The Bible in 50 Words
A friend of mine sent this to me a while ago. I had saved it in a mail folder and forgot about it, but when I found it today, I thought I would post it here. I don't know who wrote it, but I like the point it makes......
God made, Adam bit, Noah arked, Abraham split, Joseph ruled, Jacob fooled, bush talked,Moses balked, Pharaoh plagued,people walked, sea divided,tablets guided, promise landed, Saul freaked, David peeked, prophets warned, Jesus born, God walked, love talked, anger crucified, hope died, Love rose ,Spirit flamed, Word spread, God remained.
Monday, December 27, 2004
Saturday, December 25, 2004
Merry Christmas!
What a wonderful day! Well, that is if you discount the fact that it is a mere 52 degrees in my house at this moment!
Santa was more than generous with everyone! The kids were kind enough to wait until after 7:30 AM to wake me up to open presents. Grant cracked me up, he opened up his Gameboy SP and clutched it in his hands and held it up over his head and I could see him mouth "Thank you, Santa!", it was so sweet. He was thrilled with the Pokemon Fire Red game for it (thankfully his stupid mother realized she made a mistake and originally bought Pokemon Ruby but returned it for the correct game).
So the big gifts...well, they ranged from Brett's MP3/WAV Player thing (similar to an iPod) to Hannah's cell phone (definitely PAY AS YOU GO!) to Emily's Polly Pocket Hotel...the little boys got wrestling figures and Sophie got her Princess Baby Doll (Cinderella)....Will was simple, just board books and baby Einstein toys.
Jay and the kids got me some pj's, a Mickey Mouse purse, a robe, socks, and bras and panties...a pretty good haul! We got Jay a putter, a book ("Let Me Tell You a Story"), a chair massager, a "retro" baseball hand held game (like the ones from the 1970s) and some t-shirts. We try to stay low budget with our gifts to each other! Heck with having to buy for 8 kids plus our famlies, christmas can quickly get out of hand!
We had a big breakfast (eggs, bacon, sausage, cinnamon rolls, toast, orange juice) once the gifts were open and the mess somewhat cleaned up!
Now to get the damn turkey cooked (how the hell can a turkey still be half frozen after being in the fridge for a week????) and a late lunch/early dinner on the table!
What a wonderful day! Well, that is if you discount the fact that it is a mere 52 degrees in my house at this moment!
Santa was more than generous with everyone! The kids were kind enough to wait until after 7:30 AM to wake me up to open presents. Grant cracked me up, he opened up his Gameboy SP and clutched it in his hands and held it up over his head and I could see him mouth "Thank you, Santa!", it was so sweet. He was thrilled with the Pokemon Fire Red game for it (thankfully his stupid mother realized she made a mistake and originally bought Pokemon Ruby but returned it for the correct game).
So the big gifts...well, they ranged from Brett's MP3/WAV Player thing (similar to an iPod) to Hannah's cell phone (definitely PAY AS YOU GO!) to Emily's Polly Pocket Hotel...the little boys got wrestling figures and Sophie got her Princess Baby Doll (Cinderella)....Will was simple, just board books and baby Einstein toys.
Jay and the kids got me some pj's, a Mickey Mouse purse, a robe, socks, and bras and panties...a pretty good haul! We got Jay a putter, a book ("Let Me Tell You a Story"), a chair massager, a "retro" baseball hand held game (like the ones from the 1970s) and some t-shirts. We try to stay low budget with our gifts to each other! Heck with having to buy for 8 kids plus our famlies, christmas can quickly get out of hand!
We had a big breakfast (eggs, bacon, sausage, cinnamon rolls, toast, orange juice) once the gifts were open and the mess somewhat cleaned up!
Now to get the damn turkey cooked (how the hell can a turkey still be half frozen after being in the fridge for a week????) and a late lunch/early dinner on the table!
Friday, December 24, 2004
Despite the fact that it took almost 40 minutes to get the van out of the driveway, today was a WONDERFUL DAY! Might have seemed even more so that way because we has been stuck at home for 2 1/2 days!
Jay and I ran some last minute errands and then came home and started getting everyone ready for church. Getting the LAST SHOWER after 9 other people have bathed is certainly an "awakening" experience! I usually try to get the first shower, but was so busy getting stuff together that I realized too late that I was in for the cold shower!
We headed out the door at 2:40 to make 3:30 Christmas services. The roads were a bit tricky but luckily it is only a few miles from the house. The service was PACKED, we lucked into one of the last remaining pews and within minutes of our arrivial it was standing room only!
Once we were finished, we headed to my parents for Christmas Eve dinner and presents. My brother Steve and his wife Carolyn were there (they arrived about 30 minutes after we got there). My mom and dad "slow cooked" a roast, it probably was a bit overcooked, but was still really good! My dad made this horseradish suace to go with it that was YUMMY! Cranberry Relish, 24 hour salad, green beans, brocolli casserole, mashed potatoes, stuffing, and rolls finished off the meal!
After dinner, we gathered to open presents. My mom and dad got each of the kids 4 gifts and my brother and his wife gave them each giftcards to Target (and Jacob was bugging me on the ride home to tell him when I would take him there to spend it)!
As for me.....Steve and Carolyn gave Jay and I giftcards to Ruby Tuesday's (now to decide if the kids get to go with us or not!). My parents gave me a beautiful necklace with a mother and child pendant (it is silver and kind of new age looking, really cool) and a pair of earrings, a pair of gym shoes, bath and body stuff, and for Jay and I to share a set of bed sheets (wondering if my mother had been peeking in my bedroom to see how GROSS and OLD my sheets were!), some cookie sheets, and a toaster. Jay got a golf club and a pair of gym shoes. It is so nice that they are so generous with us and the kids, really takes some of the burden off of us for Christmas spending!
Jay and I were a bit surprised to find out that my brother has had a book published. It is only available from Amazon. I am going to have to get my hands on a copy and give it a read!
All in all a VERY GOOD HAUL! The only thing missing??? A bottle of Asti Spumante for the New Year! My mom always gets one for both my brother and me but the bad weather kept her from getting out and buying it this year! I am holding out hope that she might show up with it later this week! If not I guess for the first time ever I will have to buy my own New Year's Eve bubbly!
Jay and I ran some last minute errands and then came home and started getting everyone ready for church. Getting the LAST SHOWER after 9 other people have bathed is certainly an "awakening" experience! I usually try to get the first shower, but was so busy getting stuff together that I realized too late that I was in for the cold shower!
We headed out the door at 2:40 to make 3:30 Christmas services. The roads were a bit tricky but luckily it is only a few miles from the house. The service was PACKED, we lucked into one of the last remaining pews and within minutes of our arrivial it was standing room only!
