To Start Off...

For those of you in the know - Roxie is at her new home now. It was a very sad and emotional time for us all - primarily, I think, for Ceana and I. She is going to a great place that can, hopefully, help her. If not, then there is another lady who will take her over to Eastern Oregon. Ceana thought of Roxie as hers, I think, especially since Roxie has always been there and they were home together all the time. As for me - I will never forget Roxie's face peeking out of the vehicle as they were pulling away. The house seems so...empty. I still catch myself getting ready to remind Liam to feed her, or walking to her kennel to let her out. Please keep her in your thoughts - I truly hope that this will be a positive thing for her and that she can be taught to overcome her extreme fear. I know that this is best for her, but it breaks my heart knowing that we couldn't give her what she needed. I really feel like we failed her.

On another note - Christmas was nice. Fairly relaxed, and the weather couldn't have been any different from last year! Clear, sunny, and no snow on the ground this year - gave Ceana a chance to ride her new scooter. The living room looked like a parking garage, with Ceana getting a tricycle, a scooter and a balance bike. But, at least she'll be able to keep up with Brother now! Both kids got some things on their lists, and Santa was wise enough to make sure that not only were the NUMBERS of gifts even, but that the majority of gifts were the kind that both kids would like. 

Side note: Holy crap! It's snowing outside! Some pretty large flakes, too - we were supposed to have freezing rain today, not snow! Ceana keeps dancing around saying "It's Christmas!". I guess it can only snow on Christmas ;0) Liam is outside playing in it. Ceana is begging to play outside too - with her "coat and hat and gloves and pants. And scarf.". Guess I'll have to run for now, but I'll leave you with a few Christmas photos to whet your appetite!

Christmas Break Has Begun. Shoot Me Now.

Just kidding. Kind of. Liam isn't even home from school yet, so I'm sure it will take some time for the craziness to commence. Talk to me again, say, tomorrow? Good thing is, Phil will be home the last couple of days to help get things ready for next week. Well, let me rephrase that. Phil will be battling the children while *I* get things wrapped/organized/ready for the biggest day of the year for the kids. However, we're not putting gifts under the tree until Christmas Eve, or it will be a nightmare trying to keep Ceana (and the cat - who have already broken several ornaments between them) out of the presents.

I did try a new recipe this last week that was really, REALLY good. It calls for a seasoning from Penzey's, and I haven't identified a similar seasoning from anywhere else yet, but if you're in the market to try something new I can always make sure you get some. It's darn good stuff...The ingredient list is: salt, paprika, black pepper, thyme, rosemary, garlic, and chipotle. It's called Northwoods Seasoning...there is also a Northwoods Fire Seasoning, for those who like a bit more heat.

Anyway, here is the recipe - It's a chicken stew that is quite easy to make.

Northwoods Chicken Stew

1 TB butter
2 med. red onions, finely chopped
2 TB Northwoods Seasoning
1 c. peeled carrots, sliced into coins (about 3 - though I used baby carrots we already had)
4 med. potatoes, peeled and quartered
1 whole bone-in chicken breast, but in 2 (which is how ours came)
1 tsp. balsamic or red wine vinegar
1/4 tsp. sugar
2 TB flour
2 bay leaves
4 c. chicken stock (or 3 1/2 c. stock and 1/2 c. red wine, which is what I did)
Fresh ground black pepper to taste

Directions:
1. In a large pot with a lid, melt the butter over low heat. Add the onions and Northwoods. Cover and cook for 5 minutes. Add the carrots and potatoes. Cover and cook another 5 minutes.
2. Add the chicken pieces, vinegar and sugar, cover and continue to cook over medium heat for 15 minutes. Push the pieces to the side of the pot and stir in the flour until smooth.
3. Add the bay leaves, then chicken stock and wine slowly, stirring until smooth. Cover and cook 30 minutes. Check and stir the stew occasionally. If it is bubbling away, reduce the heat to a simmer.
4. After the 30 minutes, take out the chicken and remove and discard the skin and bones. Cut into bite-sized pieces and return to the pot (It is easier to remove the skin at this point than when it is raw, and it adds great flavor to the stew.).
5. If the top of the stew looks a bit oily, blot up the excess with a paper towel or two. Taste and add pepper if desired. Let simmer 5 more minutes and then serve.

We served this with rolls and salad - I ate this stuff for somewhere in the vicinity of 3 days and was perfectly happy to do so. It's inexpensive and delicious - can't beat that!

