Angel Food Ministries

Late last night, I hopped online to place my August order with Angel Food Ministries. I almost forgot! It was late. I was tired. But I couldn't miss the deadline! (the deadline is tonight, not last night!)

From their site: "Angel Food Ministries is a non-profit, non-denominational organization dedicated to providing food relief and financial support to communities throughout the United States. Angel Food is available in a quantity that can fit into a medium-sized box at $30 per unit. Each month's menu is different than the previous month and consists of both fresh and frozen items with an average retail value of approximately $60."

It really is a heck of a deal and is going to go a long way in our house, next month. My pickup date is August 29. That gives me the next two weeks to come up with a meal plan and menu. It needs to be in order before I pick the food up. I'll need to get busy with the Once A Month Cooking when I get it all home.

This month's menu consists of:

SIGNATURE BOX

1.5 lb. Ribeye Steaks (4 x 6 oz.)

3 lb. IQF Split Chicken Breast

1 lb. Boneless Center Cut Pork
Chops

2 lb. Mac & Beef Dinner Entrée

1.5 lb. Breaded All White Meat

Chicken Nuggets

1 lb. 80/20 Lean Ground Beef

1 lb. Bake or Fry Fish Sticks
(32 sticks)

1 lb. Frozen Corn

1 lb. Frozen Baby Lima Beans

1 ct. Cello-Wrapped Iceberg Lettuce

2 lb. Sweet Potatoes

15 oz. Pork & Beans

1 lb. Rice

32 oz. 2% Shelf Stable Milk

Dozen Eggs

Dessert

In addition to the Signature Box, we are picking up the following :

Convenience Box
(These will all go with Garrett to the office for lunches)

6.5 lb. Assorted Meat Grill Box

4.5 lb. Steak Combo

10 lb. Assorted Chicken Grill Box

Fresh Fruit and Veggie Box

For a grand total of $147.00 plus a $1.00 convenience fee, we are picking up almost 60 pounds of food. This should get us through September with a few trips to the market for milk, eggs and other such silliness.

Recipe for August Heat Breakers

Ingredients:
2 boys
1 hose
1 backyard
1 dog

Directions:

1. Turn on water.
2. Watch dog run for cover around the side of the house.
3. Lock sliding glass door.
4. Take pictures from a safe spot inside.

Enjoy!

Adventures in Hair Cutting

"Aunt Jeni, I do NOT want my hair cut!"

"Hmmm, this might not be too bad."

"Wow! I can see myself from across the room and ya know what? I'm pretty good looking!"

"A little shorter than I wanted it."

"I am one handsome dude!"

The Big Visit

Jeni, Segan, Garrett, Rylie (in the middle), Ryan, Ellie and Tyler

Katy, Segan, Cathy, Jeni, Ellie and Sandy (in front)

Keegan, Tyler, Garrett, Ryan,
Rylie (in the middle),
Joshua, Seth and Mike

Four generations! Jeni, Segan, Cathy and Rylie

We had the whole family here from California to visit with Master Rylie. He enjoyed hugs, cuddles, kisses and the park.
Not this part...

DEFINITELY this part, though!

More OAMC (once a month cooking)

So, I tried it again! This time, chicken was on sale at my favorite store - Fresh & Easy. Ground beef was on sale again at Albertson's, so I grabbed some of that, too.

The menu for the month looks like this:

2 Baja Chicken
1 Herbed Chicken (we used this with onions and ranch dressing on a pizza!)
3 Baked Chicken - dark meats
2 Mojito Lime Chicken
2 Chipotle Chicken
2 Southwest Chicken
6 Cooked Ground Beef bags
2 Sausage bags (6 sausages in each bag)
3 4-packs of burgers ready to cook

This was a lot more fun! While wandering through Albertson's, I came across a great deal on packaged marinade mixes - 2/$1. I was pleased to find that they call for TWO pounds of chicken instead of just one. I bought 4! At Fresh & Easy, I found their grill packs marked down by half. These have 4 burgers, 4 sausages, 4 chicken legs and 4 chicken thighs. I bought 3 of these. All tolled, I spent $120 (and saved $118!! I love sales) and made 23 meals.




