Let's Play Restaurant!

Diabetic Carnival of the Recipes

2007-01-22T21:23:00.000-06:00

This week's Carnival of the Recipes is right up our alley--it's mostly full of diabetic-friendly recipes. Yeah!Check it out!

What's For Dinner?

2006-12-12T09:05:00.000-06:00

Do you sometimes hate that question? MomAdvice has a very creative suggestion, sure to help you answer that dreaded question...maybe even joyfully!

Of course, my thoughts regarding take-out menus centered around giving them to your kids and letting them play Restaurant with them! Great math practice opportunities while they are playing, too.

"Cooking With Kids" Free, with Purchase

2006-12-11T17:09:00.000-06:00

Monday, December 18th, will be the last day for regular-priced Priority Mail shipping on the restaurant-themed play sets that I offer for sale on my business web-site, Let's Play Restaurant!
During this last week of regular-priced shipping, I am offering a special incentive. Any orders of the 30$ Restaurant Kit will be shipped with "cooking with kids", a cd collection of over 200 recipes, with step-by-step instructions and tips for cooking delicious family favorites with your little chef wannabe! This cd has a list price of $21.95 and sells on the manufacturer's website for 10$, but is free with any Restaurant Kit orders placed from today through December 18th.

Thank you for your business!

Cookie Exchange Recommendation

2006-12-11T16:39:00.000-06:00

I'm taking these wonderful cookies to a Christmas Party tomorrow. They are easy to make, can be customized, and will be unique.

Update: Warning! Do not cook these in a Pyrex glass dish! Use the thinnest, cheapest aluminum pan you got--trust me on this!
Phew!

Food Science Blog

2006-12-07T16:31:00.000-06:00

News for Curious Cooks is a blog by the author of "On Food & Cooking," Harold McGee. He doesn't update often, but does include some fascinating bits of food science.

After Thanksgiving Carnival of the Recipes

2006-11-27T10:36:00.000-06:00

There are a couple of recipes for Thanksgiving leftovers, a yummy-sounding lemon dessert at Dewey's Treehouse, and lots more! Go check it out!

Banana Oatmeal Cookies

2006-11-22T20:46:00.000-06:00

I saw this recipe on allrecipes.com, where it received 4 1/2 stars out of 5. I particularly wanted something to make that would use up some of the bananas in the freezer, as well as oatmeal and some yummy walnuts that I just bought. These cookies fit the bill.

After reading some of the reviews, and to use what I had, as well as to make them a tad healthier, I made a few changes. Check the link for the original recipe. I will post here what I actually did.

Ingredients:
* 1/2 cup shortening
* 1 cup packed brown sugar
* 1 egg
* 3 medium mashed ripe bananas
* 1+ teaspoon vanilla extract
* 1 cup King Arthur White Whole Wheat flour
* 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
* 1 teaspoon salt
* 1+ teaspoon ground cinnamon
* 1/2 teaspoon ground apple pie spice
* 3 cups rolled oats
* 1/2 cup chopped walnuts

Procedure:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease cookie sheets.
2. In a large bowl, cream together shortening and brown sugar. Beat in egg and mashed banana, then stir in vanilla. Combine flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and spice; stir into the banana mixture. Mix in rolled oats and walnuts. Drop by rounded spoonfuls and flatten with spoon or finger onto prepared cookie sheets.
3. Bake for 10 minutes in preheated oven. Allow cookies to cool on cookie sheets for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely. Makes 3-4 dozen, depending on size.

Notes:
The cookies came out looking undone, but as I had just recently watched the episode of America's Test Kitchen that was about oatmeal cookies, I knew that if you cooked them until they looked done, then you would have rocks, not cookies! They continue to cook after being removed, so do not be disturbed by the look.

Review:
These are easy cookies to make. The banana flavor is very mild. The spice flavors are only hinted at. The cookies aren't really cookies--they are muffins. Bready--not crunchy or chewy. We decided next time we will try baking them in muffin tins and eating them at breakfast, hot, with butter. I think you could try increasing the spices. I think peanut butter might be good in the mix.

Guadelupe River Pie

2006-11-22T12:59:00.000-06:00

My Grandmother used to make this frequently. It's wonderfully gooey and rich and can be made with different flavors of pudding. She even made it with pistachio one time. I have seen this called something like River Bottom Pie and also Pudding Cake.

Ingredients:
3/4 c soft margarine
1/2 c walnuts and/or pecans
1 1/2 c flour

1 8 oz pkg cream cheese
1 container Cool Whip
1 c powdered sugar
1 large pkg instant pudding (plus ingredients to prepare as directed)

Procedure:
Cut together the first three ingredients and then press into a 9 x 13 pan. Bake at 350 for 20 minutes, then cool.

Beat together the cream cheese, 1 c of the Cool Whip and the powdered sugar. Spread on the cooled base. Cover with the instant pudding, made as directed on the package.

Top with remaining Cool Whip. Chill, then serve. (Best to cut this into tiny portions as it is very rich.)

Carnival of Thanksgiving Recipes

2006-11-22T12:53:00.000-06:00

In the mailbag:

"Wiley and Janet at The BBQ General have been working hard to round up a roster of recipes we should all be thankful for, and the Carnival of the Recipes is now up for your viewing pleasure.

There's something for everyone - from roast turkey accompaniments to roast possum. (No, that one wasn't from this Mississippi girl. No roadkill jokes, please!) ;) I am thankful for all of you who volunteer to host - and for those of you who faithfully read what we post each week. In a way, it's our own way of breaking bread together and giving thanks for the fellowship and friendship that our love of cooking has given us. Happy Thanksgiving to you and yours!

Next week's Carnival will be hosted by A Geek Family.

For a line-up of future Carnivals , visit our Carnival of the Recipes page on Blog Carnival. You can also review all past Carnival of the Recipes there too."

In the Mail: The Carnival of Recipes is Up!

2006-11-19T15:31:00.000-06:00

"Adam at Men in Aprons has been working hard to round up great breakfast and brunch recipes for all of us to enjoy, and the Carnival of the Recipes is now up for your viewing pleasure: http://www.meninaprons.net/archives/000576.html. Brunch is a late breakfast, so it's fitting that this edition is a little late. Adam was having some hosting issues - but all's well that ends well. Go grab yourself a mimosa and enjoy all of these new recipes - all in the name of research for Christmas brunch.

Next week's Carnival will be hosted by The BBQ General at http://www.bbqgeneral.com.

For a line-up of future Carnivals , visit our Carnival of the Recipes page on Blog Carnival. You can also review all past Carnival of the Recipes there too."

Call for Submissions

2006-06-25T16:42:00.000-05:00

Love trains? Love someone who loves trains? Boys, girls, young men, and old. There's just something captivating and innocently joyful about trains--and especially so about model trains.

Come celebrate that innocent joy with the Roundhouse Roundup, a blog carnival for model train engineers of every kind--from Thomas and his wooden railroad to all the scales of not-toy railroads up to and including ride-on trains. All are invited to climb aboard! You may not come away from the Roundhouse looking like this, but then again, you may get inspired!

The deadline for submitting posts to the Roundhouse Roundup is Midnight Monday. The Roundhouse Roundup will appear in this space Wednesday morning, the 28th. If you miss the deadline, never fear! The Second Roundhouse Roundup will be hosted here at the end of July (more information to come). Submit easily using either the Blog Carnival submission form here or the Conservative Cat Carnival Submit Form here. Other information can be found here. Even if you don't submit this time, please help publicize the Roundup--and consider submitting next time! Thank you!

I'm Blogging Elsewhere

2006-02-23T12:50:00.000-06:00

Because I've screwed up this template so badly, I've decided not to try to rebuild it. Instead, I am blogging at The Thomas Institute now. Please stop by and say Hi!

"New" Computer

2006-01-18T10:32:00.000-06:00

I have a "new" computer! DH had to build a brand new top shelf computer for his business partner and so he got the hand-me-downs for his home computer, which means I got the hand-me-downs from that computer.
I now have a bigger monitor, which is so wonderful for these old eyes, don't you know! I have a faster processor and two new hard drives. I have gone from 6 gig of memory to 50! Oh, yeah! I have room for my digital photos, now. I inherited my father-in-laws old HP scanner, which works like a dream. I have a cd drive and a dvd-r drive. And, for Christmas, I got a card reader (for my camera) that fits into the 3 1/2" slot.
DH installed Mozilla for me and I am loving that for email(Thunderbird) and for the internet(Firefox). I am continuing to use the Canon Pixma iP1500 printer and get great results with it. It is a very inexpensive printer--like 50$ new--but is a photo printer, so it turns out great photos, t-shirt transfers, transparencies, stickers, etc.
My new set-up has me scrapbooking like a maniac, let me tell you! (I use my computer to print titles or journaling, to make copies of photos, to scan DS' art and reduce it to include on a page, etc, etc. I have not gotten to the point of actually making the pages digitally. I don't know if I will--I like the scissors and the glue and the paper!)
I guess I'm through bragging now. Just wait, when we finally get a highspeed internet connection, I'll be back bragging again! LOL!

Progress Report

2006-01-11T15:56:00.000-06:00

Well, DH got the job! They asked him on Friday last and he started this Monday! I think he's going to like it: the first day the big boss told him he was overdressed and by the second day the other guys were kidding around with him!

As for me and my 1/2 marathon goal, I am right on track. My short-term goals for this month are: move every day. Walk every other day. (A pattern that will eventually become a long run every other day.) Walk a mile comfortably.
So far: I have moved every day, except the day after I fell on the RR tracks (you should see my bruises!). I have walked 6 days out of 11.
I walked 8/10 mile today comfortably, with a tiny bit of a jog worked in.

Perhaps, most important of all, I am feeling really good, physically and mentally. I am losing my embarrassment and doubt. I am looking forward to my daily exercise. DS and DH(when he can) participate, too. I am not going overboard with enthusiasm, only to crash and burn--I know I have to take it slowly, and I am satisfied to do so. This is a huge attitude change from anything else I've ever tried.

I want to bring to your attention the runner's log at coolrunning.com. In the sidebar, I have linked to my log there. I really like it. It is easy to set up and to use--and it's free! I do not get spammed by the host. I like filling it in and seeing the totals adding up. It is a great motivator! I recommend it!

My Other Goal

2006-01-03T11:54:00.000-06:00

In my previous post, I told you about my first goal or job for myself in this new year, and that was to teach DS to read. Now, I'm willing to tell you what my other goal/job for the new year is: completing a half-marathon. December 10, 2006 is the White Rock marathon in Dallas. They also have a half-marathon, which I have set me sights on.

You have to understand that I am starting at nothing--maybe worse than nothing!--so that this is a HUGE undertaking and, truly, a year-long commitment. I can imagine a bit of the pride I will feel when I have done it and I am going to hold on to that feeling to help me through the year.

I am telling you about it as a symbol of my seriousness and as a sort of accountability. In fact, I am putting a link to my on-line running log in the sidebar. Please feel free to go and check it out and see how I'm doing and to needle me if it looks like I haven't done anything in awhile!

Actually, calling it a running log is a misnomer as I am not yet ready to run. At the moment it is really a walking log. I do not really know if I will be physically able to run the half-marathon--or even to follow through with this goal. I am already experiencing arthritis in my knees and hips. However, if my body will let me, I WILL do it. I am going to take it very slowly and pay close attention to any pain signals. I do not want to cripple myself, after all. I have been doing some reading though, and found one study that showed that the incidence of arthritis in long-distance runners is lower than in long-distance swimmers, for instance. Another doctor stated that weight-bearing excercise actually is necessary for the production of synovial fluid, which is what cushions your joints. So, I am hopeful.

