abundance...

For Christmas, my mom gave me a book of affirmations called The Art of Abundance, a Simple Guide to Discovering Life's Treasures, by Candy Paull. I've just now had time to start reading it and found three wonderful quotes right away that spoke to me. They have a common theme not just about abundance, but about where it is truly found...

One of the hardest lessons we have to learn in this life, and one that many persons never learn, is to see the divine, the celestial, the pure, in the common, the near at hand- to see that heaven lies above us here in this world. ~ John Burroughs

One of the most important -and neglected- elements in the beginnings of the interior life is the ability to respond to reality, to see the value and the beauty in ordinary things, to come alive to the splendor that is all around us in the creatures of God. ~ Thomas Merton

In those vernal seasons of the year when the air is calm and pleasant, it were an injury and sullenness against nature not to go out and see her riches, and partake in her rejoicing with heaven and earth. ~ Milton







Abundance, for me, means enjoying the goings-on in our very front yard. That this Spring-like weather is tricking my daffodils into blooming is only part of it! I've got 17 flowers in my little "daffy patch". I also love the beautiful moss carpet that's shooting up new growth like velvet underfoot. If it wasn't 45 degrees at the moment I'd be out there closer to it. My dad bought a bird feeder for the girls and I after we returned from North Carolina. The birds have finally figured out how to eat from it and we've been enjoying them for about a month now. Sunday morning as I took Puppy-girl out for her potty break, there were 4 robins swooping and darting from the back yard oak to the front yard pines and all manner of other birds hopping and twittering in the sun. This morning there was a squirrel on the porch, teasing the cats as it stuffed its face full of sunflower seeds.





Abundance also means cooking the spaghetti squash that was languishing on the counter and anticipating the eating of said squash as if it were the finest meal in the world. For the record, I sprinkled it with ground sage, a tiny pinch of dried thyme, salt, and liberal amounts of garlic, oh, and a spoonful of smart balance margarine! It was a comfort food much like mac and cheese without the guilt! We won't be doing a "real" grocery shop until Thursday which means I'll have to make do with what we've got in the cupboard til then. A "pantry challenge". Mark just arrived with guinea pig food and hay, potatoes, and bread. We've got rice, pasta, beans, spices, chicken breasts, tortillas, dairy products, sausage, peppers, onions, fresh and frozen veggies, canned tomatoes(and beans, etc, etc.), and more, so technically we could probably eat for another 10 days or so. Having such a bounty is not just abundance but also peace and provision.



I hope you all find similar things to appreciate within the ordinary(and it is SO not, once you take time to observe) this day and this week!! Children seem to enjoy abundance naturally so I take a lot of cues from this chicka. She found the first anole of the season yesterday!

Inaugural Celebration Chicken With Rice....

A melting pot of spicy flavors...

2 large bone/skinless chicken breasts, in 1-inch cubes
2 bone/skinless chicken thighs, in 1-inch cubes
1 large onion, chopped
1 green pepper, chopped
couple glugs of olive oil
1/2-1 teaspoon of each of the following spices, adjust to your taste:
cumin, cayenne(about 1/4tsp of this one), dry mustard, curry, ginger, celery seed, garlic powder, onion powder and salt.
2-3 tablespoons soy sauce
2 14 oz cans no-salt-added diced tomatoes with juice
1 14 oz can pineapple chunks in juice, with juice
1 bunch cilantro, washed and chopped fine


Cook chicken and veggies in oil for 15 minutes. Add spices and cook 5 more minutes. Add soy sauce, tomatoes, and pineapple and simmer for 20 minutes, covered, stirring occasionally. Throw in cilantro and simmer another 10 minutes or so. Serve over hot, buttered rice or grain of your choice.

OBAMAMAMA, this was goooood!!!!

My Inner Hippie Says...

It just wouldn't be Thanksgiving without Alice's Restaurant(embedding disabled so click to watch and listen).

We are headed to Mark's parents for dinner and a football watching. They'll do the turkey and dressing, some side dishes and desserts and hopefully her homemade 5-hour yeast rolls, I'm bringing sweet potato casserole and broccoli rice casserole and possibly a chocolate pie if I have time.

