Dingle

That was my verification word as I commented on another blog this morning. I laughed out loud.

I LOVE words. I love how they can make you feel a certain way or think differently. For example if the word was dangle instead of dingle it would not have made me laugh out loud, it would have made me think of fancy jewelry and my favorite earrings that I have not worn in forever.

But, the word was dingle. Which is only a difference of one vowel, but brings to mind an entirely different frame of reference, huh?

I can't help but think that dingle is my word for the week.

We have been battling the snot something fierce this week. It is more than simple snot, it's the snot that sticks like glue to everything and you would only know that if you have snotty toddlers. We all have it, though. It is not age specific and it is gender neutral. Even dad is suffering. My ears pop and sizzle every time I blow my nose which is often.

Anyway, my hearing is off my throat hurts and I haven't grocery shopped in over a week. We are in prime form here at the house. Currently the vic's is in the humidifyer, which I always mistakenly call the hydrater, masking the burnt pie crust smell I so masterfully perfumed the house with when I tried to bake the extra pie crust from my chicken pot pie into cinnamon sugar cookies and forgot about them. It's really cold out, by the way, especially when you have the windows and doors open releasing smoke.

The girls pried open the last orange this morning and have sticky orange snotty fingerprinted the entire upper level. They don't eat the seeds though, the proof in on the bottom of my socks.

Dad told the girls to go play hide and seek and the next thing he knew they were both sitting in the bathroom sink. He asked Addi what she was doing and she plainly said, "hide and sink, daddy". I think the snot has invaded everyone's ears, too.

It's just sort of a dingle kind of day, week, probably even month, if you know what I mean...

Monday Multitudes, #166-177

I have to admit that this is the first time I have had to sit and think a bit before my gratitude post.We have all been under the weather this weekend and it has really dampened my mood. So, for a little inspiration I went to my Scripture verses for every day of the year calendar and guess what today's verse just happened to be?

Isnt' everything you have and everything you are sheer gifts from God?...You already have all you need. I Corinthians 4:7-8

Can't really think of a better way to say it than that. Divine intervention?

Lord, I do have all that I need and more. Today I am especially thankful for;

Pastor and Susan expanding the parsonage by two tiny feet in September! WOOHOO:)

Olympic athletes and the dreams of children everywhere growing up to be an Olympian

conversations with my 8 year old daughter about the world and all the things in it she wishes she could fix

Braeburn apples and a sale on grapes

family rides in the van just to get out of the "sick" house

warm winter days that melt the ice on our North facing driveway

working together to chip and remove the 4 inches of ice on our North facing driveway

dreams of someday owning a home that does not have a North facing driveway

yoga class planning emails

vbs planning meetings, my favorite week of the year :)

food pantry planning meetings and friends who volunteer to babysit, thanks Janel!

soft tissues, cough syrup, ibuprofen and tylenol and naps

First Annual Montrose Community Craft Show and Flea Market

VENDORS WANTED FOR:

1st Annual Montrose Community Craft Show & Flea Market

Saturday, March 27, 2010

Legion Hall

10am-3pm

FEES:

$15.00 for table space, includes 1 8’ table and a central cashier so you don't need to man your table.
-your items will need to be clearly marked with your vendor number and price
-all set up and take down will be done by the vendor, we will maintain the tables throughout the day

$25.00 for a booth, includes an 8' x 10' area and 1 8' table, you are responsible for your own sales.

-Extra tables may be available, please let us know in advance

**We are asking each vendor to bring a pan of bars and/or a dozen cookies**

*Coffee will be on all day and is complimentary.

*Proceeds from Bake Sale items will be donated to a local charity (tba).

*Door prizes will be given away throughout the day.

*Lunch stand will be run by a local organization (tba).

If you are interested send me an email rani(dot)gordon(at)gmail(dot)com please include the following

Name:
Phone#:
Email address:
Address:
Business Name & Product:

Thanks!

excellent advice

This is an excerpt taken from an article in my inbox from sparkpeople.com

Chocolate: A Not-So-Guilty Pleasure
A Love Affair with Good Reason
-- By Rebecca Pratt, Staff Writer

The bottom line: Chocolate may be getting a bad rap as a sinful food. On the other hand—as always—moderation may be the key. If you simply must indulge, here are some tips for controlling your chocolate cravings and consumption:


Choose dark chocolate over milk chocolate. Studies based on dark chocolate tend to show benefits that milk chocolate does not.

Partner your chocolate with nutrient-rich foods, like chocolate covered strawberries, apple slices or bananas. Add a few chocolate chips in your berry-nut trail mix. Try a refreshing glass of chocolate-flavored milk or soymilk.

Buy smaller sizes of chocolate bars or hot fudge sundaes, since research shows you tend to eat the entire amount you’re served.

Order fruit for dessert, with a small chocolate truffle on the side.