Happy New Year's Eve!

2005-12-31T08:47:00.000-06:00

Aileen, thanks for stopping by again and encouraging me to post, again. Please give me a link to your blog, since I stupidly lost my links when I changed the format of this blog. I'm sorry to admit that means I haven't been reading your blog--but I will as soon as you remind me of it! (Insert embarrassed blush here!)

I made the Pecan Wheat muffins the other day--and I don't know what I did wrong, but something definitely went terribly, terribly wrong! They tasted bitter to the point that they were inedible!

I made the Oatmeal Cookie Bars, too, this time with cinnamon chips and raisins. Ummm, raisins! They were very good, but not so compatible with DH's diet. Raisins, after all, being concentrated pellets of carbs.

We've had a very nice holiday--I hope yours has been good, too! The in-laws were able to come here from VA. DS loves to see them! They come in their RV and park it on the street in front of the house. DS goes out to their "house" all the time when they are here. Unfortunately, we won't be seeing my parents for a while. We are not traveling because of the job situation, and neither are they.

Speaking of the job situation, DH has a second interview on Wed or Thurs with this guy who sought him out! It's a Swedish organization, which might mean some travel--but would still be right here. Closer, in fact, than his previous location. He thinks working for a company with a European mindset would be a good thing. I'm real hopeful, of course. Cross your fingers for us!

We are not going out tonight. We may not even stay up until midnight. I do, however, have a prediction for the New Year: I am 100% sure that we will wake up in the morning to news stories of raging brush fires, because, even though there are fireworks bans in place due to the drought, fireworks have still been sold and stupid people will feel compelled to use them. Sunday is supposed to a very high fire danger day, with high temps, low humidity and winds gusting up to 50 mph. How accurate do you think my prediction will be?

Do you do new year's resolutions? I don't usually because I can't even keep them for a week! LOL! However, I have things I MUST do this year. I won't call them resolutions--I am going to think of them as jobs. My homeschool job is to teach DS to read and write this Winter/Spring. He's already at least half way there, but it's not something I've ever done before. I'm going to use Teach Your Child to Read in 100 Easy Lessons and Handwriting Without Tears.

The other "job" I'm not confident enough yet to say out loud. I have to do some research. I'll let you know, though.

Oatmeal Cookie Bars

2005-12-16T17:56:00.000-06:00

Ingredients:
1 c margarine
1 c packed brown sugar
1/3 c sugar
2 eggs
1 ½ t vanilla
1 ½ c flour
1 t baking soda
2 ½ c oats (quick-cooking)
11-12 oz butterscotch chips (2 small or 1 large bag)

Procedure:
Melt margarine a bit—add sugars and stir. Add eggs and vanilla—beat. Mix together flour and baking soda, then add to sugar mixture. Stir in oats. Stir in chips.
Spray 2 8x8 pans with nonstick cooking spray. Turn batter into pans. Bake at 350 degrees for 25 to 30 minutes. Cool several minutes then cut into squares and finish cooling on rack.

Variations:
This is a 10 with butterscotch chips, an 8 with semisweet chocolate or cinnamon chips, and a 5 with peanut butter or vanilla chips.
Can use Splenda instead of granulated sugar.
Can use white wheat flour instead of white flour.

Pecan Wheat Muffins

2005-12-07T10:23:00.000-06:00

Mix together the following dry ingredients:
1 c. flour
1/2 c. whole wheat flour
1/2 c. pecans
2 t. baking powder
1/4 t. salt
1/2 t. dried orange peel
1/4 c. brown sugar

Next, mix together the following wet ingredients:
1 egg
1/2 c. milk
1/4 c. honey
1/4 c. oil

Combine all. Pour into muffin cups (use paper liners) and bake at 400 for 18 to 20 minutes. Makes 12 muffins.

Note: these are best right our of the oven, buttered, or toasted and buttered if eaten later.
Note: the original recipe called for 1/2 cup honey and no brown sugar. I didn't have enough honey to do--but you might want to try it and see what flavor change it makes. The original recipe also called for 1/2 teaspoon of fresh grated lemon peel, also something I didn't have. Try that, too, and see what kind of flavor it adds.

Wow, I did not realize it had been so long!

2005-12-06T21:46:00.000-06:00

I've really been slacking off lately, huh? I keep thinking of things I need to blog about, but I never get to it. One reason is that I have been working on ready-made scrapbooks to sell at a sort of craft fair this past weekend. I wanted to have a big selection and have been working on that almost exclusively lately. Well, the people in charge totally muffed the publicity and I dodn't sell a one. I was really hopeful, too, as we really need the money.
DH is out of work. He's looking--even I'm thinking of looking. I do not want to go back to work, but we don't always get what we want, do we? Well, times are tough right now, but I have no doubt that something great is coming our way. By the way, Dh's got a BSEE degree and 5 patents to his name--if you know of any jobs, let me know!
I made some really great pecan muffins I will share here, I promise. They are really good toasted and spread with butter--only lightly sweet and DH can eat them without sending his glucose number too high.
We had a very nice Thanksgiving. Our two surrogate grannies came over and I served roasted turkey, mashed potatoes with Boursin, green beans with bacon, squash and pearl onions. DH made a wonderful pan gravy, and for desert I made some oatmeal cookie bars. I guess I should share that recipe, too! On the Saturday after Thanksgiving, my Mom and her husband and my brother came in for the day. That was such a lovely visit!
Well, I do need to go for now, but I promise to do better in future!

16 Free Recipe Postcards

2005-10-13T17:19:00.000-05:00

from the California Olive people! Sign up quick!

The Little Engine That Could

2005-10-13T13:31:00.000-05:00

"The Little Engine That Could" is one of my favorite kid's books. I just love the message and believe it to be true. Even if you don't love trains the way we love trains in our house, you'll love this inspirational kid's book!

I found some fun links related to The Little Engine that I thought I would share with you. Here's a page with some history of the story, it's versions and printings, and the various authors who have told the story. The very first telling and author seem to be lost now to the mists of time!

Here's a page showing pictures of a 15 inch gauge train that a guy has made to ride around in his yard. This scale is twice as big as the trains we have in our yard. This page loads slow on dial-up because of the pictures and of a sound file.

Did you know you can take a ride on the The Little Engine? Well, now you can! The Little Engine traveled to about 10 different scenic railroads in 2005 and surely will do so again in 2006. The Little Engine "pulls" coaches belonging to the scenic railroad that it is at and you ride on the coaches.

Great Cooking Resource

2005-10-04T10:40:00.000-05:00

Bar Charts, Inc. is the publisher of Quick Study guides, heavily laminated notebook paper size study guides. You've probably seen them in college bookstores, etc. They are inexpensive, sturdy and jam-packed with all the notes you need.
Did you know, though, that they have a whole inventory of cooking-related reference guides? Just look at all the choices!
Through a promotional deal, I received the "Chef's Math" guide. This one guide: suggests the measuring tools and thermometers you need; gives liquid and dry measuring tips; gives oven and microwave oven, high altitude, and liquid and dry conversions; gives food storage guidelines; lists equivalences and substitions; lists cookware capacities; gives broiling, braising and roasting tips along with times; and suggests serving quantities for parties. This is a whole cookbook's worth of information in a six-fold panel that would fit easily into any kitchen drawer.
They also carry a small selection of reference guides for birthday parties and games for kids.

Healthy Recipe Contest for Texas Kids

2005-10-04T09:30:00.000-05:00

I got the following from an e-list I belong to. Good luck to all who enter!

Open to all Texas residents from ages 6-18 who have their own special healthy recipe they'd like to share.
Send an e-mail with your name and address to kidskitchen@agr.state.tx.us and they will send you details and an entry postcard for the 2005 Kids Kitchen Corral Contest.
www.squaremeals.org

Comment Spam

2005-10-02T21:24:00.000-05:00

I have gotten SO much comment spam over the last couple of weeks! I wish these people could be strung up by their goolies!
I have turned on the word verification to see if that slows it down, at least. I'm sorry that that adds a step for those who truly have something to say, but what else can I do short of turning off the comments completely?
Thanks for understanding!

Mega-Update

2005-09-29T10:23:00.000-05:00

Thank you, Biggles, for your concern! Yeah, I guess everything here is okay, just busy.
We have new kitty cats and DS lost his first tooth!
I have been shuttling DS to the Rec. Center three times a week: he was taking Spanish, Silly Science and Sports for Shorties, but the Spanish has dropped out. This week we are down to two times a week. In November and December he will be taking Music and Cooking classes. He's getting to be the oldest in most of his classes. I don't know how much longer they are going to have classes that he will be able to take. I guess I'm going to have to investigate the community college and other sources. From what I've seen so far, it looks like there may be a period of about two years, unitl he is Second Grade age, before there are many options.
DS and I have joined a homeschool bowling league. He had never bowled before and is having a blast! For me, it has been years--I bowled a strike, though! Yeah, me!
My Mother gave me my Christmas present early: a digital camera. I got the Minolta DiMage Z2 at Sam's for a great price. It is only a 4 meg, but it has a 10x optical zoom, which is much more important than the number of pixels. After all, I will probably never make poster size prints! I have joined a couple of Minolta user's groups on Yahoo to try to learn to make the most of my camera. Now, I have to figure out a new system for keeping track of my photos! When I was using my film camera, I had a great system--but it's just not going to work, now.

*****

My friend, Rikke, who was going to blog here with me, has gotten her dream job at a university in Australia, necesitating a move around the world, but has also learned that her DS has mild cerebral palsy. I'm sorry that we didn't end up having much of a contribution from her--it would have been fun! But, sometimes life has a way of messing up our carefully laid plans.

*****

This past week has been very, very busy. My mother flew in last Friday and left last night. She was here because my daughter had her baby on Friday and handed her over to the adoptive parents yesterday. DD has been in the Gladney home for quite a while, which is all the way across town, as is the airport, so I feel as if I've been in the car all week.

*****

I've been doing some reading and will be posting some recommendations, here, soon. I also have to do some more work on my letsplayrestaurant.com, as the changes I made previously screwed the PayPal links! So, I will try to be around more--but don't hold your breath between posts! LOL!

Re-Vamped this Blog, Too!

2005-09-08T12:01:00.000-05:00

Obviously, if you've ever visited here before, I have changed the template. I wanted it to more closely match my website. However, I lost all my links! (Wasn't thinking!) So, if you watch over the next few days and I don't add your link, please remind me!

So sorry to everyone I was linking to before!

Totally Re-Vamped My Website!

2005-09-08T10:42:00.000-05:00

I have totally re-vamped my business website. I think (hope!) it looks more prefessional now. I have also re-thought the groupings of the items: now there is a waitress kit, a chef's kit and an all-in-one kit. I have also added a whole new birthday party kit.

And, whether you buy my dress-up kits or not, there is a Lessons page with a whole list of lesson plans using the idea of playing "restaurant" to teach. The lesson plans are organized by age and by subject.

Please feel free to take a look and let me know what you think of the "new" site! Thanks!

Kids and Recipes

2005-08-01T17:06:00.000-05:00

MOMSMENU & FAMILYCORNER ARE LOOKING FOR YOUR KIDS AND THEIR RECIPES!

MomsMenu.com & FamilyCorner.com have teamed up with Crayola to bring you this very special feature. We are looking for kids who enjoy cooking and want to share their recipes with everyone! If your submission is used, your child will receive a free Crafty Cooking Kit from Crayola along with other fun prizes!

HERE'S WHAT WE'RE LOOKING FOR...