Once we were finished, we headed to my parents for Christmas Eve dinner and presents. My brother Steve and his wife Carolyn were there (they arrived about 30 minutes after we got there). My mom and dad "slow cooked" a roast, it probably was a bit overcooked, but was still really good! My dad made this horseradish suace to go with it that was YUMMY! Cranberry Relish, 24 hour salad, green beans, brocolli casserole, mashed potatoes, stuffing, and rolls finished off the meal!
After dinner, we gathered to open presents. My mom and dad got each of the kids 4 gifts and my brother and his wife gave them each giftcards to Target (and Jacob was bugging me on the ride home to tell him when I would take him there to spend it)!
As for me.....Steve and Carolyn gave Jay and I giftcards to Ruby Tuesday's (now to decide if the kids get to go with us or not!). My parents gave me a beautiful necklace with a mother and child pendant (it is silver and kind of new age looking, really cool) and a pair of earrings, a pair of gym shoes, bath and body stuff, and for Jay and I to share a set of bed sheets (wondering if my mother had been peeking in my bedroom to see how GROSS and OLD my sheets were!), some cookie sheets, and a toaster. Jay got a golf club and a pair of gym shoes. It is so nice that they are so generous with us and the kids, really takes some of the burden off of us for Christmas spending!
Jay and I were a bit surprised to find out that my brother has had a book published. It is only available from Amazon. I am going to have to get my hands on a copy and give it a read!
All in all a VERY GOOD HAUL! The only thing missing??? A bottle of Asti Spumante for the New Year! My mom always gets one for both my brother and me but the bad weather kept her from getting out and buying it this year! I am holding out hope that she might show up with it later this week! If not I guess for the first time ever I will have to buy my own New Year's Eve bubbly!
Wednesday, December 22, 2004
Homes for the kittens....
The first of the kittens have found a loving home. A woman and her son came to pick up one kitten, and left with two of them. Emily was hearbroken and I wished we could have kept them all, but we don't have the money or the room for 9 kittens (did I ever mention that after Bella had her 6 kittens that Tinkerbell had 3 kittens???)!
Another woman called wanting one of the remaining 3 that are ready for a home. She is going to pick it up Friday morning to surprise her daughter for Christmas. Hopefully Emily will take it better this time.
So once she picks up her kitten, two little boys still need a home. I told the girls they could keep Emma, the other female and our absolute favorite. They hid her upstairs when the woman and her son were here so they wouldn't see her!
The kittens are adorable and playful, getting into everything. It does seem much quiter with two of them gone! I hope they love their new home!
The first of the kittens have found a loving home. A woman and her son came to pick up one kitten, and left with two of them. Emily was hearbroken and I wished we could have kept them all, but we don't have the money or the room for 9 kittens (did I ever mention that after Bella had her 6 kittens that Tinkerbell had 3 kittens???)!
Another woman called wanting one of the remaining 3 that are ready for a home. She is going to pick it up Friday morning to surprise her daughter for Christmas. Hopefully Emily will take it better this time.
So once she picks up her kitten, two little boys still need a home. I told the girls they could keep Emma, the other female and our absolute favorite. They hid her upstairs when the woman and her son were here so they wouldn't see her!
The kittens are adorable and playful, getting into everything. It does seem much quiter with two of them gone! I hope they love their new home!
Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow.....
OK I wish that was my sentiment, but I was far from happy to hear that a huge winter storm was heading out way. The furnace was on it last legs and we FINALLY had an appointment to get it replaced...then of course this darn snow storm decides to dump 6" this morning with more on the way...the furnace guy can't even get off his street! So we sit here with no heat....maybe I should pull out some books on the pioneers and we can pretend to be re-enacting the 1800's...of course they didn't live in 2000 sqaure foot houses now did they??
The kids on the other hand are LOVING our winter storm. They were out playing in it for hours...having snowball fights, making snow angles and playing football. They were so excited, we didn't get a decent snow last year so this is a HUGE deal!
Luckily the Christmas shopping is finished except for some baseball cards for the boys and a game I forgot to pick up for Hannah (and she will survive without!). I figure if the roads don't clear by Christmas Eve, Santa will just have to write a note to the boys with $10 in each note saying his elves don't know how to make baseball cards but to use the money to go to the baseball card store on Monday and pick some up!
OK I wish that was my sentiment, but I was far from happy to hear that a huge winter storm was heading out way. The furnace was on it last legs and we FINALLY had an appointment to get it replaced...then of course this darn snow storm decides to dump 6" this morning with more on the way...the furnace guy can't even get off his street! So we sit here with no heat....maybe I should pull out some books on the pioneers and we can pretend to be re-enacting the 1800's...of course they didn't live in 2000 sqaure foot houses now did they??
The kids on the other hand are LOVING our winter storm. They were out playing in it for hours...having snowball fights, making snow angles and playing football. They were so excited, we didn't get a decent snow last year so this is a HUGE deal!
Luckily the Christmas shopping is finished except for some baseball cards for the boys and a game I forgot to pick up for Hannah (and she will survive without!). I figure if the roads don't clear by Christmas Eve, Santa will just have to write a note to the boys with $10 in each note saying his elves don't know how to make baseball cards but to use the money to go to the baseball card store on Monday and pick some up!
Saturday, December 18, 2004
Teen Christmas Party
Saturday Decenber 18th
7pm - 10pm
Cindy wrote: The holidays are almost here.....how exciting!! This is a reminder that we are hosting a teen Christmas party tomorrow night (Saturday, the 18th) from 7pm - 10pm. For fun, wear red and green (if you have something those colors) Bring a 2-litre drink (please avoid the high caffeine drinks like Mountain Dew) and a holiday snack (or any other snack if you aren't creative, like me!)
Parents are invited to stay and relax upstairs with my husband and myself (although I'll be downstairs to run games and things). He and I rarely sit and catch our breaths and this sounded like a good opportunity.
Brett and Hannah were thrilled to have their own holiday party to attend. Brett even "dressed up" in his Christmas shirt (I wonder what girl he was hoping to impress??). They said they had a great time at the party and loved playing the games. It is so nice that they have a group of friends to hang out with that I don't have to constantly worry about what is going on or if they are being well supervised!
Saturday Decenber 18th
7pm - 10pm
Cindy wrote: The holidays are almost here.....how exciting!! This is a reminder that we are hosting a teen Christmas party tomorrow night (Saturday, the 18th) from 7pm - 10pm. For fun, wear red and green (if you have something those colors) Bring a 2-litre drink (please avoid the high caffeine drinks like Mountain Dew) and a holiday snack (or any other snack if you aren't creative, like me!)
Parents are invited to stay and relax upstairs with my husband and myself (although I'll be downstairs to run games and things). He and I rarely sit and catch our breaths and this sounded like a good opportunity.