Three weeks of Winter Break. Did we have that many when I was a kid? Phil absolutely insists that he DID NOT! I think he's just showing his age - they say the mind is the first thing to go, after all. I'm thinking I may need some more stew just to give me energy and strength to get through the next few weeks. Anyone wanna join me?

Hedgie has crossed the Rainbow Bridge

Most of you know we had a hedgehog that we got when we first moved to Portland. Great little guy, lots of fun. He was a Christmas gift for Liam, though we all enjoyed having him...including Ceana, who thought he was really cool. Unfortunately, Hedgie is no longer with us. We're not sure exactly when, though the best guess is sometime in the last 24 hours, since he was alive when Liam fed him yesterday. Since he is nocturnal, a little more time passed than might have otherwise. I noticed a funky smell today, but assumed it was from the litter box (which was right under the desk that held Hedgie's cage). I asked Phil to pick up some litter for me at Target to take care of it, and when he went upstairs to change and take the litter up, he realized what had happened.

Liam is a wreck, and Ceana says "Me want Hedgie back". Think good thoughts for the kids - Phil and I, too. We all adored Hedgie, and will miss having him around. Here's to Hedgie - Rest In Peace, little guy:

Just this side of heaven is a place called Rainbow Bridge. 

When an animal dies that has been especially close to someone here, that pet goes to Rainbow Bridge. 

There are meadows and hills for all of our special friends so they can run and play together. 

There is plenty of food, water and sunshine, and our friends are warm and comfortable. 

All the animals who had been ill and old are restored to health and vigor; those who were hurt or maimed are made whole and strong again, just as we remember them in our dreams of days and times gone by. 

The animals are happy and content, except for one small thing; they each miss someone very special to them, who had to be left behind. 

They all run and play together, but the day comes when one suddenly stops and looks into the distance. His bright eyes are intent; His eager body quivers. Suddenly he begins to run from the group, flying over the green grass, his legs carrying him faster and faster. 

You have been spotted, and when you and your special friend finally meet, you cling together in joyous reunion, never to be parted again. The happy kisses rain upon your face; your hands again caress the beloved head, and you look once more into the trusting eyes of your pet, so long gone from your life but never absent from your heart. 

Then you cross Rainbow Bridge together.... 

Author unknown...

Where's the off button?

What is it with kids and knock-knock jokes? Is it hard-wired into them? Liam went through a knock-knock phase that he hasn't quite managed to get out of, though his jokes are getting a bit more...funny. Ceana, at the ripe old age of almost-three, has begun telling them. It's killing me. She has to mention every. little. thing. that her eyes come across. Here, for your reading pleasure, is an example of our car rides these days:

C: Knock, Knock
Me: Who's there?
C: Car
Me: Car, who?
C: Tree
Me: Tree, who?
C: Raindrop
Me: Raindrop, who?
C: Stick
Me: Stick, WHO?
C: Coat
Me: COAT, WHO?

And on and on, into either infinity or until something else comes along to catch her attention, by which point I am trying not to pull my hair out. And she's giggling like a little maniac in the back seat. If she's not careful, I'm going to make her run like brother:

See what happens when kids aggravate me in the car? I make them run...No, he's actually running because he couldn't follow the rules of no running in the classroom - so he had to run home from the beginning of the development to our house. Perfect consequence to his actions - though his teacher's recommendation was 3 miles. ;0) Ceana's next, if I have to participate in too many more of her "jokes"...

Finally Finished!

It only took us two days to decorate the tree. We started yesterday, but by the time we got a new ladder, ornament hooks and garland, it was getting late. Then when we had finished getting the lights put around the tree (that was an exercise in patience and balance - even with two ladders in play), we were done for the day. And believe it or not, but finishing up today was an all-day process. This was the schedule of our day today:


* Eat breakfast
* Clean up
* Put garland on the tree (again - double ladders), then begin hanging balls
* Break for lunch
* Finish hanging balls with the ladder so the top didn't look COMPLETELY barren
* Put on the special ornaments
* Finish up, clean up and decide it's time to figure out something for dinner. 