* kids in the kitchen preparing all types of recipes, from chocolate chip cookies to spaghetti and meatballs
* good quality photo of your child and their completed recipe
* full recipe, ingredients, instructions, and credit if necessary (cookbook, magazine, etc)
* any comments from our young cooks, such as ease of preparation, tools needed, special terms, etc

Sign up for the Busy Little Cooks newsletter, when you check out either of these two sites. The Busy Little Cooks newsletter comes to your email inbox once a week and is full of great recipes, tips, techniques, product reviews, contests, and more.

Carnival of the Recipes, #49

2005-07-22T12:27:00.000-05:00

The Circus

2005-07-21T10:20:00.000-05:00

We went to the circus last night--the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey circus! Wow! What a show!

*Circus tickets are expensive! Yow! But on opening night you can get good tickets for $6.

*Go early! During the pre-show, you get to walk around on the show floor while the clowns clown around, the dancers give out clown noses and sign autographs, and the Chinese acrobats let the kids try out a trick or two. DS said he was scared of clowns, before we went. After watching them close up, laughing the whole time, he decided they weren't so scary after all.

*Decide before you go whether or not you are going to indulge the kiddoes. Snow cones in commerative cups=$8. Swirly light things=$18. Program=$8. Bottled water=$3. My suggestion for going as inexpensively as possible is to wait until after the show. As you are walking out, there will be guys selling large coloring books for $3. It's a great coloring book and a great souvenir.

*The lion tamer's act included the pretense that the lions were being stubborn and didn't want to obey the commands. It was very believable--however, surely he HAS to know that the lions will obey without hesitation in order to get in that cage with them, right?

*Keep your eye on "Crazy" Wilson! What an amazing performer! Pendulum, high wire, and motorcycles-in-a-cage. Makes my woozy just thinking about it.

*The floor crew was as awesome to watch as the performers. They have to be perfect every show--the performers lives depend on it! I hope they know that some of us in the audience are clapping for them, too.

I'll post pictures later.

More Good, Clean Fun

2005-07-19T10:41:00.000-05:00

Family Skeletons by Rett MacPherson
This is the first in a series of mysteries starring geneologist Victory O'Shea and set in Missouri. It was a quick read, well-done, had an exciting finish. I'm not going to RUN to pick up more, but I will continue to read in the series.

The PMS Outlaws by Sharyn McCrumb
I have read two previous McCrumb books, Bimbos of the Death Sun and Zombies of the Gene Pool, and enjoyed them immensely. They were set in the early days of the internet and, as such, are almost historical--and definitely hysterical!
This is the first of McCrumb's series starring Elizabeth MacPherson that I have picked up. It was kind of weird, though, because for most of the book Elizabeth is in the loony bin. I kept wondering how she was even involved in the mystery, much less how she was going to solve it. McCrumb basically has two separate mysteries going that converge at the very end of the novel. I am definitely going to continue reading McCrumb!

Anne Perry presents Malice Domestic, 6
This paperback I just picked up at Big Lots this week for a buck. I'm really glad I did, and I now will look for the rest of the series. Each book is an anthology of mysteries presented by a famous mystery writer. This particular one has short stories by such authors as Dorothy Cannell, Edward Marston, and Anthea Fraser.
A "malice domestic" is a mystery story where the killer and the victim are in some kind of relationship--most often lovers. There is little violence and gore or concern with forensic evidence or police procedures. It often has a strong sense of humor or of irony. There are many books in the "Malice Domestic" series--even a cookbook!

Very Short Review of Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince

2005-07-17T22:52:00.000-05:00

Just finished! Completely enthralling, as always. Almost no fighting this time. This one explains and yet heightens suspense for ultimate showdown to come in last book.

Identity of Half-Blood Prince a total surprise. Pleased she threw me that loop.

Death, as rumored. Or not--depends on which rumor you heard.

Death and betrayal didn't make me cry/angry--don't really believe them to be true.

CAN'T WAIT until the next one!

If Only Stupidity Were Self-Selecting

2005-07-13T12:28:00.000-05:00

I'm sure you have all heard of the Darwin Awards? "The Darwin Awards salute the improvement of the human genome by honoring those who accidentally kill themselves in really stupid ways." Unfortunately, many, many times, the stupid ones experience "dumb luck" and it is the innocent that are killed.

If you've been reading here for a while, then you know my son and husband are big train fans and that we own a model railroad with trains that are big enough to ride on. They are smaller than the the trains you often see in parks and zoos, but big enough that if one derailed and fell on you, it could cause serious bodily injury.

Most people in this country have never seen trains of our size. Most people in this country have seen trains of full-size. Most people could tell you that they are big, they must weigh an awful lot, they carry many cars, they sometimes go very fast. That passing familiarity with trains, however, does not translate into an understanding of the impossibility of stopping a train BEFORE it hits the idiot who thinks he can "beat the train."

Did you know: "Do not be fooled by the optical illusion – the train you see is closer and faster moving than you think."?

Did you know: "Even if the locomotive engineer sees you, a freight train moving at 55 miles per hour can take a mile or more to stop once the emergency brakes are applied. That’s at least 18 football fields!"?

Did you know: "the train is three feet wider than the tracks on both sides."?

Now, I suppose you could say that the driver's stupidity has only caused his own death. Most of the time it HAS only caused his own death. But what about the effect on the life of the engineer? He has to spend the rest of his life knowing that he has killed someone--and probably replaying in his mind the expression on the driver's face when he realizes he's not going to make it. Do the driver mean to be stupid AND cruel?

There is another possible effect, though. What if the crash causes a derailment? That could cause the death of the engineer. What if the derailment is of a passenger train? That could cause the death of innocent train passengers. What if the train is carrying hazardous cargo? What if a toxic material is let loose? That might kill or harm innocent people in the roads and homes surrounding the derailment.

In England, there is a park-size railroad that is a national treasure. It has served as public transportation for about 80 years. During WWII it even transported troops and armaments. This railroad has suffered tragedy twice in the last two years now. For, twice now, someone has run the grade crossing in an attempt to beat the train. Oh, sure, the cars ended up totaled, but did the idiot drivers die in these--I hesitate to call them--"accidents"? No. The drivers were sitting in safety cages, protected by 50 years or more of automotive safety technology. No, it was the innocent engineers who lost their lives.

In the case of two years ago, the woman who had been driving has been sentenced to 5 years for vehicular homicide. But, in five years she'll get to rejoin her family. The engineer will not. This time it was a woman engineer--only 43 years old. I bet she had kids.

Please don't try to beat the train.
Please teach your children not to walk or play on train tracks.
Please visit Operation Lifesaver, the source of the quotes above, for more information. They have coloring pages, etc. for the kids.

Cross-posted at The Thomas Institute.

Watermelon Carving

2005-07-11T10:57:00.000-05:00

Have you seen these? WOW! Pure artistry! Puts my annual Halloween pumpkin to complete shame! LOL

Lots of pictures, so it loads slow on dial up, but it's worth the wait!

Thanks to Headmistress and to Mungo.

Good, Clean Fun

2005-07-11T09:25:00.000-05:00

I was talking to a friend recently about mystery novels. We both enjoy them, but sometimes it's hard to find one that's not full of graphic sex, violence or language. But, you can only read Agatha Christie so many times!

So, I've been exploring the library and have read the following mysteries, which are all good, clean fun.

The Cat Who Went Bananas by Lillian Jackson Braun
I have read quite a few of "The Cat Who..." mysteries and have enjoyed them. If you read them in the order they were written then you get to follow the life's path of the main character, as well as solve the individual story's mystery. The series' gimmic is the siamese cats, one of which always helps Jim, the main character, solve the mystery.
Now, for this particular book. It's bad. Read it only if you have read all the others in the series and want to know what happens next in the back story between Jim and Polly. The mystery part of the story ends with a fire that evidently kills the bad guy, but answers no questions. Thoroughly disatisfying. Go back and read the early ones instead.

Death and The Chapman by Kate Sedley
I enjoyed this book very much. It was a very easy and enjoyable read. This book marks the first in a series starring Roger the Chapman, that takes place in the late 1400's in England. Roger is a traveling salesman who gets caught up in various mysteries and finds he has a knack for solving them. I will be looking to read the rest of the books in this series.

Our Lady of Darkness by Peter Tremayne
I also enjoyed this book very much--although it was not nearly as light a read as the aforementioned one.
This book is one of a series, set in the 600's ad, in ancient Ireland, and starring Sister Fidelma. The author is an expert on the time period and the book is filled with authentic details, including unpronouncable celtic names. These details fill the story with verisimilitude but also slow it down some. It was fascinating to me, but I am fascinated by the Middle Ages. If you are only somewhat interested, read the Kate Sedley series above and give this one a pass.

A Clue for The Puzzle Lady by Parnell Hall
This book was a lot of fun! The main character is an aging party girl, who spends much of her time drunk or in search of a drink. She lives with her niece, who tries to keep her out of trouble. Together, they make up The Puzzle Lady, a nationally syndicated crossword column. So, when there is a murder and the only clue seems to be a crossword puzzle clue, who else would the police turn to for help? This is the first in a series that I will definitely be reading more of!

So, here a a few new books for you to try. Do you have any recommendations of good, clean, fun mysteries for my friend and I to try?

What Kind of Soul Are You?

2005-07-06T13:29:00.000-05:00

You Are a Prophet Soul

You are a gentle soul, with good intentions toward everyone.
Selfless and kind, you have great faith in people.
Sometimes this faith can lead to disappoinment in the long run.
No matter what, you deal with everything in a calm and balanced way.

You are a good interpreter, very sensitive, intuitive, caring, and gentle.
Concerned about the world, you are good at predicting people's feelings.
A seeker of wisdom, you are a life long learner looking for purpose and meaning.
You are a great thinker and communicator, but not necessarily a doer.

Souls you are most compatible with: Bright Star Soul and Dreaming Soul

What Kind of Soul Are You?

Train Class Party

2005-07-04T10:31:00.000-05:00

I mentioned the train class in an earlier post, but, basically, it is just an excuse for mostly boys to get together and play with various toy trains. Last summer, we had just finished the track around our house and celebrated by having the train class come out on the last day to ride our trains.

This year, we have the new passing siding in, so we had the train class come out to ride again. The first picture gives you an idea of how many people we had.

The second picture shows DH driving his diesel and hauling 6 passengers. The caboose is passing under the signal bridge and the pole growing out of the passenger's head belongs to the swingset.

Playing Trains in Oklahoma

2005-07-03T10:22:00.000-05:00

I mentioned going to OK to play trains, in an earlier post. Everyone who knows us, knows that we have trains. But most really do not understand the size of the trains we have. Here is a picture of DS, in the yellow shirt and overalls, riding a steam train that a fellow from Kansas brought.

DS always loves to ride the steam trains. He rode this one for more than an hour and when he got off, you could tell he had been on a steam train! One of the jokes about this hobby is that the dirtier (sootier) your face, the more fun you've had. Well, hopefully you can tell that DS had plenty of fun!

State Your Color

2005-07-01T10:39:00.000-05:00

DS has been involved in a play class at the Rec. Center this month and yesterday was the class' last meeting. It was held at our house so that the kids could all ride our trains (I'll post pictures later).

Anyway, one of the Moms brought us a little thank you gift--and it was so neat I wanted to share it with you. Crayola has a 64 crayon set called State Your Color with new names for existing Crayola colors. Click on "View Winners" on the link in the headline above, and you get a list of the 50 states with their associated colors and color names. This could lead to fun discussions about why the states were given their particular colors.

In addition, the Crayola website has TONS of activities--most are accessible after you register, which is free and quick (unless you can't make up your mind when asked which is your favorite color!).

Cross-posted at The Thomas Institute.

