Outside Temp: 24 F (The low was this morning with 2 F! )
What I cooked today:
Goulash: Since we were gone most the of day, we didn't really monitor the heater, so the house was a little colder than we would have liked. Therefore, a nice warm stew is always a good dinner. I don't know if this is actually goulash, but it was warm and good.
Update:
So, my adventures since last night at 9pm, when I wrote yesterday's entry:
1. Patrick was up at his parent's place, helping with something, and when he left to go home, around 10pm, his car wouldn't move. Three wheels worked fine, but the back passenger side wheel was stuck. Like, really stuck. It was facing the wind (which was blowing around 25 mph) and it was in the single digits (around 8 degrees). After some looking around, and moving some snow, he realized that the parking brake was iced to the wheel. So, using a hair dryer (yep, in the 8 degrees, with the wind and all), he was able to heat it up enough to dislodge the ice and allow the parking brake to release. Thank goodness he did not remove the wheel, like he planned. I can't even imagine him getting that one back on right at 11pm in the snow. Moral of the story: Don't set your parking break if you have an automatic and it's cold and windy and snowy...
2. So, this morning, where it was 2 degrees, I took the kids over to the post office for the bus. On snowy days, there is a tight turn and a narrow bridge that the bus usually goes over to get to my house. Since this is kind of risky with the ice, I take them the block over to the post office, where there is a wider road for the bus to turn. So, around 7:15am, I went outside and turned on the car, to get the inside heated up so the kids didn't whine. By 7:25am, we were ready, so I bundled everyone out to the car. Connor couldn't open his door (the one facing the wind) because it was iced shut. No problem, he just went in on the other side and we were fine. I put the car into 'R' and pushed on the gas. Nothing. Uhhh. Okay, I move it to 'D', and pushed the gas. Nothing. Oh crap. Check parking brake, nope, it's not on. So, I told Allen to move over to the driver seat. We put the car in 'R' again, and I got out and pushed a little on the hood, while he pushed the gas (okay, so he pushed the brake first, which resulted in me gently correcting him: The other gas pedal, silly!). I could hear the car revving up and with an extra hard push, the ice cracked and the car started moving backwards (I was terrified that he would bump it into 'D'). Then it was a series of "Brake! Brake! Brake!" until he hit the brake, and put it into 'P'. Moral of the story: When you go out to warm up the car, after you brush off the snow and scrape off the ice, make sure that the tires all move...
3. Then, I got the kids to the post office around 7:30am (or so). The last few days, the bus has been getting to our house somewhere between 7:30 and 7:40. School starts at 8:00, and the kids eat breakfast before school, so I like them to get there with enough time to eat. It takes about 12 minutes in good weather to get there, so if the bus is here by 7:40, they usually have just enough time to eat before rushing off to class. We spent the first few minutes waiting (in the warm car), discussing the inner workings of a combustion engine and how it eventually makes the wheels move. I would periodically put the car into drive and move 5 feet forward, then back, just in case. By 7:43, I was beginning to wonder where the bus was. By 7:45, the kids were begging me to just drive them, so they could eat. So, by 7:46, I relented, put the car into drive and pulled out of the parking lot to take them to school. The road is pretty narrow, going over a (different) bridge, before you hit the highway. And what should I see as soon as I crossed the bridge? The bus, coming towards me. Oh crap. So, I threw the car into reverse and backed up. In the snow. With the back window still covered with ice, so I had to use the mirrors to be able to see. With the bus creeping towards me like a stalker. We passed the entrance to the post office and I was able to throw it into drive and pull into the parking lot before the bus overtook us. We parked and the kid were able to grab all their stuff (backpacks, snow gloves, instruments, etc) and jump on the bus without slipping on the ice. I was laughing so hard when I apologized to Bruce (the bus driver), about my crazy driving. He just laughed at me. Moral of the story: The bus shows up when the bus shows up...
4. Clinic in Great Falls with Ryan. He is doing soooooo good! His weight is up to 57 lbs, which is about 4 lbs higher than the first of November. His labs are great and the doctors are so happy with him. He fought the phlebotomist to get his blood drawn, but finally relaxed enough to get it done. We've had the same women every time for the last 4 blood draws, so she's really getting to know us. When she saw us come in, she said "Oh, I know Ryan. We're old friends. I'll take him". I love it around here.
