Cranberry Sauce

Description:
If you say you don't like cranberry sauce, its probably because you've always had that awful canned blob. Homemade cranberry sauce is so easy and so much more tasty. There's no excuse not to make it yourself.

Ingredients:
1 C orange juice
1/2 c granulated sugar
1/2 c brown sugar
1 12 ounce package of cranberries

Directions:
Rinse and drain your cranberries, set aside.

In a DEEP pot, stir together the orange juice and sugars until the sugars dissolve.

Over medium heat, add the cranberries to your orange juice sugar mixture. If you didn't us a DEEP pot, expect to clean up red spots from your stove top. The cranberries will POP open as they heat up.

Stir the mixture with a spoon, smashing the cranberries as they pop open. Bring to a boil and then remove from the heat. The sauce will thicken as it cools. Store in the refrigerator.

Pumpkin Yogurt Pancakes

Description:
Modified my whole wheat yogurt pancake recipe in order to use up some leftover canned pumpkin. Very yummy and satisfying. Its a heavier, moist pancake, goes great with leftover cranberry sauce!

Ingredients:
1/2 C canned pumpkin
1/2 C non fat plain yogurt
2/3 C vanilla flavored almond milk
1/4 t pumpkin pie spice
1/2 t baking powder
1/4 t baking soda
1 C whole wheat flour

Directions:
Stir together the pumpkin, yogurt, milk. Mix together the pumpkin pie spice, baking powder, baking soda and flour. Combine together until mixed. Batter will be thick. Add more almond milk if you prefer.

Heat a non-stick skillet to medium, high. Add in a pat of Smart balance or butter and dollop batter into the pan, forming a circle or any other shape you like. This batter is very thick so watch for the edges to firm and brown before flipping. (You won't see bubbles break the surface.)

Enjoy with your choice of topping.

My Melon Boys Are Back At It!!

I said I'd never fly, but I'm willing to be molested by the TSA for Blind Melon. In an alternate universe, DH and I had the money and free time to travel to Colorado this past weekend, and later this February to New Mexico. After two years, Blind Melon has reunited for a few select shows. I'm so excited for them, and hoping all goes well and they decide to continue with it. Hopefully they will book some shows in my neck of the woods since I really can't afford plane tickets. 

We had a great Thanksgiving weekend, although by the end of it, I was starting to feel a little blue. I was sad it was all over, and depressed we did not cut down a Christmas tree.  I needed one more day to fit it all in. We'll have to get our tree next weekend.

We began our Christmas shopping online, and I'm hoping we can do it all this way. Finger clicking is so much easier than crowded parking lots and long lines. I'm really hoping we can finish up soon, and the rest of the season I can just focus on the fun.

I have requests already for Spritz and Gingerbread reindeer cookies. I can't wait to start baking! If DS11 agrees to give up the rest of his Halloween stash, I may even make a gingerbread house this year.

Hmm..... Forget turkey, what else can I eat with cranberry sauce? Its too good to go to waste.

I wish the Christmas shopping was already finished. I have no idea where to start or what to get. Nothing tempted me on Black Friday, and so far I haven't heard of any great deals for Cyber Monday either. When I ask my family to make wish lists, they even are having a difficult time coming up with things.

Happy Thanksgiving! Our bird's roasting, the slow cooker is stuffed with dressing, Texas rolls are rising. I'm going to enjoy the day with family in our Sleepyhouse.

Wednesday tasks - prepare pumpkin cheesecake, make sweet potato casserole, yet another run to the grocery store, deposit money at the credit union, never did get that table from my sister's yet, rolls out to rise, pay insurance bill, cut DS's hair, laundry, drive to work and back in freezing sleet. On the positive side, DH will bring home pizza for the crew to eat.

Its A Good Day To Stay Inside The Sleepyhouse

Yesterday we were outside as much as possible. It reached 67 on my thermometer and it felt wonderful. Today's high will only be 30. That's a drop of 37 degrees in less than 24 hours. That's Wisconsin.

We could grab the winter coats from the closet, but there's lots to do inside to get ready for this holiday weekend. We have two days of feasting ahead of us, Thursday at the Sleepyhouse and Friday at my brother's. I'll be working overtime in my kitchen.

