Kudos to Southwest Charter 2/3 classes!

Liam's first day back at school today. He got to have a pretty fun day - they took a field trip to Mercy Corps so they could see how the money they raised will be put to use. Hm. Maybe I should back up a bit...

SO. Right after the latest Haiti disaster, all the 2/3 classes decided they were going to have a fundraiser. There was a small bake sale, and most of the kids brought in their own money as well. Of course, parental donations are never turned down, either...Anyway, after working on this for a couple of weeks, the kids had raised a grand total of $1000. They decided to donate it to the local Mercy Corps. Well, today they got to go and see some of the different ways that the organization will use the money to help with disaster relief (BTW - if hearing about the kids' generosity has gotten you interested in donating, I attached a link to their name.) around the world.  They learned about different inventions, such as a cardboard house that is about 5' x 5' with a tarp for a roof that can house up to 4 people that only takes 14 minutes total to set up. They also learned about a straw that has a filter built right in so that people in undeveloped countries (or those who have just suffered a disaster) can have a better chance for clean water. There were, apparently, lots of other things but Liam isn't sure how to explain them.

As for the weather - it's so dark and gray outside that it seriously looks like it's an hour later in the evening than it really is. Bleh.

As for a new recipe, I made one last night that Liam and Phil really liked, and I thought it was OK and had the potential to be much better. The idea was really good, but it just needed a bit more flavor. Something like Penzey's Northwoods Seasoning would have been just the right touch, I think. Recipe taken from Food Network Magazine.

Beer-Braised Chicken

Ingredients:

1/4 lb. slab or thick-cut bacon, cut into 1/2-inch pieces

8 skinless, boneless chicken thighs (about 2 1/2 lbs.)

Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper

All-purpose flour for dredging

1 TB extra-virgin olive oil

1 12-oz bottle beer (preferable brown ale - I used Newcastle)

1 c. frozen pearl onions, thawed

1/2 lb. small red-skinned new potatoes, halved

2 TB whole-grain mustard

2 TB packed dark brown sugar

4 sprigs fresh thyme

3 TB chopped fresh parsley

Directions:

1. Heat a large pot over medium-high heat. Add the bacon and cook until browned, about 5 minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon and transfer to a paper-towel-lined plate.

2. Season the chicken with salt and pepper and dredge in flour, shaking off excess. Add the olive oil to the drippings in the pot. Add the chicken in batches and cook over medium-high heat until golden on the bottom, 6-7 minutes, then flip and sear the other side, about 1 minute.

3. Add the beer, onions, potatoes, mustard, sugar, thyme and 1 c. water to the pot and stir, making sure the chicken is fully submerged. Simmer until the chicken is cooked through, about 15 minutes. Discard the thyme and stir in the bacon and parsley.

Notes:

1. I tried a shortcut when seasoning and dredging the chicken - I mixed the salt and pepper in the flour. That didn't seem to do a whole lot. Probably won't do that again.

2. The amount of chicken is kind of important - while I had 8 thighs, the total weight may have been more than 2 1/2 lbs. because they were NOT submerged and I had to add more liquid (the rest of the beer and more water). When I did this, I tried to add more of the other seasonings, but I think it kind of threw everything off a bit.

3. I misread the amount of sprigs of thyme and only put 3 in - considering I had to add extra everything else, I probably should have put more like 5 in. 

4. We were in such a hurry last night (lacrosse practice) that I didn't stop and taste the meal before I served it. Should have - could have added a bit more seasoning. The Northwoods would be been great, or a hint of cajun...just...something.

Oh, and as for Molly the owl (I think I posted the website last night) - her last egg is just about ready to hatch. I continue to be absolutely amazed at what an incredible mother she is! 

And to finish off the post, a random collection of photos as taken by Ceana when she thefted my camera:

They're comin' to take you away...

Liam is home from school today (teacher planning day) and Ceana is at her babysitter's house, where she generally goes on Mondays. Anyway, I needed to run to the store and get some cash to pay said babysitter, but didn't want to take Liam for a quick trip that would devolve into "Can I buy something PUH-LEEEEEEZZZEEE???!!!". So, after talking to Phil about it, decided that I would leave Liam here for his first time by himself. Bear in mind - it takes, at most, 4 minutes to get to the store, 2 minutes to get cash, and 4 minutes to get back. If that. So after giving him instructions (You know the drill - don't answer the door, which neighbor is home if help is needed, how to call my cell phone, DON'T GET INTO ANYTHING!), I locked the door and left. I called Phil and asked him to call Liam about halfway through my excursion to check on him...

