Resolutions and Orange Cranberry Scones

I know we are supposed to have wonderful things planned out for the year ahead and I really love the idea, but I NEVER follow through. Within 24 hours of the year coming in, I completely forget I made a resolution until around July. In July I think "Well, shit."

So, for this year I am going to continue the things I like in my life:

• I hope to continue to succeed in school (it makes me proud of myself).
• I plan to continue to eat smaller portions and watch my weight (it is too hard to lose to put it all back on again).
• I hope to continue to successfully homeschool the 8 yr. old (because I really don't want to screw this up).
• I plan to continue to spend quality time with the Family each week (which isn't too hard because I feel guilty with all the time I spend at school and work).
• I plan to continue to cook healthy meals for my Family (Or have the hubby cook healthy meals for the Family ;).

And one new one:

• I plan on buying a new washer or gently used washer immediately in the new year!

Happy New Year Everyone! I hope everyone is able to accomplish ALL their New Year's Goals this year. This Year can be the year of Success!

_______________________________

And to bring in the New Year, here is a recipe to my most favorite pastry EVER!

Orange Cranberry Scones

Ingredients:

One medium to large Orange

1/2 C. Very cold Butter (not the fake stuff)

2 C. Flour

2 tsp. Baking Powder

1/2 tsp. Salt

2 Tbsp. Sugar

1/2 Cup diced Fresh Cranberries (I am sure you could use the dried and sweetened ones, just leave out the 2 Tbsp. Sugar)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees

1. Zest the entire orange, set aside.

2. Then squeeze all the juice out of the orange (pulp is good, but not chunks), set aside.

3. I did it all in my food processor: Sift the Flour, Sugar, Salt, and Baking Powder together.

4. Cut the butter into small squares and mix it into the flour mixture. You want the mixture crumbly, but you don't want big chunks of butter. This is where a food processor really comes in handy because you want the butter to stay as cold as possible. This is what makes the scone flaky.

5. Add in the zest and the cranberries. Mix until coated. (I pulsed it a couple of times).

6. Drizzle in the orange juice and stir or pulse. Be careful not to add in too much liquid, you don't want the mixture sticky. You do want it to form a ball. If you don't have enough juice from the orange, just add in a little store bought juice.

7. Divide dough into 8 pieces and form into whatever shape you want.

8. Place on baking sheet (I use stoneware) and bake for about 15-20 minutes. You want them to be slightly golden brown on top.

Directions for the icing glaze:

Ingredients:

1 Cup Powder Sugar

2 to 3 Tbsp. Milk or Orange Juice

Directions:

Put powder sugar into bowl and drizzle in the liquid one tablespoon at a time, mixing well between each until you get the consistency you want.

The Bad, The Good, The Grotesque?

You know that job interview I had? Well, I don't think I got it. The manager said I should hear from them by this past Monday and I have heard nothing. Nada. Zip. Maybe it's a sign and it's just not meant to be. I will admit that I am a bit disappointed. Luckily, I already have a job--which I like. But, there is this idea in my head of wanting to work in a hospital. I am sure it won't be anything like what I think, but the desire is still there. Especially, the desire to learn and what is a better place to learn in than in a hospital?

On a good note: The Hubby got a job. He starts today. It's minimum wage with minimal tips, but it's a job. I wouldn't say we are "excited" but we are feeling a little relieved.

I know I said I wouldn't talk about it for awhile, but my school starts back in 2 weeks! I am so nervous and excited. I can't wait to take Anatomy and Physiology. Did you know we get to work with actual Cadavers in anatomy?! I can't wait. Let's hope I remember my Bio class information ;).

Just have to share..

We had such a great Christmas! We got the kids a Wii Fit Plus and the new Super Mario Bros. Game for Wii. We spent all morning taking turns on the Wii Fit and most of the afternoon and evening playing the Super Mario Game.

My favorite of the two is the Super Mario Bros. Game.


The Wii Fit is neat but the Super Mario Game is better. It is very similar to all the other Mario Games except for my favorite part: I love that four of us can play all at once. This creates a very competitive edge even though it is supposed to be cooperative effort. I believe we broke a lot of noise barriers with all the screaming, yelling, and laughing. If you have kids, a fun family, or some fun friends to invite over, I totally recommend this game. I can't wait to play it with the Family when they come next Thanksgiving!

Merry Christmas!

Traditions are important and my kids will not let me alter our traditions one bit!

Tonight, Christmas Eve, we get to have Cornish Game Hens, Wild Rice, Artichokes, and Cherry pie for dessert. The kids will drink apple cider wine in wine glasses. We will then go and look at Christmas lights around town and make lots of oohing and aahing sounds. The kids will go to bed at about 9 pm because I am a horrible mom who has to go to bed at some point. While waiting for them to fall asleep, I will watch It's a Wonderful Life while I wrap presents. (I have yet to stay awake through the entire movie so I don't know how it ends).

Christmas morning we will wake up early at the butt crack of dawn and open presents with some more oohing and aahing noises. I then get to spend the next lifetime making wonderful things to eat like pancakes with strawberries and bananas and whip cream on top, bacon, cream cheese eggs, and orange juice (Everything is made from scratch, except the O.J.).

Normally, at this point, I am done. I don't normally cook Christmas dinner. For the last 6 years we have gone out to eat for Christmas dinner. We live in a fairly small town where even Denny's (which is ALWAYS open or so their sign says) is closed. We have known to be seen at Jack in the Box the first couple years and a chinese restaurant the last couple. Last year we went to a friend's house for dinner and I actually missed my chinese Christmas dinner.

This year my grandmother drove up. (yes mom, she's here). She brought with her a 10 pound prime rib that we will be cooking for Christmas dinner. It's really nice having someone here for dinner. I love having people over and I think I like to go out for Christmas dinner because it is less lonely. I get to be around the big crowds (it's amazing how many people go out to eat Christmas dinner).

Next year I think I am going to invite over anyone who doesn't have plans, family to go to or have come over, or those who just want to get away from their family. It would be fun to have friends over to celebrate Christmas with.

I hope you have a wonderful holiday as I know we will!

Merry Christmas!

This and That and Gooey Chex Mix

I got my final grades today and I did much better than I ever have in school! School has never been my "thing." I have always struggled with school....Did I mention I dropped out of high school in the 9th grade? (I did take something similar to the GED and passed the first time).