I am thankful for much this year. There have been many changes in each of our lives. The kids have grown, parents are aging, friendships have deepened, livelihoods have been altered by a fateful hand, and God has moved in very bold ways.

It is literally true, as the thankless say, that they have nothing to be thankful for. He who sits by the fire, thankless for the fire, is just as if he had no fire. Nothing is possessed save in appreciation, of which thankfulness is the indispensable ingredient. But a thankful heart hath a continual feast. ~W.J. Cameron

If I have enjoyed the hospitality of the Host of this universe, Who daily spreads a table in my sight, surely I cannot do less than acknowledge my dependence. ~G.A. Johnston Ross

For each new morning with its light,
For rest and shelter of the night,
For health and food, for love and friends,
For everything Thy goodness sends.
~Ralph Waldo Emerson

Ah! on Thanksgiving day....
When the care-wearied man seeks his mother once more,
And the worn matron smiles where the girl smiled before.
What moistens the lips and what brightens the eye?
What calls back the past, like the rich pumpkin pie?
~John Greenleaf Whittier

Thanksgiving is the holiday of peace, the celebration of work and the simple life... a true folk-festival that speaks the poetry of the turn of the seasons, the beauty of seedtime and harvest, the ripe product of the year - and the deep, deep connection of all these things with God. ~Ray Stannard Baker (David Grayson)

As we express our gratitude, we must never forget that the highest appreciation is not to utter words, but to live by them. ~John Fitzgerald Kennedy

The goings on...

Amy turned 13 on Saturday so there are two teens in the house now! She had two friends spend the night, two others were unable to make it. They had a pizza pajama party and stayed up well past 1am. We took them all to the mall then next morning to run around. Amy ended up with a pair of teal jeans and two shirts, Ryan and Sarah, who have half-birthdays now, got a shirt apiece. It ended up being a great celebration, everyone had a great time!!

Mark's dad celebrated his 81st birthday on Wednesday so this morning I cooked a big pot of red beans and rice** and baked a chocolate raspberry pie* for his birthday. Mark and I took his parents to see his new office. It happens to be right across the street from their old neighborhood. Now, when I say old, I mean OLD! They moved from there when Mark was a baby. We had a nice visit with them, as nice as you can with someone who has dementia(his mom).

Now I believe I am due a nap!

Next week will be hectic but hopefully I'll be more posty!









* recipe here with modifications of an extra egg yolk and 2 extra tbsps flour, a tiny bit more sugar, dash of cinnamon and a 1/2 tsp raspberry extract. Oh, and I used Special Dark cocoa powder.

** Red Beans and Rice

1.5 pounds dried red beans
3 medium sized ham hocks
3 ribs celery
2 onions
1 green pepper
3 cloves garlic
2 bay leaves
1 Tbsp cumin
1 Tbsp dried thyme
1 tsp ground savory
1 tsp salt
1 tsp black pepper
1/4 tsp cayenne(or so)
1 pound smoked kielbasa or sausage of your choice, sliced.
6 cups cooked white rice.

Soak beans overnight. Drain and keep in colander. Cook chopped veggies(except garlic) in oil for 5-6 minutes. Add ham hocks, garlic, bay leaves and seasonings, cook for another 5-6 minutes or until veggies are tender. Add beans and about 10 cups of water, or to cover. Simmer, partially covered, over med-low heat for 2-3 hours. Remove ham hocks and add sliced sausage. Simmer over medium heat for another 1-2 hours, uncovered, stirring often to prevent burning. Fish out bay leaves, let stand 10-15 minutes to thicken and cool a bit. Serve over rice with tabasco and salt at the table.

Too good not to share tonight!

Which means you'll need to scroll down to see my other two posts for today.

Couscous with Spinach and Chickpeas





2 servings plain couscous prepared with 1 spoonful of butter(or olive oil, we use Promise Light) and a reduced sodium chicken broth cube(or veggie, your choice).