5. The kids had a Geography Bee at school today. It was for the 4th-8th graders, so all 3 of the kids were in it. Katie and Connor were unhappy with their performances (I mean, who knew that Maryland is further North than Montana? I sure didn't!), but Allen did great. He made it to the top 4, and then he tied for the top 2 positions. They ran out of time, so they are having the tie-breaker tomorrow morning. Geography is one subject that he has always enjoyed, but apparently I've neglected his US geography. He couldn't figure out a few simple US states, so now I know where I need to focus his geography studies!
All in all, a busy but fun day. It was chilly most of the day, in the 20's, but with a coat and long underwear, we were fine. Of course, the weatherman claims it will be back up into the 40's by Friday. Ugh. So much for my pretty snow.
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| The town of Belt, about 15 minutes west of us. |
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| My front drive.... all that snow came in yesterday. Drifts as high as 13 inches. :) |
What I cooked today:
Goulash: Since we were gone most the of day, we didn't really monitor the heater, so the house was a little colder than we would have liked. Therefore, a nice warm stew is always a good dinner. I don't know if this is actually goulash, but it was warm and good.
Update:
So, my adventures since last night at 9pm, when I wrote yesterday's entry:
1. Patrick was up at his parent's place, helping with something, and when he left to go home, around 10pm, his car wouldn't move. Three wheels worked fine, but the back passenger side wheel was stuck. Like, really stuck. It was facing the wind (which was blowing around 25 mph) and it was in the single digits (around 8 degrees). After some looking around, and moving some snow, he realized that the parking brake was iced to the wheel. So, using a hair dryer (yep, in the 8 degrees, with the wind and all), he was able to heat it up enough to dislodge the ice and allow the parking brake to release. Thank goodness he did not remove the wheel, like he planned. I can't even imagine him getting that one back on right at 11pm in the snow. Moral of the story: Don't set your parking break if you have an automatic and it's cold and windy and snowy...
2. So, this morning, where it was 2 degrees, I took the kids over to the post office for the bus. On snowy days, there is a tight turn and a narrow bridge that the bus usually goes over to get to my house. Since this is kind of risky with the ice, I take them the block over to the post office, where there is a wider road for the bus to turn. So, around 7:15am, I went outside and turned on the car, to get the inside heated up so the kids didn't whine. By 7:25am, we were ready, so I bundled everyone out to the car. Connor couldn't open his door (the one facing the wind) because it was iced shut. No problem, he just went in on the other side and we were fine. I put the car into 'R' and pushed on the gas. Nothing. Uhhh. Okay, I move it to 'D', and pushed the gas. Nothing. Oh crap. Check parking brake, nope, it's not on. So, I told Allen to move over to the driver seat. We put the car in 'R' again, and I got out and pushed a little on the hood, while he pushed the gas (okay, so he pushed the brake first, which resulted in me gently correcting him: The other gas pedal, silly!). I could hear the car revving up and with an extra hard push, the ice cracked and the car started moving backwards (I was terrified that he would bump it into 'D'). Then it was a series of "Brake! Brake! Brake!" until he hit the brake, and put it into 'P'. Moral of the story: When you go out to warm up the car, after you brush off the snow and scrape off the ice, make sure that the tires all move...
3. Then, I got the kids to the post office around 7:30am (or so). The last few days, the bus has been getting to our house somewhere between 7:30 and 7:40. School starts at 8:00, and the kids eat breakfast before school, so I like them to get there with enough time to eat. It takes about 12 minutes in good weather to get there, so if the bus is here by 7:40, they usually have just enough time to eat before rushing off to class. We spent the first few minutes waiting (in the warm car), discussing the inner workings of a combustion engine and how it eventually makes the wheels move. I would periodically put the car into drive and move 5 feet forward, then back, just in case. By 7:43, I was beginning to wonder where the bus was. By 7:45, the kids were begging me to just drive them, so they could eat. So, by 7:46, I relented, put the car into drive and pulled out of the parking lot to take them to school. The road is pretty narrow, going over a (different) bridge, before you hit the highway. And what should I see as soon as I crossed the bridge? The bus, coming towards me. Oh crap. So, I threw the car into reverse and backed up. In the snow. With the back window still covered with ice, so I had to use the mirrors to be able to see. With the bus creeping towards me like a stalker. We passed the entrance to the post office and I was able to throw it into drive and pull into the parking lot before the bus overtook us. We parked and the kid were able to grab all their stuff (backpacks, snow gloves, instruments, etc) and jump on the bus without slipping on the ice. I was laughing so hard when I apologized to Bruce (the bus driver), about my crazy driving. He just laughed at me. Moral of the story: The bus shows up when the bus shows up...
