Evan's Room

Sorry for the hiatus around here. Life's been busy with sickness after sickness after sickness, followed by some sickness. Then we decided to re-do Evan's room. Isaiah and Addie got bunkbeds and moved into one room. Which left Evan with this.....
...plus imagine a 16" farm scene border connecting the grass to the sky. It was good when he was 2, but he's almost 10 now...WHAT?! We have a young man on our hands and he deserves a respectable young man's room.

So, between him and me and Tony here's what we came up with...
...a snowboarder jumping out of the paint into a scene of mountains and snowy hills.
I think it turned out quite well and was a lot of fun to do together. Everybody helped out.
And Evan and Addie had fun adding these little stick men hiding all over his room.
This one dropped his lunch off of the light switch.
I think this room will fit his adolescent years quite nicely!

Job Security

Here's a conversation Isaiah and I had this morning while driving home from school.

Isaiah: Mom, we should go to the store and buy me a skate board (tech deck).
Me: Oh, well do you have any money?
Isaiah: No, but you have money!
Me: Well, mommy and daddy buy you things you need and you buy things you want. A skate board is something you would need to buy with your own money.
Isaiah: How do I get money?
Me: I guess you are going to have to get a job. What do you think you could do for a job?
Isaiah: (after a long pause and very serious) well, I can somersault...is that a job, mommy?

After some somersaulting and a little talk about what real jobs were, Isaiah chose to help me vacuum.
Now he has 25 cents to put towards a skate board.
Don't worry, buddy. Mommy can always find a job for you to do! And some days it might even include somersaults!

...but it makes me wonder what he thinks Tony does at his job all day?

Little Ladies

I've been wanting to try making some dolls.
I needed something to give as gifts to bigger girls.

A short internet search for 'doll tutorial' brought me to a super cute and super easy doll from Black Apple.
I love these stylish little ladies. Black Apple did a great job creating these.
I couldn't decide how I wanted to do the faces, so I left them blank. They remind me of old-time dolls that way.
Addie has been playing with hers non-stop, so I think it's a keeper!

memorizing scripture

I came across this great memorization tool which has been a huge help in memorizing big chunks of scripture. Productivity501 has a conversion tool where you paste in whatever text you want to memorize and it converts it to the first letter only of each word.

For example, Psalm 1:1-3 goes from this:

¹Blessed is the man
who walks not in the counsel of the wicked,
nor stands in the way of sinners,
nor sits in the seat of scoffers;
²but his delight is in the law of the LORD,
and on his law he meditates day and night.
³He is like a tree
planted by streams of water
that yields its fruit in its season,
and its leaf does not wither.
In all that he does, he prospers.

To this:

1 B i t m
w w n i t c o t w,
n s i t w o s,
n s i t s o s;
2 b h d i i t l o t L,
a o h l h m d a n.
3 H i l a t
p b s o w
t y i f i i s,
a i l d n w.
I a t h d, h p.

Give it a try!
Read through the Psalm 1 passage out loud, then scroll down and try it again with just the first letter prompts. The idea is that it gives your brain just enough info to help you recall the text without reading the original text and helps establish getting that info from your short-term memory into your long-term memory.

Let me know how this works for you!

Chicken Tortilla Soup

It's hard to go wrong with making up a soup recipe. There aren't a lot of rules to making soup. I was pleasantly surprised how well this one came together. We'll definitely be making it again, especially since I now believe that winter is never going to end this year!

Chicken Tortilla Soup

1/4 c oil 1 onion, chopped
1 t garlic, chopped
1/2 t cumin
1 t coriander
1 t salt pepper
1 box chicken broth
2 small cans chopped green chilies
1 can white beans (pinto or garbanzo)
2-3 chicken breasts big handful of crushed tortilla chips
1 c corn

heat oil in soup pan.
cook onions until tender.
add garlic and spices and cook for 1 minute.
add broth and bring to a boil.
add chicken breasts.
simmer until chicken is cooked through.
remove chicken and shred into bite-sized pieces, then return to soup.
add beans, chilies, corn, and crushed chips.
serve once heated through and top with cheese, sour cream, avocado, cilantro, more chips.

Skillet Chicken Parmesan

Another easy, brilliant, yummy (and a one-pan meal) from America's Test Kitchen. I love these guys!

Skillet Chicken Parmesan
Cook's Country - America's Test Kitchen

1 1/2	c fresh bread crumbs
3	T olive oil
1 1/4	c fresh parmesan cheese
1/4	c chopped fresh basil
2	cloves garlic , minced
1	(28-ounce) can crushed tomatoes
1/2	c flour
4	chicken breast, cut in half horizontally
3	T oil
3/4	c mozzarella cheese
3/4	c shredded provolone cheese

Instructions

1. Toast bread crumbs in large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until browned, about 5 minutes. Transfer to bowl. Toss with 1 tablespoon olive oil, 1/4 cup Parmesan, and half of basil. In separate bowl, combine remaining olive oil, 1/4 cup Parmesan, remaining basil, garlic, tomatoes, and salt and pepper to taste.
   

2. Place flour in dish. Season chicken with salt and pepper and coat with flour. Heat 2 tablespoons vegetable oil in now-empty skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add 4 cutlets and cook until golden brown on both sides, about 5 minutes total. Transfer to plate and repeat with remaining
   cutlets and vegetable oil.

3. Reduce heat to medium-low and add tomato mixture to empty skillet. Return cutlets to pan in even layer, pressing down to cover with sauce. Sprinkle mozzarella, provolone, and remaining Parmesan over chicken. Cover with lid and cook until cheese is melted, about 5 minutes. Sprinkle with bread crumb mixture and serve.

Greek Meatball Skewers

This is an easy way to dress up a basic meatloaf/meatball recipe. By adding some feta cheese and greek seasonings, plus a little yogurt-cucumber sauce and some naan, you've got yourself an easy, tasty meal!

Skewered Greek Meatballs
adapted Martha Stewart Living

1 lb hamburger
1/2 c bread crumbs
1/4 c milk or cream
1 egg
salt pepper
1 small onion, chopped (green onion would be good too)
1 tsp garlic, chopped
1/2 c crumbled feta cheese
1 T oregano
1/4 t red pepper flakes

combine all ingredients.
shape into balls.
slide onto skewers.
place on an oiled or lined baking sheet and broil until cooked through, rotating meatballs until deep golden brown on all sides.
serve with naan, cucumber sauce, lettuce, tomatoes.