Amazing Amazon Deals

2005-06-28T21:20:00.000-05:00

83% OFF - Martex 300-Thread-Count Flat Sheet with Bonus Fitted Sheet - Only $19.99 until July 31.

64% OFF - Velocity DVD+RW 2.4X 4.7 GB Discs (25-spindle) - Only $3.99 after mail-in rebate until July 30.

Up to 60% OFF - Top Brand Favorites from our Toys Outlet until July 16.

70% OFF - Over 45 magazine subscriptions for $10 or less, including FHM, Jane, and Parents until June 30, only.

Camping Update

2005-06-28T12:34:00.000-05:00

This weekend past, we drove up to the Oklahoma City area and camped out for the weekend. It was not as great a weekend as we had hoped--read more about it here--but I wanted to offer some observations about the experience here.

On driving from Texas to Oklahoma: The Red River looks much bigger at the I377 bridge than at the I35 bridge.
OK still has wildflowers--they're long gone from here.
There is a horse ranch off 377 in OK that I absolutely could not believe: there were 3 stables, each the size of a Walmart distribution center!
Why does OK build washboards into their highways?

On cooking and camping: I took the electric skillet for cooking with and foods that required a minimum of preparation.
For lunch one day we had smoked sausage and Broccoli Coleslaw that I had sortof steamed. (Note: I steamed the coleslaw in the skillet with lots of sausage drippings and a little bit of water--it was very yummy. At home I tried it without the sausage drippings and it was bland and tasteless!)
Nature's Own makes a sugar-free, trans-fat-free, whole wheat hamburger bun that's pretty good.
Cabela's carries a camp kitchen with a framework exactly like mine, but it has two canvas cupboards and a vinyl sink.
I must remember not to let DS drink so much juice next time (uugghh!).

On family: We had quite a few frustrations over the weekend, but the drive home was quiet and uneventful, thankfully. We stopped at Cabela's to stretch our legs, and even though it is the largest store in the world, or somesuch, we three created this little "bubble" around us that let the frustrations roll off, that separated us from everyone else, that let us enjoy each other and that allowed us to share each other's enthusiasms. It's hard to describe, but it turned into one of those times that I wish I could capture in a bottle, prized and perfect, forever.

Carnival of the Cats #66

2005-06-27T09:43:00.000-05:00

Pixel, Pica and Coby--who all just got up from their naps over at LabKat--present this week's Carnival. It's kitty overload in this carnival (or can there be such a thing?)! Great pics and great stories!

Karnival of the Kidz

2005-06-27T09:28:00.000-05:00

Amy, over at ProcheinAmy and a fellow Texan, has done a great job with this week's Karnival, and it's freshly posted! I submitted the "5 going on 15" post--make sure you see Sissy's "matching" post about her sister, who's 7 going on 17! LOL

Carnival of the Recipes

2005-06-27T09:07:00.000-05:00

Dana, over at Note-It Posts (LOVE that name!), has done a great job with this week's COTR. There are lots of very interesting-sounding recipes and a few that you just have to pause and blink and re-read. Yes, you DID read that right. LOL Go and see!

DogCat

2005-06-24T14:51:00.000-05:00

This may look like a cat--but looks can be deceiving!

Smokey, here, chases her tail and drinks out of the toilet. She's very affectionate and nudges your hand in order to get a good petting. She greets us at the door when we come in and she walks underfoot. She's very talkative, too.

Can you see the very subtle striping around her lower body?

DS's New Work Bench

2005-06-23T14:37:00.000-05:00

In a previous post, I wrote about the "work bench" that DH was making for DS. Here is the finished product, complete with pegboard and real tools:

And here is DH showing DS how to use the vice:

DH used scrap lumber and he got the tools at a dollar store. DS is thrilled!

Springtime Cake

2005-06-23T10:57:00.000-05:00

Oh, man! Ellen, you're killin' me, here! This sounds SO good--I can almost taste it! I bet there's no way to make it diabetic friendly, is there? Hmm--that sounds like a challenge!

Our Friend Ellen is also one of the bloggers published in Digital Dish. Go over to her site(click the headline above) and read this WONDERFUL cake recipe and buy the book from her while you're there!

First Time in The Men's Room...By Himself!

2005-06-22T17:48:00.000-05:00

Well, today was one of those days that all modern Moms dread...I had to send DS to the men's room by himself.

The Ladies' room was closed for cleaning and DS COULD NOT wait another moment--what else was I to do?

I stood at the entrance, basically barricading it, I suppose, and spoke loudly to him, so that any perverts or molesters lurking inside would know that this child was being carefully watched. "Don't touch anything!" "Wash your hands!" "Are you through, yet?" "Have you washed your hands, yet?" "Well, wash your hands good!" I kept up a steady patter.

Of course, it turned out no one else was in the bathroom. It also didn't mean much of anything to DS. But, oh, what a milestone it is for me!

Almost-5, going on 15!

2005-06-22T11:30:00.000-05:00

DH was repairing the privacy fence over the weekend. There is a shallow nook that he has designated as a play "workshop" for DS. DH installed a small shelf to be the worktable, then walked away from the project for a moment. DS immediately began picking up his daddy's tools and placing them on his worktable.

Auntie told DS that Daddy wasn't finished with the tools yet, and maybe he wanted them where he left them. Whereupon, DS said, "Daddy does things his way--I do things my way."

DS

2005-06-22T10:38:00.000-05:00

DS had his pictures made at Walmart. Here's one of them. Love that face!

These portraits were taken about a week after DS had his first REAL haircut by a REAL professional. I had always cut his hair before, and while it usually turned out okay, it always took a long time and there was always much wailing and gnashing of teeth (on both our parts!). The last time I had tried to get his hair cut was about two years ago and was a total disaster.

This time, though, the lady was wonderful! She was so fast! And she took the time to explain what she was doing, show DS the clippers and the scissors, and even ask his permission! I don't think I'll be cutting DS' hair again.

A Harry-less Summer Reading List

2005-06-21T21:26:00.000-05:00

In case you desire something other than Harry Potter--or, in case you need something to help you wait until Harry appears--the Horn Book people have put together a suggested reading list for the summer. The list is divided by age/reading level and also includes suggested poetry and non-fiction books.

To quote the website, hbook.com, "The Horn Book Magazine and The Horn Book Guide are the most distinguished journals in the field of children’s and young adult literature and the core of our company, but we also publish acclaimed books for children’s book professionals and create exceptional posters for children’s book lovers."

Click the headline above to go to the list.

Fried Chicken Breasts

2005-06-20T21:33:00.000-05:00

I made these Sunday evening and everyone loved them. We re-fried the leftovers tonight, and they were just as good!

Marinating Ingredients:
A whole mess o' fresh chicken breasts, de-skinned and de-boned
About a quarter cup of ranch dressing, thinned with some water

Marinating Procedure:
You'll need to put the chicken in a Pyrex dish, or something kinda deep. Take a serving fork and stab the chicken breasts randomly. Pour the thinned dressing over the chicken and marinate in the fridge for a couple of hours.

Frying Ingredients:
About a cup of flour
A teaspoon of onion powder
A teaspoon of paprika
A teaspoon of garlic powder
A half teaspoon of pepper
A teaspoon of salt
Enough peanut oil to cover the bottom of your frying pan to a depth of about a quarter inch.

Frying Procedure:
I used my cast iron dutch oven--it maintains a high heat and is deep, so will contain splatters.
Pour oil into frying pan and bring up to temp. Mix the dry ingredients well, in something like a pie plate.
Turn chicken pieces in the marinade to coat and then drag through the flour mixture, coating well with it. Gently place a few pieces at a time in the pan. Do not crowd the chicken. Watch the browning process--it should not go too fast. If you are not using a heavy cast iron pan, you'll need to keep the temp. high enough to fry, but low enough not to burn--sorry, but this is where experience with your particular pans and stovetop make a big difference. I can't really be more specific than that.
When the chicken pieces are browned nicely on one side, turn and brown on the other side. Do not move the pieces around or you'll lose coating.
When nicely browned on both sides, remove to a plate with paper towels or other place to drain. Continue adding the chicken pieces, one at a time, until you are through with all of the pieces you've got. Serve hot, cold, or in between.

Notes: To re-heat leftovers, re-fry in just a bit of oil for about 2 minutes per side. This won't re-heat through, but will re-crisp the coating, which is all that matters!
This is a tasty and very moist chicken that, actually, does not taste like Ranch dressing.

Digital Dish

2005-06-20T09:51:00.000-05:00

I guess I'm a little slow on the uptake here, but Our Friend Biggles has been published in the cookbook, Digital Dish. Digital Dish is a cookbook that showcases bloggers and their recipes.

If you click on the link in the headline, it takes you to a post where Biggles describes a booksigning (too cool!) and also has a link to purchase the book.

Carnival of the Recipes

2005-06-19T09:24:00.000-05:00

Lots of good stuff, as always!

Random Thoughts

2005-06-17T19:08:00.000-05:00

DH came home early this evening and is playing Go Fish with DS; dinner is simmering away; and I have stolen away to have a few moments here.

Earlier today, DS and I were working on some T-Shirt transfers for DH and DS for Father's Day. I told DS not to tell Dad about the t-shirts because we wanted them to be a surprise. He readily agreed and then waited impatiently for Dad to get home. Finally, he heard the backdoor and ran to greet his Dad. From the other room, I hear "t-shirt" and "it's a surprise"! Aaahh--it WAS a surprise! Then he tells Dad to come and see the shirts! Boy-o, no more secrets for you!

*****
Unfortunately, we will not be able to visit with either my Dad or DH's Dad this Father's Day. June is crammed too full to be able to make either trip. But our hearts will be with them on that day--as they always are. Love to you both!

*****
Thursday, we went to the library for a special summer reading program. We were treated to Outback Ben's Wild Reading Review. Outback Ben combined fun animal facts, comedy, songs, magic, and puppetry with audience participation and he even remembered to do an Australian accent every once in a while! He was QUITE entertaining! Thomas talked about him all day!

*****
Have you signed up for Dover Publications' freebies, yet? Quite a generous assortment of free pages from the various books they sell. You get a different assortment of freebies emailed to you each week, and you can even get more than one assortment--for instance, I've signed myself up for one and DS up for the children's assortment.

Dover sells the most amazing assortment of books, music and CD-roms! Here's some of their new releases from their front page right now, as an example:

Around the World Coloring Book

The Complete Traditional Wedding Album: for Organ, Keyboard and Voice

Journey to the Center of the Earth

Jews and Arabs: A Concise History of Their Social and Cultural Relations by S.D. Goitein

Guns on the Early Frontiers: From Colonial Times to the Years of the Western Fur Trade by Carl P. Russell

The Physics of Blown Sand and Desert Dunes by R. A. Bagnold

Full-Color Cigar Labels CD-ROM and Book

Tom Sawyer, Detective by Mark Twain

Flower Paintings Giftwrap Paper: Two Sheets 18" x 24" (46cm x 61cm) with 3 Matching Gift Cards by Vincent Van Gogh, Claude Monet, Pierre-Auguste Renoir

Tutankhamen: Amenism, Atenism and Egyptian Monotheism/with Hieroglyphic Texts of Hymns to Amen and Aten by E. A. Wallis Budge

Acrylic Painting: A Complete Guide by Wendon Blake

The Queen of Spades, Op. 68 by Peter Ilyitch Tchaikovsky

The War of the Worlds

Dragons and Wizards CD-ROM and Book by Marty Noble, Eric Gottesman

The Dinosaur Coloring Book by Anthony Rao

Victorian Wooden Molding and Frame Designs: The 1910 Morell Catalog by H. Morell

Human Nature and Conduct by John Dewey

Number Theory by George E. Andrews

Pot Roasted Chicken

2005-06-15T19:34:00.000-05:00

Ingredients:
1 whole chicken, cut into parts, skin on
2 cans chicken broth
1 T. flour
1 T. peanut oil
Paprika
Lemon Pepper
Garlic Powder
Parsley

Procedure:
Pour the oil in the dutch oven and turn to high heat. Lightly sprinkle or coat the chicken pieces with the flour and place skin side down in the pan, after it has come up to temp. Note the time.

