Choo Choo!

Austin’s 2-year-old questions

Seriously, is there a cuter 2-year-old?  Look at that face!  Man, I love this kid! 

First Day of School Pictures

Behind?  No. I’m not behind on these.  It’s still the 10-11 school year! 

 

53 Mondays – Week 37

WAFFLES OF INSANE GREATNESS

Really.  That’s their name.  I had to try them. With that as a name, that’s a lot to live up to, but they were really good waffles.  They were airy and light and crispy without being greasy and really easy to make.  The only drawback is that the batter was only enough for 5-6 normal-sized waffles, which was fine for my family, but maybe not for others. 

I did not have any buttermilk, so I did a little research and used 1 Tbsp lemon juice and enough milk to make 1 cup (or halved for this recipe).  Seemed to work fine for me! 

The recipe and photo are from Annie’s Eats. 

¾3/4 cup all-purpose flour
¼1/4 cup cornstarch
½1/2 tsp. baking powder
¼1/4 tsp. baking soda
½1/2 tsp. salt
½1-1/2 tsp. sugar
½1/2 cup whole milk
½1/2 cup buttermilk
    1/3 cup vegetable oil
    1 large egg, lightly beaten
¾ 3/4 tsp. vanilla extract

Directions:
In a medium mixing bowl, combine the flour, cornstarch, baking powder, baking soda, salt and sugar.  Whisk together to blend.  In another mixing bowl, beat together the whole milk, buttermilk, oil, egg and vanilla.  Add the dry ingredients to the bowl with the wet ingredients and whisk just until incorporated and few lumps remain.  Set aside to rest for 30 minutes.

Preheat a waffle iron.  Fill waffle wells and cook according to the manufacturer’s instructions.  Cook until crisp and golden.  Serve immediately.

53 Mondays – Week 36

I actually did have a new recipe last week and forgot to post it!  Oops!  I made this for a family party and I would call it a success!  I love the flavor of green peppers, but not so much love eating them, so I might leave those out next time.  Also, the toasted slivered almonds on top were a must.  They added nice texture!  So they are a must!  This did make a large bowl, so consider that if you make it! 

The recipe comes from the “Favorites” cookbook sold by the Make-A-Wish Foundation. 

WILD RICE SALAD

6 cups water

3 cups wild rice

1 (14 ounce) can artichoke hearts, chopped

1 (10 ounce) package frozen peas

1 green pepper, chopped

1 bunch green onions, chopped (I only used 2-1/2 stalks)

1 pink cherry tomatoes, halved (I quartered them)

1 (4 ounce) package silvered almonds, toasted

 

DRESSING:

1-1/3 cups vegetable oil

1/2 cup vinegar

1/4 cup fresh grated parmesan cheese

1 Tbsp sugar

1 tsp salt

1 tsp celery salt

1/2 tsp ground white pepper (didn’t have this, so I just used black pepper)

1/2 tsp dry mustard

1/4 teaspoon paprika (I LOVE smoked paprika so I used that-Mmmmm….smells so yummy)

2 cloves garlic, minced 

 

Combine all dressing ingredients in a jar and shake well.  Refrigerate until ready to use.

In a large saucepan, heat water and rice to boiling.  Reduce heat to low, cover and simmer 45 minutes. 

Drain excess liquid from rice.

Mix together rice, artichokes, peas, green pepper, green onions, tomatoes, and half the dressing.  Toss well. Cover and chill. 

Just before serving, toss again and taste.  Add more dressing, if desired.  Sprinkle with tossed almonds and serve. 

Do Things…

I just read a great quote:  "If you would not be forgotten as soon as you are dead, either write things worth reading or do things worth writing."  -Benjamin Franklin

That made me think of all those things I dreamed of as a child – all those things that I wanted to do, wanted to be.  One of those things was a mom.  I wanted to be a mom more than just about anything.  I’ve done that and, naturally, continue to do that, so where from here?  While I know that being a mom is the most important job I’ll do, it’s not the only thing I’ve wanted to do.  My little penguins are still too young for me to consider stopping being a full-time mom, but why can’t I be more? 

Here’s the thing…I can be more…I just need the time.  I’m working on balance and finding time for everything, but this quote from Ben Franklin was a great reminder that I can be more and, to be honest, I am more.  I probable do things worth writing about, just maybe not every day!  I mean really…no matter how great a writer I am (and I’m really not that great), I can’t make cleaning up puke for the seventh day in a row after my youngest penguin coughs until he pukes cool, because it’s not!  I’ll try to find something better to write about and more time to write it! 

August Pictures

Morning Panic Attack

I was skimming through the blogs that I read when I saw the heading “100 Days Until Christmas!”  Ummmmmm… What?  We’re already counting?  I’m still counting the hours until bedtime.  Christmas (while I love it and I’m excited for all the fun) is not even on my radar yet! If you’re so inclined, here’s the link that was posted for some daily inspiration to the holidays.  As for me?  I’ll work on getting through football season first…then I’ll think about Christmas! 