I was going to buy paper plates, but DS15 made me feel a little guilty about that. He can't imagine feasting on such a celebrated meal off of paper or plastic. I guess he doesn't share my father's eating spaghetti off of a paper plate gene. Even I will draw the line at spaghetti.

I have no idea how my father can enjoy this? I'm not talking heavy duty Chinet brand either. My dad will eat spaghetti off of regular, cheap paper plates, which sometimes even leave a hole after he's done. I kid you not, last time he was here, he was going to eat his leftover Subway sandwich from his road trip. I offered him some homemade spaghetti to go with his sandwich and he told me to just place it on his paper napkin!! I refused and put it in a real pasta bowl.

So last night, I was rummaging in the basement storage area, looking for my grandmother's china, packed away years ago for safety's sake. (I am raising boys.) Although I did find my other grandmother's silverware, I didn't find the china. :( I need to do more purging and organizing. To my surprise I found a box with photo albums. During the move 9 years ago, all the boxes were just moved into the basement, and I was going to unpack them as needed. Funny how 9 years can go by and you begin to realize what you really can live without.

I moved the photo albums to a safer place and have vowed to continue to work on the basement storage, box by box. I will have to get my scanner working. I found the picture I took with Arnold Schwarnenegger! He's in his Conan The Barbarian stage, and I'm in my awkward preteen hair stage. Its hilarious!!

I also found a scrapbook I had made during my puppy love days of dating my now DH. Too bad I stuck those high school notes we wrote to each other, along with the movie ticket stubs to the adhesive back of those ill fated photo albums from the 80's. I can't remove them without damaging them.

I have one box of glassware and plates I'm bringing to Goodwill. I'm looking forward to doing this, box by box until my basement storage area is better organized. I'm ready to say goodbye to stuff we don't need, while still knowing what to keep for sentimental value. We'll have to use our regular ceramic dinnerware for Thanksgiving, but maybe by next year, I will have found Grandma's china.

Tuesday's plan- More cleaning and I'll prepare the cranberry sauce using Wisconsin cranberries of course. Plus, I have to stop by my sister's house to pick up the extra table. Maybe one last run to the Pig to be sure we have everything.

Black Bean, Tomato and Corn Stoup

Description:
This is a super quick, pull together stoup. Add water if you want a soup consistency. I tend to like my soups thick, between a stew and soup= stoup.

I used a pint of canned tomatoes from my garden. I could taste summer!

Ingredients:
1 T olive oil
1 large onion, chopped
2 cloves of garlic, chopped
1 pint of tomatoes, with the juice
1 can of black beans, rinsed and drained
1 C frozen sweet corn
2 packets of no sodium, no MSG, beef broth powder- (I use Herb Ox brand which uses one packet to make one cup of broth, however I don't add any water.)
2 t cumin


Directions:
Heat the onions and garlic in the olive oil. Add the rest of the ingredients and cook until its tasty.

Weekend Notes 11/22/10

We made this past weekend a full one, touching all the bases I had wanted to. The cleaning got started, and we finished the transition piecing over the stairs and between the living room and hallway. All that is officially left is to nail in the quarter round and we are done! We also feasted on bagels and cream cheese and saw the latest Harry Potter movie. Now I have to keep the momentum going.

I really don't like that its dark before 4:30pm, and I know it will only get worse. My body hasn't adjusted yet to it. It starts getting dark, and I start shutting down. If I plant roots on the couch, I'm done for. After Thanksgiving, I will have to light up the Christmas lights and candles and find the night owl within me.

We watched the documentary film, Best Worse Movie, which I found to be very interesting. Its the cast of Troll 2, twenty some years later, recalling what it was like to make this so bad its good movie. None of the actors knew they were making a bad movie at the time and now, years later, it's become a cult classic because it is so ridiculously bad. Of course the director still stands behind his work, not quite understanding the only reason why some people love it is because its so badly made and acted. He doesn't understand that sometimes in life, its worth it to laugh at yourself and admit you're not perfect.

I think we all need to do this more often. We're all designed to fail, in some instances through several attempts. Being able to not take it so seriously and find your sense of humor can mean the difference between stressing out or having fun while trying. I want to be the kind of person that laughs through life rather than be brought down by frustration.

Well, I better get moving and grooving and take advantage of another warmer day for walking. In only a few short days, I may be forced to make peace with the dreaded treadmill.