4. Clinic in Great Falls with Ryan. He is doing soooooo good! His weight is up to 57 lbs, which is about 4 lbs higher than the first of November. His labs are great and the doctors are so happy with him. He fought the phlebotomist to get his blood drawn, but finally relaxed enough to get it done. We've had the same women every time for the last 4 blood draws, so she's really getting to know us. When she saw us come in, she said "Oh, I know Ryan. We're old friends. I'll take him". I love it around here.
5. The kids had a Geography Bee at school today. It was for the 4th-8th graders, so all 3 of the kids were in it. Katie and Connor were unhappy with their performances (I mean, who knew that Maryland is further North than Montana? I sure didn't!), but Allen did great. He made it to the top 4, and then he tied for the top 2 positions. They ran out of time, so they are having the tie-breaker tomorrow morning. Geography is one subject that he has always enjoyed, but apparently I've neglected his US geography. He couldn't figure out a few simple US states, so now I know where I need to focus his geography studies!
All in all, a busy but fun day. It was chilly most of the day, in the 20's, but with a coat and long underwear, we were fine. Of course, the weatherman claims it will be back up into the 40's by Friday. Ugh. So much for my pretty snow.
Tuesday, January 10, 2012
January 10, 2012
Outside Temp: 17 F (and snowing!! Woo Hoo!)
What I cooked today:
Steak: I cooked up the last 3 steaks from out trip to town. A week later and it was still really good. I used to use a thermometer to make sure the steak was a perfect medium rare. Now, I'm getting good enough that I can use the whole 'push on it' tactic and it works pretty well!
Update:
Happy Birthday to my Grandmother Welles, who is 89 today! I had a great conversation with her today, and she's still as feisty as ever. She was irritated that she had bad cards during her monthly poker game today, but the cake was pretty good. Her group has been meeting for almost 40 years, and they always play until 3ish, since that's when their kids got home from school. Of course, none of them have kids in school anymore, but why break with tradition! I love talking with her!
I was pretty sure that it wasn't going to snow today, since it was 50 degrees when I shipped the kids off to school this morning. But by 10, it was snowing and down into the 20s. When I headed out to take Ryan to school, I'd forgotten to give myself an extra 10 minutes to scrape the ice off the windshield. And of course, the extra 5 minutes to the drive, which made me a few minutes late to school. Oh well, it all worked out fine.
The snow is expected to taper off tonight, but it should still be pretty cold for the next day or two, so hopefully, it won't all be gone by tomorrow afternoon. As long as I'm careful on the roads and try not to drive too fast, I should be fine.
Tomorrow, we have to take Ryan to town for labs and clinic, and then rush back for the kids Geography Bee. All 3 kids are participating (grades 4-8), but it starts at 2:30, and we have clinic in town at 1:30, and that usually lasts at least 30 minutes and it's almost an hour from town back to the school.
Allen is usually pretty good at geography, so I'm excited to see how he does. Katie and Connor have been studying in class for the last week, so I'm hoping they all do well.
What I cooked today:
Steak: I cooked up the last 3 steaks from out trip to town. A week later and it was still really good. I used to use a thermometer to make sure the steak was a perfect medium rare. Now, I'm getting good enough that I can use the whole 'push on it' tactic and it works pretty well!
Update:
Happy Birthday to my Grandmother Welles, who is 89 today! I had a great conversation with her today, and she's still as feisty as ever. She was irritated that she had bad cards during her monthly poker game today, but the cake was pretty good. Her group has been meeting for almost 40 years, and they always play until 3ish, since that's when their kids got home from school. Of course, none of them have kids in school anymore, but why break with tradition! I love talking with her!