So, here is the final tally:

Biology: B

History: A-

Communications/Speech: A-

English Literature: A- (I got an A on that 8-page paper I was writing)

I am so proud of myself!

_________

Yesterday, I made a whole bunch of some of the best Chex mix I have ever made for all the residents I help take care of--all 37 of them. They really liked it and it was fun. (recipe at the bottom). I had two of the ladies ask me for the recipe because they want to make it for their families. Yeah, umm, these ladies don't have a kitchen... But, I obliged and gave it to them anyway. Maybe they can convince their families to make it.

I am also giving out my pomegranate jelly to friends, neighbors, and co-workers. So far, everyone who has gotten one is really excited. Most have not tried it before, but are so excited to try it. I love seeing how happy everyone looks when they get one!

What do you give out for Christmas?

_________

Did you guys realize Christmas is in 3 Days?! I can't believe how close it is. We still haven't decorated the tree or done anything Christmasy. So, we are going to cram a whole bunch of stuff into the next 3 days.

Today: Decorate 1 Christmas tree (and clean the house).

Tomorrow: Bake cookies and decorate them (and possibly make a run to the laundry room).

Christmas eve: Big Dinner and look at lights.

_________

Gooey Sweet Chex Mix

Into one really big bowl:

6 Cups Honey Grahams

6 Cups any Chex Cereal

1 Cup Slivered Almonds

1 Cup Shredded Coconut

Into a medium sized sauce pan on medium heat:

1 Cup Butter and let it melt and then add

1 Cup Light Corn Syrup

1 Cup Sugar

Let the mixture come to a boil. Let it boil for 3 to 4 minutes. It will start to turn a light tan color, this is good.

Here is the best method I have found for mixing this: Drizzle some of the hot mixture over the cereal mix and stir. Pour more of the hot mix over the cereal and then stir. REPEAT until all the sugar mix is incorporated into the cereal mix. (I tried to dump it all on top the first time I made it and the sugar mixture cooled down way to fast and it was hard to evenly coat the cereal.)

Next, lay it all out on parchment paper. Try and spread it out. Let it cool completely.

Enjoy!

Day 1: A little lost

Today is the first day that I don't have to worry about school.

I don't know what to do with my self right now. I am actually feeling kind of lost without the pressure of something due.

I have checked my grades online twice already this morning and I have only been up for 2 hours (I am still waiting for my other three classes to post my final grade-they have until Monday but I think it's a form of torture).

Laundry is done.....No, the washer isn't fixed. On Wednesday the hubby and I took EVERY single dirty cloth like item to the laundry mat. We got EVERYTHING clean. And it only cost us over $60. Painful. Lucky for us we had a bunch of books to sell back to the bookstore and that was just enough to cover the laundry. The wonderful part is ALL the laundry is done right now.

Did you know Christmas is a week away?!? I don't know how that got here so fast but I think it should wait another month so I have time to prepare....Oh wait, I will never be prepared.

I think I will teach myself Medical Terminology so I am ready for my classes next semester. Did I mention I changed my schedule? I have decided to take Anatomy and Physiology (which our college teaches separately) at the same time. I have been told countless times that these are really hard classes. I have also been told by countless people that one of the teachers I have to take is HORRIBLE. Only one person has said something positive about this teacher. So, I am really nervous about next semester.

The best part about doing them both at the same time: It makes it possible for me to apply to the extremely competitive nursing program in March. If I get in, I would start the program in the fall.

I also get to apply for my Associate of Science in January. Hopefully, I enough elective credits to receive it. I have all the core general ed. requirements for sure.

I will tell you: it is really nice to be at a point where there is light at the end of the tunnel.

Done! Done! Done!

I am done! I finished my last final tonight.

I got an A on my eight page research paper in my English Literature class.

The only final grade I know is Biology which is a B. (That's what I was hoping for.)

Now, I get to wait and see what the rest of my grades are. My goal was a B in each class. Let's hope I did it.

A minor screw up?

Did you ever go on a job interview and later think "why did I say that?"

I had a job interview today. It was for a part time (very part time-like 12 hours every 2 weeks) position at the hospital here in town. The timing was great. I am planning on applying for the nursing program in March and getting a job at the hospital would be killer. (I really want the job. Even really part time opens the door for the next position that has more hours. And, I can stay at my current job until more hours open up.)

I think the interview went well, but I don't know for sure. I sure hope they call me back. He did say I may not hear anything until the week of the 28th because Christmas messes everything up for HR. So, we will see. Unfortunately, when thinking back on the interview I think I may have said something I shouldn't have.

He asked me something like "what do you dislike about your present employer." I told him I really like my present employer and the management team is great. But then I said the only thing I could think of is that they have a hard time letting go of people who consistently don't work well.

Maybe I shouldn't have said anything negative. I should have "forgotten" anything I don't like. Sigh. Oh well.

As long as I learn from this experience, that's what counts, right? And to do better at the next interview.

I sure feel like I have been saying that a lot lately.

I still hope they call, and they might call, but I wonder how likely it is now.

3 down, 1 to go

As of right now, three of my finals are done and I have one more to go.

Tonight, I am drinking a couple glasses of wine and relaxing. Tomorrow, I get to start studying again.

The washer is still broken and we are quickly running out of clothes. I think I am going to have to take some clothes to laundry room tomorrow. Yuck. I will take my books and study while waiting. The best part about having big kids? They will get to help fold the clothes when I bring them home.

If it's not one thing, it's another.

Well, today is the official start of finals week. My first one is tonight. I then have two tomorrow and my last one Thursday night. It's nice to think I will get a couple of weeks off.

Our washer broke this weekend. I am not quite sure what we are going to do about that right now. We need clothes washed badly, but the laundry mat is pretty expensive. The Hubby took the machine apart yesterday and cleaned out the pump. We thought that would do it. But, no. It still doesn't work. Now I have to find time to take the clothes down to the Laundry mat and the time. If only the machine had waited one more week-that would have been a little more convenient for me.

I hope you all are having a better start to your week!

Getting there...Almost.

• Eight page paper done-I got all assignments done last week!

• Four finals to study for-I have a final on Monday Night, two on Tuesday and one more on Thursday night.

• Three loads of laundry washed.

Now, I just need to find time to study this weekend. I work all weekend, so hopefully, I will be able to get it all done.