Savor, don’t chew, your chocolate. Sit down, take your time, and focus on the taste in your mouth. Enjoy it thoroughly. If you pop it in your mouth while you are driving, watching TV, or talking on the phone, you’re likely to keep reaching for more.

Give in to your chocolate cravings! Every try to stifle a craving by eating something else? You usually just end up eating more and more foods, eventually giving in to your original desire anyway. Save yourself the calories and the torment! A small portion may be all you need for satisfaction.

Home sick

It took all of little Nora's strength to climb up up onto the couch just now. She pulled herself up and collapsed onto the pillow. Her fever has been draining her energy for almost 24 hours now. Her little rapid breaths are one of my most feared sounds. I just can't listen to that without my heart breaking. She is fighting off something fierce and I can't do anything but hold her and give her fluids and Tylenol. I am really missing the cheesy grins today :(

Addison also woke up with a fever, too, but since she is a full 11.5 months older the movie Tinkerbell and a little Tylenol makes great strides in her feeling better.

The big kids are coughing, but I have a feeling this is just the beginning of being home sick this week...

Hope everyone is well elsewhere :) Stay healthy.

Monday Multitudes, #154-165

So much to be thankful for this week;

my high school sweetheart


hair with hearts

visits from a Floridian and her mother

a quilt pattern from a friend that sparked a reinterest in crotcheting which ultimately led to

a homemade blanket

Friday night birthday dinners for Grandma

Sunday morning birthday brunches for Hannah

childrens sermons that they will remember for a long time

recipes from friends

a safe and warm place on a cold winter night

cheesy grins

Lord, I thank you for your love for us, so much so that you would give your Son's life for all. An ultimate sacrifice of true love, and one that I am eternally grateful for.

What are you thankful for?

Spanish Rice

just throw it all in and let it cook this is a before shot

This is tonight's supper, a request from my oldest...





2 lbs ground beef, browned


2 medium onions, chopped


2 green peppers, chopped, I almost always use one green pepper and one jalapeno


28 oz. can of tomatoes (or a jar or two from the pantry of home-canned)


2 cups water (maybe more later)


2.5 tsp of chili powder


2 tsp. salt (maybe more later)


2 tsp. Worcestershire sauce


1.5 cups rice, uncooked, not that instant minute stuff either...





Brown the burger, throw it in the crock with everything else. Cook all day... 8-10 hours. You may need to add water, be careful not to stir as it gets mushy:) I just eat mushy, but if you are concerned about how your food looks, don't stir it!

Add a side of fruit and you got yourself a meal.



Serve with shredded cheese on top, or roll up in warm corn tortillas. YUM!

R.I.P. Snowboots

I will be contributing to the economy by spending a ridiculous amount of money this weekend on new boots for both of my school kids because;

a) they have giant feet and

b) winter has taken a toll on their hand me down boots.

Say a little prayer for me, will ya? I loathe spending money.

Know of any good sales on winter boots in the dead of winter?

Sweet Potato Crescents

see that tiny orange fleck, them's the sweet potatoes...

Sweet Potato Crescents

These are light-as-air. They are the closest thing that I have found homemade to those whack'em on the counter canned crescent rolls.

2 packages (1/4 ounce each) active dry yeast
1 cup warm water
1 can 15 oz. cut sweet potatoes, drained and mashed (fresh if you got 'em cook 'em first, duh)
1/2 cup sugar (go ahead use splenda)
1/2 cup shortening (you can substitute, but I think this is the 'light and fluffy' ingredient)
1 egg (use your 1 T. flax and 3 T. water no one will ever know)
1 and 1/2 teaspoons salt
5ish cups of all purpose flour (I used a little more)
1/4 cup butter, melted (no subs for this one, not at my house anyway)

In a large mixing bowl, dissolve the yeast in water; let stand for 5 minutes. Beat in the sweet potatoes, sugar, shortening, egg, salt and 3 cups flour. Add enough remaining flour to form a stiff dough. (about 2 cups for me)

Turn the dough onto a floured surface; knead until smooth and elastic, about 6-8 minutes (I used the bread maker). Place in a greased bowl, turning once to grease all sides. Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 1 hour.

Punch the dough down; divide into thirds. Roll each portion into a 12 inch circle; cut each into 12 wedges.(I can never get 12, but I do 8 and I like the size of them, they are big enough to fill you up and can even sub as the bun for a sandwich. Sunday I made sausage egg and cheese crescents after church, I baked my eggs on a cookie sheet in the oven and then cut rectangles to place on the roll. The kids gobbled them up.) Brush with butter.(I do this after they cook) Roll up from the wide end and place, pointed end down (*see photo below for what happens when the pointed end is on top), 2 inches apart on greased baking sheets. Cover and let rise until doubled, about 40 minutes.

Bake at 375 for 13-15 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from pans to wire racks Yield: 3 dozen. I put the butter on mine right out of the oven because that's what I always do.