Brett and Hannah were thrilled to have their own holiday party to attend. Brett even "dressed up" in his Christmas shirt (I wonder what girl he was hoping to impress??). They said they had a great time at the party and loved playing the games. It is so nice that they have a group of friends to hang out with that I don't have to constantly worry about what is going on or if they are being well supervised!
Friday, December 17, 2004
Candlemaking
Friday, December 17
1 PM
An activity opportunity came through on our homeschooling list to make soy candles. I had never heard of soy candles and thought it sounds like fun. I did a little research on the internet about soy candles (I didn't want to seem ignorant at the event) and it seems that soy is a wonderful alternative to the typical wax candles we ususally use. They burn cleaner and emit a purer scent.
So we got directions and headed over to Melodie's (our hostess) house. Jacob and Cade played basketball outside and the girls and I made candles. The activity was geared to those 8 and up since you have to use a stove, so most of the little kids just played and the older kids hung out when they weren't making a candle. It was so simple and fun. We made two candles in mason jars, one for my mom and dad and one for my brother and his wife for Christmas and then Emily made one for me in a teacup, it is so cute! It was really neat to be able to pick and custom mix your candle scent and to chose your own color....so we ended up with a pink pina coloda scented candle, a green sugar cookie scented candle, and a yellow cinnamon scented candle. I am thinking that I am going to buy some soy wax and scent oil and make more candles as gifts next year for Christmas....might even do them with the girlscout troop. I am going to scour thrift shops and yard sales for cool containers like tea cups to make them in (you can make the candle in any heatproof container!).
A couple of interesting side notes to our day:
1) Melodie's 15 year old nephew was visiting from out of town. He and Hannah took to each other right away. They spend some time hanging out together (with other kids around) and then he asked Hannah if she wanted to "kiss" him. She looked at him and LAUGHED and told him "No!" and then he replied, "you are the only girl who has ever told me no" to which Hannah said "Well, I guess that means I am smarter than the rest of them.". Now you just have to LOVE the fact that my very soon to be 13 year old daughter came and told me this story! I would have NEVER told my mother! Oh, and by the way, if you are WONDERING....NO THE NEPHEW ISN'T HOMESCHOOLED!
2) A mom that I hadn't met before came to this event. She was certainly a bit different, and given my own "different-ness" (like that is even a word!) that is certainly saying a lot. First off, Emily said that when she and Sophie and a couple other of the younger kids were sitting in the living room the woman came it, took her top off and changed into a different top...OK so this would be no big deal, but she had NO BRA ON.....Emily said "we tried not to look mom but it was really hard!". Then, about 4 PM she went up to Melodie and said "I am hungry, I am going to get some lunch but I think my 6 year old wants to stay here and play"....Now this woman had never met any of us before, we didn't even know her last name, and she goes and leaves her kid there. I think that qualifies as DIFFERENT!
3) Melodie lives about 5 minutes for the GAP OUTLET....a true distribution center/warehouse. We stopped on the way to her house and got Will some of the most ADORABLE outfits for less than $4 each...it was nice because you could mix and match pieces and he needs a 6-9 month top but only 3-6 month bottoms. We also lucked into some cute t-shirts for Hannah (and some for her to give as a gift to her friend Chrishauna) for $1.99 each and we got a ton of panties for $.25 each! What a deal!
Friday, December 17
1 PM
An activity opportunity came through on our homeschooling list to make soy candles. I had never heard of soy candles and thought it sounds like fun. I did a little research on the internet about soy candles (I didn't want to seem ignorant at the event) and it seems that soy is a wonderful alternative to the typical wax candles we ususally use. They burn cleaner and emit a purer scent.
So we got directions and headed over to Melodie's (our hostess) house. Jacob and Cade played basketball outside and the girls and I made candles. The activity was geared to those 8 and up since you have to use a stove, so most of the little kids just played and the older kids hung out when they weren't making a candle. It was so simple and fun. We made two candles in mason jars, one for my mom and dad and one for my brother and his wife for Christmas and then Emily made one for me in a teacup, it is so cute! It was really neat to be able to pick and custom mix your candle scent and to chose your own color....so we ended up with a pink pina coloda scented candle, a green sugar cookie scented candle, and a yellow cinnamon scented candle. I am thinking that I am going to buy some soy wax and scent oil and make more candles as gifts next year for Christmas....might even do them with the girlscout troop. I am going to scour thrift shops and yard sales for cool containers like tea cups to make them in (you can make the candle in any heatproof container!).
A couple of interesting side notes to our day:
1) Melodie's 15 year old nephew was visiting from out of town. He and Hannah took to each other right away. They spend some time hanging out together (with other kids around) and then he asked Hannah if she wanted to "kiss" him. She looked at him and LAUGHED and told him "No!" and then he replied, "you are the only girl who has ever told me no" to which Hannah said "Well, I guess that means I am smarter than the rest of them.". Now you just have to LOVE the fact that my very soon to be 13 year old daughter came and told me this story! I would have NEVER told my mother! Oh, and by the way, if you are WONDERING....NO THE NEPHEW ISN'T HOMESCHOOLED!
2) A mom that I hadn't met before came to this event. She was certainly a bit different, and given my own "different-ness" (like that is even a word!) that is certainly saying a lot. First off, Emily said that when she and Sophie and a couple other of the younger kids were sitting in the living room the woman came it, took her top off and changed into a different top...OK so this would be no big deal, but she had NO BRA ON.....Emily said "we tried not to look mom but it was really hard!". Then, about 4 PM she went up to Melodie and said "I am hungry, I am going to get some lunch but I think my 6 year old wants to stay here and play"....Now this woman had never met any of us before, we didn't even know her last name, and she goes and leaves her kid there. I think that qualifies as DIFFERENT!
3) Melodie lives about 5 minutes for the GAP OUTLET....a true distribution center/warehouse. We stopped on the way to her house and got Will some of the most ADORABLE outfits for less than $4 each...it was nice because you could mix and match pieces and he needs a 6-9 month top but only 3-6 month bottoms. We also lucked into some cute t-shirts for Hannah (and some for her to give as a gift to her friend Chrishauna) for $1.99 each and we got a ton of panties for $.25 each! What a deal!
Thursday, December 09, 2004
'Tis the season....
The holidays can be so overwhelming. I am so grateful that I don't have tons of family to buy for outside of the kids. We buy for my mom and dad, my brother and his wife and my mother-in-law. But getting everything together for the kids is enough to drive me NUTS!