3 big handfuls spinach, rinsed well

1/2 can chickpeas, rinsed and drained

1/2 teaspoon each
Cumin
Garam Marsala

teeny sprinkle of
Cayenne Pepper(I would say a good pinch)
Black Pepper
Salt

Start the couscous. Rinse the spinach but don't shake the water off. Put in saucepan and heat, covered, over medium-high heat, stirring often, just til wilted enough to make room. Add chickpeas, and spices, cover and cook til the spinach is wilted to your liking.

I divided the couscous 4 ways because the girls like theirs plain with butter and salt. Mark and I split the other serving topped with the spinach mixture. Oh. My. Stars. It. Was. Yum. If there had been more it would have been consumed. Next time I'll know better.

So now you know what a freakishly boring life we lead on a Friday night. Woohoo!

Summer Salad

My inspiration was THIS.



Of course, having looked at it several hours before shopping, I did get a few things wrong. Mine has cherry tomatoes, cucumbers, califlower, sunflower seeds, and a bit of soy sauce in the dressing. I also used horseradish mustard. It is YUMMMM!

A Working Weekend....

Actually, I started on this project earlier in the week with the sanding and painting but Mark and I hung it up this morning. We spent all day yesterday deciding on the perfect glass shades for it, we are both very pleased with our selection. This was the easiest hanging job we've ever done, it went fast with no hitches!


(light fixture from Goodwill: $10)


(spray paint from Lowes:$5, this is a satin finish and isn't nearly as reflective in person)







(glass shades from Lowes: $30~ lol, we are not using those kinds of bulbs, that was our tester bulb to make sure of the wiring)

Last night(saturday), Mark took Ryan and his friend Kyle to Lone Star Lake to fish. They'd just backed down the boat ramp when they noticed about a dozen boats suddenly headed for them from across the lake. Mark pulled up to let some get out and they figured out a storm was on the way. He called me to look on weather.com and I confirmed that a very big, very nasty storm was literally upon them!! They drove all the way home in it at about 35-40mph! Our lights flickered several times and the wind was just crazy. I am SO glad they didn't get out there earlier and risk getting caught on the water. It rained steady til after 1am and then again much of the late morning. They were disappointed so I agreed to "let" them try again tonight in exchange for some major honey-dos.

First, I cleaned off and sorted(repackaged) my fabric boxes on the 4x6ft metal shelf. Mark carried the boxes to the kitchen and the boys brought the shelf to the utility room. I'm not sure this will be its permanent location or what, but it frees up a whole lot of space in our bedroom! We had to move the smaller plastic shelf from behind the door(next to the washer) in order to have a place for the litterboxes. If the shelves stay in this room, we'll put a kitty door on so we can keep it closed. We may also move the freezer to the garage or a corner of the dining room. Or the plastic shelf might go to the garage, we haven't decided what yet.



Next, I started some pinto beans simmering, that will be a late supper for the guys. I'm debating making cornbread for them.

Then Mark and Ryan cleaned the coils on the back of the fridge and the floor underneath(no picture, it was GROSS!).

While they were doing that, I was able to do a little, long overdue, mantle decorating.



My mom did the dutch dolls. The candleholders were on 80% clearance at Hobby Lobby, aren't they cute? I'm not sure how well the pattern shows but they are kind of a paisley bandana pattern frosted kinda on the inside of the glass.



I'm on my way to the garage to spray paint my desk. It is a trial thing, a "free" fake wood desk from Mark's office, left by an ex-employee. If the paint works fine, if it doesn't that's fine too. I'm kinda hoping it does, at least mostly, because I'm typing this from the floor of my dining room and it is uncomfortable to say the least(a mosquito has bitten my forehead at least 4 times now)..***updated, that was a flop. Now I'm without a desk***

After painting I'm going to sort through the cabinets above the washer and dryer, there is a TON of junk up there destined for Goodwill(or the trash). The more I can get done this weekend, the more we can "not do" next weekend. Mark will be off Friday so it gives us an extra day to fart around. Hmmmm, maybe we'll finally paint the bedroom!! Wouldn't that be amazing! I'm betting we will!!

A REAL Breakfast!....