Liberally sprinkle the chicken with the paprika, lemon pepper and garlic. After the pieces have browned a bit, turn them over. Sprinkle again with the spices, this time adding the parsley.

Add the chicken broth, bring to a boil. Turn down to low heat, cover tightly. Simmmer until it has been an hour since you noted the time in the first step. Remove from heat. You're done!

Notes: The timing is for a cast iron dutch oven--YMMV. This recipe could be adapted to a roasting pan, a crock pot, a slow cooker, etc.

Experiment with a variety of spices. Add carrots, onions, celery, etc.

Thanks to Biggles for the basic technique, although he won't claim the recipe since I've used garlic powder!

Silliness: Science Verse

2005-06-14T19:20:00.000-05:00

I checked out the book "Science Verse," by Jon Scieszka and illustrated by Lane Smith, because the title sounded fun. The book tells the story of a boy who falls asleep in science class and dreams in verse. What he dreams of is science topics and how he dreams them is in the style of famous poems.

My husband and I died laughing at several points, and DS laughed at us laughing: the poems were WAY over his head. I imagine that kids in the 3rd through 6th grade range are the intended audience--I also imagine they would love it!

Here's a tiny taste of the silliness. From the poem "Gobblegooky" meant to be reminiscent of Lewis Carrol's "Jabberwocky."

'Twas fructose, and the vitamins
Did zinc and Dye (red #8).
All poly were the thiamins,
And the carbohydrate.

Popsicle Power

2005-06-11T13:14:00.000-05:00

You can make popsicles inexpensively and deliciously out of all kinds of wonderful things. All you need are some popsicle molds and something sweet to put in them. Pick up the popsicle molds at garage sales or thrift stores for even bigger savings!

Fill your molds with any of the following and freeze:

* Juice(any kind)
* Leftover soda (that may have gone flat in a two liter bottle)
* Kool-aid
* Leftover yogurt (you can sweeten it with jelly or fruit if it's plain)
* Pudding
* Pureed fruit
* Chocolate milk
* Fruit Cocktail or the juice from canned fruit
* Leftover Fruit Shakes
* Whipped topping and fruit
* Jello/Gelatin
* Apple Sauce or Cranberry Sauce
* Pie Filling (you can tone this down with yogurt)
* Jam Jar Cleanout (from the Tightwad Gazette): Get all of the jam out of that empty jar by putting some milk in it, putting the lid on and shaking. Pour the flavored milk into a popsicle mold.

Striped:
Layer popsicles with different colored or flavored layers of pudding, yogurt, or jello.

Parfait Pops:
Layer with whipped topping in between.

Party Pops:
Add sprinkles, chocolate chips, marshmallows, nuts or coconut to your popsicles. You can also make them wild colors with food coloring.

Rocky Road Pops:
1 package of chocolate pudding
1/2 cup marshmallows
1/4 cup peanuts
Mix, fill molds and freeze.

Pina Coladas
Whirl pineapple juice, coconut and banana in a blender, then fill molds and freeze. You can also use the Pina Colada fruit shake recipe.

Dreamsicles
Mix 1-2 tsp. Tang and 1/2 tsp vanilla extract with milk. You can adjust to your taste. Fill molds and freeze.

Rocket Pops
Layer red, then white, then blue Kool-Aid, juice or Jell-O for festive popsicles, reminiscent of what the ice cream man used to sell.
Here are some ideas for mix-and-match rocket pops:
Red: red Kool-Aid, fruit punch, berry juice, red Jell-O or white with red food coloring (may turn out pink)
White: white grape juice, milk, yogurt, coconut or vanilla pudding, vanilla fruit shake
Blue: Blue Kool-Aid or Jell-O, or white with blue food coloring.
Note: This is really easy if you just start off with white, split amount in three parts, and color one part red and one part blue. The kids won't notice that they are all the same flavor.

Fizzy Lifting Pops
Mix club soda and gelatin to make bubbly Jell-O, then freeze in molds. You could also try mixing club soda and juice, then freezing. Jell-O sells a line of "Sparkling Jell-O" that captures the bubbles when you add the club soda. It's cool! Wait until it goes on sale for 25 cents a box, then stock up!

Chocolate Banana Crunch Pops
This is a family favorite. Get bananas when they are cheap. Melt some chocolate and a little paraffin wax (yes, the kind for canning, it's ok to eat-it's in every candy bar!) in the microwave (usually just 1-2 minutes will melt it). Dip bananas in chocolate and roll in chopped peanuts. Place on cookie sheet covered with waxed paper, and freeze. You can put a stick on the end if you want, we never do. They are wonderful and cheap!

About the Author
Kim Tilley, a tightwad at heart, is a wife, a mother of three active boys. Frugal by force and later by choice, Kim cut her income by 60% to stay at home with her children and discovered that anyone can live better for less. Her work has appeared in print publications such as The Tightwad Gazette. In her free time, she entertains herself by chasing kids and finding ways to create something from nothing!

This great article is from last week's email mewsletter called Busy Little Cooks from thefamilycorner.com. I recommend you stop by their website (click the headline above) and look around. They offer several great newsletters, a bare minimum of advertising, and lots of great recipes, kid's activities, cleaning tips, work at home ideas, gardening hints, contests, freebies and so much more.

Thoughts on Competitive Parenting

2005-06-10T13:07:00.000-05:00

My Child is Smarter Than Your Child--Nyaah, Nyaah

Sounds childish, doesn't it? Most of us don't say it in those words, but it is the underlying sentiment when parents get together to compare notes. When our children are infants we brag about how early they sat up, crawled, walked, or spoke. As parents of preschoolers, it's knowing the alphabet and numbers, then reading and writing. As the children grow, is becomes contests and science fairs, getting into gifted and talented programs or skipping grades. Ultimately, it becomes, "my child, the doctor" or "my child, the lawyer."

Click the headline to read the rest of the article and then come back here. Do you get sucked into the game? What are your thoughts when your child is the first versus when he isn't? Do those of you who are parents of more than one find yourself comparing your own kids, as well as others?

Family Vacation Do's and Don'ts, by Age

2005-06-08T09:22:00.000-05:00

This is a great article! It covers vacation do's and don'ts during pregnancy, with a baby, a toddler, a preschooler and with bigger kids. I think the advice is right on the money.

Our first big family trip with DS was when he was 10 months old. We were going to drive from Texas to Virginia, a drive that we had made before in two days. I insisted that we take 3 days this time, allowing us plenty of time to stop and get out of the car frequently along the way. I also bought a toy cell phone that had lights, sounds, etc. (and a volume control!). So this was the way our trip went each day: DS would sleep about an hour, then awaken. I would feed him and he would be content for about an hour. Then we had to pull out the "bag of tricks" and try to entertain him for about an hour. Then we stopped at a park or similar and stretched our legs for about an hour. Repeat. The trip itself was actually fairly pleasant this way--it was just VERY long.

The hardest time to travel, I believe, is with a toddler; the time from walking to the ability to understand and obey "No.". When you are at home you can babyproof the house and let the child have quite a bit of freedom, but when you go out you will have to be on top of the child the entire time, which is tiring for you and for him. We took a trip during this time that was absolutely exhausting for me. He was too old to be held for more than a few minutes at a time. He would play in the travel crib for small amounts of time, but we were outdoors and he REALLY wanted to be exploring. Unfortunately, I couldn't really let him. There were grass burrs and fire ants and cars and moving machinery. I'd say the best thing to do in that second year is to stay home!

Click on the headline above to read the article before you head for the hills this summer. And stay out of "quaint bed and breakfasts!"

"Madagascar" a Maybe

2005-06-08T09:10:00.000-05:00

The reviews are enticing, but my little man is a sensitive one. He still runs out of the room when Thomas the Tank Engine runs off the rails!

ParentCenter has a review of the new movie "Madagascar" that includes a brief description and their take on its appropriateness. Click on the headline to read the whole thing, but here are a few of their comments:

Sexual Content--Brief shot of girl hippo pretending to wear "pasties."
Language--Mild.
Violence--Fossas attack lemurs; lion attacks his friends, no explicit violence, but some startling imagery.
Commercialism--References to lion as commercial icon.
Alcohol--Lion shot with tranquilizers, hallucinates.
Social Behavior--Learning about loyalty, some conflicts and some selfishness.

Fisher-Price Toys up to 65% Off

2005-06-08T09:01:00.000-05:00

Follow the link in the headline. Here are some examples:
Power Touch books $7.99
Cook 'n Clean Kitchen $39.99
My First Princess Spin and Surprise Castle $17.99
America the Beautiful 3-D viewmaster gift set $6.99

The Wisdom of Children

2005-06-05T17:38:00.000-05:00

Amanda, at Wittingshire, reports the discussion about love that she and her children had one day. What a group of insightful and intelligent children! They have beautiful souls.

Go and read, but take a tissue!

PARENTS are the Experts!

2005-06-05T15:12:00.000-05:00

Headmistress, at The Common Room, posted about a sad experience she had a few years ago with an expert. She took one of her children to a therapist who was to evaluate the child to see if she was eligible for an assistive device. The therapist confused and frustrated the child and condescended to the parents. (Click on the headline above to read the whole story.)

Headmistress recalls internalizing the therapist's attitude towards her, which prevented her from storming out of the office and away from the hurtful BS the therapist was handing out. In other words, and this is the point I wanted to make, the therapist treated her like she knew nothing and she took it.

This is NOT an indictment of Headmistress. I would have reacted the same myself--as would most of us. We are in such awe of experts in this country that we just believe them.

But when it comes to our children, we must remember that NO ONE knows them better than we do. Not even Mothers-in-law. Not even Doctors. Not even teachers. Go with your gut. If you feel something is wrong, don't let the situation coast. Speak up. Ask questions. Ask more questions. Get a second opinion. A third.

Maybe you're wrong and it's nothing. So you feel a little embarrassed--but your child knows how much you love him and how far you'll go for him! Maybe you're right--then how would you have felt if you hadn't perservered?

Have faith in yourself, for you are the world's foremost expert in your child.

Karnival of the Kidz, #6

2005-06-05T14:39:00.000-05:00

Headmistress' reports rock!

Tom Cruise Needs to Keep his Big Mouth Shut

2005-06-03T10:30:00.000-05:00

I am sure you have heard already that Tom Cruise has criticized Brooke Shields for taking an anti-depression drug to battle her post-partum depression. Cruise is a member of the Scientology cult, which believes in aliens and disbelieves in psychology/psychiatry. He thinks that "vitamins" are all that is needed.

I love this report of the story!

I think it is outrageously irresponsible of Tom Cruise to indict Brooke Shields (and symbolically, all other mothers) for doing what was necessary to protect her baby. In the wake of stories like the Andrea Yates and Dena Schlosser infanticides, we need to be taking post-partum depression MORE seriously, not less! Of course, most women with post-partum depression will not progress to post-partum psychosis like those two women did, but Yates' children would be alive today if her husband had taken her depression seriously and gotten her some medical help. And if even one woman does not seek treatment for her PPD because of Tom Cruise, then that is one woman too many and he will be partly responsible for the misery she will be in and the potential detriment her child will suffer.