I was pretty sure that it wasn't going to snow today, since it was 50 degrees when I shipped the kids off to school this morning. But by 10, it was snowing and down into the 20s. When I headed out to take Ryan to school, I'd forgotten to give myself an extra 10 minutes to scrape the ice off the windshield. And of course, the extra 5 minutes to the drive, which made me a few minutes late to school. Oh well, it all worked out fine.
The snow is expected to taper off tonight, but it should still be pretty cold for the next day or two, so hopefully, it won't all be gone by tomorrow afternoon. As long as I'm careful on the roads and try not to drive too fast, I should be fine.
Tomorrow, we have to take Ryan to town for labs and clinic, and then rush back for the kids Geography Bee. All 3 kids are participating (grades 4-8), but it starts at 2:30, and we have clinic in town at 1:30, and that usually lasts at least 30 minutes and it's almost an hour from town back to the school.
Allen is usually pretty good at geography, so I'm excited to see how he does. Katie and Connor have been studying in class for the last week, so I'm hoping they all do well.
Monday, January 9, 2012
January 9, 2012
Outside Temp: 48 F (it's not cold enough for snow, although the weatherman has promised me snow tomorrow... we'll have to see...)
What I cooked today:
Burgers: I know, old standby. We had a church study group tonight, so I wanted something quick on the table. And I was too tired to actually make an effort.
Update:
We were invited over to a neighbor's house for the church study group tonight. We watched a great movie, the first of 10 parts, and stopped every 10-15 minutes to discuss. Sometimes I think the best part of study groups like this is the discussions between the participants. You get to throw out your ideas and other people respond. Everyone is coming from a different place, and you all have different experiences. So, it's really nice to have a great group of people who are willing to share with you.
So, on the house front, we talked to someone today about the house we were looking at. It is intact and would be a great place to rent, if only it had a septic system. Apparently, when the current owner's mother in law lived there, in the early 90's, they drained their septic directly into the creek. Ewwwww! We're going to talk to her tomorrow to see if she has any plans to put a septic in. After all, Patrick is at home all day playing video games (okay, not really), so he has the time to help.
We also found out about a few other places. There's a house for sale in Geyser (where the kids go to school, about 15 minutes from Raynesford) on a great lot with a barn and a place for a garden. I don't know if the owner would be willing to rent, but it's an option. There's also a trailer, owned by the school, that the superintendent said we could use in a pinch. It also turns out that there are two other places here in Raynesford that are empty and might work. I got a phone number for one of them, and I'll check on the other tomorrow. By the end of the day today, I think almost everyone in Geyser and Raynesford knows that we're looking and if anything comes up, I'm sure we'll hear about it.
I have to say, everyone in this place is so darn nice. They have just accepted us as we are, and are so willing to help.
We have snow scheduled for tomorrow, so we'll have to see how that goes. Since it's almost 50 F right now, I'm not really expecting much. But, you never know around here... the weather can change on a dime.
What I cooked today:
Burgers: I know, old standby. We had a church study group tonight, so I wanted something quick on the table. And I was too tired to actually make an effort.
Update:
We were invited over to a neighbor's house for the church study group tonight. We watched a great movie, the first of 10 parts, and stopped every 10-15 minutes to discuss. Sometimes I think the best part of study groups like this is the discussions between the participants. You get to throw out your ideas and other people respond. Everyone is coming from a different place, and you all have different experiences. So, it's really nice to have a great group of people who are willing to share with you.
So, on the house front, we talked to someone today about the house we were looking at. It is intact and would be a great place to rent, if only it had a septic system. Apparently, when the current owner's mother in law lived there, in the early 90's, they drained their septic directly into the creek. Ewwwww! We're going to talk to her tomorrow to see if she has any plans to put a septic in. After all, Patrick is at home all day playing video games (okay, not really), so he has the time to help.