I went to Meijer's today and got what few items I had put in layaway out. Not much, some Polly Pocket Stuff for Emily, a doll, dvd and Dora item for Sophie , a book for the baby and some wrestling guys for the boys. It was mostly just stuff I saw one day while walking around and didn't feel like hauling home with me. There was NO LINE when I got to layaway, but it was 6 people deep by the time I left. Nothing will ever compare to the line I waited in last year at Walmart (2 1/2 hours long) with a screaming kid in the cart behind mine. If I hadn't have had just about everything I needed for the kids in that layaway I would have walked away. I will never make the mistake of putting a holiday layaway in at Walmart ever again.
Jay and I need to sit down and figure out what we have for everyone and what we still need. We try to make sure all of the kids get the same number of presents to open, but we don't nessecarily spend the same amount on them. Obviously, the little boys are happy with cheaper plastic wrestling guys while Brett wants video games and Hannah clothes.
I have to figure out what to get my brother and his wife. They are probably the hardest people on my list. They have no children and don't really go out and do much, so it makes it hard. Maybe something with come to me!
The holidays can be so overwhelming. I am so grateful that I don't have tons of family to buy for outside of the kids. We buy for my mom and dad, my brother and his wife and my mother-in-law. But getting everything together for the kids is enough to drive me NUTS!
I went to Meijer's today and got what few items I had put in layaway out. Not much, some Polly Pocket Stuff for Emily, a doll, dvd and Dora item for Sophie , a book for the baby and some wrestling guys for the boys. It was mostly just stuff I saw one day while walking around and didn't feel like hauling home with me. There was NO LINE when I got to layaway, but it was 6 people deep by the time I left. Nothing will ever compare to the line I waited in last year at Walmart (2 1/2 hours long) with a screaming kid in the cart behind mine. If I hadn't have had just about everything I needed for the kids in that layaway I would have walked away. I will never make the mistake of putting a holiday layaway in at Walmart ever again.
Jay and I need to sit down and figure out what we have for everyone and what we still need. We try to make sure all of the kids get the same number of presents to open, but we don't nessecarily spend the same amount on them. Obviously, the little boys are happy with cheaper plastic wrestling guys while Brett wants video games and Hannah clothes.
I have to figure out what to get my brother and his wife. They are probably the hardest people on my list. They have no children and don't really go out and do much, so it makes it hard. Maybe something with come to me!
Tuesday, December 07, 2004
Today we had a girlscout meeting at Sarah's house. Kas and her girls made it and it was WONDERFUL to see them again! I can't believe that it has been a MONTH since we saw them last!
The girls all painted christmas tree ornaments and socialized! It seemed like they all had tons of "talking" to get out of their system. It is nice that they are able to get together with the same group of girls a couple of times a month!
Rita, another mom of a girl in the troop, was wonderful. She saw that Sophie had a snotty nose and cough and went out and got her a homeopathic remedy to help with it. It was amazing to see how quickly it started to work and how much better Sophie looked after taking it!
Of course by the end of the meeting Tabby and Emily and Mandy and Hannah were scheming to spend the night together. We decided to wait until Thursday night, the girls can't wait! I am hoping Jay is around so I can go and hang out with Kas for a couple of hours....too bad I am too big for sleepovers!
Sarah's house is just beautiful...not in the sense that it is some HUGE HOUSE, but that the things in it are well chosen and make one feel comfortable. Her husband is an artist and a lot of his pieces decorate their home. They also have some other gorgeous pieces sitting around. I made the comment that Sarah's home is an extension of her, a reflection of who she is, warm and comfortable. Kas looked at me at said "so is my house a reflection of me?" I busted out laughing and said "Yes, cluttered, eclectic and interesting, and there is never a dull moment!". I have to wonder how well my house reflects who I am!
The girls all painted christmas tree ornaments and socialized! It seemed like they all had tons of "talking" to get out of their system. It is nice that they are able to get together with the same group of girls a couple of times a month!
Rita, another mom of a girl in the troop, was wonderful. She saw that Sophie had a snotty nose and cough and went out and got her a homeopathic remedy to help with it. It was amazing to see how quickly it started to work and how much better Sophie looked after taking it!
Of course by the end of the meeting Tabby and Emily and Mandy and Hannah were scheming to spend the night together. We decided to wait until Thursday night, the girls can't wait! I am hoping Jay is around so I can go and hang out with Kas for a couple of hours....too bad I am too big for sleepovers!
Sarah's house is just beautiful...not in the sense that it is some HUGE HOUSE, but that the things in it are well chosen and make one feel comfortable. Her husband is an artist and a lot of his pieces decorate their home. They also have some other gorgeous pieces sitting around. I made the comment that Sarah's home is an extension of her, a reflection of who she is, warm and comfortable. Kas looked at me at said "so is my house a reflection of me?" I busted out laughing and said "Yes, cluttered, eclectic and interesting, and there is never a dull moment!". I have to wonder how well my house reflects who I am!
Monday, December 06, 2004
"That other magic guy came!"
Those were the words my 4 year old uttered to his brother this morning when he saw his stocking brimming with goodies! That "other" magic guy would be St. Nick, not to be confused in any way with "the" magic guy, Santa Claus!
As part of our German Catholic heritage, we celebrate the feast of St. Nicholas by hanging our stockings on December 5th for St. Nick to fill by morning. The filling is usually something simple, some candy, maybe a CD or some baseball cards or small toy, nothing too elaborate. For us it is a nice way to start the holiday season, kind of a kick off for the big day. The kids seem to appreciate the stocking "stuff" more in early December than in the midst of bigger gifts on Christmas day.
Cade was quite happy with the stuff the other magic guy brought him. Candy, baseball cards, a racecar, football and a tube of plastic animals. Of course he is counting the minutes until "the" magic guy shows up, and even corrected me today saying there are only 19 days left until the big day (I mistakenly said 20)!
Happy St. Nicholas Day to all!
Those were the words my 4 year old uttered to his brother this morning when he saw his stocking brimming with goodies! That "other" magic guy would be St. Nick, not to be confused in any way with "the" magic guy, Santa Claus!
As part of our German Catholic heritage, we celebrate the feast of St. Nicholas by hanging our stockings on December 5th for St. Nick to fill by morning. The filling is usually something simple, some candy, maybe a CD or some baseball cards or small toy, nothing too elaborate. For us it is a nice way to start the holiday season, kind of a kick off for the big day. The kids seem to appreciate the stocking "stuff" more in early December than in the midst of bigger gifts on Christmas day.
Cade was quite happy with the stuff the other magic guy brought him. Candy, baseball cards, a racecar, football and a tube of plastic animals. Of course he is counting the minutes until "the" magic guy shows up, and even corrected me today saying there are only 19 days left until the big day (I mistakenly said 20)!
Happy St. Nicholas Day to all!
