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.
Showing posts with label Steak. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Steak. Show all posts
Tuesday, January 10, 2012
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.
Wednesday, January 4, 2012
January 4, 2012
Outside Temp: 56 F (Are you kidding me? Are we in summer here? I wore a t-shirt today, and I wasn't cold! What the hell?)
What I cooked today:
STEAK! - mmm, red meat. beef. awesome. See yesterday's post to see the pics of the awesome meat I got in town yesterday. I love steak. :)
Update:
Tonight, we talked with the owner of the house we are renting. When we picked this place, it was for sale, and we were hoping to make enough on the house in CA to be able to buy it. It's priced really low. Then we got here, and found out that there are a few problems with it. Like, some electrical doesn't work and some plumbing needs to be fixed. Just a few little, minor problems. But problems that make you wonder if you really want to buy something that you know is already broken. How much would it cost us to fix the things that are wrong?
Then we sold the house in CA for a LOT less than we were hoping, and there goes the money we were hoping to use to buy the place. So, we couldn't buy it, even if we wanted to. But we are still paying rent, and we are obviously paying for utilities (which during the winter could be adding up). So, the guy is still getting a pretty good deal from us. The place is still for sale, but no one seems all that interested.
So, he calls tonight and we tell him that we can't buy it. He seemed a little irritated (which is fair), since he thought we were going to be buying as soon as the other place sold. We asked if he wanted us to leave, and he said no. But, he might be coming back in a few months, and if he does, then he'd like us to leave then.
Oh crap. I hate moving. No, I mean I really hate moving. We haven't unpacked about 1/2 of our stuff (like books and china and misc stuff), which is sitting in boxes in the garage. So, in all honesty, it won't be that big of a deal. And perhaps this is a good thing, since I know that we would sit in this house for years and not move forward, if we had the option. We can't really fix anything, because who wants to spend the money fixing something when it's not yours. And there's always that fear that you'll make it worse, which would be fine if it was your place, but you don't want to break someone else's house.
So, I'm going to start talking to the ladies around here. I know of one place that hasn't been lived in for at least 10 years. It may not be livable right now, but it might have potential. And someone else might know of some other place that might work. We're not really picky, and we aren't afraid of a little hard work. It's just a little rough since we are getting settled in and we really, really like the town and the people around here. I guess I'll start thinking about re-packing anything that didn't really need to get unpacked in the first place. And we were smart enough not to throw away all the boxes.
Wish me luck! I really, really don't want to have to go live in the Grandparents' basement. (and they really, really don't want us there, either!)
What I cooked today:
STEAK! - mmm, red meat. beef. awesome. See yesterday's post to see the pics of the awesome meat I got in town yesterday. I love steak. :)
Update:
Tonight, we talked with the owner of the house we are renting. When we picked this place, it was for sale, and we were hoping to make enough on the house in CA to be able to buy it. It's priced really low. Then we got here, and found out that there are a few problems with it. Like, some electrical doesn't work and some plumbing needs to be fixed. Just a few little, minor problems. But problems that make you wonder if you really want to buy something that you know is already broken. How much would it cost us to fix the things that are wrong?
Then we sold the house in CA for a LOT less than we were hoping, and there goes the money we were hoping to use to buy the place. So, we couldn't buy it, even if we wanted to. But we are still paying rent, and we are obviously paying for utilities (which during the winter could be adding up). So, the guy is still getting a pretty good deal from us. The place is still for sale, but no one seems all that interested.
So, he calls tonight and we tell him that we can't buy it. He seemed a little irritated (which is fair), since he thought we were going to be buying as soon as the other place sold. We asked if he wanted us to leave, and he said no. But, he might be coming back in a few months, and if he does, then he'd like us to leave then.
Oh crap. I hate moving. No, I mean I really hate moving. We haven't unpacked about 1/2 of our stuff (like books and china and misc stuff), which is sitting in boxes in the garage. So, in all honesty, it won't be that big of a deal. And perhaps this is a good thing, since I know that we would sit in this house for years and not move forward, if we had the option. We can't really fix anything, because who wants to spend the money fixing something when it's not yours. And there's always that fear that you'll make it worse, which would be fine if it was your place, but you don't want to break someone else's house.
So, I'm going to start talking to the ladies around here. I know of one place that hasn't been lived in for at least 10 years. It may not be livable right now, but it might have potential. And someone else might know of some other place that might work. We're not really picky, and we aren't afraid of a little hard work. It's just a little rough since we are getting settled in and we really, really like the town and the people around here. I guess I'll start thinking about re-packing anything that didn't really need to get unpacked in the first place. And we were smart enough not to throw away all the boxes.