Seriously - if I hear Phil say one more time that "we're getting a smaller tree next year", I may have to pop him. Good news is - we really needed that taller ladder. It's the perfect height to begin putting things up in the ceiling storage in the garage. See? The magic of Christmas ;0)

The kids had a blast - and we got off light, only breaking 3 ornaments! Really. That was much better than anticipated. Especially with Ceana participating. Then the kids decided that they needed to climb the ladder EVERY. SINGLE. TIME they were hanging an ornament on the tree. Then it became an argument over who the current ornament belonged to. Of course, there is no reasoning with Ceana that brother has more because he's older - so we finally just started telling her that they all belonged to everyone. Now I see why parents start drinking early on tree-decorating day. What? You mean they don't all do that? Oh. Well, it may just become a family tradition in our house. Complete with Christmas music and the sound of shattering glass....

Some perspective on how HUGE the tree is!

We did start the whole process off with a terrific breakfast. Seriously - it will become a new breakfast staple in our house. Nice thing is that it's not only easy, but uses ingredients that most people have in their house already. It tastes absolutely delicious as well, and could be changed as desired - different fruit, different spices...

Baked German Apple Pancake


1/4 c. flour
1/4 c. milk
Dash of salt
3 eggs, separated
2 TB margarine
1/2 c. sugar
1 tsp. cinnamon (I used Penzey's new four-cinnamon blend - it was incredible!)
3 large or 4 small Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored and sliced 1/4-inch thick


Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place 9" ovenproof glass pie dish with deep sides in preheated oven (I just stuck the dish in while the oven was preheating and left it there). 
2. Beat egg whites until stiff. Mix flour, milk, salt and egg yolks in separate bowl with hand mixer (I used a whisk). Then gently fold egg white mixture in.
3. Saute apples, sugar, margarine and cinnamon in skillet for 2-3 minutes until apples are well coated. Pour apples into heated glass pie dish sprayed with non-stick cooking spray. Pour the batter over apple slices. 
4. Bake for 20 minutes, until the pancake is brown and fluffy. Remove from oven and loosen sides. Place a round plate over glass pie dish and flip over. Cut the pancake in wedges and serve with maple syrup (Syrup is optional - we thought it was sweet enough and tasty enough without it). 

According to Liam, who ate the only leftovers we had, it tastes just as good the next day as it did fresh. Always good to hear! I may have to make another one just to find out for myself ;0)

We've got the White House Tree

Seriously - it's unbelievable how funny it all is. The tree is ginormous. Not kidding. For those of you who have been in our house, try and remember the vaulted ceiling in the "formal" living room by the front door. Those big windows up by the ceiling? The tree almost reaches them. You'll see for yourself when I post the pics. Every time I walk into the other room, it's like seeing it all over again and I just laugh and shake my head...

Getting it home was tons of fun, too. Took the kids right after picking up Liam from school, assuming the tree would be ready to go. Um, no. We were there for about an hour, maybe a little more, and just like Sunday, it was absolutely freezing. My hands were on fire, then they just went numb. There were a couple of guys trying to load the tree on the truck - I think they were surprised I was going to have the tree loaded that way instead of, say, a trailer?

We got the thing home, and Phil went to get one of the neighbors to help us get the thing in the house and up in the tree stand. It didn't fit in the tree stand. Too wide. After all the hassle to find a tree stand that would fit a 12' tree, and the trunk was too wide to go in. So, we cut it. Phil used the saw to cut bits and pieces off the side until it would fit. When we finally got the tree standing up and reasonably stable, Liam started to cut off the string...and branches started flopping everywhere. They hung over the couch on one side and touched the love seat on the other. We moved the love seat back about 3 feet, just to make room. So, I say, welcome to The White House! We don't have personalized M&M's or a personal chef, but we have a damn fine tree and some pretty good basic cookin'!

Speaking of good cooking, we ate well tonight. I dug up a recipe that I had only made once before, but it had gone over so well that one time, I went ahead and put it in my personal cookbook. It's not complicated, and it's got a great flavor. Phil was raving about it, wondering why we hadn't had it in a whole year. I like to keep 'em hangin', I do ;0)

Spaghetti Bolognese

2 TB butter
1/2 yellow onion, chopped
2 tsp. garlic, minced
2 stalks celery, chopped
2 carrots, peeled and diced
6 bacon slices
1 lb. ground beef
1 tsp. dried oregano
1 c. red wine
1 8oz. can crushed tomatoes, undrained
10 ounces spaghetti

1/4 c. Parmesan cheese, grated

Directions:
1. Cut the bacon into 1-inch pieces. Melt the butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion and cook for 2-3 minutes or until soft. Add the garlic, celery and carrot(s) and cook, stirring over low heat for 5 minutes.
2. Increase the heat to medium-high and add the bacon pieces, beef and oregano and cook for 4-5 minutes or until browned.
3. Pour in the wine, reduce the heat and simmer for 4-5 minutes or until absorbed. Add the tomatoes and season with salt and pepper. Cover with a lid and simmer for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
4. Meanwhile, cook the pasta in a large pot of boiling salted water until cooked through but still firm to the bite. Drain and return to the pot. Serve the pasta with the sauce and parmesan and serve.