And meltdown of the month goes to.....ME!

Completely overwhelmed by life right now. Between money and time, which I have neither of right now, I am completely stressed.

I am sure most of you are saying "totally understandable." Unfortunately, I don't like melting down. I don't like crying and feeling hopeless. I want to always feel like everything is going to work out or be ok.

We are two weeks before Christmas, I should be in the Christmas spirit, right? Ha. School has taken everything from me this week. I have been working so hard trying to catch up that NOTHING else has gotten done. Which is not good when your 3 year old wets herself while sleeping and you have no more dry, clean pj's to put on her.

I am now chanting:

"One more week"

"One more week"

"One more week"

I sure hope you all are having a better week than I am.

English Literature

My English Lit. professor is driving me insane! I am not sure if he really our papers before editing them or if he doesn't know what in the heck he is doing. I am currently in the process of writing an 8 page research paper on a book called "The Stranger" by Albert Camus. Yesterday I got back my rough draft with some insane edits on it.

For instance:

• I wrote: "It could bring major destruction, huge change, and even death. When we don't live in the moment, these things can destroy us and/or our belief system."

• His edit: He circled "these things" and asked "What things?"

REALLY? Didn't the sentence just before say what things?

and then:

• I wrote: "Meursault doesn't look for justification for his own actions."

• His edit: "Whose actions?"

Ummmm....starting to feel a bit insane here...

• I wrote: "always honest, extremely carnal, and he only knows how to exist in the moment he is in."

• His edit: "explain-expand on this."

The rest of my rough draft is expanding on that.

Again, I feel insane.

I am going to just write my paper, ignoring his ignorant editing, and tomorrow go talk to him (nicely of course, he still has control over my grade) and ask him to explain himself.

Good times.

Quote of the Year, Week, Day....Whatever

Sleep is a symptom of caffeine deprivation.

~ Author Unknown

I love this quote. I am a HUGE coffee drinker and I really had to laugh when I read this.

Stress is good, right?

English Literature: Eight page research paper on a book that is only 123 pages long, due next Thursday. Four of the pages are due tomorrow. I still have to reread the book and find sources.

Biology: Test Friday.

History: Need to read ten chapters in my history book over the next week and a half. Each chapter is 25 pages long.

Communication (a.k.a. Speech): A five minute persuasive speech due on Tuesday. Have to do this with a group. We each have to do five minutes. There are three of us which means we need to give a 15 minute speech.

Finals in two weeks.

And then I get a three week break! I can do it.

I. Can. Do. It.

I hope.

Back to Life

You know that song "Back to life?" (I don't know if that's what the title really is.) That's the song that always comes to my head whenever I have to get back to my normal life. Which, right now, I am not looking forward to. I don't want my kids to go back to school. Heck, I don't want to go back to school.

Thanksgiving was so much fun! My mom, 2 sisters, 2 brothers, and 1 brother-in-law (who likes to think he isn't really a part of this crazy family) all left on Saturday. We had a blast.

On Thursday, the turkey didn't get started until 2 pm because the lady (insert crazy mother here) who was in charge of stuffing took forever getting it together. By the time everything was done, it was 8 o'clock and the turkey was still cooking. But, the food was delicious, the pies were phenomenal, and the alcoholic drinks were needed (they seem to be needed pretty early in the day, what does that say?).

On Friday, 11 of us went to see New Moon. My hubby and BIL stayed at the house, too cool to go see a "chick flick." It was a good movie. Much better than the first one, Twilight. On the way back from the theater we got to watch my mother jump out of my car, run through the parking lot of Albertson's wearing flip flops, grey capri work out type pants, and a nice coat-hair flying wildly in the breeze. She was giggling the whole time. This is the point when 4 out of 5 of us siblings said "Oh my God. You can have her." The 12 year old claimed her. We told him he could have her.

Once we got to the house we made the most wonderful sushi. My wonderful mother has learned to fish in tiny backyard called the Pacific Ocean (she lives on a boat part-time). She brought fresh tuna with her and showed me how to cut the meat off the bone. Oh my was the sushi yummy. I am hoping to go to California for my birthday in January. I told her I want to come home with a lot of fish. I will buy a freezer if I have to.

On Saturday, everyone came over for breakfast before they headed back. We played one last quick game of Scrabble. My mother talked Stephanie into making one more, real quick, pecan pie. They all left just before the pie was done. The funny part? I got to eat the best pie of the weekend and didn't have to share it with all of them! Ha. That's what they get for leaving.

I miss them already. Someday, I hope to live by them all again. I dream of having them over for once-a-month BBQ's and of them dropping by for the hell of it. I could go fishing frequently with my mother! Sigh. Why does Southern California have to cost so much?

So, like I said: Back to life. Back to school and tests and all the other fun things I have to do (like get my second dose of my Hep. B vaccine and the MMR for my phlebotomy class).

Happy Thanksgiving Everyone

I hope all of you have a great day with family and/or friends.

We have a huge meal planned:

• Turkey and Ham
• Stuffing
• Mashed Potatoes
• Rosemary Roasted Acorn Squash
• Cranberry Sauce
• Garlic Roasted Cauliflower
• Funeral Potatoes
• Blueberry Jello
• Sweet Potatoes
• and of course lots of pies!

What is your favorite Thanksgiving dish?

This is the post about me trying really hard to not be in a panic.

We are coming up to the end of the semester. I currently have 3 big finals to study for and 1 medium one. The medium one is my American History class. The professor has decided not to make the final comprehensive and I love him for it.

My communications class is driving me INSANE! The instructor is extremely disorganized. So much so that we still have two speeches to present and only two classes times left to do it and we are not scheduled to do them next week. Which means they are both going to have to be given on the same night. He has run his whole class this way and I shouldn't be surprised.

My Biology class is going pretty good. I have set up a study group with a couple of other ladies to study for the final. I hope this helps. I just got back the best test grade I have gotten yet in Bio.- a B! I was really happy.

My English Lit. class has an 8 page paper due in a week and a half. It has to be on The Stranger by Albert Camus or Fences by August Wilson. Both of these stories are really no longer than 8 pages themselves. I don't know how I am going to get 8 pages of bullshit critical analysis out of them.

So, there you have it. My stressful next two and a 1/2 weeks.