Wild Child Open Gym
Mondays (starting December 6)
12 PM to 3 PM
Union Township Civic Center (Eastgate Area)
Submitted by Laura Riesenberg: Quite by accident, I found out that the new Civic Center in Eastgate has a gym available for community use. Although the gym is booked every evening and the majority of the weekend, it gets very little use during school year daytime hours so the coordinator was thrilled to have a group interested in using the space. We have been given a time slot from noon until 3 PM every Monday (except the one after Christmas) for the remainder of the school year. Best of all, the space is available for FREE!
There are a few rules we will have to follow in order to use the space:
1) We will have to bring our own balls/equipment. I have plenty of basketballs/playground balls and a parachute....Michelle Vaske said she has 3 bouncy balls (the kind a child sits on and bounces around on) and also a parachute...I figure if we all pitch in there will be plenty to play with (I am thinking things like hula hoops, jump ropes)...There are basketball hoops for playing basketball. If all else fails they can just run around like wild children and exhaust some of that winter energy!
2) NO KICKING of balls, NO HITTING of baseballs, NO BASEBALL BATS, NO TENNIS RACKETS OR TENNIS BALLS, NO CLIMBING ON BLEACHERS WHEN THEY ARE CLOSED). No roller skates, ride on toys, skateboards, etc.
3) Gyms shoes or non-marking shoes only
4) No jeans (they don't want the rivets rubbing the gym floor)...windpants or sweats work best.
5) There is a concession area with a frig that we are welcome to use and put snacks/drinks/ice in and a sink...I also believe a microwave...they would like snacks kept off the gym floor (for obvious reasons). I don't know that we would be bringing in food, but it is nice to know we can!
6) There is a nice area by the concession stand were toddlers (or anyone else) could play with building blocks (I have a huge bucket I am willing to bring) or race cars and be out of the way of the kids running in the gym. Toys (like blocks, trucks, etc) must be kept off the gym floor.
7) Restrooms are right by the concession area so it means we won't need to go into the building to find restrooms.
8) Absolutely no chewing gum
9) Trash needs to be put in receptibles. Scuffs on floor should be wiped up with a damp paper towel. Wet spills need to be cleaned up as soon as possible (mop available)
Children must be supervised by an adult (this isn't someplace to come and drop off your kids). This will be a drop-in program, you don't need to commit to being there each week, you may come when you chose.
Directions to the Civic Center:
The Civic Center is located on Aicholtz Rd. behind Biggs.
To get to the Civic Center take I-275 to exit #63/ Rt. 32 east/Batavia and stay in the right hand lane as you get onto Rt. 32. You will exit almost immediately onto the ramp for Eastgate Blvd. At the top of the exit ramp turn LEFT onto Eastgate Blvd. At the second traffic light turn LEFT onto Aicholtz Rd. The Civic Center will be on your left hand side. The is plenty of parking.
Once you are at the Civic Center you should see a sign pointing to the gym entrance (if you are standing looking at the front of the building, it will be the doors on your left). The gym is located on the lower level of the building.
What an ABSOLUTE BLAST...the kids ran around like wild children and I got to talk to other adults, adults that actually have children that are as wild and wonderful as mine. Of course there were a couple of squabbles over balls and the rules of the game, but things seemed to work out OK.
Mondays (starting December 6)
12 PM to 3 PM
Union Township Civic Center (Eastgate Area)
Submitted by Laura Riesenberg: Quite by accident, I found out that the new Civic Center in Eastgate has a gym available for community use. Although the gym is booked every evening and the majority of the weekend, it gets very little use during school year daytime hours so the coordinator was thrilled to have a group interested in using the space. We have been given a time slot from noon until 3 PM every Monday (except the one after Christmas) for the remainder of the school year. Best of all, the space is available for FREE!
There are a few rules we will have to follow in order to use the space:
1) We will have to bring our own balls/equipment. I have plenty of basketballs/playground balls and a parachute....Michelle Vaske said she has 3 bouncy balls (the kind a child sits on and bounces around on) and also a parachute...I figure if we all pitch in there will be plenty to play with (I am thinking things like hula hoops, jump ropes)...There are basketball hoops for playing basketball. If all else fails they can just run around like wild children and exhaust some of that winter energy!
2) NO KICKING of balls, NO HITTING of baseballs, NO BASEBALL BATS, NO TENNIS RACKETS OR TENNIS BALLS, NO CLIMBING ON BLEACHERS WHEN THEY ARE CLOSED). No roller skates, ride on toys, skateboards, etc.
3) Gyms shoes or non-marking shoes only
4) No jeans (they don't want the rivets rubbing the gym floor)...windpants or sweats work best.
5) There is a concession area with a frig that we are welcome to use and put snacks/drinks/ice in and a sink...I also believe a microwave...they would like snacks kept off the gym floor (for obvious reasons). I don't know that we would be bringing in food, but it is nice to know we can!
6) There is a nice area by the concession stand were toddlers (or anyone else) could play with building blocks (I have a huge bucket I am willing to bring) or race cars and be out of the way of the kids running in the gym. Toys (like blocks, trucks, etc) must be kept off the gym floor.
7) Restrooms are right by the concession area so it means we won't need to go into the building to find restrooms.
8) Absolutely no chewing gum
9) Trash needs to be put in receptibles. Scuffs on floor should be wiped up with a damp paper towel. Wet spills need to be cleaned up as soon as possible (mop available)
Children must be supervised by an adult (this isn't someplace to come and drop off your kids). This will be a drop-in program, you don't need to commit to being there each week, you may come when you chose.
Directions to the Civic Center:
The Civic Center is located on Aicholtz Rd. behind Biggs.
To get to the Civic Center take I-275 to exit #63/ Rt. 32 east/Batavia and stay in the right hand lane as you get onto Rt. 32. You will exit almost immediately onto the ramp for Eastgate Blvd. At the top of the exit ramp turn LEFT onto Eastgate Blvd. At the second traffic light turn LEFT onto Aicholtz Rd. The Civic Center will be on your left hand side. The is plenty of parking.
Once you are at the Civic Center you should see a sign pointing to the gym entrance (if you are standing looking at the front of the building, it will be the doors on your left). The gym is located on the lower level of the building.
What an ABSOLUTE BLAST...the kids ran around like wild children and I got to talk to other adults, adults that actually have children that are as wild and wonderful as mine. Of course there were a couple of squabbles over balls and the rules of the game, but things seemed to work out OK.
Monday, November 29, 2004
Simple Mix Recipes:
These jar recipes came across one of the many list I am on. They would make wonderful Christmas gifts!
Hot Chocolate Mix
One is never too old to enjoy hot chocolate, and this is a special way to share it with a friend.
3 cups powdered milk
1/2 cup cocoa
3/4 cup sugar
Dash of salt
Sift the ingredients into a large bowl. Pack the mix into an airtight container.