These freeze extremely well. I made a little over two dozen and when we wanted some we nuked them for 20 seconds and they were soft and yummy.

No flakes, though...that would be a croissant...Croissants are made of a leavened variant of puff pastry. The yeast dough is layered with butter, rolled and folded several times in succession, then rolled into a sheet, a technique called laminating.Making croissant by hand requires skill and patience; a batch of croissants can take several days to complete. However, the development of factory-made, frozen, pre-formed but unbaked dough has made them into a fast food which can be freshly baked by unskilled labor.

That last part, unskilled labor, that's me and quite possibly, you :)

Here are the naughty ones that flipped me off; follow those directions even if the toddler is pulling on your pant legs the whole time you are in the kitchen, pointed end down ladies, pointed end down...

*

Twice baked potatoes, healthy style

I made these last night and they were absolutely DELISH. Be sure to click on the link and read the comments at the sparkpeople.com site because everyone made them differently and there are some awesome substitutions like salsa and many spices. I love the way that the cottage cheese melted and you couldn't tell it was ever cottage. A great way to use a less fatty cheese as a substitute for sour cream.

Try these, you will not be disappointed. My kids loved them and ate every last crunchy bite of the shell. I am so sad I didn't take a photo. In all honestly I didn't think they would taste this good. We served them with pork chops and sweet corn and homemade sweet potato crescent rolls.

Wonderful Stuffed Potatoes

Nutritional Info
Fat: 2.0g
Carbohydrates: 15.4g
Calories: 109.7
Protein: 9.3g
Ingredients

4 medium baking potatoes

3/4 cup low-fat (1%) cottage cheese

1/4 cup 1% milk

2 tablespoons soft margarine

1 teaspoon dill weed

3/4 teaspoon herb seasoning

4-6 drops hot pepper sauce

2 teaspoon grated Parmesan cheese

Directions
1. Prick potatoes with fork. Bake at 425º F for 60 minutes or until fork is easily inserted.

2. Cut potatoes in half lengthwise. Carefully scoop out potato leaving about 1/2 inch of pulp inside shell. Mash pulp in large bowl.

3. Mix in by hand remaining ingredients except Parmesan cheese. Spoon mixture into potato shells.

4. Sprinkle each top with 1/4 teaspoon Parmesan cheese.

5. Place on baking sheet and return to oven. Bake 15-20 minutes or until tops are golden brown.

Yield: 8 servings--Serving Size: 1/2 potato each

Monday Multitudes, #137-153

Another week, another overwhelming list of blessings to count...

May the Lord continually bless you with heaven's blessings as well as with human joys. Psalm 128:5

life and eternal life

visits with family and friends

safe travel on land and in the sky

snowshoes and owl pillows

trailers and memories of time spent there

the prediction of and the accumulation of snow, again

fleece blankets, jammies and hoodies

pancake breakfasts and submarine sandwiches for a good cause

coffee with my sister over a table of playdough playing kids

quilts and the history and beauty and love in each and every crazy piece

tax returns and savings accounts

hints of an upcoming trip with my mom and sister

calories being counted and burned off

a house that is a home ie. cozy but lived in

library books and movies

blogs and bloggirls

He is good to everyone, and His compassion is intertwined with everything He does. Psalm 145:9

Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you... Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid. John 14:27

For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time [are] not worthy [to be compared] with the glory which shall be revealed in us.
Romans 8:18

I learned this morning that a dear friend who has been battling lung cancer has gone to live with the Lord. Death has no dominion over us. Kenny is pain free in heaven this morning. All glory be to the Lord!

My thoughts are with Sherry and her family this morning.

"He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away. Revelation 21:4 "

Guess what day it is?

you guessed it...

and more snow...

Monday Multitudes, #120-136

So much to be thankful for today and everyday...


100 days of school even with a few snow days

play dates with friends making memories that will last a lifetime

wrestling duals with loud music and dim lights and lots of patience

hospice for a dear friend who is battling the bully

people who read mommyville and tell me or comment or email about it

a handwritten thank you note from another dear friend who is battling, too

snuggling together with the hubby to watch a movie

a brother's couch on a snowy night with another shift in the morning

a surprise package in the mail from a wonderful friend

sweet potato crescent rolls from scratch

a mechanic who will not only fix your vehicle but drive it to and from the shop for you

reading books together as a family, especially Mrs. Wishy Washy, the girls favorite

warm homemade blankets, made with recycled jeans and lots of love, from the best neighbor anyone could ever have

sermons that rock your brain and your heart and your soul

a capella church services when the organist is ill (get well soon, Vic we need you!)

benefit breakfasts that are packed with people who just want another chance to give rather than receive including the generous hosts


Psalm 106:1 Praise the LORD. Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good; his love
endures forever.

What a wonderful blessing it is to share all the gifts we have received from the Lord, what are you thankful for today... and everyday?