Last night I couldn't sleep. I woke up three times with all this going through my head. I had to turn the t.v. on all three times to distract my thoughts.

The great thing, and only thing, keeping me sane? When I am done in December I will have all the requirements done for my Associates of Science. I talked to the advisor yesterday and he told me to come back in January and have my transcripts audited so I can apply for the degree.

See, it just might all be worthwhile (or so I keep telling myself).

Thanksgiving and My Family

I am so excited for Thanksgiving! Every year my mom, sisters, and brothers come up to my house from Southern California to celebrate Thanksgiving with us. We end up eating WAY too much food, drinking a little too much wine, and playing lots of fun games throughout the weekend. Our favorite games are Charades and Scrabble.

Now, let me tell you about scrabble. It has been known to cause wars during the visit. We usually get over them quickly, but we still play. My sister even went out and bought the Deluxe Scrabble that she now keeps in her trunk so she won't forget to bring it. I even heard a rumor that their might finally be an Official Scrabble Dictionary this year to minimize the nasty fighting wars. Even with all this, I LOVE playing with them. We usually play just girls (and then my husband starts to peek and give me hints of what words to use, which promptly starts a war). Oh the memories....

Charades is another one that we love. Especially after a glass of wine or two or... It's a lot of fun and Stephanie is really talented act acting them out (I will see if I can secretly video tape her impression of Kramer. It's a riot!)

This is where I need your help. In Thanksgivings past, we have used the charades box out of my Cranium game. Unfortunately, we have all memorized the cards after 3 years worth of playing. We need your ideas for Charades. What are some good things to act out?

Frog and Toad Field Trip

We recently got to go on a field trip to our local college. They are doing a production of Frog and Toad. We got to go see how the play was made. L got to go on stage, play with some of the props, see where the costumes are made and kept, and he got to learn what it takes to put a show together. The director even took a few minutes to talk to the kids. It was great.

This was our very patient, gracious host, Steven. He was great with the kids. He didn't mind all the questions from the kids and he really took his time showing them everything.

Getting to try on the very cool, special, extremely heavy shell. As you can see, Steven had to hold it so L didn't tip over.

We had a lot of fun!

Homeschool Update

So, we have been homeschooling for about 2 months now. Overall, it is going great! L is still happy to be home which makes me happy and sad. Happy because I know it's the right thing and sad because school must have been really hard emotionally for him. I know it's not the academics because he is doing great.

We are still using the Saxon Math program. We had to skip about 1/2 the program because it was way too easy for him. I wonder if the homeschool version is slower or at a different level than the school version he was in. I ordered the same level he was in at school and this one was really too easy.

We are somewhat using the Shirley English. There are some things we are doing in it, but not much. I ended up going to Barnes and Nobles and picking up a couple of English workbooks. One for vocabulary and one for reading comprehension. These have been great and he enjoys doing them.

He is currently making a State Box. Each week he picks a new state. He takes a 3x5 notecard and writes information about the state on it and draws the state. We then put it in a notecard box. He really likes doing this. We then eat a food that is special to that area. I think we will do this with country's when the states are all done.

Harry Potter is our current book. He is trying really hard to read the first one by himself. It's a struggle, but he is working on it and that is all that counts. He really wants to read like his big brother and sisters.

He is really hands on and creative! He is constantly trying to make weird things out of weird items. He collects cereal boxes because he likes to try and make things with them. I love watching him create. He especially loves going to The Home Depot and Lowe's kid's clinics.

We go lots of places and try to take every opportunity we can to teach him proper people behavior. We are having a little bit of a problem with how we treat people and what's right and wrong. I'm glad I can help him correct these behaviors now, but what a pain! I just hope we can change them. His ADHD doesn't help and when I forget to medicate him, we pay for it.

The doctor thinks we should up his dose. She is probably right, but I can handle him as long as he takes the dose he is on. When he doesn't take it, the melt downs start immediately and I have started to notice he talks more meanly to everyone. When he takes it, all these things stop. He is still bouncing all over, but this is a small thing to me.

We will get through all this and hopefully, by summer, I will be telling you how wonderful he is the majority of the time.

Berry Berry Streusel Bars-A.K.A. Granola Bars

Years ago, I was given this recipe from a friend. I quickly fell in love with it. I have played with it and played with it until it has become a favorite snack/dessert/breakfast treat for all of us. It is originally from QuakerOats.com. I hope you enjoy as much as we do!

You are only going to see pictures like this because it went from the pan to all gone in 60 seconds flat. (Have I mentioned my 6'3" 14 yr old who is a walking stomach?)

You can see the yummy jelly coming up through the topping. Yum!

Berry Berry Streusel Bars - A.K.A. Granola Bars

1 1/2 Cups Oats (old fashioned OR instant-it doesn't matter)

1 1/4 Cups Flour (I like to use half whole wheat flour)

1/2 Cup Brown Sugar, packed

12 Tbsp. Very Cold Butter (it helps it be crunchy on the outside and soft in the middle)

1 Jar (about 8 oz.) of your favorite Jelly or Jam

1 tsp. flour

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

1. Mix together oats, flour, and brown sugar.

2. Cut in the butter, like a pie crust. You want the mixture to be crumbly. I use my stand mixer or food processor to help with this.

3. In a greased 8x8 or 9x9 pan, press in about 1/2 to 2/3 of the oat mixture. Save the rest for the topping. Press it in good.

4. Bake for 13 to 15 minutes. You want it just barely starting to brown.

5. While that is baking, mix together the jam and 1 tsp. flour. (When I double the recipe, I use a Tbsp. of flour to 16 oz. of jelly). Mix it well.

6. After you pull the crust out of the oven, pour the jam mix all over the top. Spread it out as evenly as possible. If you can help it, try not to get the jelly onto the pan sides. It tends to become a bit sticky.

7. Take the rest of your oat mixture and sprinkle it, using your fingers, all over the top. Cover the jelly with the topping as best you can and gently press it down into the jelly using your hands.

8. Bake for another 20 to 25 minutes or until golden brown on top.

9. Cut into squares and enjoy!

For more fun recipes to try, go over to the Grocery Cart Challenge every Thursday for their recipe swap!

Registration Time....Again

I get to register for my next semester classes today. I love getting my schedule figured out. I like knowing and preparing myself ahead of time of what it's going to be like each semester. After a lot of conversations, I think (I hope) we finally have it all figured out (I wish).