We also found out about a few other places. There's a house for sale in Geyser (where the kids go to school, about 15 minutes from Raynesford) on a great lot with a barn and a place for a garden. I don't know if the owner would be willing to rent, but it's an option. There's also a trailer, owned by the school, that the superintendent said we could use in a pinch. It also turns out that there are two other places here in Raynesford that are empty and might work. I got a phone number for one of them, and I'll check on the other tomorrow. By the end of the day today, I think almost everyone in Geyser and Raynesford knows that we're looking and if anything comes up, I'm sure we'll hear about it.
I have to say, everyone in this place is so darn nice. They have just accepted us as we are, and are so willing to help.
We have snow scheduled for tomorrow, so we'll have to see how that goes. Since it's almost 50 F right now, I'm not really expecting much. But, you never know around here... the weather can change on a dime.
Sunday, January 8, 2012
January 8, 2012
Outside Temp: 43 F (it's warm again, although it was downright chilly on the mountain... they said with wind chill it was about -2)
What I cooked today:
French Toast: I realized last time that oatmeal just isn't a good breakfast before skiing. So, french toast it was, and it was great! No ucky tummies this time!
Chili: And after a cold day on the mountain, chili is just perfect. Everyone was full afterwards and it was really easy...
Update:
We went skiing again today. Connor didn't really want to go, but we made him (yes, we're those parents). We let him quit after a few runs and he got to hang out in the lodge with his hot chocolate and his book. Katie really wanted to go, but got tired after an hour or two, so she joined her brother in the lodge with hot chocolate and a book. They both skied really well and we had no problem letting both of them go up by themselves or with Allen. I think I'd feel a little more comfortable if they had a walkie-talkie, but they aren't falling and are feeling pretty confident. And I love that I don't feel bad about them only skiing for an hour or two.
Ryan is getting better. He still struggles with the snow plow, since I don't think he really has the strength in his legs to put the skis into that position. He is great with holding them straight, and he really likes to go fast. We took him off the harness today and I would send him down the hill and Patrick would catch him before he hit the fence. He will turn if he looks either left or right, but he gets distracted and would rather go straight down, fast. We're not ready for him to go up the mountain, yet, but he's getting there. He can get on and off the 'magic carpet' without falling and without help. We're thinking about having an instructor work with him for a hour or so, maybe get him to work on the snow plow or turning. But I'm not sure how much he'll pay attention.
I kept meaning to get some good pictures, but I kept forgetting. I think I'll try to get a movie of Ryan going really fast next week. And since Katie and Connor bailed out so early, I didn't get any pictures of them. As for Allen, he was gone most of the day, and I didn't see much of him. I guess he really likes to ski! :)
What I cooked today:
French Toast: I realized last time that oatmeal just isn't a good breakfast before skiing. So, french toast it was, and it was great! No ucky tummies this time!
Chili: And after a cold day on the mountain, chili is just perfect. Everyone was full afterwards and it was really easy...
Update:
We went skiing again today. Connor didn't really want to go, but we made him (yes, we're those parents). We let him quit after a few runs and he got to hang out in the lodge with his hot chocolate and his book. Katie really wanted to go, but got tired after an hour or two, so she joined her brother in the lodge with hot chocolate and a book. They both skied really well and we had no problem letting both of them go up by themselves or with Allen. I think I'd feel a little more comfortable if they had a walkie-talkie, but they aren't falling and are feeling pretty confident. And I love that I don't feel bad about them only skiing for an hour or two.
Ryan is getting better. He still struggles with the snow plow, since I don't think he really has the strength in his legs to put the skis into that position. He is great with holding them straight, and he really likes to go fast. We took him off the harness today and I would send him down the hill and Patrick would catch him before he hit the fence. He will turn if he looks either left or right, but he gets distracted and would rather go straight down, fast. We're not ready for him to go up the mountain, yet, but he's getting there. He can get on and off the 'magic carpet' without falling and without help. We're thinking about having an instructor work with him for a hour or so, maybe get him to work on the snow plow or turning. But I'm not sure how much he'll pay attention.