Shopping and cooking took me a grand total of 5 hours, this time around. I started by cooking up the ground beef the same way I had last time. While that cooked, I repacked the sausages into 2 quart ziptop bags, the burgers went into 3 different bags and the dark meat chicken went into gallon bags - 4 legs and 4 thighs made up 3 bags. These went into the freezer uncooked. The ground beef came off the stove and into the colander. After cooling, I bagged the crumbles into 6 quart bags and tossed those into the freezer. The chicken dishes were the worst part. I hate touching raw chicken. HATE IT. I went about my chicken prep, though, cutting it all into 1 inch cubes. I measured it out, 2 pounds at a time, into gallon ziptop bags. Into each bag I put a marinade pack and the ingredients that were called for - water, oil and vinegar for some of them. After mixing them well in the bags, I tossed those into the freezer. They cook up really well after they thaw. These are separated into 2 meals after cooking. The second half can be refrozen, once it's cooked, and used for a second meal, later in the month. The final pound of chicken was boiled with some yummy herbs and frozen in a quart ziptop bag. The cooking water, of course, was kept for chicken stock.

There you have it- another month or so of meals for our family of 6!

Who Me?

Rylie's favorite place to be! He is on Grandma and Grandpa's bed with his Boppy. I can't believe the strength this little guy has! He is all of eight weeks old and he's pushing up like this all the time. His interests are the headboard in the background and a teether toy that rattles. It mesmerizes him!

Back to Basics

Food? Yes, food!

I came across the idea of Once A Month Cooking a while back. I gave it a half-hearted try and found that it was expensive and time consuming. I was disorganized and had little clue about what I was attempting to accomplish. Oh! And the food didn't last as long as I thought it would. Could that possibly be because I left teenagers home alone for a 4 day weekend while I went out of town? Okay, maybe.



The second time around, though, I was a little better prepared. First things, first; I determined that ground beef was on a mega sale and bought up 30 pounds of it! I gathered some yummy recipes and made my shopping list. Approximately $200 later, I had my ingredients and ziptop freezer bags, and I was ready to go!

Eight hours later, I had 16 complete dinners prepared and frozen. No, my $200 did NOT net me a month's worth of meals. But we had 16 meals in the freezer and I was rather pleased with myself.

Here is our list of meals:

2 almost lasagna (made with penne pasta)
2 real live lasagna
2 stuffed manicotti
2 shepherd's pie (ready to top with mashed potatoes)
2 bags of meatballs for meatball stew and stroganoff
1 sloppy joes
1 tamale pie
4 meatloaf (mixed and mashed into gallon freezer bags)



Not one, single meal was rejected by the family. Oh, and did I mention that these meals are supposed to feed a family of 4? I've been feeding a family of 5 adults and a 10 year old nephew and nobody left the table hungry!

How did I do it? I had a plan. I followed that plan. I cooked up ground beef 5 or 6 pounds at a time by boiling it. Yes - boiling it! One inch of water in the bottom of my spaghetti pot is just enough to help the meat cook nicely into crumbles. Draining the meat was an easy task with my colander and another pasta pot. By the way, the meat drippings make fabulous beef stock!

Once the first round of meat was cooked, I got busy cooking penne pasta for my almost lasagna. Frozen veggies, canned spaghetti sauce and cooked ground beef went into gallon ziptop bags and were labeled "Shepherd's Pie". Frozen corn, canned spaghetti sauce, ground beef and some great spices went into more gallon ziplocks and were labeled "Tamale Pie". The penne was added to a bag with ground beef, canned spaghetti sauce and cottage cheese. These were labeled "Almost Lasagna" and stored, flat, in the freezer. The lasagna was made exactly as I would have any other day EXCEPT that I didn't cook the pasta. You see, freezing and then baking takes care of the entire cook for lasagna noodles. The manicotti was stuffed (uncooked, also) and places into an aluminum foil lined pan on top of some more of that canned spaghetti sauce. Then they were covered with more sauce and the whole thing was wrapped up tightly in aluminum foil, then moved into another ziptop gallon bag.