Attach this to the Jar: Hot Chocolate Serves 1
Place 4 tbsp. of Hot Chocolate Mix into a mug. Pour in 8 oz boiling water. Stir until the Chocolate mix is dissolved. Garnish with marshmallows or whipped cream.
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Spiced Cranberry Cider Mix
This spicy cider tastes delicious after winter sports, so here's just the gift for a hostess on a ski vacation.
1/2 cup dried cranberries
12 cinnamon sticks
1/2 tsp. crushed whole cloves
2 Tbsp. whole allspice
In a small bowl, stir the cranberries and spices together. Store in an airtight container.
Attach this to the Jar:
Spiced Cranberry Cider Mix
Serves 12 to 14
2 quarts apple cider
1 quart water
1 package Spiced Cranberry Cider Mix
2 oranges, sliced
In a large saucepan combine the cider, water, and Spiced Cranberry Cider Mix. Heat through but do not boil. Add most of the orange slices. Serve warm, garnished with the remaining orange slices.
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White Hot Chocolate Mix
A great idea for a major chocoholic.
1 tsp. vanilla powder
1 tsp. dried orange peel
1/2 cup grated white chocolate or white chocolate chips
Combine and blend the ingredients in a small bowl. Store in an airtight container.
Attach this to the Jar:
White Hot Chocolate
Serves 2
1 and 1/2 cups milk
1/4 cup White Hot Chocolate Mix
In a small saucepan, heat the milk until bubbles form around the outside. Add the White Hot Chocolate Mix and whisk until the chocolate is melted. Continue to whisk until the mixture is hot.
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Mexican Hot Chocolate Mix
1/3 cup light brown sugar
3/4 tsp. ground cinnamon
1 1/2 tsp. powdered vanilla
1/4 cup cocoa
2 1/2 cups powdered milk
Combine and blend ingredients in a small bowl. Store in an airtight container.
Attach this to the Jar:
Mexican Hot Chocolate
Serves 6
3 cups water
Mexican Hot Chocolate Mix (to taste)
Cinnamon sticks for garnish
Heat the water to boiling and add the Mexican Hot Chocolate Mix. Stir with a whisk until the mixture is smooth. Garnish with cinnamon sticks. For a frothier hot chocolate, mix in a blender.
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Mexican Fiesta Dip Mix
This is an unusual Southwestern dip mix that can be given in a small sombrero.
1/2 cup dried parsley
1/3 cup minced onion
1/4 cup dried chives
1/3 cup chili powder
1/4 cup ground cumin
1/4 cup salt
In a large bowl, combine the spices and store in an airtight container.
Attach this to the Jar:
Mexican Fiesta Dip
Makes 2 cups
3 Tbsp. Mexican Fiesta Dip Mix
1 cup mayonnaise or low-fat mayonnaise
1 cup sour cream or low-fat yogurt
In a medium mixing bowl combine the Dip Mix with the mayonnaise and sour cream. Whisk the mixture until smooth. Refrigerate for 2 to 4 hours. Serve with tortilla chips or fresh vegetables.
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Ranch Dressing and Dip Mix
This versatile mix can be used to make a dressing for salads, a dip for fresh veggies, or topping for baked potatoes.
1 1/2 Tbsp. dried parsley
1/2 Tbsp. dried chives
1/4 Tbsp. dried tarragon
1/2 Tbsp. lemon pepper1 Tbsp. salt
1/4 Tbsp. oregano
1/2 Tbsp. garlic powder
In a medium bowl, combine all the ingredients. Store in an airtight container.
Attach this to the Jar:
Ranch Dressing
Makes 1 cup
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/2 cup buttermilk
1 Tbsp. Ranch Dressing & Dip Mix
In a large bowl whisk together the mayonnaise, buttermilk and dressing & dip mix. Refrigerate for one hour before serving.
Ranch Dip
Makes 2 cups
2 Tbsp. Ranch Dressing & Dip Mix
1 cup mayonnaise or low-fat mayo
1 cup sour cream or low-fat yogurt
Combine the Ranch Dressing and Dip Mix with mayonnaise and sour cream. Refrigerate for 2 hours before serving with raw vegetables, or as a topping for baked potatoes.
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Turkey Noodle Soup Mix
This is a great way to use leftover turkey.
1 cup uncooked fine egg noodles
1 1/2 Tbsp. chicken-flavored bouillon
1/2 tsp. ground black pepper
1/4 tsp. dried whole thyme
1/8 tsp. celery seeds
1/8 tsp. garlic powder
1 bay leaf
Combine all ingredients in a medium bowl. Store in an airtight container.
Attach this to the Jar:
Turkey Noodle Soup
1 package Turkey Noodle Soup Mix
8 cups water
2 carrots, diced
2 stalks celery, diced
1/4 cup minced onion
3 cups cooked diced turkey
Combine the Turkey Noodle Soup Mix and the water in a large stockpot. Add the carrots, celery, and onion and bring to a boil. Cover the soup and reduce the heat to a simmer. Simmer for 15 minutes. Discard the bay leaf. Stir in the turkey and simmer an additional 5 minutes.
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Curried Rice Mix
This curried rice mix is an interesting complement for plain chicken or pork.
1 cup long-grain rice
1 chicken bouillon cube, crumbled
2 Tbsp. dried minced onion
1/4 cup raisins
1/2 tsp. curry powder
Layer the ingredients in the order given in a 1 & 1/2-cup jar.
Attach this to the Jar:
Curried Rice
Serves 6
2 1/2 cups water
1 package Curried Rice Mix
In a medium saucepan bring the water to a boil. Add the rice mix. Cover and reduce the heat to a simmer for 20 minutes.
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Lemon Pepper Seasoning Mix
Lemon pepper adds a piquant flavor when used on grilled meats.
1 cup ground black pepper
1/3 cup dried lemon peel
Tbsp. coriander seeds
1/4 cup dried minced onion
1/4 cup dried thyme leaves
Stir all the ingredients together and store in airtight jars.
Attach this to the Jar:
Grilled Lemon Chicken
Serves 4
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
2 tsp. Lemon Pepper Seasoning Mix
6 chicken cutlets
Preheat the broiler or BBQ grill. In a low, flat dish stir together the lemon juice, oil and Lemon Pepper Seasoning Mix. Add the chicken breasts, and marinate in the refrigerator for 30 to 45 minutes. Grill over hot coals or broil for 4 minutes on each side, or until done. Serve hot or at room temperature.
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Pizza Dough Mix
This is a gift for friends of all ages, whether a starving college student or a senior citizen--everyone loves pizza.