We had one this morning! I made ham, scrambled eggs, and biscuits using Homesick Texan's recipe and they are wooooonderful!!! A bit of work but oh so worth it, I ate FIVE of them(they were small, I used a 2-inch cutter)! I used half whole wheat and half regular flour and made my buttermilk with our raw milk and vinegar but I don't think these changes skewed the outcome one bit! Amy proclaimed them to be delish!

We had a little storm last night, hail and 80mph winds to the northeast and southwest of us but just rain, loud thunder, and lightning here. It scuttled Mark's softball practice for this morning for sure when it started up again at 4am. It is after 9 and still raining hard. We haven't had these kind of rains in years! Our yard is a lake. Guess this is a sign that we have "inside" work to do. Like cleaning our bedroom. I also want to work on my hexagon quilt and gather fabrics for a few quilts I have planned. Sometime this week I have to get a new cutting ruler because Amy stepped on mine and broke it.

We still don't have baby piggies yet. The longer she goes means she is more likely to have 1 or 2 babies instead of a handful. This is a good thing. It has been 20 days since I felt the first movements, typically they deliver 14-21 days after that. I haven't checked her dilation yet this morning but last night she was almost 1/2 an inch so things are progressing, just verrrry slllowwwwly. Sigh.

This is a big birthday week at our house. Tomorrow Rainbow and Moonshine turn 1 year old! They are Basil and Luna's babies but we lost Luna to a birth complication a week after they were born. Ruby and Rosie, our Oklahoma kitties, will turn 4 on April 1st, then Mark on the 5th and Magic Panda on the 6th. Busy week!


(Sarah with Rainbow and Moonshine)


(Panda-in front-, Moonshine and Rainbow)

I hope everyone has a great Sunday!

One Word...and a meal...

This is a neat meme that I found over at Ruth's Place(new in my blogroll). I enjoyed trying to keep it to one word, not easy for me. Play along if you wish!!

1. Where is your cell phone? what?

2. Your significant other? driven

3. Your hair? dripping

4. Your mother? blessed

5. Your father? genius

6. Your favorite thing? life

7. Your dream last night? usual

8. Your favorite drink? tea

9. Your dream/goal? satisfaction

10. The room you’re in? dining

11. Your ex? dead

12. Your fear? time

13. Where do you want to be in 6 years? unknown

14. Where were you last night? grilling

15. What you’re not? fake

16. Muffins? sometimes

17. One of your wish list items? health

18. Where you grew up? Texas

19. The last thing you did? dress

20. What are you wearing? jamas

21. Your TV? off

22. Your pet(s)? mammals

23. Your computer? necessary

24. Your life? pleasant

25. Your mood? good

26. Missing someone? yes

27 Your car? old

28. Something you’re not wearing? shoes

29. Favorite Store? none

30. Your summer? humid

31. Like someone? yes

32. Your favorite colour? all

33. When is the last time you laughed? today

And, for lunch...



I found these neat little bagel sandwich squares from Thomas'. 150 calories, 1 gram of fat, 4g fiber, 7g protein. Toasted, they make wonderful Dagwood sandwiches(well as Dagwood as I can get it anyway). Mine had chopped black olives and cherry tomatoes, dill pickles, cucumbers, romaine lettuce, sliced cheese and deli chicken with mayo and mustard. I was too hungry to chop any onions or green peppers but they would have made it that much better!! Amy had hers with the same thing minus the lettuce, cucumbers, and mayo/mustard. She subbed ranch salad dressing. Mark had his with just mustard, pickles and olives extra. Sarah hasn't eaten yet so I don't know how she'll do hers, if she has one at all.

Only 3 Days til the Weekend!!

It is only Wednesday but already it has been a long week. Monday I was nursing sick kids, yesterday we had to run errands and today we had to take Ryan to the orthodontist to get started on his braces. He is completely healed from having his adenoids out so they should be able to get him going real soon. Turns out he's gonna need about $40,000 worth of work done on his mouth, including a jaw extending surgery. We have to find an insurance plan that will pay, currently his state insurance will not.

We went to the gym so I could work out after that and had lunch with Mark at the mall. That, of course, included a shopping spree at Bath and Body Works where I picked up hand sanitizer for $3 and some new lotion. Sometime this afternoon we'll stop by our co-op leader's home to pick up our raw milk for the week and I think I'm dropping Sarah off there for a play date. Whew! And I still have to get some crafty things and housework done.