The meatloaf and meatballs were the easiest! All I did was mix up a LOT of meatloaf as I usually would. Then, I "measured" the amount of meat I would need by filling up my loaf pan. The measured meat was put into one of those groovy ziptop bags, flatted out and tossed into the freezer. For the meatballs, I smashed as much of the meatloaf mixture as I could onto a cookie sheet and filled it up to the top of the side of the pan. That pan was tossed into the oven and baked until done. I took a pizza wheel and cut the meatslab into square meatballs and let them cool. They were loaded into 2 ziptop bags and frozen.

Every morning, I pull out another bag of prepared food and let it thaw until dinner time. Dinner has never been easier!

I've been converted!

Welcome, Little One

Rylie Tegan came into this world on Monday, June 8, 2009 after a 30 hour journey. His mama was SO happy to see him! They spent a very eventful couple of days at the hospital while mama had some trouble recovering.

They came home and settled into their routine of sleep, bottles, diapers, rinse, repeat.
Loving on Grandma


Yes, he really IS this cute in person!

Baby Dreams

I awoke to a horrible dream! I was in a nurses station at a hospital and they were monitoring my contractions. Of course, I'm not pregnant, nor do I want to be, so I know that it was not a dream about my heart's desire. My daughter, however, is pregnant. She is in her 39th week and would love nothing more, than to have this baby out of her. Now wouldn't be too soon.

I headed out for my first cup of coffee and stopped by her room to let her know about my dream. She surprised me when she said that she had woken up several times throughout the night thinking that she was having the baby. Maybe this will be the day!




She is delivering at a beautiful, newer hospital. Mercy Gilbert Medical Center is a sight to see. It sits among fields near the new Loop 202 at Lindsay Road and Germann Road in Gilbert, Arizona. It can be seen from miles away and is just stunning in the moonlight.




Their Family Birthing Center is state of the art. It has six private labor and delivery rooms, sixteen private couplet care rooms for new families to stay and get to know baby, two cesarean section suites with adjacent recovery room and nursery, and four special care beds in the nursery for infants requiring extra care and support.

We will be spending some time there, very soon. I wonder if today will be the day.

The Public Pool.... on steroids!

We took the kids on an outing to the public pool, today. Our oldest son brought his lady and her lil guys, Keegan and Seth. Nine of us, altogether, went to the public pool.


When I was growing up and we went to the public pool, it cost $0.25 and the pool was at the only high school in town. There were two diving boards; a low dive and a high dive. It was very exciting when they put in the wading pool and a covered area to keep us out of the hot Arizona sun.

Today's pool has morphed into something straight out of a fantasy world.

We ventured out last Monday, Memorial Day, and were turned away before we got to the main entrance, because they had reached their maximum occupancy. We kept that in mind, today, and arrived 10 minutes before they opened the gates. There was still a line, but we managed to get into the place, this time.




Mesquite Groves Aquatic Center is our local "public pool" and is located in Chandler, Arizona. Chandler is awesome! We have six different public pools. Mesquite Groves is the newest. It boasts the following facility amenities: Competition/Lap Pool, Two 1-Meter Diving Boards, Two Water Slides, Lazy River, Water Vortex, Family Play Pool (with Zero-Depth Entry), Toddler Slides, 752-Gallon "Big Blue Bucket", Artificial Grass Areas, Shaded Areas, Pool Furniture, Family Dressing Room, Training Classroom. It's a Water Park, I'm tellin' ya!



Everyone was slathered in SPF 15 for babies and off we went! Keegan was the first in the pool. He was impressed with the water - cool and refreshing - but he wasn't sure about the beach entry that started off dry and gradually got deeper, the further he ventured into the pool. Segan and Ellie headed directly to the Lazy River - Do Not Pass Go, Do Not Collect $200. Ryan and Seth headed to the top of the slides scaring Katy and Tyler half to death. Seth is fresh out of Kindergarten and nobody was sure how he would do on the slides. He came out of the tube at the bottom like he'd been doing this all of his life! Amazing! After a couple of runs down the slides, Katy, Tyler and Ryan joined the rest of us on the Lazy River. Segan and Ellie were in the double tube and Keegan fell fast asleep in Ellie's arms for the better part of an hour. Tyler and Ryan made some great splashes jumping off of the diving boards while Garrett and I watched from across the pool.