Wish me luck! I really, really don't want to have to go live in the Grandparents' basement. (and they really, really don't want us there, either!)
Thursday, November 10, 2011
November 10, 2011
Outside Temp: 49 F ( a snow storm is 'scheduled' for this weekend, so this is the calm before the storm. We turned off the heater for tonight... it's too warm.)
What I cooked today:
Pumpkin Bread: The boys really love this bread, so I thought I'd bake some up today. Patrick and I already devoured 1/2 of the bundt cake, which left the other half for Allen to inhale after practice. I'm not sure why we all like it so much (maybe it's the 4 cups of sugar...)
Steak and Mashed Potatoes: I thought I'd try steaks again tonight since: a) I have them in the freezer and they have to get eaten sometime. and b) I can't quit just because I screwed up royally last time.
The steaks turned out great! I counted the minutes and kept checking my oven temperature gauge to make sure it stayed at 450-500. The last steak was a little more rare than I usually like, so I just tossed it back in for an extra minute or two. Connor was so excited about being able to mix his 'blood' with his mashed potatoes!
Update:
So, I was warned today that I need to be careful about my blog because 3 things might happen:
1. My friends and family wouldn't have to talk to me anymore, because everything new in my life they already would know from reading the blog, so I wouldn't have anything new to say. I figure, I'm 'communicating' more with my friends and family than I ever did when we all lived next to each other. And this way, I don't have to pay for expensive long distance phone calls.
2. No one would talk to me anymore, since I would spill all their secrets on my blog. I figure that my life is an open book, and I really don't have anything juicy or exciting to tell anyway. Now, when I find out about something REALLY secret that I shouldn't share, I'll be sure to put it in bold.
3. I'm making Montana sound so good, that people would want to come here and invade our state. This one really made me laugh, since I'm sure that most of the people who are reading the blog will take note of the daily temperature and stay put. Some of the people who are reading would notice that the nearest restaurant is 30 minutes away and I have to drive 45 minutes just to go to a grocery store. And a few of the people, who are not afraid of the cold, and the distance, would not consider moving here because there really aren't that many jobs here. Most people need to actually work to support themselves, and jobs are usually required for that to occur.
That all being said, if you are not afraid of the cold, and the distance, and if you have a job you can do from home, and you're a nice person who can get along with other people, feel free to come on up. Just be sure to stay at least a few miles away... We wouldn't want to get crowded.
 The view out my front door this evening.. The clouds were so pretty, a picture really doesn't do it justice. |  Ryan was taking pictures today, and made daddy take this one of the two of us. I thought it turned out nice, so I thought I'd include it here. |
What I cooked today:
Pumpkin Bread: The boys really love this bread, so I thought I'd bake some up today. Patrick and I already devoured 1/2 of the bundt cake, which left the other half for Allen to inhale after practice. I'm not sure why we all like it so much (maybe it's the 4 cups of sugar...)
Steak and Mashed Potatoes: I thought I'd try steaks again tonight since: a) I have them in the freezer and they have to get eaten sometime. and b) I can't quit just because I screwed up royally last time.
The steaks turned out great! I counted the minutes and kept checking my oven temperature gauge to make sure it stayed at 450-500. The last steak was a little more rare than I usually like, so I just tossed it back in for an extra minute or two. Connor was so excited about being able to mix his 'blood' with his mashed potatoes!
Update:
So, I was warned today that I need to be careful about my blog because 3 things might happen:
1. My friends and family wouldn't have to talk to me anymore, because everything new in my life they already would know from reading the blog, so I wouldn't have anything new to say. I figure, I'm 'communicating' more with my friends and family than I ever did when we all lived next to each other. And this way, I don't have to pay for expensive long distance phone calls.
2. No one would talk to me anymore, since I would spill all their secrets on my blog. I figure that my life is an open book, and I really don't have anything juicy or exciting to tell anyway. Now, when I find out about something REALLY secret that I shouldn't share, I'll be sure to put it in bold.
3. I'm making Montana sound so good, that people would want to come here and invade our state. This one really made me laugh, since I'm sure that most of the people who are reading the blog will take note of the daily temperature and stay put. Some of the people who are reading would notice that the nearest restaurant is 30 minutes away and I have to drive 45 minutes just to go to a grocery store. And a few of the people, who are not afraid of the cold, and the distance, would not consider moving here because there really aren't that many jobs here. Most people need to actually work to support themselves, and jobs are usually required for that to occur.
That all being said, if you are not afraid of the cold, and the distance, and if you have a job you can do from home, and you're a nice person who can get along with other people, feel free to come on up. Just be sure to stay at least a few miles away... We wouldn't want to get crowded.