I am going to take:

Anatomy and it's lab

Phlebotomy

Medical Terminology

and Sociology

13 credits total.

I also figured out that I now have ALL my general education requirements for an Associate's degree. I just need elective credits...I think. I am going trying to get an appointment with an advisor to help me figure this all out. I am feeling a bit burnt out right now because it seems like I just keep taking classes and I have nothing to really show for it but a bunch of credits I may not be able to use. I will keep you updated after I talk to the advisor.

Grocery Shopping Deals

I love coupon shopping. I know there are a lot of people who get even better deals, but I am really happy with the deals I found today.

I got:

12 boxes of Chex Cereal

7 jars of Ragu Spaghetti Sauce

12 jars Skippy Peanut Butter

Between using coupons and the store specials I got 31 items total for $23.81! Less than .77 cents an item!

I just love finding deals like this.

Where I live.

I took the family up to Snow Canyon State Park last weekend. It takes us about 15 minutes to drive there. We hiked a couple of trails and had a really nice time. I was able to get some really pretty pictures. So, I decided to show you what it looks like around where I live.

Pomegranates

I love pomegranates. When I was a kid my mom would get me one pomegranate each year. (They were too expensive to get more than that.) To me, pomegranates are special. They are a treat that is fun to eat. (Beware, they stain.) They are beautiful.

Now, I have a pomegranate tree in my backyard. Each year I get to torture my children by having them help me take out each and every little, red, juicy pearl inside. We watch a movie or 4 and sit down and get tired of pomegranates really quick get busy. I then juice them using my Kitchen Aid Mixer with the fruit and vegetable strainer attachment (also great to make applesauce with.) It's awesome, I find little spots of pomegranate juice for weeks. This year we got four gallons of juice from our tree. So, I made pomegranate jelly. Lot's of pomegranate jelly. Twenty-four pints and thirty-six 8-oz jars of pomegranate jelly.

It's delicious.

Here is my recipe for pomegranate jelly:

5 Cups Pomegranate Juice

1 Tbsp. Lemon Juice (this helps keep out bacteria)

1 tsp. Butter (this helps keep the foam down, you'll see.)

6 1/2 Cups Sugar (preserves the jam so it doesn't rot)

1 box Powdered Pectin

1. Measure out the sugar in a separate bowl.

2. In a VERY big pot (It boils really big), start heating up the pomegranate juice on medium high heat.

3. Add in the pectin.

4. Stir until boiling.

5. Add in all the sugar.

6. Keep stirring.

7. When it comes to a full rolling boil, let it boil for one minute while you stir constantly.

8. Turn off the heat and using a spoon (it helps if the spoon is cold), dip it into the jelly and within a few second you will be able to tell if it jelled.

9. Put into jars and process jars according to whatever method you want to use, water bath canning or pressure canning.

It can take a couple of weeks for the jelly to fully form like the one above, but you can tell immediately if the jelling worked because it will look something like a thick jell. If it didn't work, you can redo the process. This SITE has great instructions for redoing the jelly.

*Make sure you use enough sugar or the jelly won't set right.

*Also, don't double the recipe or it won't work right either.

Out of one pot, I got about 7 little 8-oz jars or 4 pint jars and one 8-oz jar.

This post is linked to Grocery Cart Challenge.

A. Pain. In. The. Ass.

Each semester, about two weeks before it is time to register for our new classes, The Hubby torments me with what classes and schedule he should take. I am not talking about thinking over two or three different options. I am talking about him changing his schedule 2 or 3 times a day!

What really sucks? I can't settle on mine until his is picked. Lucky for me, I only have two options. So, he has to sort of work around that in all his craziness, but I still have to listen to him change it so often. And when I quit responding? He get upset because I'm not listening or giving him the feedback he wants.

Sigh....

At least we register next week.

Unbelievable

It's only November 3rd and I already found a radio station that is playing Christmas music! Yuck!

Sorry.

I spend a week all excited to post and then nothing for awhile. Sorry I don't have more to say. I am pretty sure everyone gets tired of reading how chaotic my life is. I want something interesting to say or something great to share with you.

Someday soon you will get something great. Something like: We are currently in the middle of making pomegranate jelly and I forgot to take pictures of the kids taking all the little seeds out of each and every pomegranate.

I really need to find where I left my camera.

A bit stressed out right now.

I have a biology test this week, a history test, and homework due for my communications class. The biggest issue I am having is finding the time to study. So, instead, I am sitting here waiting for my oatmeal to be done writing on my blog.

Study time is my hardest time to find. With working on the weekends, I want to spend the time I am home with the kids. During the week, I am homeschooling L and M (because she has to do what big brother is doing), running kids around, making meals, trying to keep the house up, etc.

I am also waiting to hear back from a job I applied for. I sure hope they call. Don't get me wrong, I LOVE the place I work now. But, the new place has benefits and hours to work that would work better around my schedule.

I hope you all are enjoying your Sunday a bit more.

Menu Plan Wednesday?

I have decided that each Wednesday (haha, I sure hope I keep this up) I am going to post our menu for the week. You see, our store ads come out on Tuesday but start on Wednesday. Which means, on Tuesdays I can go through the ads and see what's on sale and what I may have a coupon for. This way I can keep our food budget real low and know what to cook each day.

I am doing quite a few crock pot meals because those are the nights I either work or have school.

So, here are our dinners for the next week:

• Chili in the crock pot and Cornbread
• Toni's Pork Roast-in the crock pot
• Creamy Potato Soup-in the crock pot
• Baked Chicken
• Taco Soup-in the crock pot
• Creamy Garlic Penne Pasta
• Lasagna Rolls

If you are lucky (and I remember to), I will post recipes as I make them and hopefully a picture or two.

Cutting Back

I have so stressed out this week about money. I am currently waiting to hear back from a job I applied for so I can work full time doing 3-12 hour shifts a week. This way, it won't interfere with mine and hubby's school too much.

I am also trying really hard to find ways to cut back on spending. I feel like we already have cut back so much. It's sorta becoming depressing.

I think I am going to talk to the cable company about lowering our monthly bill. We currently pay $107. for basic cable, internet, and our phone line. I don't know if it can be lowered or if cutting cable will lower it very much, but I have to try. If we do get rid of cable, we can do Netflix, which is under $20/month. We can watch some t.v. shows online (like Grey's Anatomy! Did you know you can watch the newest episode online the day after it airs? Just go HERE!) We definitely can not get rid of internet because we need it for school. Not only ours, but the kid's school as well.