Last night we had Beer and Brats, inspired by Sadira of Foolsewoode fame. I browned them in a skillet and then simmered in beer til cooked through. I also simmered some cabbage but I'm the only one who ate it. They just don't know what they're missing!

That's Shiner Bock from Shiner, Texas. Love that stuff!


This was Ryan's with yellow mustard. Yes, the plate matches the cookie jar cat. I got them at Mervyn's several years ago along with coffee mugs, each plate and mug has a different cat.


I like mine with grainy mustard.


Doesn't this look healthy? Why won't they eat it?

In other news....

There isn't any other news today, except that the woman who sued Mark's company was awarded $15,000 but the other party(not their driver) in the wreck is having to pay 90% of the costs because he was at fault for running a red light(as per several eye witnesses). Of course, this is the guy who never showed up and they were unable to reach so good luck wth that. Mark overheard the woman's lawyer complaining to the judge that he'd already spent $30K on this mess so I guess someone is out some money. She should have taken the settlement. 'tard.

Oh, and I think the oil company is about to start tearing up our driveway. They have a leaky saline line that bursts about every 2-3 months and they've probably gotten some heat from the city about fixing it permanently(instead of the way they have been) since they don't have a stake out there with the company name or phone number and the city has to send out a fire truck and track down the owners every time so they can come out and put duck tape on it(or whatever they do that hasn't worked to this point). Last week they went up and down for 3 blocks marking the natural gas, phone, and water lines, now they have turquoise(water?) pipes on site along with a bunch of "bubbas" standing around staring at it. Looks like we may be parking in the street for a while.

Dinner!

Holy Cow this was GOOOOOD STUFF!!

Turkey Olive Italian Curry Sauce(10 servings- 3 points for WW)

1 pound turkey breakfast sausage(or link italian sausage)
1(14oz) can no-salt-added diced tomatoes
2(8oz) cans no-salt-added tomato sauce
30 black olives, halved
1/2 can chickpeas, drained
1 green pepper
1 onion
garlic powder
italian seasonings
curry powder

Brown meat, pepper and onion. Add tomatoes, olives, and chickpeas, plus seasonings to taste(1-2 teaspoons each). Simmer, covered for 25-35 minutes. Serve over elbow pasta or similar size.

Italian Bread Sticks(makes 16, 3 points each, 7 for 2)

2.5 cups each, whole wheat and regular flours
2 tablespoons sugar
4 teaspoons active yeast
1 teaspoon salt
1-2 teaspoons total of seasonings of choice(or none), I used garlic powder, italian seasoning, dill and caraway seeds.
1- 1.5 cups warm water
1/4 cup olive oil(and more to coat ball)

Combine dry ingredients well. Add water and oil and stir til mixed, adding more water if it is too dry.

Turn out onto floured surface and knead for 7-10 minutes. Coat will oil and let rise for 1 hour 10 minutes or so(I put in my oven after heating for a few minutes). Turn out and cut ball into 8 wedges(like a pie). Roll each wedge into a long rope, about 18 inches long. Cut in half and put on a baking sheet(you'll need two) that has been dusted with cornmeal. Let rise in warmed oven for 35 minutes. Bake one batch at 350 for about 20 minutes, place other in cool place(fridge or outside if its chilly out). Change out and bake second batch for 20 minutes. Let cool slightly and serve! Yummy!

This, 1 serving of pasta with sauce, and 2 breadsticks plus promise spread was 15 points and VERY satisfying!!

Recipes!

Someone asked me to post a few of my recipes so here ya go!



Before I got sick I made this apple cake! It is based on my blueberry-lemon bundt cake but changes the berries for a cup of chopped apples and the lemon for nutmeg(tsp), cloves(tsp), and cinnamon(Tbsp). Next time I will up the sugar to 2 cups(1.5 was fine with the blueberries) and maybe up the apples to 2 cups, it wasn't sweet enough for me. I might even try some walnuts, we just wanted something sweet and I was out of cocoa so couldn't do chocolatey(though I found baking squares later) so I didn't try really hard to get it right. It is iced with a powdered sugar/milk icing, any suggestions for a better one are welcome!