The wind was blowing extra hard today, so even though it was warm, we couldn't really play outside after school. Of course, that didn't stop Ryan from wanting to play outside. I just loved the ghosts riding the swing set! The video I really wanted to get was us walking from the play area to the car... we could barely stand upright!
Sunday, November 6, 2011
November 6, 2011
Outside Temp: 31 F
What I cooked today:
Pumpkin Bread: I love this recipe (probably because it has 4 cups of sugar), but I was really in the mood for something sweet, and everyone seems to like this bread. I made a loaf and a bundt, so I wrapped the loaf in saran wrap and left the bundt out to munch on (along with the tub of butter). By the end of the day, 3/4 of the cake was gone... yummmm... :)
Steak and Potatoes: So, the last time I tried to make steaks (which was also the first time in the new house), I cooked them fine, but I think the temp in the oven got to around 700 degrees, which meant that when I pulled them out, I almost burned through my pot holder.
I cooked pork chops this week, so I thought I could pull of steaks. I failed. Okay, it wasn't a total fail, but the steaks were totally over cooked. What happened, I think, is that I set the temp too low, trying to compensate for the temperature difference between what I set and the actual temp in the oven. I think it only heated up to about 350-400, instead of the 500 I wanted. When I went to pull the steaks out of the oven, they were sitting in a bath of water. Instead of being seared, they were getting boiled. Ugh, boiled steak. Patrick tried to claim they were still okay, but I was pretty unhappy about it. Connor was upset because there was no blood.
Fortunately, I didn't mess up the mashed potatoes. Of course, I'm not sure how to mess up mashed potatoes, so that's not saying much...
Update:
Allen spent the day at a friend's house (actually, the friend's grandparents ranch) in Stanford, which apparently was quite a hit. He said he had a great time! He started to tell me something about BB guns and birds, but then mumbled and stopped the story. I'm pretty sure he didn't actually hit any birds, but one can never be too sure.
Today was my laundry day. I usually try to get at least a load or two done every day, but it's been backing up and I really needed a day to just sit and babysit the washer and dryer. Since we all picked up bedrooms yesterday, I was left with about 4-6 baskets of laundry, just sitting there, laughing at me. But I tackled those baskets and managed to get them all done... even the towels! It may not be a big accomplishment, but it was something.
Tomorrow will be a busy day, since we'll be setting up a business bank account in Stanford and trying (again) to get our driver's licences in Lewistown (with proper documentation this time). Then it's back to Geyser for Ryan's school and a basketball game tomorrow night.
What I cooked today:
Pumpkin Bread: I love this recipe (probably because it has 4 cups of sugar), but I was really in the mood for something sweet, and everyone seems to like this bread. I made a loaf and a bundt, so I wrapped the loaf in saran wrap and left the bundt out to munch on (along with the tub of butter). By the end of the day, 3/4 of the cake was gone... yummmm... :)
Steak and Potatoes: So, the last time I tried to make steaks (which was also the first time in the new house), I cooked them fine, but I think the temp in the oven got to around 700 degrees, which meant that when I pulled them out, I almost burned through my pot holder.
I cooked pork chops this week, so I thought I could pull of steaks. I failed. Okay, it wasn't a total fail, but the steaks were totally over cooked. What happened, I think, is that I set the temp too low, trying to compensate for the temperature difference between what I set and the actual temp in the oven. I think it only heated up to about 350-400, instead of the 500 I wanted. When I went to pull the steaks out of the oven, they were sitting in a bath of water. Instead of being seared, they were getting boiled. Ugh, boiled steak. Patrick tried to claim they were still okay, but I was pretty unhappy about it. Connor was upset because there was no blood.
Fortunately, I didn't mess up the mashed potatoes. Of course, I'm not sure how to mess up mashed potatoes, so that's not saying much...
Update:
Allen spent the day at a friend's house (actually, the friend's grandparents ranch) in Stanford, which apparently was quite a hit. He said he had a great time! He started to tell me something about BB guns and birds, but then mumbled and stopped the story. I'm pretty sure he didn't actually hit any birds, but one can never be too sure.
Today was my laundry day. I usually try to get at least a load or two done every day, but it's been backing up and I really needed a day to just sit and babysit the washer and dryer. Since we all picked up bedrooms yesterday, I was left with about 4-6 baskets of laundry, just sitting there, laughing at me. But I tackled those baskets and managed to get them all done... even the towels! It may not be a big accomplishment, but it was something.
Tomorrow will be a busy day, since we'll be setting up a business bank account in Stanford and trying (again) to get our driver's licences in Lewistown (with proper documentation this time). Then it's back to Geyser for Ryan's school and a basketball game tomorrow night.