I got home, the house hadn't burned down, Liam was still in one piece (though come to think of it - I haven't seen Merlin yet...;-) and everything seemed fine. I asked Liam if anyone had called, and he said that Phil had. I asked if anyone else had called, and he got very solemn and serious, and nodded yes. I asked who, and his eyes got really, really big as he said "The GOVERNMENT". I looked at him for a second, then burst into laughter. What he probably envisioned as someone coming to get him or to check on him was, in actuality, his father. Calling from work to check up on him. On the home phone that registers "U.S. Government" when Phil calls from the office phone.

Come to think of it - maybe I shouldn't have told him it was his dad. Maybe - just maybe - I should have let him think it really *WAS* the government...bet we'd have a smaller chance of any problems if/when he's ever left home again!

Blah.

Got a regular monsoon going on here today. Seriously. It's pouring and it's gray and it's windy...blah. The worst part about spring is that so much of early spring is nothing but a tease. Cold and wet all winter, then suddenly - a beautiful day. Maybe two or three in a row. Start getting excited, thinking it'll start warming up a little bit, then suddenly BAM! Mother Nature throws her clothes back on and giggles in a corner. Basically, I have just compared Mother Nature to a psychotic stripper. Go figure.

Anyway, on to other things. I finally downloaded the photos of our master bedroom after it was painted and the furniture put back in place. Now I am working on finding a comforter/duvet color that will coordinate and then some curtains. Oh, and we need to attach the mirror to the dresser too...minor details. Anyway, here are the "finished" photos:

Another thing I need to figure out is what in the world to put on that wall shelf. It's not convenient, and almost anything put up there will just be a dust collector. I thought about plants, but getting up there to water would be a nightmare. Any suggestions?

I thought I would share this with you all as well. St. Paddy's Day, while it ends up being more about the kids than anything else, is also our anniversary. Liam was well aware of this, and so after practice and his shower, he disappeared into his room saying he was going to be late for dinner. He came down a little bit later (NOT late for dinner) with an envelope for Phil and I. This is what was in that envelope:

Let me translate that for you - "Happy St. Paddy's Day for you and your love. May luck fill your day. From Liam. One for you and dad!". The "one" being a dime for each of us from his jar of coins. He created this all by himself, including the Irish-sounding saying. It was quite possibly one of the sweetest gifts I've ever received - complete with hand-drawn shamrocks. I'm seriously beginning to think that all kids have some sort of multiple personality disorder...if they're not killin' ya, then they're knocking you dead with sweetness!

Now, boys and girls, it's time for Cook's Corner! Just kidding...anyway...I found this recipe in the Feb/Mar 2010 edition of Cook's Country magazine and it just sounded really good. I knew Phil would like it - it's basically a cross between meatloaf and a cheeseburger...how could he not?!? The man would not survive if he could not have regular access to red meat. Seriously. 

Back to the recipe - it's really, really easy and doesn't take very long. Much shorter cooking time than a regular meatloaf. AND it even passed the Liam test! Apparently, it's based off a 1960's promotional campaign run by Kellogg's and Sego/Pet evaporated milk companies (history lesson for the day). And boy, are they delicious! So simple, yet so darn tasty! So, here are your instructions!

(Sorry for the lovely photo - it's the only one I have...but don't they look GOOD?!?)

Long Boy "Burgers"

Ingredients:

2 (6-inch) sub rolls, split in half lengthwise

1 1/4 c. cornflakes, crushed

1/2 small onion, minced

1/3 c. whole or lowfat milk

6 TB ketchup

1 TB Worcestershire sauce

1 tsp. fresh thyme

1/2 tsp. garlic powder

1 large egg, lightly beaten

Salt and Pepper

1 1/2 lbs. 90% lean ground beef

2 c. shredded cheddar cheese

Instructions:

1. Toast rolls - Adjust oven rack to upper-middle position and heat over to 450 degrees. Bake rolls, cut side up, on wire rack set inside rimmed baking sheet until golden and crisp, about 5 minutes.