All in all, I would say that fun was had by all. Seth was not happy about having to leave, but I reminded him that if he could tough out leaving today, we could go back again, next weekend. That seemed to do the trick. I'm sure both Keegan and Seth slept all the way home. I'm certain that Segan did!

Oh, and did I mention.... the cost for admission to this groovy place is just $0.50 for children up to 18 and $1.50 for 18 to 55. 55 and older get in for $0.75.

Hybrid Diapers?

My daughter is about to have her first baby. She surprised many people when she decided to use cloth diapers. I would like to believe that her decision was wholly her own. I didn't push her into cloth diapering, but apparently, she's been listening to me all along! Imagine my shock when I realized that my child paid attention to what I have had to say! She has chosen cloth diapers because they are good for the environment, they are good for the baby, and they promote potty training earlier than disposable.

So, off we went in search of the perfect cloth diaper! I did the research online, and I visited local stores that carry disposable alternatives.

Boy, have cloth diapers evolved since my experiences with them 18 years ago! When I cloth diapered my second daughter, the options were few: flat or prefold. Flat diapers are large squares that have to be folded into the "V" shape, tucked down in front and then pinned. These would be the type that grandma used on her babies, I'm sure. Prefolds are more familiar. You will see moms everywhere with a prefold on her shoulder as a burp cloth. These rectangular little gems are folded so that they are thicker in the middle, where baby will, undoubtedly, need the absorbency. Of course, if you choose to use either of these types of diapers, you will be needing diaper covers, as well. Covers are made of waterproof materials such as wool, polar fleece and PUL (polyurethane laminate).

Today, there are many, many different types of cloth diapers. You can still find flats and prefolds, but even this mom was surprised at the selection!

Fitted diapers have elastic at the legs and back and look like a lot like a disposable diaper. They can have velcro or snap fasteners, solid or printed outer layers, and can be made from a variety of materials from 100% cotton to hemp.

The All-In-One (AIO) is where the prefold meets the cover. These handy little specimens have waterproof outer layers and absorbent inner layers. These can take a bit longer to get completely dry after washing.

Pocket diapers have a waterproof outer layer, a soft inner layer and an opening, usually at the back of the diaper, to insert an absorbent layer or "doubler". They dry faster, as you pull the doubler out before washing.


Finally, we came across the gDiaper. This has to be the coolest idea! This diaper is perfect for the environmentally minded parent who is either on the run all the time or not thrilled about handling the "mess" that a baby can leave in a diaper. It has a waterproof cover, but the inner layer is a biodegradable, disposable absorbent liner. When baby needs a diaper change, mom or dad can either flush, compost or toss the liner! The liner breaks down in 50-150 days in your backyard garden compost. The covers are unique in that the velcro closure is on the back of the diaper so that Junior can't easily remove it by himself. These things are ingenious!



I like this one! I have sewn two dozen AIOs for the little one on the way, but you can bet that we will have some gDiapers for those busy, on-the-go days!

Get here, already!

Your nursery is almost ready! All of the furniture has been painted to match. The diapers are sewn. The clothes are folded and stacked. The crib is set up. All that is left to do is hang the R, Y, L, I, E and the little animals on the wall. And let's not forget the giant leaf! That will need to be officially attached to the wall.

Your mama is cranky. She's gained more weight than she'd have liked. She is awakened hourly during the night. Luckily, she can fall asleep at the drop of a hat, so she isn't technically losing sleep. I've found that if I am having a conversation with her and, for whatever reason, I stop talking for more than thirty seconds, she's fast asleep! Her feet are swollen and her shoes don't fit. I suppose I would be cranky, too.

She sees the doctor weekly, now. They make jokes about making an appointment for next week "in case you're still pregnant." The contractions have not begun. An occasional contraction that makes her catch her breath will occur. She'll know when the real ones start, though!

We're waiting for you, Rylie. Come see us!