I kept meaning to get some good pictures, but I kept forgetting. I think I'll try to get a movie of Ryan going really fast next week. And since Katie and Connor bailed out so early, I didn't get any pictures of them. As for Allen, he was gone most of the day, and I didn't see much of him. I guess he really likes to ski! :)
Saturday, January 7, 2012
January 7, 2012
Outside Temp: 27 F (not too chilly, but worth having a jacket and maybe the knit gloves. )
What I cooked today:
Steak: We had 6 steaks still in the fridge, so we had 3 tonight and we'll probably have the other 3 early next week. The steak is still awesome and Patrick could cut it with his fork. I'm getting better at cooking the steaks in my sporadic oven and of the 3, the first came out perfect, and the second 2 I had to toss back in for a few extra minutes. All 3 ended up perfectly medium rare, although Connor wanted more blood.
Update:
Today we had church at 1pm and then I went into town for my weekly shopping. There were a few deals that made the trip feel awesome. Old Spice deodorant was on sale at Smiths for $0.99, and I had a coupon for $1.00 off 2. So, I picked up 4 for $1.98, which is good since I have so many boys in my house.
I'm still feeling a little nervous about the whole house situation. Patrick and I are trying to lean towards the 'God is teaching us humility' stance. We'll talk with someone early next week about a house in town. It's old and hasn't been lived in for years, but it might be an adventure. And even though the owner of this place may not be asking us to leave, since the situation is up in the air and he could kick us out at any time, we would feel more comfortable with some place different... A little more permanent.
Tomorrow, we should be heading back up the mountain for a few more hours of skiing. I love that it's so easy to head up there. Patrick's kind of whining about his foot hurting (he busted his toe a few weeks ago, and it's still bugging him, especially in ski boots), so we may both be staying down with Ryan, while Allen, Connor, Katie and Grandpa head up the mountain. That might mean I can get some good pictures of Ryan.
What I cooked today:
Steak: We had 6 steaks still in the fridge, so we had 3 tonight and we'll probably have the other 3 early next week. The steak is still awesome and Patrick could cut it with his fork. I'm getting better at cooking the steaks in my sporadic oven and of the 3, the first came out perfect, and the second 2 I had to toss back in for a few extra minutes. All 3 ended up perfectly medium rare, although Connor wanted more blood.
Update:
Today we had church at 1pm and then I went into town for my weekly shopping. There were a few deals that made the trip feel awesome. Old Spice deodorant was on sale at Smiths for $0.99, and I had a coupon for $1.00 off 2. So, I picked up 4 for $1.98, which is good since I have so many boys in my house.
I'm still feeling a little nervous about the whole house situation. Patrick and I are trying to lean towards the 'God is teaching us humility' stance. We'll talk with someone early next week about a house in town. It's old and hasn't been lived in for years, but it might be an adventure. And even though the owner of this place may not be asking us to leave, since the situation is up in the air and he could kick us out at any time, we would feel more comfortable with some place different... A little more permanent.
Tomorrow, we should be heading back up the mountain for a few more hours of skiing. I love that it's so easy to head up there. Patrick's kind of whining about his foot hurting (he busted his toe a few weeks ago, and it's still bugging him, especially in ski boots), so we may both be staying down with Ryan, while Allen, Connor, Katie and Grandpa head up the mountain. That might mean I can get some good pictures of Ryan.
Friday, January 6, 2012
January 6, 2012
Outside Temp: 19 F (woo hoo! It's getting cold! Although I'm reserving celebration, since I heard it would be back up into the 40's and 50's for the next few days)
What I cooked today:
Pancakes: I make Alton Brown's recipe for pancake mix, which is so much cheaper than Bisquick. The kids love it, and I had to make a second batch, just so I'd end up with something other than Lucky Charms for breakfast.
BBQ Chicken: Since I was gone most of the day, I'd forgotten to take anything out of the freezer. So, when I got home, I threw some chicken in the microwave to defrost, then tossed into a pan with some BBQ sauce and put into the oven for a half hour. Since I was in a rush, I didn't wait for the chicken to totally defrost and I didn't marinate in sauce like I usually do. The result was some pretty dry chicken, in a pan full of the water that should have remained in the chicken. Ugh. But it still tasted pretty good, so it all got eaten. I'll plan better next time.