2.  Make Meat Mix - Combine cornflakes, onion, milk, 4 TB ketchup, Worcestershire, thyme, garlic powder, egg, 1/2 tsp. salt, and 1 tsp. pepper in large bowl. Add meat and knead gently until well combined.

3. Bake Burgers - Top toasted rolls evenly with meat mixture, spreading meat to edges of rolls. Brush top of meat mixture evenly with remaining ketchup and bake until meat registers 160 degrees, 20-25 minutes. Top burgers with cheese and continue to bake until cheese melts, 3-4 minutes. Let rest 5 minutes. Serve.

Notes:

1. Make sure to keep a VERY close eye on the buns - I got sidetracked and ended up scraping black off of a few of the rolls. 

2. It isn't completely necessary to have the wire rack inside the baking sheet, but it helps - it keeps things from getting soggy and keeps the cheese that falls off the meat from burning onto the bread.

3. Make sure to spread the meat mixture to the edges of the rolls - you don't want any more opportunities to burn the bread!

One last thing before I go - I ran across this the other day, and it is SO COOL! Being that it's "spring", love is in the air and all the little critters are doing what little critters do in spring - that's right, procreate. Well, this is an owl box set up somewhere in California (I think) and this incredibly dedicated owl mom (Molly) currently has 4 chicks (homely little things, for the moment) and one egg that is due to hatch around Wednesday-ish. Her mate will swoop in every so often with some food (mostly rabbits) for her to eat and share with the chicks...makes a ton of noise when he does, too! Anyway, if you get a chance, check it out. But beware - it's addictive! Here's the site: http://www.ustream.tv/theowlbox

Go forth and stay dry!

Playroom and Master Bedroom

Thought I'd post some pics of the playroom and of the master bedroom before it's painting and after. I haven't taken a photo with all the furniture back in place...especially since we're going to be moving some around again soon.

The playroom is one of the favorite places in the house for the kids - they have a TV in there (no cable, just VCR/DVD player) that can be hidden as desired, plenty of books, beanbags and a rocking chair, games and toys, and Liam's old toy box that is currently serving as a dress-up box. We painted the top half (it was pink) and left the bottom alone, then put in all the IKEA bookcases that were in Liam's old room. We haven't put anything up on the walls yet, but it's looking pretty good!

As for our room, the previous owners painted the whole room - ceiling and all - this horrible pale mustard color. The bathroom is the same color (that will be changed as soon as I figure out what color to change it to...). And with the ceiling as high as high as it is, there was no way we could reasonably do it ourselves and we got a great quote from a company who did some painting for the neighbors two doors down...so, we had them paint it. I think it turned out really well, and we're now on a search for a comforter set, then curtains, then painting the bathroom.

As for today, we've been outside working. Phil is STILL working on building the garden boxes, though he has promised to get them finished tomorrow (he just broke a drill bit and had to get another one) so that we can start planting. I'll take photos of them when they are finished - they are each 8' x 4', so we'll have plenty of room to plant. We're following the Square Foot Gardening Method...Liam spent the night at his friend Shane's last night, and now Shane is here visiting - though Phil is getting ready to take him home now. I raked up old bark cover and planted a ton of bulbs in the front yard by the stairs, and I'm waiting for it to cool off a bit so I can water them down. Hopefully they'll grow nicely, though maybe not this year...we'll see. We're planning on grilling dinner (brats) and just relaxing before I go to work tomorrow. Hope you are all having an equally beautiful day!

Email Subscriptions

I found a way for interested parties to subscribe to the blog via email. If anyone decides they prefer an RSS feed, I can do that too...just let me know so that I can activate it. As for the email, here are the instructions:

On the left side under the search box are two blue bubbles - one says "Click to Subscribe!". Click on the text below that bubble. You'll be directed to another page, where you will need to enter your email address and then a random combination of letters and numbers to prevent spam. Then click on "Complete Subscription Request".

After that, you will receive an email asking you to click the link within the email to activate your subscription. That's it! Short, sweet, and really easy. Shouldn't take longer than, say 2 minutes...unless you're Phil and are the hunt-and-peck kind of typist. Then you can count on 20 minutes at least. Maybe 30. ;-)

Blog Update

In honor of spring cleaning and spring flowers and, well, basically anything NON-winter related, I have updated the look of the blog. Just a couple of notes:

1. If you wish to leave a comment, simply click on "comments ()" above the post. A pop-up box should, well, pop up...allowing you to leave your comment.