Baby Shower Cake Goodness

 
 
 
 

Here they are! All dressed up and ready for the party on Saturday! Now.... where's the cake? Who knew fondant could be so cute?

sick and tired

it's my turn. I'm sick and tired of being the mom. My children are grown adults and I am tired of having to do for them. They need to take care of their own lives and let me take care of mine. My oldest son has finally moved out, but has also managed to push all of his siblings AND his mother away. Fine! Do your own thing and don't come crying to me any more. I sincerely hope that you get exactly what you deserve in life. My oldest daughter is going to become a mother in less than 2 months, but can't manage to keep her room clean OR do anything other than play video games. She is not prepared to be a mother. She makes decisions and then blames ME for those decisions. If she didn't WANT to use cloth diapers, she should have said something BEFORE I spent $80 on fabric. She needs to quit pointing fingers at other people and take responsibility for her own actions. It's time to grow up and start acting like a parent. My second daughter can't figure out why she should do anything at all. What's the point? she asks. She doesn't care if she doesn't make any money. Why shouldn't she be able to live with her mommy forever? Here's the thing ~ without a JOB, she wont have medical insurance. Without medical insurance, she wont be able to see her psychiatrist. Without her psychiatrist, she wont be able to take her medication. Without her medication, nobody wants to be around her because she pushes everyone away by treating them like garbage. THAT is why she can't live with her mom forever. Oh, and there's the fact that she wants to be treated like an adult! My youngest son thinks that he can do what he wants, when he wants, and have no consequences. He shouldn't be forced to actually DO any school work. And God forbid he actually understand any of it and do any of it correctly! He thinks that he can open his mouth and tell other people's secrets and his brother is likely going to put him in his place very soon. That would be unfortunate for both of them, as the younger would probably wind up in the hospital and the older would definitely wind up in jail ~ again. But that's okay because his probation officer would pat him on the head and tell him that it's okay and let him go his merry way.

When will they wake up and realize that without this mom that they all can't stand half the time and that they take advantage of, they would be on the streets?? Why do I have to kick them out in order for them to grow up? Shouldn't they grow up and THEN move out? I guess they missed that part!

Rant over

It's time to make that call

I've waited more than 6 months to follow up on my MRI. The new insurance is in place, so I really have no more excuses. Today, I need to find a new doc in my new neighborhood. I refuse to drive an hour to see a doctor whose office staff can't manage to get their billing right. I mean, I only saw the doc twice, anyway. She was the replacement doc when my doc left the practice. I suppose I could see my previous doc, but she's working in a county clinic, now. She would be able to see me, but it would take FOR EH VAH to get an appointment. I should find someone closer and more easily accessible... Okay, fine! I'll find an internist in the area and make an appointment.

Then they can order a follow up MRI and run a bazillion labs, again. I so don't want to do this. I know that I need to, but I so don't want to.

Maybe I'll call to see how long it would take to get in to see the previous doc...

The New Man in My Life

He's adorable! He's extremely handsome, actually. And he's still covered in goo! Rylie Chase is due on June 11, 2009 and I get to be his grandma! I am SO happy about being a grandma. Okay, the title makes me feel old, but the prospect of hanging out with the lil fella just blows my mind!
My precious daughter is experiencing growing pains, of sorts. She feels like she's ballooning up in weight and her back hurts all the time. Of course, she knows that she's supposed to gain weight AND that her back hurts because her belly is sticking out, but that doesn't change the fact that she's NOT happy about her current weight.
They live with us. All of my children live with us, right now. The house should feel crowded, but it doesn't. We've painted an accent wall in her room. It's a beautiful shade of jungle green. Rylie's nursery theme is all about the jungle. His crib is up. His carseat, stroller, high chair, swing and pack 'n play are all gathered around the house. He still needs a mattress and some crib bedding. I'm considering making the bedding if his mama can't get her hands on the set she likes. I am also sewing cloth diapers. Who knew she'd turn out to be as hippy as her mother? OH and organic formula and baby food? Yes! She's going all out! I'm so proud :)

What's up with the sizes, eh?