Today's agenda - clean and straighten up the Sleepyhouse, set out plates, platters, silverware and tablecloths for Thursday's feast.

Time to make room to defrost the bird in the fridgy.

Yeah! The weekend is here! I'm going to try and mix a little fun in with responsibility. On the agenda, cleaning, bagel run and Harry Potter, maybe not necessarily in that order. :)

I know its not considered healthy, but I so need a huge, Diet Coke right now. Why is it I can go a long time soda free but suddenly get that overwhelming urge for carbonated refreshment?

Friday Five 11/19/10

Good Morning Fivers!!! Our hostess is having a little surgery and she asked me to fill in this week ...so here we go...it's almost Turkey time for most of us here ...RU excited??? Gosh the holiday season is here....of course I kind of think it really starts with Halloween but when you go in the grocery store and start seeing big ol' displays of oil for frying turkeys and stacks of flour, sugar, and cake mixes..lol...you know it's getting close!! So this week fivers let's talk Turkey....tell us five of dishes that grace your table on Turkey day...past or present. Remember to post your link here so we can all have a look and see what's cooking at your house this year! Have a wonderful Friday ...happy Fiving...Be blessed...Loveyameanit..Queenie

1. Stuffing, known by some as "dressing" - To me this is the best dish on the table. This year I'm trying a recipe with dried cranberries and granny smith apples in it. How can it not be yummy?!

2. Sweet potatoes with pecan topping - A few years ago, my mother in law shared the best recipe for sweet potatoes with me. It has a corn flake, pecan and brown sugar topping that's way better than any marshmallow monstrosity. Its now become our traditional way we enjoy sweet potatoes on Thanksgiving and Christmas.

3. Corn - Simple and sweet, we always use frozen, never canned.

4. Garlic mashed potatoes - I always leave the skins on for added nutrition.

5. Gravy - This is a must have on Thanksgiving. On the turkey, on the potatoes, on the stuffing, its all good!

What This Autodidact Has Been Up To....

I can make you like me in 90 seconds. I've been reading Nicholas Boothman's follow up book, Convince Them In 90 Seconds. Its really helping me come out of my marketing shell. I've never like salespeople, and as much as I hated to realize how we all must be salespeople in one way or another at certain times throughout life, I never could see myself as one. This book is my A-HA! I get it now.

I've also been researching Nordic Walking. For months now DS11 and I have been going on almost daily walks. Its definitely become a habit and way of life for me, and now I'm ready to amp it up. I want to be a CHICK WITH STICKS!

Nordic walking utilizes special walking poles, or if you're European, "sticks", to enhance your workout. You end up using 90% of your body rather than the usual 70% during normal walking. Regular hiking poles, or walking sticks are not the same as Nordic walking poles. Nordic walking poles are designed with special feet and quality poles remove the vibration from impact. They're on my Christmas list but I'm having a difficult time deciding whether I want wrist straps or not. There's pros and cons to both. Anyone ever try these?

We've managed to install the laminate flooring through the hallway, so this ongoing project continues forward. All that is left now is transitions and trim work. I wish we would have done this years ago. Laminate flooring is so much easier to keep clean. It feels great on my bare feet. I'm not finding it cold at all. I just wish we had the time and money to do all the floors in the Sleepyhouse this way.

I was so happy to hear DH is looking forward to Thanksgiving, and honestly, I am too. I'm looking forward to the entire holiday season. After spending last year in unemployment stress, it will be great to enjoy this year's holiday season without that dark cloud looming over us. Our free Piggly Wiggly turkey is in the freezer- note to self - MOVE TO FRIDGE ON SUNDAY!!

I'm planning on making the typical dishes my family enjoys at Thanksgiving, roasted turkey, garlic mashed potatoes, sweet corn, sweet potato casserole, sage stuffing/dressing, and Texas rolls. I'd also like to try and make my first pumpkin cheesecake with a gingersnap crust. I'm hoping to try and make everything more healthy this year, not using butter and using non-fat cream cheese. I hope everything turns out well. We'll have cousins joining us, along with G-Ma. The following day, we'll do it all over again at my brother's. Hmmm... maybe I'll be needing those Nordic Walking poles before Christmas?!

Speaking of walking, my trainer is up, fed and ready for me to lace up my shoes. Have a great Hump Day!