Another one is our cell phones. I LOVE texting. We have unlimited texting with our plan and two phones. We pay $115 a month. This seems outrageous to me. I think it might be time to forgo the texting and get to the absolutely cheapest plan available. (I am really going to miss my texting.) It might also be time to look at a different company. How much do you all pay and for what kind of plan?

Because of the great weather, we are finally able to keep the air conditioner off for good. In the summer it just isn't possible to keep the air conditioner off. We get to 110 degrees most of the summer! Now, we just need to keep the heat off as long as possible. It has been dropping into the 40's at night and I really hope it doesn't get much lower than that.

Hubby has been doing most of the driving to the kid's school. He takes them every morning and picks them up at least 2 or three afternoons a week. Since he drives a CNG van, I get to save my gas. He pays just under a dollar a gallon for CNG where as I have to pay $2.70ish for gas/gallon.

If anyone thinks of anything else that can save money, please let me know.

Family Grain Mill

I love my new grain mill. I used it for the first time on Saturday and made rolls with the flour. I see that I am going to have to tweak my bread recipes for the whole wheat, but I am ok with that. I am going to try and make a new bread each week to really get a feel for the wheat. It is definitely different, more rustic.

Here is the mill in action:

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It's loud, but no louder than a vacuum cleaner and it didn't take very long to grind 7 cups of flour, maybe 5 minutes (which is probably too long of an estimate).

I took these wheat berries and I got...

REAL FLOUR!

This was neat. The flour can be ground straight into a measuring cup.

Amish Friendship Bread

About a year ago a friend gave me the starter for Amish Friendship Bread. I followed the directions perfectly and got the most yummy bread. It is along the lines of banana bread or zucchini bread or maybe a coffee cake.

Unfortunately, making two loaves of this high calorie bread every 10 days gets old, quickly. It is also easy to run out of people to give the starter to. So, the last time I made it, about 6 months ago, I froze the starter instead of passing it out and making more bread.

Last Monday, a co-worker of mine asked me if I knew how to make the starter because she wanted to make the bread. That was when I remembered I had the starters in the freezer. I gave her one and decided to make one for the family. So, watch out. I have starter to give away!

Here is how to do it if you receive a starter from a friend:

*Note: Do not use metal utensils or metal bowls. Do not refrigerate the starter.

Day 1: This is the day you receive the starter. Do nothing to the batter on this day.

Day 2: Squish the bag thoroughly. (If the bag starts to blow up on any of the days, just let the air out.)

(See the bubbles? Those are good. You want those.)

Day 3: Squish the bag thoroughly.

Day 4: Squish the bag thoroughly.

Day 5: Guess what? Squish the bag thoroughly.

Day 6: Add 1 cup flour, 1 cup sugar, and 1 cup milk to the bag. Squish the bag thoroughly.

Day 7: Squish the bag thoroughly.

Day 8: Squish the bag thoroughly.

Day 9: Squish the bag thoroughly.

Day 10 (AKA baking day): Add 1 cup flour, 1 cup sugar, and 1 cup milk and squish it all up. Take out three cups of the starter out of the bag and put into individual gallon bags in one cup increments. In other words, put one cup of starter in each bag. You can give these bags away to people you know, or don't know. You can freeze* them and start them over at a later date.

It's over! You get to bake your bread today!

I found this new recipe for the starter and decided to try it. I decided to put some apples in the bread today because apples and fall go together.

Recipe:

Starter

2 cups flour

1/2 cup sugar

2 tsp. baking powder

1 tsp. baking soda

1 1/2 tsp. cinnamon

1 tsp. salt

3 eggs

2/3 cup oil (you can substitute half the oil with some sort of fruit puree.)

1 tsp. vanilla

I also added in 2 tart apples (averaging one for each loaf), peeled, cored, and diced (you can also change the fruit or add no fruit at all).

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

1. Take the remaining starter and put it into a bowl.

2. Add all the wet ingredients to it, except the apples, and mix thoroughly.

3. In a separate bowl, mix together all the dry ingredients.

4. Add dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix thoroughly.

5. Fold in the apples

6. Grease 2 loaf pans and sprinkle the bottom and sides generously with cinnamon sugar.

(Can you see the cinnamon sugar on the side of the bread? Kind of?)

7. Divide batter equally, as best you can, between the pans.

8. Bake for 50 minutes or until done. (use a toothpick or a clean knife.)

*Variations: Try pumpkin puree with some raisins or carrots and raisins. Substitute half the white flour for whole wheat. Use brown sugar instead of white or half and half. This is a base recipe, play with it.

*About freezing: if you freeze your starter, it won't freeze solid. It stays mushy. When you take it out of the freezer, let it sit out for an hour or two to come to room temperature. At this point, you can either use it immediately to bake with or you can let this be day one and start the 10 day process over.

Exams

I had two exams over the last week. I got one of the results back on Monday and the other back yesterday.

American History: B

Principles of Biology: C

I am really happy about the History grade. I almost dropped the class on Monday because of being so overwhelmed. Kind of glad I didn't.

The Biology grade is really ticking me off. I thought I did better than that. I don't know why I am having such a hard time with Biology.

If anyone has any good study techniques, PLEASE let me know.

Here is one for you: I found this site a couple of weeks ago and it is really neat. It is Quizlet.com. You can make flashcards on the site and then you can play games with those terms and it will generate practice tests. I am going to start using it a lot.

I Love Lucy

My new wheat grinder is supposed to be here today and it got me thinking about making everything from scratch, which is my dream. It got me thinking about an I Love Lucy episode where Lucy and Ethel decide to make a deal with their husbands and be "pioneer women." It is really funny.

The New Curriculum

This will be our first week using our new curriculum. I ordered the same curriculum L was using at school so the transition would be easy and he would already know what is expected. Hopefully, this won't backfire.

For math we are using Saxon Math. Saxon is a great program if you start with it from the beginning, or at least at a younger age. They teach things a little differently and use strange wording, which makes it hard helping the older kids because I don't have the saxon knowledge to help them. The teacher's manual is GREAT! It explains things very well, so far. I ordered the kit from Rainbow Resource. They had a great price and it came with the basics you need for the year. If you homeschool, you need to order the Rainbow Resource bible catalog. It's GIGANTIC and full of such wonderful information.