Okay, so I've been losing/gaining/losing/gaining weight for a couple of years, now. I have clothes from my skinny days still in my closet. I can't wear any of them, but they still take up space....taunting me. I am not prepared to toss anything in hopes of, eventually, getting back into some of the cutest things I've ever owned. I do toss things that are too big, though. I guess somewhere in my mind I think that if I keep "fat" clothes, then I am expecting to gain weight and wear them again - not gonna happen!
Recently, I've been fighting with a pair of pants that I bought oh so long ago and that have become so big that I can pull them off and on without unzipping or unbuttoning them. They drag on me and cause uncomfortable looks from passersby. These pants should be sent to a good home in the recycle bin. I just can't bring myself to give them up. Is it because they are green? Is it because I don't have many pairs that I can wear right now? Is it because I'm a pack rat? If I could figure this out, I wouldn't be typing, would I?
Today, fresh out of the shower and rummaging through the closet, I came across this pair of pants. I put them on! I didn't need to unzip or unbutton them. I wore them around the bathroom for all of 2 minutes when I could take it no longer. Off them came! So I'm thinking to myself, "Self," (that's what I call myself)"If these are REALLY so big, the next size down should fit well." So Self and I went in to find another green pair of pants one size smaller. They were quickly pulled off the shelf and pulled up the legs. They went on! Albeit, they were snug, but they went on! They aren't comfortable enough to wear as snug as they are, so they came back off rather quickly. I'm not wearing green today.
The question, though, is why do clothing manufacturers size clothes the way they do? I mean think about it. If a size 12 is too big, a 10 should fit, but a 10 is too tight. If a size 8 is too big, then a size 6 should fit, but a 6 is too tight. If a size 22 is too big, surely a 20 should fit, no? When the 6, 8, or even the 20 is too tight, but the next size up is too big, should not the clothing manufacturers start working on ODD numbers? Today, I wear a size 21. Not a 22! YAY! But still not a 20. Bummer! Either I wear the pants that are too big and risk looking like a teenage boy with his pants falling off, or I wear the pants that are too tight and risk looking, well, foolish, still.
Where am I going with this, I'm sure you are asking yourself. First, the green pants are going in the recycle bin today. Second, I'm going to need to get on the Wii Fit today so that I can get into the smaller green pants. That's all I've got for ya. I'm stuck in the "in-betweens" and all I can do is gain or lose and gaining is not an option.

The Fit and I

We purchased a Wii for the family as a Christmas present. Our oldest daughter put the Wii Fit under the Christmas tree. We started playing around with it and got all of the members of the family registered. Everyone loved it and thought that the "games" were groovy. Few of the kids have regularly used it since. The hubs and I are using it to try to lose weight and get in shape.

So here's the deal : You create your Mii, the representation of yourself, on the Wii at the get go. My Mii looked just like me. Well, it looked like my head with a skinny, little body under it. When we set up the Fit, it asks you about your age and height. Groovy! Then it asks you to stand still, which, for me, is a feat in itself, it seems. While you're standing there, it cries out "measuring. measuring. measuring." Then, the worst thing possible happens! As it calculated my little Mii's BMI, she started to get FAT! For real! The Mii got all kinds of pudgy. Now, I KNEW that I was technically considered obese, but the silly little machine TOLD me in an audible voice "oo, that's obese" as if it were concerned for my well-being! At that point, you can check your weight. You get to set your goal for the next 2 weeks and start training. All right! My fat little Mii and I are going to get busy so that the Fit will stop calling me obese.

So, over the course of the next 2 weeks, the inlaws came to visit for a couple of days. They made Miis and registered on the Fit. We ate. We ate some more. I think we even ate again. What can I say, they'd never been to Cold Stone! My first 2 weeks were unsuccessful with the Fit. I did get on it almost every day, but I did not lose any weight. I probably could have guessed that!