Update:
The high school basketball teams were playing at 'home' today, which means Stanford, but that's still closer than the away games. There are 4 teams: Girls and Boys, JV and Varsity. The games started with Girls JV at 3, then boys JV at 4:30. The Girls Varsity started around 6 and the boys Varsity started at 7:30.
Patrick had work to do, so he gave everyone the option of going to the game or staying home. We ended up with just Allen and I at the game, which was fine, since we stayed for 3 of the 4 games, or about 4 1/2 hours. You would think that it was boring, but it was great! The teams played well and we really enjoyed having an attachment to the team, which made us cheer all that much more.
If I understand correctly, when you try out for the team, if you are good enough, you make Varsity. Otherwise, you make JV. So, there were some 11th graders on JV and there was even an 8th grader on Varsity. They also had the pep band. We figured that most (if not all) of the high school, and junior high, from Geyser was there, either to play basketball, or to play in the pep band, or to support their school. This is why we don't have school on Fridays for the winter months!
We sat next to a family that I already knew, so we were able to chat. And the concession stand was open the entire time, so we had plenty of popcorn and soda and candy. The pep band played before and after the Varsity games, including the Star Spangled Banner, which was cool. And in the practice before each game, they played current music through the speakers... which resulted in a group of 8-10 year old girls singing along with Lady Gaga's Poker Face... priceless. The only complaint would have been my sore bottom from sitting on the bleachers for 4 hours. Ugh.
What I cooked today:
Pancakes: I make Alton Brown's recipe for pancake mix, which is so much cheaper than Bisquick. The kids love it, and I had to make a second batch, just so I'd end up with something other than Lucky Charms for breakfast.
BBQ Chicken: Since I was gone most of the day, I'd forgotten to take anything out of the freezer. So, when I got home, I threw some chicken in the microwave to defrost, then tossed into a pan with some BBQ sauce and put into the oven for a half hour. Since I was in a rush, I didn't wait for the chicken to totally defrost and I didn't marinate in sauce like I usually do. The result was some pretty dry chicken, in a pan full of the water that should have remained in the chicken. Ugh. But it still tasted pretty good, so it all got eaten. I'll plan better next time.
Update:
The high school basketball teams were playing at 'home' today, which means Stanford, but that's still closer than the away games. There are 4 teams: Girls and Boys, JV and Varsity. The games started with Girls JV at 3, then boys JV at 4:30. The Girls Varsity started around 6 and the boys Varsity started at 7:30.
Patrick had work to do, so he gave everyone the option of going to the game or staying home. We ended up with just Allen and I at the game, which was fine, since we stayed for 3 of the 4 games, or about 4 1/2 hours. You would think that it was boring, but it was great! The teams played well and we really enjoyed having an attachment to the team, which made us cheer all that much more.
If I understand correctly, when you try out for the team, if you are good enough, you make Varsity. Otherwise, you make JV. So, there were some 11th graders on JV and there was even an 8th grader on Varsity. They also had the pep band. We figured that most (if not all) of the high school, and junior high, from Geyser was there, either to play basketball, or to play in the pep band, or to support their school. This is why we don't have school on Fridays for the winter months!
We sat next to a family that I already knew, so we were able to chat. And the concession stand was open the entire time, so we had plenty of popcorn and soda and candy. The pep band played before and after the Varsity games, including the Star Spangled Banner, which was cool. And in the practice before each game, they played current music through the speakers... which resulted in a group of 8-10 year old girls singing along with Lady Gaga's Poker Face... priceless. The only complaint would have been my sore bottom from sitting on the bleachers for 4 hours. Ugh.
Thursday, January 5, 2012
January 5, 2012
Outside Temp: 33 F (It's getting colder. It was in the 50's this morning, and was getting colder most of the day... Perhaps Montana finally realized that it's January.)
What I cooked today:
Nothing: Totally bad parent. We had to rush into town to get Ryan's meds, so we had dinner in town. I brought the boys back burgers, which they thought was just awesome!