2 3/4 cups bread flour
1 package (1 Tbsp.) active dry yeast
2 tsp. salt
In a medium bowl, combine all the ingredients. Place the mix in an airtight container.
Attach this to the Jar:
Pizza
Makes 2 12-inch pizzas
1 package Pizza Dough Mix
2 Tbsp. olive oil
1 cup warm water
1 cup tomato sauce
1/2 cup grated mozzarella cheese
1/3 cup freshly grated Parmesan
1 tsp. crushed oregano
Place the Pizza Dough Mix in a large bowl & add the oil and water. Beat with a wooden spoon or dough hook until mixture forms a ball. Turn out onto a floured board and knead for 5 minutes. Transfer to a greased bowl and let the dough rise for 90 minutes. Divide the dough in half and pat into two 12-inch circles. For thin crust, fill and bake the pizzas now. For thicker crust, let pizzas rise 30 to 45 minutes. Top the pizza dough with tomato sauce, cheeses of your choice, crushed oregano, and olive oil drizzled over the pizzas. Preheat the oven and bake at 425 degrees F for 20 to 25 minutes. Let stand 5 minutes.
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California Corn Bread Mix
This is a sweet, cake-like corn bread that is delicious with honey butter.
2 cups Bisquick baking mix
1/2 cup cornmeal
1/2 cup sugar
1 Tbsp. baking powder
In a large glass or ceramic bowl, stir all the ingredients together. Store in an airtight container.
Attach this to the Jar:
California Corn Bread
Serves 4 to 6
1 package California Corn Bread Mix
2 eggs
1 cup milk
1/2 cup butter, melted
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Place the corn bread mix in a large mixing bowl and add the eggs, milk and butter. Blend until the mixture is smooth. Poor into a greased 8-inch baking pan and bake for 30 minutes.
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Ginger Spice Muffin Mix
A great gift for people on the go!!
1 3/4 cups flour
2 Tbsp. sugar
3 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp. ground nutmeg
1/4 tsp. ground ginger
1/4 tsp. ground cloves
1/2 tsp. salt
Combine all the ingredients in a medium bowl. Store the mixture in an airtight container.
Attach this to the Jar:
Ginger Spice Muffins
Makes 1 dozen
1 pkg. Ginger Spice Muffin Mix
1/4 cup butter or margarine, melted
1 egg
1 tsp. vanilla
1 cup milk
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F, and grease 12 muffin tins. In a large bowl, combine the muffin mix with the butter, egg, vanilla and milk Stir the mixture until the ingredients are blended. Do not overmix. The batter will be lumpy. Fill muffin tins 2/3 full, and bake for 15 minutes.
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Lemon Poppy-Seed Cake Mix
This cake is delightful with its lemony flavor and the added crunch of poppy seeds.
1 1/2 cups sugar
3 cups cake flour
1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/4 cup poppy seeds
Combine all the ingredients in a large mixing bowl. Blend with a wire whisk. Store the mix in an airtight container.
Attach this to the Jar:
Lemon Poppy-Seed Cake
Serves 8
3/4 cup butter
6 eggs
1/3 cup milk
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 tsp. lemon extract (not lemon juice)
Zest of 1 lemon
1 pkg. Lemon Poppy-Seed Cake Mix
Glaze:
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup lemon juice
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Butter an 8- to 9-cup Bundt pan. In the large bowl of an electric mixer, cream the butter. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating after each addition. Add the milk, extracts, and lemon zest. The mixture will look curdled. Add the Cake Mix, and continue to beat on medium speed for 3 to 4 minutes until mixture is smooth. Pour the batter into greased pan and bake for 45 to 55 minutes.Glaze: Combine sugar and lemon juice in a small saucepan over medium heat, and bring to boil for 3 minutes. When cake is removed from oven, poke cake all over with a wooden skewer and brush glaze over cake. Let the cake stand for 1 hour and remove from pan to cool on a wire rack. Wrap the cake in plastic wrap.
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Spiced Apple Cake Mix
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 1/2 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. powdered vanilla
1 1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 tsp. ground nutmeg
1 cup chopped nuts
1/2 cup golden raisins
Combine and blend ingredients in a medium bowl. Store in an airtight container.
Attach this to the Jar:
Spiced Apple Cake
Serves 8 to 10
1 package Spiced Apple Cake Mix
1 1/2 cups canola oil
3 large eggs
3 cups chopped apples
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F & grease a tube or Bundt pan. Place the Spiced Apple Cake Mix into a large mixing bowl. Make a well in the center of the Mix; add the oil, eggs, and apples. Stir until mixture is smooth. Pour into the prepared pan and bake for 1 hour & 10 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Cool; remove from the cake pan.
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Carrot Cake Mix
2 cups sugar
2 tsp. powdered vanilla
1/2 cup chopped pecans
3 cups all-purpose flour
2 tsp. baking soda
1 Tbsp. cinnamon
1/4 tsp. nutmeg
Combine and blend ingredients in a small bowl. Store in an airtight container.
Attach this to the Jar:
Carrot Cake
Makes 1 13x9-inch cake
1 package Carrot Cake Mix
1 1/2 cups vegetable oil
3 large eggs
3 cups grated carrots
1 (8-ounce) can crushed pineapple
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F & grease 13x9 inch pan. Place Carrot Cake Mix in large mixing bowl. Make a well in the center of the mix & add the oil, eggs, carrots & pineapple. Blend until smooth. Pour into the prepared pan & bake for 40 to 50 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into center comes out clean. Cool the cake and frost if desired or dust with powdered sugar.
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GINGERBREAD MIX --
8 cups Flour
2 cups sugar
1/4 cup baking powder
1 Tbsp. salt
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. ground cloves1 tsp. ginger
1 Tbsp. cinnamon
2 cups shortening
Sift dry ingredients and cut shortening into it with a pastry blender. Measure 3 cups into 4 jars. Decorate jars with raffia or ribbon.
Attach gingerbread cutter and the following recipe:
Gingerbread Boys
3 cups gingerbread mix
1/3 cup molasses
1/4 cup flour
1 slightly beaten egg
Combine gingerbread mix, molasses, egg and flour. Blend well. Roll to 1/4" thickness on lightly floured surface. Cut into gingerbread shapes. Place on greased cookie sheets. Bake at 350 degrees for 10 minutes. Cool. Can be decorated with cinnamon candies. Recipe to be used within 3 months.