This week, I made a pact with my Fit. It promised to quit telling me that I'm obese if I promised to get on it every day. So, I'm getting on it every day. Every morning, after coffee, I go do my Body Test and then some yoga and step. Today I even did a couple of the balance games. I am not in any position to be doing the strength training, but am working up to it. I don't do all of the yoga poses that are available to me, yet, either. There is just no way that I can stand on one foot and do the "tree" pose. I'm working on it, though. I do love the yoga! I'm loving the step routines, too. I have managed to open up the advanced step routine and have attempted it once - ONCE. It tried to kill me! I'm sure of it! It really is a great workout, but not one that I'm suited for, just yet. Eventually!!

Anyway, that's my journey so far - the Fit and I are progressing. I'll keep you updated!

Oh, by the way, my goal is 5lbs in 2 weeks. Today I'm down. It's a good thing.

On bread

Bread - I love everything about it. Last month, my sweet G volunteered us to make 25 loaves of bread for the Christmas party at the office. This would be 25 loaves of bread that I would not be tasting. I mixed. I kneaded. I rised. I shaped. I rised again. I baked. I did not put the Kitchen Aid or the ingredients away for a week! The bread was devoured at the party and some of it found it's way to homes as far away as DC. A few partial loaves found their way back to our house and we were able to enjoy them, as well. Did I mention that my sweet mother in law sent me a breadmaker for my birthday? It arrived in the evening on the night that I had finished making the last of the loaves.

It was an enjoyable bread experience, but I didn't want to see bread again for a long while.

Then it happened! I wanted bread! After all, it had been three weeks since the loaves had gone to their new homes.

So, I pulled the new breadmaker out and grabbed a cheater box of Hawaiian bread mix. The breadmaker did a fabulous job of mixing, kneading, rising and baking that loaf. The bread was wonderfully light and sweet and hit the spot!

It was on! Bread was to be a part of my life, again :)

Yesterday, I pulled out the Kitchen Aid to prepare a Challah braid that would accompany our supper. It was a wonderful feeling. I mixed. I kneaded. I rised. I cut, shaped and braided. I rised again. I baked. The kids ate. That loaf took a total of 3 and a half hours to prepare and short of an hour later, it was gone.

Now, don't get me wrong. I know that the bread was appreciated. But I don't think that the time invested was appreciated.

Several options come to mind when attempting to find a remedy for my dilemma. First, I could just buy bread at the store. Marketside guarantees the lowest price on wheat sandwich bread in the valley. Yes, it does the job, but it really is lacking in the "fresh from the oven" flavor. Second, I could step up production and make a mess of loaves on a specific day, each week. That would give us enough bread to last the week (I hope), and I would be working my tail off for an entire day. Third, I could put the new breadmaker to work every morning when I get up. The new routine would be: coffee, breadmaker, yoga, step. Fourth, I could kill the kids and eat the bread myself.

Obviously, this isn't something that I can easily decide. I'll think on it further.

Food for Thought

So, the inlaws were here last week. I love my inalws! We actually are missing them and calling, today, to see when they will be back.
We got the whole family involved in the Wii Fit, including the inlaws. Dad loved the Wii tennis and bowling. He and G played tennis well into the night most of their nights here. Mom followed along with the Fit Step program and found that she really digs it, but needs some practice, as it takes a lot of paying attention. She would have had no problem with that if we weren't all laughing so hard!

We ate, we shopped, we ate, we played, we ate, we played some more! I made the Braised Beef from a recipe that I borrowed from a very wise woman. It went over VERY well. Everyone loved it and the girls actually took some with them to their New Year's Eve party.

Braised Beef

sliced a Tri Tip steak, about 2lbs (floured and pan fried til caramel in color)
one large, yellow onion, chopped
baby carrots, about a lb
celery, chopped a whole bag
handful of whole garlic
several bay leaves
bottle of Merlot, 3/4 bottle for braise, 1/4 bottle for me
generous splash Worchestershire
6 chopped tomatoes
some balsamic vinegar
2 cups beef stock (no msg)
8 bratwursts, cut and browned
1 orange, quartered (got some great looks about this LOL)
2 T tomato paste
handful of fresh marjoram, sage, rosemary and thyme (yes, we all sang along)

tossed it all in a huge roaster pan and into the oven, covered, at 300F for 4-4.5 hours.

Try it! You'll be amazed!