Update:
Thank you to everyone who commented on yesterday's post. I'm sure everything with the house will work out fine, but I wasn't really prepared (although I should have been). We still need to talk to some people in town about other places to live, and the owner of this place didn't say when or if he's going to kick us out. He might realize what a good deal he has going, and just let us stay. But we are going to prepare, just in case. He did say at least 3 months, so that gives us time to find something else. Of course, there aren't that many houses around here, so we are limited in our choices. I just want to find something close enough so the kids don't have to change schools. (Oh my gosh, did I just say that! From a former homeschooling mom, I'm basing decisions on my kids public school!)
We got a call today from the pharmacy, which was supposed to be mailing out Ryan's meds, saying they had them and were waiting for us to pick them up. Since they were supposed to be here yesterday (and they were supposed to be here last week, but they had to order them), we really needed them for tonight. So, we made the trek into town on a day when we had no groceries to purchase, and no reason other than the meds to make the 40 mile drive (80 if you count there and back). Katie and Ryan came with us, and we allowed the boys to stay home. We stopped at a restaurant in town and had 1/2 of a family dinner. And then headed back. It would have been a wasted trip, but it gave Patrick and I a chance to talk about our plans for the housing situation. I'm staying positive. Not sure how, but I'm trying.
We looked over the place in town we wanted to talk to the owners about renting. Apparently, the family has been using the house as storage for furniture and other stuff. The place looks bad from the outside, but the roof looks intact and the windows aren't broken. A coat of paint on the outside, and some pruning of the bushes and plants would make a ton of difference. It's probably smaller than where we are now, but that's not really a problem. There should be a 1/2 basement, which we could use for the boys bedrooms, maybe. And I'm not sure how the electrical and plumbing are on the inside. We're going to try to talk to the owner this weekend, so we'll see how it goes. Patrick is looking at it like an episode of 'This Old House', just drooling over the idea of fixing up this house that is probably 80 years old. I just want a roof over our heads, and perhaps working indoor plumbing. Electricity would be great, which would give me a working stove and a washer and dryer. Oh, and maybe we might need some form of heat. But I'm not going to be greedy... :)
What I cooked today:
Nothing: Totally bad parent. We had to rush into town to get Ryan's meds, so we had dinner in town. I brought the boys back burgers, which they thought was just awesome!
Update:
Thank you to everyone who commented on yesterday's post. I'm sure everything with the house will work out fine, but I wasn't really prepared (although I should have been). We still need to talk to some people in town about other places to live, and the owner of this place didn't say when or if he's going to kick us out. He might realize what a good deal he has going, and just let us stay. But we are going to prepare, just in case. He did say at least 3 months, so that gives us time to find something else. Of course, there aren't that many houses around here, so we are limited in our choices. I just want to find something close enough so the kids don't have to change schools. (Oh my gosh, did I just say that! From a former homeschooling mom, I'm basing decisions on my kids public school!)
We got a call today from the pharmacy, which was supposed to be mailing out Ryan's meds, saying they had them and were waiting for us to pick them up. Since they were supposed to be here yesterday (and they were supposed to be here last week, but they had to order them), we really needed them for tonight. So, we made the trek into town on a day when we had no groceries to purchase, and no reason other than the meds to make the 40 mile drive (80 if you count there and back). Katie and Ryan came with us, and we allowed the boys to stay home. We stopped at a restaurant in town and had 1/2 of a family dinner. And then headed back. It would have been a wasted trip, but it gave Patrick and I a chance to talk about our plans for the housing situation. I'm staying positive. Not sure how, but I'm trying.
We looked over the place in town we wanted to talk to the owners about renting. Apparently, the family has been using the house as storage for furniture and other stuff. The place looks bad from the outside, but the roof looks intact and the windows aren't broken. A coat of paint on the outside, and some pruning of the bushes and plants would make a ton of difference. It's probably smaller than where we are now, but that's not really a problem. There should be a 1/2 basement, which we could use for the boys bedrooms, maybe. And I'm not sure how the electrical and plumbing are on the inside. We're going to try to talk to the owner this weekend, so we'll see how it goes. Patrick is looking at it like an episode of 'This Old House', just drooling over the idea of fixing up this house that is probably 80 years old. I just want a roof over our heads, and perhaps working indoor plumbing. Electricity would be great, which would give me a working stove and a washer and dryer. Oh, and maybe we might need some form of heat. But I'm not going to be greedy... :)
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