What is post-partum depression?
Post-partum depression as an evolutionary tool.
The leading source for information and treatment of post-partum depression, founded by women who have been there.

If you also consider Tom Cruise's remarks to be irresponsible, consider NOT seeing his new movie.

Yuuucckk!

2005-06-03T10:25:00.000-05:00

Someone did a Yahoo search for "play mate of the year" and it brought them to this blog! It turns out this blog is number 4 on the list. Hey, this is a family blog, here!

The Necessity of Shining Examples

2005-06-02T21:23:00.000-05:00

My dad sent me the link to the article I have linked in the headline above. It is very long and scholarly and not entirely to the point of this blog. If you want to give your brain a workout, please go read it--it will be worth your time, whether or not you agree with the author, Lee Harris.

I did want to write about one part of it, though. Harris talks about the individual's need for a Shining Example to model himself on. Harris writes,"To follow in the footsteps of a living person is a radically different process from attempting to conform one’s day-to-day life according to an abstract principle or maxim. If someone tells a child to show respect to other people, the child may sincerely wish to do so, but he may not have a clue how to go about it."

I think this goes to the heart of a mistake many parents make: vagueness. We tell our children to clean their rooms, for instance. What, exactly, does that mean? If I clear a path from the doorway to the room, is that clean? If I push the pile of clothes under the bed so you can't see them, is that clean? If I put two toys and three books away, is that clean? If I stand here, clueless, feeling stupid, and begin to cry, will you come in and yell at me for wasting time and clean my room for me?

Harris goes on to say, "These are exactly the kinds of questions that must be answered for a child if he is to have any hope of fulfilling the behavioral imperative (to clean his room, in my example) that has been imposed on him. He must be shown, in concrete situation after concrete situation, what kind of conduct counts — for a child of his age and, depending on the culture, his gender, race, caste, ethnicity, religion, and so forth — as 'showing respect (or in my example, 'cleaning your room').' For all such purposes, the shining example is indispensable."

In my room cleaning example, then, WE parents must be the shining example. The child must see us cleaning our rooms. We must show the child exactly what we mean by "clean your room" (taking into account the child's age). For instance, when DS was around 18 months I would sing the "clean up" song from Barney while holding his hand and making both our hands pick up the toys and put them in the toy bin. Now that he is 4 and a half, I can tell him, "Put your trains in your train bucket and your books on the shelf, then come back here." (I usually keep it to no more than three specific instructions or steps at a time.)

How many times did you hear, "Do as I say, not as I do" when you were growing up? My parents both smoked and did their best to discourage me from smoking. It seemed somewhat hypocritical to me--especially in my teen years. I tried smoking as a teen and my brother smokes now. I wonder if either would be the case if my parents were non-smokers?

I think that parents MUST think consciously about the kind of adult they would like for their children to grow into. They must think about it when the child is an infant and they must keep thinking about it--even when the child has children of his own. They must then hold themselves up as an example of that kind of person. In other words, if you want your child to be honest, you can not lie about his age in order to get him into the theater for free. If you want your child to value classical music, he must see you listening to it. If you want your child to speak to you respectfully, you must speak respectfully to your parents--and to your child as well. Having children should make you want to be the very best You that you can be.

Games Kids Play

2005-05-30T20:09:00.001-05:00

For whatever reason, I was thinking, a day or so ago, about playing Four Square when I was in elementary/middle school. One of the things I remembered is that when my brother and I played with my Dad at home, his rules were MUCH harder that ours were!

So, I did an MSN Search and, after wading through too many Foursquare churches to count, ended up searching for "playground games." That brought me to the site gameskidsplay.net. This site is a compendium of descriptions of and rules for the games we and our parents used to play on the playgrounds of schools across the country. If your kids are allowed to have recess at their school, they probably play them, too.

I am adding this site to my link list. I hope you find it useful as well.

Parenting. Some days you just have to pray you'll make it through!

2005-05-29T21:00:00.000-05:00

I read this at the blog, me autem minui, but it is from an article called "Laws Concerning Food and Drink; Household Principles; Lamentations of the Father," written by Ian Frazier and published in The Atlantic Monthly in 1997. The whole article is posted at kellymom.com--click the headline above to read the whole thing.

When you chew your food, keep your mouth closed until you have swallowed, and do not open it to show your brother or your sister what is within; I say to you, do not so, even if your brother or your sister has done the same to you.

Eat your food only; do not eat that which is not food; neither seize the table between your jaws, nor use the raiment of the table to wipe your lips. I say again to you, do not touch it, but leave it as it is.

And though your stick of carrot does indeed resemble a marker, draw not with it upon the table, even in pretend, for we do not do that, that is why.

And though the pieces of broccoli are very like small trees, do not stand them upright to make a forest, because we do not do that, that is why.

Sit just as I have told you, and do not lean to one side or the other, nor slide down until you are nearly slid away. Heed me; for if you sit like that, your hair will go into the syrup.

And now behold, even as I have said, it has come to pass.

Can Fast Food be Either?

2005-05-28T21:36:00.000-05:00

Why is Chick-Fil-A the best drive-thru restaurant, for the third year in a row?

How can you eat fast food and not gain weight?

What hints and tips are there to help avoid the drive-thru?

What specific choices can I make to eat healthier at the drive-thru? (Suggestions are organized by fast food chain--keep scrolling.)

Just how bad are the worst choices, anyway?

Carnival Of The Recipes, #41

2005-05-28T09:41:00.000-05:00

The COTR is up at Fresh As A Daisy, and has some wonderful recipes, as always. I would love to be able to make this Blueberry coffee cake, but it is not diabetic friendly. I'll just have to imagine the yummy goodness!

Now this recipe I won't be making either--but for an entirely different reason! This is the grossest recipe you'll ever come across, but it has photos, and is very funny/sick to read! It is also R rated for language.

As I was checking out some of the other entries I noticed a new blog carnival. Now there's a Kidz Karnival, with photos and stories, that I found out about through ArmyWifeToddlerMom's submission to COTR for easy cookies.

Here's a funny/too true story from the Kidz Karnival that I really enjoyed.
Included in the Kidz Karnival was a link for more carnivals and an easy way to submit to them.

Around Here

2005-05-27T10:14:00.000-05:00

I looked in the nest last night, and there are only 4 eggs, now. I took another picture and will share it with you soon.

Update: Okay, here's the photo--and I used an LED flashlight, which retained the blue of the eggshells.

*****

I have inherited a kitty cat. She is almost a year old--a Russian Blue. She is a dark gray, with very subtle stripes around her back legs and tail. I'll have to try to get a good picture of her to show you.

I don't have a lot of experience with cats, but I have never seen one so affectionate! She'll come up to me, put her paws on my legs and nudge my hand--like a dog will! I think she's definately got dog genes in her, as she also likes to drink out of the toilet--and I caught her chasing her tail earlier!

*****

Yesterday morning, DH and I took advantage of a "teachable moment" and explained 1/4 to DS. Later, I wondered whether he understood, so I asked him, "How many quarters in a whole?" and "How many quarters in a dollar?" and he correctly answered 4 each time!

Father's Day is Coming...

2005-05-27T09:57:00.000-05:00

FamilyCorner.com shares a cute idea for windchimes that the kids can make themselves or with minimal supervision. The idea comes from "The Toddler's Busy Book."

The author of the book, Trish Kuffner, has also written several other books with outstanding, simple ideas for keeping your kids occupied, learning, and happy.

Tollhouse Cookies for a Diabetic

2005-05-26T21:47:00.000-05:00

This was primarily an experiment in ingredient replacement, using the well-known Tollhouse chocolate chip cookie recipe as the starting place. The result was not equal to the Tollhouse recipe, but it was pretty good. The cookies were soft, chewy, and chocolatey. This is not a recipe for flat, crunchy, sweet, pale chocolate chip cookies.

Ingredients:
1 1/4 c whole wheat flour
1 c all purpose white flour
1/2 c dark brown sugar
3/8 c Splenda Blend for Baking (this is half Splenda and half sugar)
1 t salt
1 t baking soda
1 c Smart Balance trans fat free butter replacement
2 eggs
1 t vanilla
1 1/2 c semi-sweet chocolate chips

Procedure:
(I did this using a stand mixer set on the lowest setting.) Measure the dry ingredients into the mixer's bowl and turn the mixer on. Add the Smart Balance in pieces and mix until well incorporated.
In a separate, small bowl, mix the eggs with the vanilla and then pour into the mixer's bowl. Mix for a moment until well incorporated. Turn off and remove the beater. Add the chocolate chips and fold into dough with a large spoon.
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Drop cookie dough by rounded teaspoonfuls onto an ungreased cookie sheet and bake for 9 minutes.

Variation: You could add chopped pecans or walnuts to this recipe (1/2 to 1 cup).

Notes: The Smart Balance does not melt like butter or margarine, so this cookie will keep a lot of the shape it has when dropped. I did not flatten the cookies, so mine turned out about an inch and a half across and half an inch high.
The whole wheat flour gives the cookie a bit of a chewy texture.
The smaller portion of brown sugar means this is not an overly sweet cookie--instead the chocolate really shines through.
The combination of whole wheat flour and dark brown sugar means these cookies are browner and darker looking at the "done" stage than you may be used to.

Update: DH ate 3 cookies before dinner and a few more after dinner (these are small cookies!) and his glucose this morning was 108. So, for my diabetic, anyway, these are safe! Yeah!

Wondering About Taking the Kids for a Hike?

2005-05-25T09:15:00.000-05:00

Go ahead and take that hike!

Two-year-olds, now confident walkers and eager explorers, are likely to find natural areas fascinating new territories for investigation. Observant 3-year-olds will discover a world of new sights, smells, and sounds to ponder; and energetic 4-year-olds will be in their element — acres of space for running and exploring.

This article, with tips from a real ranger and naturalist, gives advice for parents of preschoolers wishing to take a hike. The ranger says that before you go, you should check out the hiking area and get the kids excited about going. Then, you should decide what time of year and day to go depending on what you want to see. You also need to prepare correctly by packing what you'll need and wearing the right footwear. Once you are there you will need to take into consideration several factors, like how long to hike. Then, after the hike is over, remember the fun and learning your family enjoyed!

Click on the headline above to read the specific recommendations from the ranger and come back here and let us know about your family's hiking experience.

Greatest Hint for Museums, Zoos, etc.

2005-05-24T09:47:00.000-05:00

I was reading one of the books about homeschooling and came across a tip I thought was so great! You want your kids to be excited about going to museums, the zoo, and other educational or grown-up types of places, right? We all do, but we go about it the wrong way--we tend to keep the children there too long because we want to get the most value for the price and the time investment. Staying too long makes the kids cranky, which makes you cranky and then no one remembers the visit fondly. Sound familiar?

However, if you leave BEFORE the kids have gotten tired and cranky, they'll beg to go back! You left when they were having fun, so they will remember having fun. The whole family will associate the museum (or whatever) with fun instead of frustration.

I think this would work with movies, theme parks, visits to relatives--anything that you want to be a pleasant time, but that is outside of the day to day experience of the child. Yes, that will mean very short visits at first, but each time you will be able to lengthen the visit, and over the long run the lovely family memories will be worth so much more than any frustratingly forced bit of knowledge gained.

If price is an issue, check into memberships. For instance, a trip to the fabulous Fort Worth Museum of Science and History would cost $26 for a family of four, $13 on Wednesdays. But a year's membership only costs $75 for the whole family and allows unlimited visits. That should take the sting out of short trips!

My New Blog

2005-05-21T13:21:00.000-05:00

DS and I will be embarking on the homeschooling journey soon, as DS is set to enter Kindergarten this Fall.