Next time, I'm going to make a Norwegian Apple Cake, like this one from all buttoned up.

This weekend I'm making Zuppa Toscana from Divine Domesticity. Except I'm trying mine with collard greens left from New Year's since that's what I have. I'm sure it will be fine.

We talked about pizza and various pastas on a chat I participate in on Friday mornings. I know this one was discussed but can't remember if I was going to share another recipe or not, dang cold has me cotton headed! Someone from chat, remind me what it was, if any.

Pizza Pasta
serves 6-8

1 box whole wheat or blend pasta(either rotini or penne or similar)
1 each, onion and green pepper
1-2 cups sliced mushrooms(we like a lot)
1 pound ground lean turkey meat
2 cans tomato sauce(we use no-salt-added)
1 can(14oz-ish) diced tomatoes(again, no salt)
garlic powder, onion powder, Italian seasoning and fennel seeds to taste(about 1 teaspoon each or a bit more)
1 tsp honey
2 tsp olive oil
1 can sliced olives
20-30 slices of turkey pepperoni(the kind for pizza)
1-2 cups mozzerella cheese
1/2 cup parmesan cheese(we like it cheesy)

Cook the pasta as per box. Brown the onion, pepper, mushrooms, and meat in the olive oil. Add the tomato products and spices, honey and olives. Simmer for 5-10 minutes to blend flavors.

Mix the meat sauce with the pasta. Stir in pepperoni and cheeses. Put in large baking dish(I use a pampered chef baking bowl), cover and bake at 350 for 30-40 minutes, remove cover, bake another 5 minutes. Serve with salad and bread if you want. We love this in bowls. Obviously this is a recipe that anyone can fiddle with. Leave out the mushrooms if you like, add in red onions, use bottled sauce... it is very user friendly.

***edited to add that tonight we used turkey breakfast sausage(bulk) instead of ground turkey and it was fabulous!!

Santa Baby....

Boy was he good to us!! The girls totally made out like bandits this morning with new clothes, boots, sleep pants, bath stuff, earrings, books, and so forth. Ryan got a Cowboys shirt, fishing gadgets, a guitar lesson book, some music and some video games(football ones). Mark got a new zipper jacket(and Ryan one to match) and I got some earrings and shower gel. The big things the kids got are a laptop for the girls to share and a Kodak Easy Share camera with photo printer dock. NICE!!!


(one of my favorite painted ornaments done by my mom when I was very young)

I made a wonderful dinner for us all. We had a turkey breast, broccoli-spinach rice casserole, boiled potatoes, field peas, homemade butter and homemade yeast rolls. Mark's parents were supposed to come over and eat dinner but they always balk at the last minute, which is why I didn't rely on his mom for any of the food. I hate that they always(ALWAYS) screw up anything we ever make plans for. Sigh. Anyway, we had a super tasty meal, then we played with the camera, computer and Ryan's football games. Mom napped on the couch with Muffin and I took Buttercup outside where Mark, the girls and I played with Ryan's new frisbee. We just finished supper of leftovers and I'm so stuffed! My camera is back to not letting me d/l pictures and I'm not real thrilled with the Easy Share software(its on the girls' laptop). Not being a camera savvy person, I have no clue how to resize them(one pic was 1200K) or send them to myself or what. It isn't as easy a program as mine(when it works). Hopefully soon I'll be able to share pics again, it drives me nuts not to show you our present opening session and goodies from this morning!

Hope everyone had a wonderful, restful day today! Ryan and Sarah are sick with fever and chills, sore throats and body aches. Amy and I have the sore throat and are hoping it stops with that.

The *BEST* Enchiladas

Look no further. Homesick Texan has come up with the secret ingredient that makes these Cheese Enchiladas absolutely perfect! Kid you not. I've tried them with regular grated cheese and with velveeta. The regular cheese ones were fabulous but I'm not a huge velveeta fan unless it is in a rotel dip. The best thing is that it is EASY PEASY and oh so comforting, especially served with plenty of sour cream.