Wednesday, October 26, 2011
October 26, 2011
Outside Temp: 40 F
What I cooked today:
Burgers and Mashed Potatoes: Okay, all the cooking finally caught up with me, and I had absolutely no desire to cook today. So, the old stand-by of burgers and mashed potatoes was the choice. I'm realizing that Allen is getting older, since I made about 9 potatoes, and it was gone. Like totally scraped clean. I think he was licking the plate. Ugh, at least potatoes are cheep.
Update:
So, the kids mentioned something yesterday, but I thought they were kidding, so I didn't post it. I talked with the lunch lady today and yes, indeed, they had sirloin steak for lunch yesterday. Are you kidding me? I have never heard of feeding kids steak for lunch from a school cafeteria! But, apparently, their 4H group has a few cows and needed to slaughter them for the season... so the school gets fresh beef. They also have pigs, so I'm sure the bacon and pork chops are fresh. They are so spoiled!
The only complaint was that they had Heinz 57 instead of A-1 sauce, and some of the kids thought it was too spicy. Not mine though; Allen tasted it and said it was just like the sauce his mom makes!
The school also had a pep rally today in Stanford (about 15 miles away). So, they all loaded up on buses, except Ryan and I who took my car, and drove over there. Since our school is so small, we team up with the Stanford teams to make 1 whole team. They girls volleyball team is about 11 students, and the boys football team is 8... yes 8 boys. They play 6 man football, which I had never heard of before we got here.
The pep rally was very similar to my memory from Napa. The coach wanted everyone to yell the team mascot, 'go wolverines' every time some said 'team'. They called all the members, by name and height, of both the girls volleyball and the boys football teams, who had to come stand in the middle of the gym, looking bored. Then there was a game that took longer to explain than it did to actually play. All that was missing was Eli and Aaron doing a skit of 'Wayne's World'.
I also found it interesting, since both schools are K-12, the stands were half-filled with elementary grade kids, who were probably bored but liked to be able to yell out every time some used the word team. Even Ryan got into the mix and by the end, was howling like a wolf and clapping. I guess that's part of the whole 'school pride' thing.
The snow was burned off by noon, which bummed out the kids who wanted to play in the snow when they got home from school. I told them they would have more than enough chance to play in the snow once the winter sets in. The good news is that even though the outside temp last night hit about 19 F, my house was still in the mid 60's when I woke up. I guess my pellet stove is doing it's job!
What I cooked today:
Burgers and Mashed Potatoes: Okay, all the cooking finally caught up with me, and I had absolutely no desire to cook today. So, the old stand-by of burgers and mashed potatoes was the choice. I'm realizing that Allen is getting older, since I made about 9 potatoes, and it was gone. Like totally scraped clean. I think he was licking the plate. Ugh, at least potatoes are cheep.
Update:
So, the kids mentioned something yesterday, but I thought they were kidding, so I didn't post it. I talked with the lunch lady today and yes, indeed, they had sirloin steak for lunch yesterday. Are you kidding me? I have never heard of feeding kids steak for lunch from a school cafeteria! But, apparently, their 4H group has a few cows and needed to slaughter them for the season... so the school gets fresh beef. They also have pigs, so I'm sure the bacon and pork chops are fresh. They are so spoiled!
The only complaint was that they had Heinz 57 instead of A-1 sauce, and some of the kids thought it was too spicy. Not mine though; Allen tasted it and said it was just like the sauce his mom makes!
The school also had a pep rally today in Stanford (about 15 miles away). So, they all loaded up on buses, except Ryan and I who took my car, and drove over there. Since our school is so small, we team up with the Stanford teams to make 1 whole team. They girls volleyball team is about 11 students, and the boys football team is 8... yes 8 boys. They play 6 man football, which I had never heard of before we got here.
The pep rally was very similar to my memory from Napa. The coach wanted everyone to yell the team mascot, 'go wolverines' every time some said 'team'. They called all the members, by name and height, of both the girls volleyball and the boys football teams, who had to come stand in the middle of the gym, looking bored. Then there was a game that took longer to explain than it did to actually play. All that was missing was Eli and Aaron doing a skit of 'Wayne's World'.
I also found it interesting, since both schools are K-12, the stands were half-filled with elementary grade kids, who were probably bored but liked to be able to yell out every time some used the word team. Even Ryan got into the mix and by the end, was howling like a wolf and clapping. I guess that's part of the whole 'school pride' thing.
The snow was burned off by noon, which bummed out the kids who wanted to play in the snow when they got home from school. I told them they would have more than enough chance to play in the snow once the winter sets in. The good news is that even though the outside temp last night hit about 19 F, my house was still in the mid 60's when I woke up. I guess my pellet stove is doing it's job!
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