I will be blogging about our homeschooling journey on the new blog, The Thomas Institute, and will continue to blog about parenting, food, and cooking issues here on this blog.

I invite any of you who do homeschool or who have an interest in homeschooling to join us!

Light Posting

2005-05-21T12:10:00.000-05:00

I'm sorry I have been AWOL for awhile. I have had someone staying with us lately. She will be leaving Tuesday, so I should be able to get back to regularly-scheduled posting after that. Thank you for sticking with me!

The Bird and Her Nest

2005-05-17T17:17:00.000-05:00

A little while back, I commented on the bird in the hollowed out trunk of a tree in our yard. (Click on the headline to read the original post.) Blair requested pictures of the nest, and here they are!

Here's the little black bird coming out of the hole in the tree. Dh says a couple of weeks ago, the first set of eggs had been pushed out of the nest and broken on the yard--but there were no baby birds.

This is the second set of eggs the momma bird has layed, then.

Unfortunately, it was very difficult to take these photos. I had to shine a powerful flashlight down the hole while taking the shots. But that washed out the color of the eggs.

This shot is the only one that gives you a hint of the bright aqua color of the eggs. I'm sorry I couldn't capture that color better!

Braised Pork Medallions with Apples

2005-05-14T14:58:00.000-05:00

I took this recipe off a package of pork quite a while back. I guess it comes from the "Pork--The other white meat" people. This is really good and an easy and different way to do pork.

Ingredients:
1 pound pork tenderloin, sliced into 8 medallions
1 t. black pepper
1 t. pumpkin pie spice
1 t. vegetable oil
1 small chopped onion
1 medium chopped apple (get a good apple, not a tasteless Red Delicious)
1/2 c. apple cider
1 t. garlic salt (this is my addition--but the salt is TRULY needed because it brings out the flavors so much)

Procedure:
Sprinkle the pepper and pumpkin pie spice on bothe sides of the pork medallions. Heat the oil in a large non-stick skillet over medium high heat. Brown the pork on both sides, then remove from pan. Add onion and apple and saute until soft. Add the cider and bring to a simmer. Return the pork to the pan, cover and cook for 5 more minutes. Add the garlic salt before serving.

Dutch Oven Pot Roast

2005-05-11T11:05:00.000-05:00

Way back, I complained about not being able to do a good pot roast. Biggles kindly pointed me in the right direction. Because of his recipe, I commented to my DH that I needed a Dutch oven--and he got me one for Christmas. I tried Biggles' recipe and found that DH and I had a small quibble--we didn't really like the wine flavor. Now, we rarely drink and have no knowledge of wines, so it may very well be that I bought the wrong kind for cooking with--it gave a bit of a fruity flavor that just didn't seem right.

So, since then I have been using Biggles' basic technique, but experimenting with flavorings and cuts. I tried chuck cuts and found them so completely devoid of marbling that the result is not worth even the little amount that you pay for that cheap cut. I am suggesting you use brisket, a well-marbled cut, that can be quite cheap during barbecue season, especially. What follows is the now-carved-in-stone, final, yummiest pot roast-without-wine version!

Please note that I am using a heavy camping duty cast iron dutch oven. You will probably have to increase the time some if you use a lighter weight dutch oven. You could also cook this in the slow cooker or in the oven in a covered roaster, again with appropriate time adjustments.

Dutch Oven Pot Roast

Ingredients:
Brisket (Brisket is thought of in some parts as a trash cut, but we Texans know that there is no better eatin' if done right! It is a fatty cut that is very well laced through with fat, making it tender and tasty.)
Onion Powder
Garlic Powder
Lemon Pepper seasoning blend
1 can beef broth (if using low sodium version will have to add salt)
1 T peanut oil (Peanut oil because it has a high smoking point, letting you get your pan nice and hot without ruining the oil.)

Procedure:
Place the Dutch Oven on the stovetop and begin heating it up (burner on high). Add the oil.When the pan is nice and hot, place the brisket fat side down into the pan. Sprinkle to coat with the 3 dry seasonings. After a couple of minutes, check the underside: when it looks well-browned, turn it over. Sprinkle to coat with the 3 dry seasonings, again.

As the meat is browning, so are the dry spices that missed the meat. Watch them. When they turn dark brown, add the beef broth and turn the fire down to a simmer. Cover and leave it alone for 2 hours.

At the end of the 2 hours, turn off the fire for 30 minutes or so. At the end of that time, taste a bite of the meat and the juices. Add salt, if needed.

Most important step!: Remove the brisket and slice into serving size pieces, against the grain. Return to the juices, trying to maximize the amount of meat that is in the juices, and reheat for another 30 minutes.

If you want to add vegetables, I'd suggest doing it during the final reheat--but don't push them down into the juices in the place of the meat. The meat needs to soak up the flavor and moisture of the juices for the absolute best result.

Spring!

2005-05-10T10:10:00.000-05:00

Boy, is it ever Spring around here! I've been to two baby showers recently and just learned of 3 more miracles to come!

*****

We've been watching a nest in the front yard. We had to cut down this tree a couple of years ago and now what's left is about 4 feet of hollow trunk. At the bottom of the hollow part is a nest with the most beautiful little blue eggs.
The neighborhood cat has also been watching this nest! She jumps up on the tree and stands over the hole. Like she's waiting.

*****

It's been dry around here for over a month and it's beginning to show. The yard was looking a little raggedy so I got out to mow some and when I stopped you couldn't tell I'd done anything. The grass is growing in clumps instead of smoothly and evenly. I guess we need to water, but every time I've started to lately, I hear the weatherman saying it'll rain. So I don't water and then the rain misses us.
Of course!

*****

Last Friday evening, we went to a concert in the park. It was the Fort Worth Symphony, who played a few short works and then the children's classic Peter and the Wolf. We took a picnic dinner and our lawn chairs and joined about 200 other people. It was DS's first exposure to a live concert.
It would have been nice if we could have heard it.
I remember when I was elementary school age my family and I would attend concerts in the park like that. They were lovely experiences. I naively assumed that this would be the same. However, something has happened in this country in the intervening years. Lack of respect?
In any case, the children were all running and yelling, playing soccer and whatever right behind the audience. The parents were all talking and visiting with each other, sometimes quite loudly. It didn't seem to me that anyone considered the music to be anything more than background music.
It was so very frustrating.

Update, May 13: Dallas is often considered more sophisticated, metropolitan and Eastern, than Fort Worth. So I enjoy the irony as I post that last night's Dallas Symphony Orchestra's performance was marred by cell phones going off, TWICE.

*****

I took DS to the park the other day and struck up a conversation with a guy who was there with his granddaughter. We remarked about how warm it was and how the water fountain hadn't worked in a while. He got out his cell phone, called the parks department, and about 20 minutes later a guy arrived to fix the water fountain!
Oh, the joys of a small town!

*****

When DS was about 3 I taught him to introduce himself to other children when at parks and the like. He says, "Hi, I'm Thomas. What's your name?" And the vast majority of children respond in some way and they play happily for some time. Like the little girl at the park responded with her name and asked how old DS was. DS answered and they began playing on the park equipment. It was really something--one would say, Let's swing!" and they would swing for awhile and then the other would say "Do you want to slide now?" and off they'd go. They were playing like fictional children from some idealized 1950's movie--taking turns, being polite, getting along! LOL!

Anyway, DS has been introducing himself long enough now that it comes very easily to him. It is so normal to him that on the rare occasions a child doesn't answer back, DS wonders about it. I have purposely taught this to DS in order to help him be more socially adept than I was as a child. However, I think he would have come up with something on his own as the social niceties seem to come naturally to him. Sunday he was on the phone with his grandmother and when he was through talking he told her, "It was wonderful to talk to you!" I just looked at him in amazement--where did he get that?

Desire a Dog?

2005-05-06T09:20:00.000-05:00

I'm helping a friend find a home for a sweet, female Husky mix. Do you or anyone you know desire a dog?

Alamo is about 6 months old (apx. 40 pounds now), has been spayed, is house broken and knows some other simple commands. She needs a large yard, kids to play with and someone to continue her training. She has been around lots of other dogs, cats, birds and kids of all ages and has no problems with any of them.

My friend loves Alamo, but is going to be living the life of a gypsy for the foreseeable future and just can not take a dog along. If you or someone you know is interested, please contact Karen at letsplayrestaurant dot com, and put "dog" in the subject line. Thanks!

Update: My friend has run out of time and so Alamo is now at theHaltom City Animal Shelter.

Mother's Day Menu, Cooked With the Kid's Help

2005-05-05T21:51:00.000-05:00

America's Test Kitchen
Mother's Day Menu

We asked senior editor Bridget Lancaster, mother of Tom (3), and associate editor Eva Katz, mother of Ari (6) and Gabe (4), to create a Mother's Day brunch menu that they would prepare with their children. Bridget and Eva have been bringing their boys into the kitchen from a very early age, so along with the menu suggestions they've also offered some good advice on how to let small children help out in the kitchen. Here are some tips on how to help kids get an early start on building good kitchen skills:

* Teach kids how to prepare for cooking: Wash hands, put on an apron, and dress safely (pull back long hair, roll up floppy sleeves, wear shoes that protect the toes).
* Teach kids how to prepare a mise en place (even if they can't pronounce it). Kids can help you gather the tools and prepare the ingredients you'll need before the cooking starts. That includes washing fruit and vegetables and measuring out ingredients.
* Start teaching knife skills. Let children cut dough or bar cookies with a bench scraper.
* Use unbreakable equipment. Wooden and plastic bowls aren't spillproof, but they won't suffer damage from rough handling.
* Make sure the counter height is comfortable for the project at hand. If a child is to stir something in a bowl, for example, keep the bowl within reach by placing it on a stool or chair. Or keep a sturdy step stool in the kitchen so kids can reach the counter.

Click on the headline above to go to the Cook's Illustrated website for the Mother's Day Brunch menu and specific suggestions for what your kids can do to help make it.

Mother's Day Ideas

2005-05-03T09:43:00.000-05:00

A little bit of background, plus sweet, low-cost ideas.

Listen to and download Jim Brickman's "A Mother's Day."

Mother's Day brunch recipes, Mothering Day cake recipes, and many, many interesting links.

Does your family never seem to get your hints? Here's your solution: print out this checklist, post it on the fridge, and Hubby and Children will know exactly what you want for Mother's Day!

Beautiful vintage or antique e-post cards, for the Mom who's only near in heart.

Need to make up to your wife for last year's Mother's Day disaster? Try this plan for a whole day of Royal indulgences that will have your wife convinced you are her Prince Charming, all over again.

Baby travel tips

2005-05-02T02:20:00.000-05:00

My DH, son and I will be travelling to Egypt for a mini-break in a few weeks. We are very much looking forward to this treat, but with the exitement also comes worry: How will an 8-month-old react to such a trip?
Fortunately, there is lots of advice and great tips to be found on the internet. Traveltips can be found here – and they also apply when the destination is less exsotic than Egypt:

BabyCentre's travel tips
BabyWorld's travel tips
AboutKid'sHealth article on travel

It's Camping Season Again!

2005-04-28T10:36:00.000-05:00

I received this camp kitchen for my birthday, and we will make use of it for the first time this weekend. It is heavier than I can carry, even though it comes in a "carry bag." But, we will be gone for 4 days, and I expect it will be very nice to have.

Rikke's going to try to keep you company some while I am gone and I hope you all have a wonderful weekend!

Sugar Woes

2005-04-27T12:50:00.000-05:00

Have you ever heard yourself or other parents say, "It's not fair to Junior to remove all the treats from the house. He likes them and he's not fat--why punish him?"