Caramel Chocolitas

Description:
This is a bar cookie to rule them all. Wait, who am I kidding. This isn't a bar COOKIE but rather a CANDY bar. Amazing bites of heaven await the person willing to try these. Cut into small pieces or risk sugar overload. They are more than worthy of the exercise it will take you to burn them off.

Ingredients:
2 C flour
1 3/4 C oats
1 1/2 C brown sugar
1 t baking soda
1/4 t salt ( I omitted this.)
1 C butter, melted
1 14 ounce package of caramels, unwrapped
1/3 C milk
2 C semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 C milk chocolate chips ( I used all semi-sweet and it still turned out great.)
1 C chopped pecans

Directions:
Preheat your oven to 350

Line a 9 x 13 x 2 pan with foil and spray with non-stick spray

Mix together the flour, oats, brown sugar, baking soda and salt.

Add the melted butter and mix until crumbly

Reserve half of this mixture, about 2 1/2 cups

Press the remaining crumb mixture into your pan

Mix the chocolate chips and pecans and spread over the bottom crust

Melt the caramels and milk in the microwave on 50% power 4-6 minutes

Pour the caramel mixture over the chocolate chips and pecans

Top with the reserved crumb mixture

Bake for 20-25 minutes

Remove from the oven and cool in the pan on a wire rack before lifting out and cutting into bars.

Friday Five

"For this week I have been thinking...with all the holidays coming up, and just every day stress...what 5 things do you do JUST for you, to help you relax, unwind, destress when you have had enough tension and just need a break?" ~ Friday Five

 http://fridayfivegroup.multiply.com/

Here's my 5.

1. I day dream I'm in an alternative universe creating the perfect world for me. It helps me to think in another reality, I'm living stress free. :)

2. Chocolate - in any form

3. I open up a window to the world, otherwise known as an internet browser and satisfy my autodidact cravings.

4. I change the scenery. Either physically moving myself elsewhere, or moving what's around me.

5. I make him, make me laugh. Everyone needs a humor hero in their lives.

Just Get Me To The Weekend Please....

I'm officially riding the current now. The wind has left my sails.

Although it was great to see family at my uncle's funeral service, I know it was a very difficult day for many of them, saying goodbye.

I'm thinking about writing my own obituary. My uncle's pastor was newer to their church and although she did her best, listening to her I realized I want to write my own obituary so it includes more of a goodbye message to my loved ones. My obituary is also my last chance for ME to say who I was in this world, not necessary what others may have thought of me.

Of course now I'm thinking, why does my obituary have to be my defining moment? Shouldn't I be living my life right now in a way that everyone can see who I am and what they mean to me?

I'm coming away from my uncle's funeral realizing if I haven't already shared my love, my beliefs, my passions, my talents and laughter with the world before I leave, then I haven't really lived. If I can't leave my loved ones with an abundance of happy memories, no obituary, no funeral service, will ease their loss and help them remember who I really was.

I hope in the days to come, I can find my groove and get back to living my life with a celebratory spirit. Right now I do know its my husband and my children that create that spark in me when I'm feeling fizzled out. They are the inspiration that fuels my dreams. If I can make it to the weekend, spending time with them will recharge me.

Quick Note to Self- When I get the chance, start planning and creating our "Oasis Of Culture." Books, artwork, music, film, bring more into the nest. Remember how you imagined how your home would look Dawn? Too much is getting lost in the clutter. Too many resources are out of sight and out of mind. Its time to make this change.

Firsts

Stolen from Kelly- Its been awhile since I've done one of these.

1. Who was your FIRST prom date?  I did not go to prom. DH, then boyfriend, and I decided to spend our money on the Amnesty International Concert. It was amazing!! 

2. Do you still talk to your FIRST love?  Yes, everyday.

3. What was your first alcoholic drink? I'm taking this to mean a drink all to myself, not just a sip of my dad's beer- a Whiskey Sour at a cousin's wedding.  

4. What was your FIRST job? I babysat and cleaned up at a commercial bakery, but my first official job was in a jewelry store. 

5. What was your FIRST car?  A green buick, LeSabre I think. It was a boat, from my Godfather. 

6. Who was the FIRST person to text you today?  I don't text. Seriously.

7. Who is the FIRST person you thought of this morning? My husband

8. Who was your FIRST grade teacher? Mrs. Keveko- She was really scary!! Thankfully she hurt her back and a good part of the year I had a substitute, sweet as can be. Interesting bit of gossip, Mrs. Keveko's husband left her for my hair dresser and together they began Gloria Jean's Coffee before selling the chain to become millionaires.