Some Recipes!

Oh boy, we ate and ate, and ate some more yesterday! It was quite a feast. I made our family favorite, broccoli rice casserole, a potato casserole, and a wonderful pumpkin cake. Mark's parents did turkey and dressing, a ham, mashed potatoes, corn, beans, rolls(alas, not the homemade kind), and pies. Here are my recipes, just in time to plan for Christmas or just a nice family dinner if you'd like. All of these make fantastic breakfast items eaten cold from the pan, trust me!

Broccoli Rice Casserole(modified this year to include spinach)...

***amounts are approximate, use your eyeballs for this***
2-3 cups cooked brown rice
2.5 cups frozen chopped or cut broccoli(from a bag)
1 cup frozen chopped spinach(from a bag, not the boxed kind)
1 onion, chopped
2 stalks celery, chopped
1 can each 98% fat free cream of mushroom soup and cream of chicken soup
1 cup cheese whiz(I used walmart's Cheese Sensations, cheddar flavor, and liked it much better)*
garlic powder and black pepper to taste

Start cooking rice. Saute onion and celery, add broccoli and spinach, cook til heated through. Combine soups spices and cheese whiz, mix well and add to veggie mixture. Stir in rice and mix well. Pour into two buttered 8x8 pans or 9x13(will possibly be too much for this). Bake, covered at 350 degrees for about an hour. Check after 45 minutes. Remove cover to brown the top. Yum.

Special Dilled Potatoes(or Quick, let me throw something potatoe-y together!)

7 medium potatoes
1 can 98% fat free cream of chicken soup
1 cup cheese whiz(walmart brand)*
1 cup sour cream(I use fat free)
1 tablespoon dried dill
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1/2 teaspoon black pepper

Wash potatoes and put in pot with water to cover. Boil them, in jackets, about 20 minutes. Remove to wire rack to cool. Combine soup, cheese whiz, sour cream, and spices. When potatoes are cool enough to handle, peel skins off and dice into 1/2 inch cubes(bigger won't be as tasty). Combine with sauce mixture in buttered baking dish. Cover and bake at 350 along side broccoli rice casserole, for about an hour, browning the top during the last 10-15 minutes of cooking. These are even better cold!
*the reason I call for 1 cup in each of these recipes is because the jar is 16 ounces and I just scooped out a bunch for each recipe with about 1/4 of the total jar left over. Next time I will use it all. Velveeta would probably work as well but a bit of liquid might need to be added. The GV brand was thinner.

Pumkin Cake(adapted from a recipe out of Big Backyard magazine)

2 cups flour
1.5 cups sugar
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon ground cloves(I used more)
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon alspice and/or nutmeg
1 teaspooon coriander
4 eggs
3/4 cup oil
1 15oz can of pumpkin
1 cup chopped walnuts(optional)

Combine dry ingredients, combine wet ingredients and nuts. Bake at 350 in buttered 9x13 pan for 35 minutes. Test with cake tester! Remove from oven and let cool completely. Frost with butter cream cheese frosting.

1/3 cup butter, softened
1 cup cream cheese, softened
1 cup powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla

Combine well and try not to consume too much before the cake is cooled. Frost and enjoy.

Just found out I am a

I'm tired tonight...

We ended up with three sick piggies out of the deal with Ginger. I'm hoping to not add 3 more to that since we have one more girlie(not showing symptoms) living in the same cage, and the two boys who visited them all through the bars this morning before we knew there was illness afoot. First we noticed that Shimmer was lethargic, then that Rainbow was breathing funny. I made the kids go with me to the vet. Each piggie got a $20 shot, total bill was $120. Later in the afternoon we realized that Stella(our new girl who was recently put in the big cage with all the girls) was also breathing funny. Soooo, another $60 vet visit. Stella and Shimmer weighed in at 2lbs, 2oz, Rainbow was 2# even. I really hope we are done. Shimmer seems to be feeling better but Rainbow's breathing is worse. She sounds like a cooing dove. Please keep the dear piggies and their keepers in your prayers.