The teacher's manual is on the right. As you can see, they are both a good size.

For English we are going to give Shurley English a try. I have heard it is hard to use, which worries me and I know absolutely nothing about it. Luckily, even if I don't know how to use it, my eight year old does. He will be able to tell me how to do it, I hope.

Anybody else think it's weird the Teacher's Manual is 3 times the size of the

student workbook?!?

For everything else we are using Core Knowledge. I love Core Knowledge. I did order the teacher's books and worksheets from the company. With both the Hubby and I in school, I need this to be as easy as possible.

I will check back in soon and let you all know how it's going and what my thoughts are on the curriculum choices. Right now, the kid is still very excited to be home and that breaks my heart because it means school was not a good experience for him and I left him there for 2 years. He has not once asked to go back.

Grain Mills

I desperately want to grind my own wheat. I have for quite some time. Home ground flour is so much more nutritious for you than the stuff we buy at the store. So, I decided I am going to start looking at them and comparing. You know what I found? They are EXPENSIVE.

I have certain criteria for a grain mill.

1. I really want an electric one, but it needs to have manual capabilities because you never know what the future will hold. If my power EVER goes out for and extended amount of time, I want to be able to grind wheat.

2. I want it to do a good job. It doesn't have to be a top of the line great machine, but it does need to be a good one.

So, based on those two points these are the two I am leaning towards.

The Country Living Mill - This one is like the Mac Daddy of manual grinders. It grinds wheat super fine. It has electric capabilities. It's made here in the USA. It has a great warranty. Unfortunately, it has to be bolted down to something extremely solid. It also costs $400 and the electric capabilities? $425 for the motor kit. So, total $800 for this mill. OUCH! I can't even pretend this is in my price range.

The Family Grain Mill - This is the one I picked. For $259 it has an electric base and it has a manual base. I love that it does both. The reviews I have seen are good, not great, but good. For instance, it doesn't grind quite fine enough to make a cake. Oh well. I don't bake cakes very often. I bet if I ran the flour through it again it would make it fine enough. But, not a big deal.

Like you care.

I have been sick this week.

Sunday: it started with a scratchy throat.

Monday: my throat was still scratchy but now it was swollen and I was achy and tired.

Tuesday: I was feeling much better except my gums in the back of my mouth were really tender and swollen. I thought I had a tooth going bad or something. I made sure to buy a really expensive toothbrush because I must not be doing something right.

Wednesday: I noticed a canker type sore on the inside of my lip and a little swollen gland on my jaw line. It hurts when I touch it. I also started having panic attacks and worrying about cancer.

Thursday: Called the doctor and went in. He said there is an ulcer on the back of my gums and somewhere else I don't remember. It is most likely the reason my glands, two in my neck and the one on my jaw line, are extremely swollen. Oh, this is all on my right side. There is absolutely NOTHING on my left side. He said it is a virus that will have to run it's course. But, he did give my an antibiotic just in case. If it doesn't get better over the weekend or the sores start to get worse, I am supposed to take them.

Have I mentioned I am allergic to three types of antibiotics? This is a new one I get try and hope, REALLY HOPE, my body doesn't decide it is an intruder. I really hope I don't need it.

English Literature

One of the classes I am taking is English Literature. I thought I was going to find this class really boring and find it hard to want to read the stories. So far, I LOVE it. The stories are weird. The discussions in class are fun. The teacher is different.

We have read 6 stories up to now.

The two I have enjoyed the most because they got my brain juices flowing are:

• The Yellow Wallpaper by Charlotte Perkins Gilman
• Hills Like White Elephants by Ernest Hemingway (I had to read this one a couple of times to really figure out the meaning of it.)

The others are:

• The Things They Carried by Tim O'brien (It's too new to give you the actual text. This an interesting one. No real brain juices flowing, nothing to really figure out.)
• What You Pawn I Will Redeem by Sherman Alexie (This was a fun quick read. But, again, it's all given to you. No real juices going.)
• Araby by James Joyce (sorry to any literature experts, but this was lame. Supposedly, a great work of literature. Umm, ok.)
• The Metamorphosis by Franz Kafka (Again, sorry to any literature people: Guy turns into a bug and dies. Woohoo. Yes, I know there is supposed to be more to it.

If any of you out there ready any of these, I would love to hear what you think of them. If you understand Araby, please explain it to me.

Banana Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies

I had some bananas I HAD to use. You know the kind: almost, but not quite yet, oozing onto the counter. The kind that you look at and think "mmmm, banana bread." Except today I decided to get online and see if I could find something different to do with my bananas. Here is what I found: Low Fat Banana Oatmeal Cookies.

Only, my version are NOT low fat and I altered the recipe a bit. I really like these. They remind me of Fall and taste a bit like banana bread.

1/2 Cup Sugar

1/2 Cup Brown Sugar

1 Cup Softened Butter

2 Eggs

2 tsp. Vanilla

2 Cups Flour

1 tsp. Baking Soda

2 tsp. Cinnamon

1/2 tsp. Ground Cloves

3 Ripe Bananas, mashed

2 Cups Rolled Oats

1 Cup Chocolate Chips

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees

2. In a large bowl mix together sugars and butter until creamy.

3. Add in eggs, vanilla, and bananas.

4. In a separate bowl mix together all dry ingredients except the oats and chocolate chips.

5. Add dry ingredients into wet and mix well.

6. Fold in oats and chocolate chips.

7. Drop by spoonful onto baking sheet.

8. Bake for 10-14 minutes.

9. Let cool a few minutes before trying to take them off the pan or they will fall apart.

For more great recipes, check out The Grocery Cart Challenge!

A picture

My 12 year old took this picture and I thought it was eye catching. She loves taking pictures of people. I sure hope she takes that passion and really does something with it.

My Birthday Boy!

He is 8 years old today...

Homeschooling

After thinking long and hard, we have decided to homeschool our 8 year old, ADHD son. Things at school are not going well for him. He can't stop fidgeting, even on his meds, can't sit still, talks too much, can't focus, can't concentrate, etc. 

Last year, before we had him diagnosed, we had a HUGE problem with major tantrums (meltdowns) through out the day. Everyday, he would tell us he didn't want to go to school and from there it was a major battle for him to get ready. Usually it ended with him on the ground throwing a 2 year old type tantrum. 