9. Where did you go on your FIRST ride on an airplane?  Florida.  

10. Who was your FIRST best friend & do you still talk? Lisa. We email/facebook every now and then.

11. Where was your FIRST sleep over? Lisa's. I practically lived there. 

12. Who was the FIRST person you talked to today? I said, "I love you. Drive careful," as DH woke me before he left for work.

13. Whose wedding were you in the FIRST time? My sister's. Too old to be a flower girl, too young to be a bridesmaid, I was a "junior bride". Embarrassing preteen nightmare

14. What was the FIRST thing you did this morning? kiss that same guy I didn't go to prom with

15. What was the FIRST concert you ever went to? U2  

16. What was the FIRST record/tape/CD you bought?  U2 Unforgettable Fire

17. FIRST hospitalization? C-section for my oldest 

18. FIRST foreign country you've been to? I've never been out! HELP!

19. FIRST movie you remember seeing? The Wizard Of Oz was burned into my brain. I'm still traumatized by the Wicked Witch. First movie I remember seeing in a movie theater, I can't remember? Maybe Coal Miner's Daughter with my parents?

20. When was your FIRST detention? I never had detention really. There may have been one of those times the entire class was punished for the behavior of a select few, but I remember being able to get out of it to go help another teacher. 

21. What did you do with your FIRST paycheck? Saved it.  

22. Your FIRST social networking site? Yahoo 360.

23. Who FIRST invited you to Multiply? Most of my 360 friends moved here, ironically, not many of them stayed. 

Requests have come in for pancakes, banana bread and lemon poppy seed muffins. I also wanted to make caramel chocolitas. Looks like I'll be spending quite a bit of time today in the kitchen.

Although I'm happy to see the scale go down and be able to buy a smaller size, it doesn't seem fair I'm burning less calories because I weigh less. I'm still doing the same work!

I've Already Lost That Hour

I've just looked at the clock, expecting it to be earlier than it is. This means, when you consider we've just pushed back the clock, I've really lost track of time!

We've had a great weekend. My parents came down for a visit and it was fun sharing the weekend with them. I didn't make any progress on the home improvement front, but it was still a great weekend. They've headed off this morning, to make the rest of the family stops on their tour. I'll see them again Wednesday, at my Uncle's funeral.

We watched some fun TV, Sharktopus on SyFy and the Simpson's Treehouse Of Horror. Now I can put away the Halloween decorations and get ready for Thanksgiving and Christmas.

I have an idea for a home business the boys and I can work on together, but its going to take an investment of a few hundred dollars of equipment. I'm going to start saving for video transfer equipment. I found our old 8mm camcorder tapes, and I really want to save them to DVD, along with moving our wedding VHS tapes to DVD. I started thinking about how since the boys enjoy everything computer or video related, they may enjoy learning about this and helping me with this project. Then I started wondering if others would pay us to move their videos and photos to DVD as well! We'll have a lot to learn, but even if this never turns into a business, it will be great to preserve our family's memories on DVD. I'm also hoping its a way to foster along my son's interest in video production.

I had a strange stress dream about work. I had piles of work to do and I was running out of time. I kept wanting to escape away from the desk to the pool deck, but every time I did, I would trip and fall. Once I almost fell into the pool. I think this was my sub-subconscious keeping me on task on the desk! LOL!

At the end of the dream, a co-worker was driving me and Mr. Grumpus home. Mr. Grumpus is a grumpy old man who swim regularly at the pool. He lives up to his hidden nickname 100%. In the dream, Mr. Grumpus told my co-worker and I he loved us, (in a brotherly way, not romantic.) It has me thinking this morning, maybe I shouldn't think so negatively of Mr. Grumpus. He's probably grumpy because he doesn't feel loved.

I'm so blessed to have a loving and supportive family. The weekend went by too quickly and now I miss them. DH will have to work late tonight too. :(

I suppose I should stop feeling sorry for myself and get my walk in before I look again at the clock and wonder where the day went.