I have to admit to catching myself thinking along those lines at times. I have to remind myself of several things:
*few people start out fat, but they can sure get that way eating treats all day.
*the sugar and fat replace the nourishment he should have received from the food he should have eaten instead.
*it is not doing him any favors to teach him to like sweets.
*if it's in the house for DS, it's that much easier for everyone to partake.
*teaching him to enjoy "good" foods and not buying him sweets is NOT a punishment!

The headline above links to an article about sugar and it's addictive effects on children. It also goes into ways to break the cycle of giving in and giving treats.

DS and the Bluebonnets

2005-04-22T11:06:00.000-05:00

Spring in Texas could not be Spring if there were no bluebonnets. People drive for miles to look at the profusion of wildflowers that line the highways throughout Texas: bluebonnets, Indian paintbrush, black-eyed Susans and on and on.

If the early Spring was wet, the lushness of the wildflowers can be breathtaking. If the early Spring was not wet, as it was not this year, the small patches are pleasant little surprises sprinkled here and there.

Wednesday, DS and I went out to a local firestation, which had a brilliant display of wildflowers, in order to take some bluebonnet pictures. The weather was perfect--overcast, so no harsh shadows. DS cooperated with me for the whole roll of shots!

Bluebonnet pictures of your child are a Texas tradition and you will see parents posing their children in the midst of bluebonnets along the highways every weekend for about 4 weeks or so, centered around the first week of April.

More Bluebonnets

2005-04-22T08:24:00.000-05:00

Lady Bird Johnson, President Johnson's First Lady, is widely credited with encouraging the spread and appreciation of wildflowers.

Bluebonnet history, lore, planting facts and more.

Tommie dePaola is a children's writer and artist, who enjoys the stature of a legend himself among parents, kids, and elementary school teachers.

Be Round and Be Proud?

2005-04-21T10:50:00.000-05:00

So, I guess you've heard it all over the news the last day or so: it's okay to be fat, now.

The article linked in the headline above does a great job summarizing and commenting on the report released by the Centers for Disease Control, who have been telling us that "Fat kills!", that now we know, "Oops. Fat doesn't kill after all."

I think this report has gotten a lot of airplay in the media, and I hope that it doesn't give us "permission" to be as fat as we want to be. Because, while the report does not note cause and effect between fat and early death, the report only addresses fat and early death. It does not address fitness levels or diet and nutrition. Those things may indeed be related to early death, so this report is definitely NOT permission to be a couch potato.

On the other hand, I think this report does give permission to people who exercise and eat right to not stress or fret over what the scales say. And less stress is definitely good for you, right?

Win a Cruise or Fisher Price Toys

2005-04-20T21:18:00.000-05:00

You have to be a US resident with a child under 6 who lives with you. Click on the headline above to enter.

Storage Tips for Fresh Fruits and Vegetables

2005-04-19T18:01:00.000-05:00

Click the headline to read all the tips. This may be something to laminate and post in your kitchen! For instance, did you know you should store tomatoes stem side down?

Home Cooked Baby Foods

2005-04-19T08:59:00.000-05:00

My little son is very interested in food. He was introduced to solids on a ”tasting” basis when he was 5 months old (while still exclusively breastfed) and started to eat small amount of home made porridges/cereals as well as pureed carrots, sweet potatoes and hokkaido squash when he was 6 months old. He loved it. Now, he eats almost everything and wants to try everything that he sees his parents eating.
We have an almost completely organic/ecological household, and I try to make sure that my little one is fed mainly home made foods. Sometimes, however, I need a little baby friendly cooking inspiration, and recipes as well as cooking tips and links to baby food cookbooks can be found here:

http://homecooking.about.com/library/weekly/aa091997.htm

Of course, a mother may have all the good intentions in the world and still not have the time to make an organic homecooked meal for her precious baby 4+ times a day. Fortunately, there are also very nice organic baby foods (jars as well as powder) to be had in most well assorted supermarkets.
Here is a link to some organic baby food manufacturers in both the US and Europe:

http://www.ecobusinesslinks.com/organic_baby_food.htm

Hungarian Gulyash Soup

2005-04-17T12:29:00.000-05:00

Hello, and thank you, Karen, for the welcome and the introduction.
I am very happy to be the European guest blogger here, and I look forward to sharing recipes as well as thoughts on food and children related topics with you.

For my first entry, I have chosen a recipe for Hungarian Gulyash Soup. Hungarian friends gave this recipe to me, and it is absolutely delicious. Even my 8 month old son loved it!

Hungarian Gulyash Soup - 5-6 people
Gulyash soup is literally cow shepard (cowboy) soup. It was traditionally made over an open fire in big pots – and many Hungarians claim that it can only be made “just right” by men!!!

Ingredients:
300 grams of cubed beef
300 grams of cubed pork (not too lean)
6 carrots, sliced
6-9 potatoes (depending on size), cubed
2 cloves of garlic (chopped)
1 tomato, quartered
2 onions, chopped
1 tbsp of whole caraway seeds
6 tbs of sweet paprika (preferably the very red Hungarian type)
2 bay leaves
pepper to taste
salt to taste
csipetke (noodles, literally ”pinched off little things”) made from 2 eggs (recipe below)
oil for frying
water
1 loaf of white bread in very thick slices.

Procedure:
Heat 2-3 tbsp of oil in a big pot
Fry onions & garlic until onions are glossy – not browned
Fry meat until lighly browned
Add paprika and fry for a few minutes (the flavour of this particular spice is best brought out by fat, not water).
Add pepper
Add a cup of water (to almost cover meat)
Add bay leaves

What you have now made is called Pörkölt, a dish in itself if you let it cook for a while and serve it with rice, but also the base of many traditional Hungarian dishes.
From here, you go on to make (besides Gulyash Soup): Transsylvanian Cabbage (add sour cabbage and cook with rice) and filled pancakes (add sour crème, fill in pancakes and bake in oven).

Add quartered tomato
Add caraway seeds
Add carrots
Add water (until everything is covered - and maybe then some)
Let simmer while you prepare the csipetke
Add potatoes (maybe add more water)
Let simmer while you set the table
Add csipetke
Let simmer until csipetke, potatoes and carrots are cooked.

Serve steaming hot with a thick slice of white bread.

***

Csipetke

Ingredients:
1 egg/2 eggs depending on desired portion
wheat flour
pinch of salt

Procedure:
Mix flour and egg and salt until you have a fairly hard and non-sticky mass. Divide mass into easily handled pieces and coat in flour.
Using your thumb and index finger, pinch off (hence the name of the noodle) little pieces of dough. If sticky, coat in flour again.

Carnival of the Recipes for This Week

2005-04-16T10:20:00.000-05:00

Baked Oatmeal Bars

2005-04-16T09:58:00.000-05:00

I found this recipe in the 2005 Light & Tasty Annual Recipes cookbook. I had to adapt it some and the following is what I ended up doing. DH said it was great as is and not to tinker with it anymore! I believe this to be diabetic friendly, as it has lots of fiber and very little sugar. In addition, you can opt for the egg whites to save some cholesterol and you could use skim milk to save some fat. So, even though this can be made to be "good for you" it tastes like a real treat.

Ingredients:
3 c. oats
1/2 c. brown sugar or white sugar plus molasses
2 1/2 t. cinnamon
1 t. salt
2 eggs or 4 egg whites if concerned about cholesterol
2 c. whole milk
1 c. plain soy milk (could use another cup of regular milk, but the soy adds a little extra sweetness)
1/4 c. canola oil
1 T. vanilla

Procedure:
Combine the dry ingredients in a large bowl and mix. Add the liquid ingredients and mix well.
Coat a 9x13 dish with cooking spray and pour in the oatmeal mixture (it will be very liquid). Bake at 350 until oats have absorbed all liquid and turned golden brown on top, aproximately 45 minutes. Cut into bars.
Serve as is, or crumble into a bowl with milk.

Variations:
Add 1 cup of dried fruit like cranberries, raisins, cherries, chopped apricots, etc.
Add 1/2 cup of chopped pecans or walnuts.
Add a large apple, peeled, cored and chopped or a mashed, overripe banana or two.
Cook a few minutes longer, until the top is uniformly brown, and as the bars cool they will harden ("Harden" isn't the right word--they do not get hard, cetainly nothing like granola bars. The texture is more like a dense cake.) and would be great for breakfast on the go.

Update: As I believed, these bars are diabetic-friendly--or at least they are so for my husband. With dried fruit in them, they may be less so, though.

Introducing Rikke...

2005-04-15T18:11:00.000-05:00

If you've been around here a while, you met Rikke through her delicious Osso Bucco recipe. Well, now, Rikke is going to be joining in the discussions around here, in person!

Rikke is Danish and has a baby boy. Being a European, I know that she has some different experiences in the motherhood department and I am excited that we will all be able to learn about those differences. On the other hand, motherhood is motherhood, eh? I expect we'll find more similarities than differences!

Rikke and I will continue to post recipes and food and nutrition related stories, but we are also going to be posting about our own experiences as mothers and about general parenting issues. I hope that you enjoy the changes going on around here. Feel free to let me know your feelings, either by commenting or emailing me at Karen at letsplayrestaurant dot com.

Please join me in making Rikke feel welcome around here. This'll be fun!

Let's Play Restaurant!

Diabetic Carnival of the Recipes

What's For Dinner?

"Cooking With Kids" Free, with Purchase

Cookie Exchange Recommendation

Food Science Blog

After Thanksgiving Carnival of the Recipes

Banana Oatmeal Cookies

Guadelupe River Pie

Carnival of Thanksgiving Recipes

In the Mail: The Carnival of Recipes is Up!

Call for Submissions

I'm Blogging Elsewhere

"New" Computer

Progress Report

My Other Goal

Happy New Year's Eve!

Oatmeal Cookie Bars

Pecan Wheat Muffins

Wow, I did not realize it had been so long!

16 Free Recipe Postcards

The Little Engine That Could

More Fun Reads

Great Cooking Resource

Healthy Recipe Contest for Texas Kids

Comment Spam

Mega-Update

Re-Vamped this Blog, Too!

Totally Re-Vamped My Website!

Kids and Recipes

Carnival of the Recipes, #49

The Circus

More Good, Clean Fun

Very Short Review of Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince

If Only Stupidity Were Self-Selecting

Watermelon Carving

Good, Clean Fun

What Kind of Soul Are You?

Train Class Party

Playing Trains in Oklahoma

State Your Color

Amazing Amazon Deals

Camping Update

Carnival of the Cats #66

Karnival of the Kidz

Carnival of the Recipes

DogCat

DS's New Work Bench

Springtime Cake

First Time in The Men's Room...By Himself!

Almost-5, going on 15!

DS

A Harry-less Summer Reading List

Fried Chicken Breasts

Digital Dish

Carnival of the Recipes

Random Thoughts

Pot Roasted Chicken

Silliness: Science Verse

Popsicle Power

Thoughts on Competitive Parenting

Family Vacation Do's and Don'ts, by Age

"Madagascar" a Maybe

Fisher-Price Toys up to 65% Off

The Wisdom of Children

PARENTS are the Experts!

Karnival of the Kidz, #6

Tom Cruise Needs to Keep his Big Mouth Shut

Yuuucckk!

The Necessity of Shining Examples

Games Kids Play

Parenting. Some days you just have to pray you'll make it through!

Can Fast Food be Either?

Carnival Of The Recipes, #41

Around Here

Father's Day is Coming...

Tollhouse Cookies for a Diabetic

Wondering About Taking the Kids for a Hike?

Greatest Hint for Museums, Zoos, etc.

My New Blog