A few last pictures to leave you with - I've been whining for the last few days about how cold it has been. I took these this morning - this is the "pond" in the backyard...and the dog walking on it.

Take care and stay warm!

Still Freezing...

I swear I'm never going to feel warm again. Ever. The poor heater has been working overtime to keep the house warm (and that's with the temp. set at 67) - I think it kicks on every 5-10 minutes. It's insane...the water feature in the back yard is beginning to freeze - that is Liam's excitement at the moment. The pond down the road with all the ducks is frozen over, and let me just tell you - if you haven't seen a duck trying to waddle across a frozen pond, then you must immediately rectify the situation. It's hysterical. They are NOT graceful skaters...then half of them say "to hell with this" and just fly the remaining 12 inches to the bank. If it weren't so damn cold out, I'd have to pull over and watch just for the fun factor ;)

So - back to the other night. After we got home from our Christmas tree trip to frozen-over hell, we headed home to thaw out. As we were pulling into the subdivision, we remembered that it was Santa night. Apparently, Santa goes on a "parade" through several subdivisions (and covers most of the city over a 6 or 7 night span) with the local fire department and police department. Santa, of course, is riding on the back of a fire truck (and I seriously hope he had several layers!). The goal is for the residents to not only bring their kids to see Santa, but to (hopefully) donate canned food and toys/books for the fire department to pass out for the holidays.

I kid you not - we were home about 2 hours (and it took that long to thaw out) before we were suiting up again and heading out into the cold. Liam loved it - he doesn't really remember having the experience in Jacksonville (warmer!). Ceana, well...not-so-much. She's really, really sensitive to loud noises, and being firemen in fire trucks, all the sirens were going at different intervals. She spent most of the time with her hands over her ears.

Meanwhile, Ceana has had this horrible rash between her legs for a few days and we not only couldn't figure out what it was, but it wouldn't go away. Bright red (like those fire trucks)...it didn't seem to bother her, but it bothered me that I couldn't figure out what it was and how to make it go away. Well, let me correct that - it didn't *physically* bother her, but she spent an inordinate amount of time sitting on the floor without her diaper staring at the rash. She didn't like it being there, that's for sure - and it was hysterical watching her, well, watch herself. Anyway. Monday morning I called the doctor's office to see about getting an appointment, and we were lucky to get in that afternoon. Long story short - little girl has a WICKED yeast infection. In fact, the nurse was surprised at a) how bad it was and b) the fact that Ceana wasn't showing any signs of pain or aggravation. So, she now has her own prescription (she's pretty excited that her name is on the box)...oh, and after telling her the trip should be painful - they gave her the H1N1 booster. No nasal available. Shot. In the thigh. She was NOT happy.

Speaking of absolutely freezing, this is the kind of weather where we just like to eat comfort food. Warm, tasty, warm, easy...did I mention warm? Oh. Ok, then. Anywho, one of Phil's favorite recipes is a quick and easy version of Macaroni and Cheese. He loves the flavor and requests it whenever he thinks it's been long enough in between makings ;0) In fact, he has requested to have it this week...The recipe is from the Dinner Doctor cookbook and while it's not the same as my mom's/papaw's recipe, it works in a pinch and is generally well-received. So, here it is:

Home-Style Macaroni and Cheese

Pam spray
8 ounces elbow macaroni
Salt (optional), for cooking the macaroni
1 container (10 ounces) refrigerated Alfredo-style pasta sauce
1 package (3 cups/12 ounces) pre-shredded sharp Cheddar cheese
1 TB olive oil
1 c. coarse bread crumbs (canned works just fine)

Note: You can also add a pinch of dried mustard (which I do) or a little Worcestershire sauce when adding the Alfredo sauce.

Directions:
1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Lightly mist an 11"x7" (2-quart) glass or ceramic baking dish with Pam and set it aside.

2. Bring a large pot of water to a boil over high heat. Add salt, if using, and stir in the macaroni. Reduce the heat to medium-high and cook, uncovered, until al dente, about 8 minutes.