Thinking About Tea & Exercise Planning

Yumi thought you may be interested in how I store so much tea in my pantry. I use a cardboard flat to hold the boxes and when a box gets low, I move the few remaining tea bags to this plastic shoe box. These sit nicely on the top shelf in my pantry and I can slide them out when I want to rummage for a tea fix.

I need this Friday. I have a few errands to run, but other than that, I'm planning on recharging today. My to do list for this weekend is stacked.

I was tempted by the Tread Climber, until I saw the price. We already have a treadmill, but I find it boring. I'm sure if we did purchase a tread climber, I would eventually grow bored with it as well.

My problem is, winter is coming, and I know the day will come when I can't walk outside. I have to think of something to keep my workouts going. Mall walking won't work because I'd have to drive 20 miles one way, to the nearest mall each day. Maybe I'll buy ice grippers for my winter boots. That's my main worry about walking in winter, slipping on ice.

I should start swimming again, but to be honest, do I want to drive in to work on the days I'm not scheduled just to work out? The commute time is equivalent to the exercise time. I don't think I'd stick with it, having to give up so much of my free time.

I'm just going to have to put myself on a schedule, make myself walk the treadmill while watching TV and maybe mix it up with Wii Fit and maybe as much outdoor activity as I can manage.

I just realized I'm a tea hoarder. I have 47 different kinds of tea in my pantry, and I don't dare admit how many servings I actually have on hand at the moment of those 47 flavors!

Thoughts On Parenting

I've been witness to too many instances of improper parenting lately. It floors me how some "grown ups" abuse the emotional trust of their children.

I know I've made mistakes, but overall, I try to give my children love and guidance without judgment. I've also been able to raise respectable, young gentlemen without having to hit them or yell at them, except for that one day my voice reached an unimaginable decibel level as I saw my son about to be squashed flat by an oncoming car. Fear and danger will bring out Mama Lion's roar. Needless to say, they never again tried to lay on their skateboards and street luge.

I've had a learning curve. With the first born, we did the "time out" technique, but soon discovered being a first born, he had a natural desire to please us. To this day I still have to watch my powers of guilt, so instilled in me from my parents.

My second born, thankfully, was given to me with a strong will. The very few times we tried "time out" with him didn't work. After much prayer I figured out what he needed was for me to trust him with responsibility. Getting into mischief was only a sign he needed a project he could take ownership of and develop his self esteem. His transformation from terrible two taught me so much about respect and what I should expect from my children.

I learned how to really think about what their needs were. Hungry, thirsty, tired, sick, lonely, these can all bring out the worse in someone. When I could stay in tune with their needs, harmony was easy. I don't know that I could have achieved this without being a hands on parent.

I had to respect and honor the person they were born to be, not the person I thought they should become. The only way I could teach them how to love and respect others was if I modeled that myself. I couldn't beat, yell, or shame that into them without being a complete hypocrite.

Now that the boys are in or approaching their teens, I'm realizing how wonderful the payoff is. Honestly, there has not been one temper tantrum in our house for over a decade. I'm finding my boys are not moody or temperamental. There is no teen rebellion. We aren't even seeing any sibling rivalry.

Maybe this is because we've always respected them and given them the freedom they needed. They've demonstrated to us how they are more than capable of making wise decisions when it comes to honoring and respecting others.

I can remember how my relationship with my parents had to reach a breaking point before they began to treat me as an adult. Its unfortunate we had to say hurtful words to each other through this process. We have a wonderful relationship now. Love and forgiveness really do bring healing.

I'm sure one day, more of my parenting faults will surface, but overall I know we've built a strong family, who will always be there for one another. I'm very grateful we've found our way here, perhaps because we chose an uncommon path.

Our Halloween Night

Here's our Businessman Zombie. Before he got dressed, he looked very creepy staring at us from the dark hallway. He hauled in quite a stash of treats, and all the walking he's been doing helped him cruise through the neighborhood in record time this year.

DS15 stayed home with friends in the Mancave playing games. I was on doorbell duty while DH and DS11 were out. It started out slow but really picked up. I was glad we had picked up extra candy because we ended up with about 200 trick or treaters.

After Trick or Treating, we watched The Walking Dead. So far, it seems interesting, although fairly obvious they are proud of their special effect makeup. I was surprised by the amount of graphic violence, (head shots) on regular TV, but maybe AMC isn't considered regular TV?