2. I'm going to try and put a "subscribe" box in as well, as I don't have an RSS feed for anyone to use. I'm not sure anyone who would be reading this even HAS an RSS feed-reader, so...there you go. The subscribe box would allow you to be notified when a new post goes up, so it may be worth your while.

I think that's it! Hope you enjoy the new look, and please let me know if there is anything else you would like to see included! Well, besides more posts. I'm working on that. Really. I am.

St. Patrick's Day

Hope you all had a wonderful St. Patrick's Day - did you all wear green? Eat green food? Drink green beverages? If you said no to any of the above questions, then you OBVIOUSLY were not at our house or visited by our leprechaun! Seriously - March 17 is a bigger day in our house than Easter! Between our little green-wearing trickster and celebrating our anniversary, it's a big day.

Liam had been anticipating the day for quite some time, as well as getting Ceana all fired up with tales from previous years' events. And it didn't seem to disappoint either of the kids!

Liam woke me up Wednesday morning, saying that the leprechaun had left a scavenger hunt for the kids, along with a trail of itty-bitty shiny green shamrocks on the floor. He wanted to know if he could wake up Ceana, to which the answer was a resounding NO. So, he did the scavenger hunt himself, then helped Ceana when she did get up. It started with this clue, sitting on his lacrosse bag with a new t-shirt:

"Happy St. Patrick's Day!
First you must get dressed,
Then be on your way!
PS. Liam, here are your friends,
And now they can play!"

(For those not in the know, Liam had everything taken out of his room last week - legos, Bakugan, Pokemon, stuffed animals...everything but his bed, bedding/pillow, one stuffed animal, nightlight and clothes. It was his third visit to the office at school, this time for fighting. So, the leprechaun gave him back his stuffed animals a little bit early...tricky little thing!)

The next clue was posted on the wall between Ceana's room and their bathroom with a foam shamrock sticker and said:

"It's March 17,
Head to the room
Where Ponyo you've seen."



(Ponyo being a new Miyazaki/Disney collaboration - which translates into, head into the playroom where you've watched the movie!"). In the playroom, sitting on the dress-up toy box, were shamrock tattoos and a whole pack of shamrock pencils. Plus, a little leprechaun hat with 2 gold dollars in it. Oh, and the next clue of course:

"Now you have stickers & pencils of green,
So head to the place
Where your socks get so clean!"

Of course, the laundry room - where a mini-pack of Legos was located, along with another hat and pair of coins for each child. Liam got the Star Wars pack and Ceana got the City pack...along with yet another clue:

"Now head OUT to a couch
Where you can sit,
And listen to frogs,
Croak for a bit."

(We've been over-run with frogs in our backyard pond. We love them, but they're LOUD.)  Anyway, outside on the patio couch was a stepping stone kit for each of them, along with another hat and coins. Then there was the final clue:

"It's time for one last clue.
Go look in the fridge
And find breakfast for you!
Green shamrocks on a plate
Oh-So-Blue."

Liam looked in the fridge and saw the green applesauce (silly leprechaun!) and assumed that was breakfast...until he got a look at the green shamrock chocolate chip pancakes that the poor leprechaun had slaved over until the wee hours. Well, of course you have to have milk with chocolate chip pancakes, and our friendly trickster had gotten to that with his magic as well.

By this point, Ceana was getting up, so Liam led her through the hunt to collect her "treasure" and finish up with some breakfast. She also got a t-shirt (a dress on her) to be wearin' the green, as well as a whole bin of foam stickers to play with.

So, the kids had a pretty good morning. Then Ceana went off to Ms. Tonya's and Liam went off to school, and I went grocery shopping so that I could come home and make corned beef and cabbage, Irish soda bread and chocolate eclairs with Irish Cream filling. In between picking up Liam at school, and 1 1/2 hours of lacrosse practice. It was a crazy-busy day, let me tell you.

The big question is - what in the world is the leprechaun going to do next year!?