3. Drain the pasta but RESERVE 1 CUP of the pasta cooking water. Shake pasta a few times to remove any water still clinging to the pasta. Transfer the macaroni to the prepared baking dish. Add the pasta sauce, 2 cups of the cheese, and the reserved pasta cooking water, and stir until the ingredients are well combined. Scatter the remaining 1 c. of cheese over the top. Note: It may be easier to mix the ingredients in a different bowl, then put in the baking dish and cover with cheese.

4. In a small bowl, toss the olive oil with the bread crumbs, and then scatter them on top of the cheese. Bake until the macaroni and cheese is bubbly and the bread crumbs are lightly browned, 25 to 30 minutes. Serve at once.

So, there you have it. I think, for the most part, we're updated on everything. The Christmas cards just came in the mail yesterday, so I'm hoping to get them done this weekend to send out next week. Hope you're all staying warm!

Brrrr....

It's cold. I mean seriously cold. The high today was somewhere in the vicinity of 30 degrees (not counting wind chill, and the wind has been WHIPPING). The low expected tonight (before windchill)? 17 degrees. Last I checked. It may have dropped, but I'm too afraid to find out. Seriously. I haven't been truly warm for 2 days. Ceana's cheeks look like she's starting wearing makeup already, and Liam announced tonight that he was going to wear "5 layers to school tomorrow". So what do you think we did yesterday? We went looking for a Christmas tree. Did I mention it's really cold?

Not only did we decide that we were going to get a Christmas tree, we decided that we were going to cut our own. You know - bring back memories of childhood (at least for me) and let the kids help pick it out. Tromp around in the cold. 'Cause that sounds like tons of fun, right? So we bundled up the kids and drove out to the middle of nowhere. Not realizing that there was a cut-your-own place just down the road. But, whatever. Get there, park the truck, and get out. The wind is rippin', especially since we were up on a mountain. But, we started our search. We looked for quite a while. Ceana was a complete trooper, and Liam was totally fascinated that the ground was completely frozen and crunchy with tons of little ice crystals. I did say that it was really cold, right?

Anyway, after tromping around for what felt like days (but was probably about an hour or so), we finally found it. Our tree. I took a picture of the kids standing in front of it before Phil got on the ground to start cutting it down. Mr. Man. He sawed for a bit, then decided that his hands were so cold, he couldn't go any further. I took Ceana towards the front to get assistance (and try to thaw the block of walking, talking ice that was our daughter), while Liam and Phil stayed by the tree. Ceana and I got back by the truck, spoke to the guy working there and sent him off in Phil's direction, then huddled in their tent by a heater and ate cookies. I never knew how good cookies could taste when you're frozen.

Next thing I knew, the guy was back and talking to the lady that was there about needing a chainsaw. Hm? I peek my head out of the tent, and that's when they tell us that the tree we picked out is so big, that we won't even be able to take it home until Wednesday. That's right. The cold had affected our ability to think rationally, and Phil had started cutting down a 12' tree. Of course, once you start to cut, then it's all yours. But she didn't have the three hulking guys she was going to need to drag the tree out of the lot. Which of course begs the question (that we still haven't answered) - once we get the tree home, how the hell are we going to get it in the house?!? So, we paid for the tree and made arrangements to come and get it later. Funny little aside - I stopped at an ATM on the way to the tree farm that only allowed withdrawals of $100. Liam got worried and wondered if we were going to have enough money for a tree...My answer? "If we can't find a tree for less that $100, then we've got problems."...Any guesses on how much our tree cost? Hint - slightly more than what I had on me...

Of course, a tree that big presents it's own set of issues. Like finding a tree stand. Ever tried it? Not easy. Most tree stands are for 8' trees - 10' if you're lucky. I went to several stores (and called even more) before finding ONE at a local Ace Hardware. And let me tell you - this thing could hold an elephant in place. It is Heavy-Duty. With a capital HD. Ok, one problem down (not even thinking about getting the tree in the house and in the stand yet). Next one? The amount of tree lights we have probably wouldn't cover more than 2 feet of the tree. And let's not even get into ornaments. As in - we don't really have very many. Never really invested because of all the moving (and breaking) that got done every two years. So, we need ornaments. And lights. And three strong men to help get the tree into the house in up in the stand. Any volunteers? Be here Wednesday around 6PM. Beer and pizza on us! ;0)

There was more to the day, but I'll cover that in another post. Enjoy reading about our lunacy, and enjoy the photos too! Hope you're all managing to stay warm and enjoy the holidays!