100 Days Till Christmas

Austin beating up Hayley

This is from August, but it’s been on my to do list since then.  When my friend Hayley was up visiting us, one night Austin decided that she needed to be attacked.  We were getting couches the next day, so we had a relatively empty living room.  Austin just kept going after her.  It was really funny.  He thinks he’s big! 

Part One: 

53 Mondays – Week 36

This weekend it was breakfast for dinner.  Very busy weekend left no time for new recipes until Sunday after church.  This recipe comes from the “Favorites” Cookbook sold by Make-a-Wish foundation.  It’s a great one!

Favorites Pancakes

1-1/4 cup flour

1 Tbsp baking powder

1 Tbsp sugar

1/2 tsp salt

1 egg

1 cup milk

2 Tbsp vegetable oil

 

Mix all ingredients together and bake on a hot griddle.  Serve!

 

I’m not a huge breakfast fan, but Tyson and Justin are.  These were awesome pancakes.  They were so light and fluffy!  Really good.  My kids had fun helping me make them and Tyson was so amazed that I could make pancakes that didn’t come in a box!  Sheltered kids, I know! 

Dinosaur National Monument Scrapbook Pages

Yep, still working on them.  These are still from our trip in July. 

 

I learned some fascinating stuff about Josie while looking up information to put on this page.  She was a very interesting and resourceful woman, one you wouldn't want to make mad!  It’s probable that she was once a girlfriend of Butch Cassidy.  Her remote home was a perfect hiding place for a felon or two! 

53 Mondays – Week 35

I did actually do a recipe last week, but TOTALLY forgot to post it!  Oops! 

The Picture That is Worth a Thousand Words

If you could sum up my Tyson and Emma completely in one picture, the one below HAS to be it! 

Are you ready for some football?

I’m just released a digital football kit at Stuff to Scrap.  You can see more about it on my design blog, Little Penguins Designs, but here are some layouts I’ve made using some of Tyson’s photos from tryouts and his first scrimmage game. 

 

Appeal for some Support

A neighbor of mine is a filmmaker who is working on the most inspiring documentary I’ve seen in a long time.  “Rise” is the story of a man Tyler Bastian met over a decade ago in Honduras.  “Rise” is about Agustin, who is handicapped from polio, yet has spent 50 years building a surprisingly advanced helicopter out of re-bar, bicycle parts and wood. His dream to take flight has inspired us to capture his spirit, attitude, and perspective in an emotional film about determination and the purpose of life goals. 

They are trying to raise money for the finishing funds for Rise.  Their deadline is Sept. 11.  They have raised a third of the funds, but they will only get it if they reach their goal. 

In Tyler’s words:

Agustin said "Fifty years ago I picked this (the helicopter) to be my problem in life." He chose to look past all of his difficulties, his disability his poverty all of it, and focus all of his attention on his dream of flying. I can say he has succeeded. He hasn't literally flown however he has focused his life on something he values, the helicopter.
I can't say enough how thankful I am that people have backed this project. It means so much.
Last week I had the opportunity to sit down with fifty High School age youth. I showed them a rough cut of the film and had a short Q&A. One of the boys, after a thoughtful question, was asked by his teacher what the film was about. His reply was, "Wow, I don't know what to say. I think it is about so many things. It is about persevering no matter what your circumstances are."

I was inspired to back this film.  It really doesn’t take much to do so.  I’m appealing to support the production of this inspiring movie, to help it inspire others.  Any little bit helps keep this dream alive. 

View the link below to support “RISE:”

Rise on Kickstart

For more information about the film:

http://theriseinstitute.com/?page_id=32

CSN Store Giveaway!

The winner of the giveaway was entry #5 ---Rashelle! I'll be passing on your information to my contact at the CSN Store! Thanks for entering everyone!

$35 Gift Certificate to CSN Stores – Giveaway

I’m so excited that I was asked if I’d be interested in doing another Gift Certificate giveaway to CSN Stores.  For a brief moment, I considered keeping it myself and doing a review of a product, but thought giveaways are so much fun!  If I had done a review, I would have gotten some Corelle dinnerware. 

These dishes would have fit my kitchen perfectly! I love Corelle, because with children they are the perfect kitchenware. They are break and chip resistant which is a must have. Another great selling point is they won't break the bank when you purchase them.

How about you?  What would you get from the CSN Stores?  They don’t just sell kitchen stuff, although they do have a lot of it!  With over 200+  online stores such as www.cookware.com or www.allmodern.com, CSN Stores has over 1 million products and that number is constantly rising. Not only is their product catalog growing but they’re adding new stores like www.luxebycsn.com. You can literally spend all day looking for the perfect product to get! 

I know…how do you win?  It’s easy.  For one entry, just leave me a comment with your name and email address (first name only is fine).  For another entry, visit www.csnstores.com and tell me something that you’d buy with the gift certificate.  I considered a third entry for pulling weeds in my backyard, but realized that may be pushing it!

Have fun!  The winner will be selected Monday, September 6, 2010 and will be posted by noon MST!  Good Luck!