Now that he is on meds, we don't have meltdowns very often anymore, Thank God. But, he is with a new teacher and I don't know if she is equipped to handle him (this is her first year teaching also). All I know is he no longer wants to be at school. It's become a major problem. 

Now don't get me wrong, this kid loves to learn! He isn't just sitting around not caring or not doing things. He is always excited when we learn stuff together. I think the classroom atmosphere is very difficult for him. I also think he is getting talked to a lot because of his Adhd behavior. He tries to do what he supposed to. He really does. I know what that was like as a kid and I do not want my children to have to experience being in trouble ALL the time. I don't want him to lose his spark.

The best part about all this: He is so excited that he will be doing school at home. He has been telling me all the things he wants to learn and do. It is so neat to see the excitement in him. I hope that all my children remember to love learning. 

My Youngest and My Oldest

I'm glad I have pictures like this. They help me remember that I like him and his 14 year old, argumentative, self. 

Driving

Tuesday, as I was leaving school, I pissed off another driver. I had turned my blinker on and got in front of him. He proceeded to throw his hands up, honk, and then stared at me as he passed me. (I had gotten into the turn lane.) So, I flipped him off. I mean, what a jerk, to stare at me like that. Shit, I had my blinker on. 

Well, he turned around and followed me to the parking lot where I was meeting my husband. He then drove up to where our windows meet and proceeded to stare at me with his window still up. I stared back. After about 15 seconds of just staring, he signaled to me to roll my window down. I did. Why not? Luckily, my hubby was standing right with me, I just don't think the guy saw him.  

Him: "Why did you flip me off?"

Me: "Because you were throwing up your hands and staring at me all rudely."

Him: "Why did you cut me off?"

Me: "I didn't, I had my blinker on." 

Him: "No you didn't. (I think he was to busy staring at all the college girls.) Who do you work for?"

You see, I drive a 15 passenger van so I must work for someone because no one would CHOOSE to drive one. 

Me: "I don't work for anyone." 

Him: "I will find out who you work for. I have your license plate number."

Me: "Okay. Whatever."

As he was leaving, Hubby tried to ask him something but he just kept going. Chicken shit. He can harass a woman but can't answer a question from her husband. Unfortunately, I didn't think of getting his license plate number until it was to late. I would have reported him for harassment. 

Then today:

I was picking up my kids from school and the parking lot gets a little out of control. I pulled out in front of someone (this time on accident) and she honked and threw up her hands. (do we see a pattern here?) I didn't do anything back this time. I just kept going. I learned my lesson after the last one. 

She FOLLOWED me most of the way home. When we got to the only light by my house, she finally turned. My oldest said that her kid held a sign out the window, but we don't know what it said. I will remember her car. It is a really small school. I will see her everyday for the rest of the year. (She is probably thinking the same thing about me and my car. The only difference? I didn't act all psycho and follow her.)

It's probably my driving. Maybe I drive like my mother and grandmother. But, I have never had these problems before with driving. It makes me want to give up driving.

I remembered to take a picture!

It's my baby's first day of preschool today. She was so excited! 

She is wearing her new school outfit that she picked out. Can you tell she likes pink?

I love this face! 

Crock Pot Salsa Chicken

Sorry, I forgot to take a picture. 

8 boneless skinless chicken breasts

2 15 oz. cans corn

2 15 oz. cans beans~kidney, black, pinto, your choice (I used great northern white beans because that's all I had)

2 16 ounce jars salsa (I use one medium heat and one mild)

32 ounces plain yogurt or sour cream (I use yogurt because it is so much lower in fat and calories and when added I can't tell the difference and neither can my kids.)

Shredded cheese 

Put all ingredients into the crock pot, except the yogurt and cheese. Cook on high for about 4 hours or low for about 6 to 8 hours. 

When chicken is cooked through, shred it as best you can. Add yogurt and stir well. Serve over rice and sprinkle a little cheese over the top. 

This recipe feeds the 7 of us with left overs. If you are a small family, cut it in half. 

Menu Plan for Week of 8/17/09-8/23/09

I haven't done a menu the last couple weeks and it really makes a difference. I really like knowing what to make for dinner ahead of time. I noticed I didn't want to eat out or "just grab something" when I had a menu. So, I am going to (hopefully) make it a weekly thing. 

I am trying a lot of new dishes this week because I get bored with the same old thing. I will try to post the recipes of the dishes we like. 

Monday:

B: Cinnamon raisin toast, yogurt, melon

D: Crockpot salsa chicken, rice, broccoli

Tuesday:

B: Zucchini Bread, apples

D: Tuna patty burgers, tater tots, corn

Wednesday:

B: Cereal

D: Skillet chili mac, salad

Thursday:

B: Oatmeal

D: Pasta Carbonara, bread, salad

Friday: (AKA: the day we spend at the park, usually, hopefully)

B: Egg Muffin Sandwich, grapes

D: Tuna helper (yes, the horrible, easy, boxed stuff), some veggie

Saturday:

B: Baked french toast

D: Quiche, salad

Sunday:

B: Apple Pie muffins

D: Daddy Night because I work through dinner. 

The new camera cont....

Today I am going to buy the memory stick for the new camera, finally. Someday, you all might get to see some pictures. 

Woohoo...Go Me!

I have finally, after 1 1/2 years of trying, hit my first goal weight. When I first started trying to lose weight I weighed 181 pounds and was a size 14. I am now a size 10 in pants and I am, once again, wearing medium tops. 

I got on the scale this morning, naked and before eating a darn thing, and it finally said 149.9 pounds. I have been trying to get into the 140's for about a year now. Last summer I reached 155 pounds and I have been anywhere between 155 and 160 pounds since then.

To get to 149.9 I had to really watch my portion sizes. I still eat whatever I want. I just eat a smaller portion of it. For example, instead of eating a whole candy bar I am learning to eat half of it one day and save the other half for another day or make someone share it with me. I also measure EVERYTHING I am eating. Calorie counting has been a good thing for me. I am probably staying around 1200 calories a day. 

It's been working out great. Although, I will tell you, the first three weeks were really hard. I found myself really hungry and it was extremely hard to NOT EAT. 

I can now honestly say it was totally worth it. 149.9!!!