Ryan has done well doing his chores while Mark is away. He hates feeding the dogs and loading the dishwasher but will do it. We have to round up garbage stuff tonight and I need to finish sorting more fabrics. I'm almost done with one of the larger tubs and have about half a tall kitchen trash bag full of fabric to give away or sell. Hopefully I can fill it and then some by the time I'm done. I have fabrics from ten years ago that wasn't pretty then and is WAY not pretty now.

Oh yeah, we did pizza again for dinner! And I made bread sticks from some of the dough. I punched it down, rolled into sticks and let it rise again while the pizza cooked. They are a little crusty and slightly dense but very tasty! Adding a few shakes of Italian seasoning, garlic and onion powder probably helped. I will be experimenting more with it because it is SO freaking easy.

I've still not heard from Mark tonight. I did call to let him know about the piggies, he was not happy about the charges. Anyway, he said he'd call after he got settled in so it should be soon(it is 9:15 his time).

****edited 9:36pm to say that I did finally call Mark. He had fallen asleep in his hotel room soon after he got to Orlando. I woke him up. Hopefully he won't be so tired tomorrow.

Hopefully tomorrow will be a bright sunny day with happy, healthy piggies all around.

PIZZA, PIZZA, PIZZA!!(and house update)....

We LOVE homemade pizza here at Casa Sonier, especially Ryan. In the past we've used store-bought pre-baked crusts or english muffins, a homemade sauce, veggies, olives, cheese and turkey pepperoni. This time, I had the muffins but wasn't keen on having to top 2 dozen of them so I looked for a quick crust recipe. I found one in an old vegetarian cookbook procured on our vacation a few weeks ago at a thrift shop. The title of the book is The Quick and Easy Vegetarian Cookbook by Ruth Ann and William Manners. The recipe is thus: my increases in (~~).

LAZY DAY PIZZA CRUST

2(3) cups whole wheat flour(I use a mix of regular and whole wheat)
1(1.5) tablespoons dry active yeast
3/4(1) teaspoon salt

Combine dry ingredients in mixing bowl. Stir in:

1(1.5 + 1 tablespoon) cup very warm tap water
1(1) tablespoons olive oil
1(2) teaspoons honey

Mix vigorously by hand for a few minutes, until well blended. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let sit for 10 minutes in a warm place. I heat the oven while I'm mixing the dough, then put the bowl in and turn oven off. Take out halfway through rising so you can preheat the oven to 425F.

Punch down the dough and spread onto cookie sheet(use rolling pin and extra flour if you want), about 1/4-1/3 inch thick. I divided my recipe into 2 equal sections, giving 1 half for one bunch of toppings(for the guys) and then dividing the other half again for two smaller pizzas(one for the girls and one for me). Top with tomato sauce, veggies, cheese, whatever you like. I cook the mushrooms to get most of the water out of them beforehand, and did onions too for mine. Bake for about 15-20 minutes.

It was an excellent crust! And so, so easy! I've been avoiding making my own crusts because I thought it was so labor intensive to let the dough rise, etc. My sauce is easy too, a can of no-salt-added tomato sauce, can of NSA diced tomatoes, shakes of Italian seasoning, oregano, garlic and onion powder, a drip of honey and a drip of olive oil, this doesn't even have to be heated. Yuuuummm!

Today, the day after our 17th wedding anniversary, was spent in leisure... to a point. We moved furniture around in the living room for part of the day and here's what we have now(you can scroll down to the icky pictures of its former self). There's still a lot to do but we've got a good bit behind us by getting things moved.

We moved the entertainment center to the smaller wall. You can see a tiny slice of the dining room to the left.


Here is my glider chair where I plan to work on many yarny and quilty projects. You can see the beautiful needlework owls that my grandmother did ever so long ago. I remember admiring them in her house when I was just a toddler so they are "antique", as is the craft stasher to the right of the chair.


Here is a shot of the wide wall. I haven't got all my art(quilts) up yet. If you look down in front you can see Moonshine, our little white boar piggie running across the room. Yes that is a terrier dog and a cat on the couch-they totally ignore the pigs! The pigs had a blast running in the big room finally. We have been making a corral for them for the past several months but now that we don't have cords hanging they can have the run of the room.