Lacrosse and Kielbasa

 

Well, Liam started lacrosse this week. Mondays and Wednesdays are promising to be absolutely insane, particularly as I will generally be working on Mondays. Picked up Liam at school, drove to the store for his helmet (that just came in that day), dashed home to pick up Ceana, then flew to the field for practice. That lasted an hour before heading home around 6:30, where he dropped his gear, ran upstairs to take a shower while I plated the crockpot meal that had been cooking most of the afternoon. It was a great meal to end a chilly and tiring first practice! I'll post the recipe for that in a minute...

Liam is loving his lacrosse, and it's fun for us to watch. It's REAL practice now, vs. a little bit of playing and learning the rules. Lots of running, lots of throwing, and he comes home exhausted and crashes into sleep. Even better - his performance in school the next day was great. He was too tired to act up ;-)  So, we've decided that on the days he doesn't have practice, he'll be doing some kind of running/exercising in the afternoon after school. This is in addition to practicing at home. He also needs some SERIOUS help with some of his legwork. Last night they were working scissor run - cross right foot in front of left, move left leg out, cross right foot in back of left, and so on. Well, Liam's coach couldn't stop laughing...told him it looked like he was dancing an Irish jig...Phil and I were rolling on the sidelines, watching his legs just flail around like he was having a seizure. The assistant coach finally pulled him aside to help him try and figure it out.

Ceana is having fun at practice too - it's been at a local school, so there is a big covered playground that she loves to play on. She also finds "friends" to play with - generally older girls (Liam's age?) that she runs around with.

So, as I mentioned, I had dinner ready Monday night when we got home from practice. It was chilly outside, and threatening to rain - and this meal was perfect. It's pretty simple, but tastes good. Even Liam loved it - he took it for lunch the next day! I have no photos, as I completely forgot before it was all devoured, but...picture a pot of beans with a soupy base, sliced red and yellow bell peppers, and sliced kielbasa - there you go! Dinner! ;-)  This recipe is taken from Not Your Mother's Slow Cooker Cookbook by Beth Hensperger.

Beans and Sausage

Ingredients:
1 lb fresh  sausage, such as turkey Italian; or 1 lb smoked or fully cooked sausage, such as bratwurst, chicken apple sausage, or kielbasa
1/4 c. water (if using fresh sausage)
2 TB olive oil
2 small bell peppers, any color, seeded and cut into strips
1 med-size yellow onion, chopped
1 garlic clove, minced
1 15-ounce can white beans (Great Northern or Cannellini), rinsed and drained
1 15-ounce can red beans, such as small red or kidney beans, rinsed and drained
1 14.5-ounce diced tomatoes with their juice
1/4 c. dry red wine
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Instructions:
1. In an ungreased  skillet over medium heat, lightly brown the sausage. If the sausage is smoked or fully cooked, slice and set aside. If fresh, add the water, cover, and cook until completely cooked through, 8-10 minutes. Uncover and cook for a few minutes more. Let cool and slice.

2. Wipe out the skillet and warm the oil over medium heat. Add the peppers, onion, and garlic; cook, stirring, until just tender. Transfer to the slow cooker and add the sausage, beans, tomatoes and their juice, and wine. Cover and cook on HIGH for 3 to 4 hours, or LOW for 6 to 8 hours. Near the end of the cooking time, check the consistency and cook with the lid off to thicken, if desired. Season with salt and pepper and serve.

Notes:
1. While the dish was very good, I think a slightly spicier sausage would be better. We didn't go that route due to Liam's extreme issues with anything spicy. I think next time I would either use the spicier version, or add a bit more spice myself. We also chose to use kielbasa because we know Liam likes it.
2. I didn't have time to let the dish thicken, and it was quite good. In fact, the sauce was delicious soaked up in rolls. However, if I have the time to try it when I make it again, I think I will. I would like to have a thicker sauce.
3. The recipe didn't specify how thick to slice the sausage, so I sliced about 1/2-inch thick. I also didn't mix the ingredients in the pot, but simply layered them in the order they are added.

So, there you have it! A quick, easy, reasonably healthy meal. Can't get much better than that when you're in a hurry, especially a warm meal on a chilly night. Hope you enjoy, and as I know that there are a few people who are trying some of these recipes, feel free to let me know of anything you tried differently that you like - I'm always up for new stuff.