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JAR BREADS --
Carrot-Raisin Jar Bread
2 2/3 cups sugar
2/3 cup shortening
4 eggs
2/3 cup water
2 cups shredded carrots
3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 tsp. cloves
1 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. baking powder
2 tsp. baking soda1 tsp. salt
2/3 to 1 cup raisins
You'll need 6 wide-mouth pint-size canning jars, metal rings and lids. Don't use any other jars. Sterilize jars, lids and rings according to manufacturer's directions. Grease inside, but not the rim of jars. Cream sugar and shortening, beat in eggs and water, add carrots. Sift together flour, cloves, cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda and salt; add to batter. Add raisins and mix. Pour one cup of batter into prepared jars. Do not use more than one cup or batter will overflow and jar will not seal. Place jars evenly spaced on a cookie sheet. Place in a pre-heated 325-degree oven for 45 minutes. Remove jars from oven one at a time keeping remaining jars in oven. Working quickly, wipe rim, place lid and ring on jar and secure. Jars will seal quickly. Repeat with remaining jars. When ready to serve, bread will slide out. A properly sealed quick bread will stay fresh for one year.
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Chocolate Jar Cakes
8 pint-sized wide mouth canning jars
1 stick plus 3 Tbsp. unsalted butter
3 cups sugar
4 eggs
1 Tbsp. vanilla
2 cups applesauce, unsweetened
3 cups flour
3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/8 tsp. salt
Pre-wash canning jars (be sure to use the kind that have no shoulders) in hot, soapy water. Rinse well, dry and let them come to room temperature. Grease insides of jar well. Beat together butter and half of sugar until fluffy. Add eggs and remaining sugar, vanilla and applesauce. Sift dry ingredients together and add to the applesauce mixture a little at a time: beat well after each addition. Pour one cup of batter into each jar and carefully remove any batter from the rims. Place jars in a preheated 325-degree oven and bake for 40 minutes. While cakes are baking, bring a saucepan of water to a boil and carefully add jar lids. Remove pan from heat and keep lids hot until ready to use. When the cakes have finished baking, remove jars from oven. Make sure jar rims are clean. (If they're not, jars will not seal correctly) Place lids on jars, and screw rings on tightly. Jars will seal as they cool. Cakes will slide right out when ready to serve. Unsealed jars should be stored in the refrigerator and eaten within 2 weeks. Sealed jars may be stored with other canned food or placed in a freezer. The cake is safe to eat as long as the jar remains vacuum-sealed and free from mold. To enjoy the best flavor, try to eat all canned cakes within 6 months.
These jar recipes came across one of the many list I am on. They would make wonderful Christmas gifts!
Hot Chocolate Mix
One is never too old to enjoy hot chocolate, and this is a special way to share it with a friend.
3 cups powdered milk
1/2 cup cocoa
3/4 cup sugar
Dash of salt
Sift the ingredients into a large bowl. Pack the mix into an airtight container.
Attach this to the Jar: Hot Chocolate Serves 1
Place 4 tbsp. of Hot Chocolate Mix into a mug. Pour in 8 oz boiling water. Stir until the Chocolate mix is dissolved. Garnish with marshmallows or whipped cream.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Spiced Cranberry Cider Mix
This spicy cider tastes delicious after winter sports, so here's just the gift for a hostess on a ski vacation.
1/2 cup dried cranberries
12 cinnamon sticks
1/2 tsp. crushed whole cloves
2 Tbsp. whole allspice
In a small bowl, stir the cranberries and spices together. Store in an airtight container.
Attach this to the Jar:
Spiced Cranberry Cider Mix
Serves 12 to 14
2 quarts apple cider
1 quart water
1 package Spiced Cranberry Cider Mix
2 oranges, sliced
In a large saucepan combine the cider, water, and Spiced Cranberry Cider Mix. Heat through but do not boil. Add most of the orange slices. Serve warm, garnished with the remaining orange slices.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
White Hot Chocolate Mix
A great idea for a major chocoholic.
1 tsp. vanilla powder
1 tsp. dried orange peel
1/2 cup grated white chocolate or white chocolate chips
Combine and blend the ingredients in a small bowl. Store in an airtight container.
Attach this to the Jar:
White Hot Chocolate
Serves 2
1 and 1/2 cups milk
1/4 cup White Hot Chocolate Mix
In a small saucepan, heat the milk until bubbles form around the outside. Add the White Hot Chocolate Mix and whisk until the chocolate is melted. Continue to whisk until the mixture is hot.
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Mexican Hot Chocolate Mix
1/3 cup light brown sugar
3/4 tsp. ground cinnamon
1 1/2 tsp. powdered vanilla
1/4 cup cocoa
2 1/2 cups powdered milk
Combine and blend ingredients in a small bowl. Store in an airtight container.
Attach this to the Jar:
Mexican Hot Chocolate
Serves 6
3 cups water
Mexican Hot Chocolate Mix (to taste)
Cinnamon sticks for garnish
Heat the water to boiling and add the Mexican Hot Chocolate Mix. Stir with a whisk until the mixture is smooth. Garnish with cinnamon sticks. For a frothier hot chocolate, mix in a blender.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Mexican Fiesta Dip Mix
This is an unusual Southwestern dip mix that can be given in a small sombrero.
1/2 cup dried parsley
1/3 cup minced onion
1/4 cup dried chives
1/3 cup chili powder
1/4 cup ground cumin
1/4 cup salt
In a large bowl, combine the spices and store in an airtight container.
Attach this to the Jar:
Mexican Fiesta Dip
Makes 2 cups
3 Tbsp. Mexican Fiesta Dip Mix
1 cup mayonnaise or low-fat mayonnaise
1 cup sour cream or low-fat yogurt
In a medium mixing bowl combine the Dip Mix with the mayonnaise and sour cream. Whisk the mixture until smooth. Refrigerate for 2 to 4 hours. Serve with tortilla chips or fresh vegetables.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Ranch Dressing and Dip Mix
This versatile mix can be used to make a dressing for salads, a dip for fresh veggies, or topping for baked potatoes.
1 1/2 Tbsp. dried parsley
1/2 Tbsp. dried chives
1/4 Tbsp. dried tarragon
1/2 Tbsp. lemon pepper1 Tbsp. salt
1/4 Tbsp. oregano
1/2 Tbsp. garlic powder
In a medium bowl, combine all the ingredients. Store in an airtight container.
Attach this to the Jar:
Ranch Dressing
Makes 1 cup
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/2 cup buttermilk
1 Tbsp. Ranch Dressing & Dip Mix
In a large bowl whisk together the mayonnaise, buttermilk and dressing & dip mix. Refrigerate for one hour before serving.
Ranch Dip
Makes 2 cups
2 Tbsp. Ranch Dressing & Dip Mix
1 cup mayonnaise or low-fat mayo
1 cup sour cream or low-fat yogurt
Combine the Ranch Dressing and Dip Mix with mayonnaise and sour cream. Refrigerate for 2 hours before serving with raw vegetables, or as a topping for baked potatoes.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Turkey Noodle Soup Mix
This is a great way to use leftover turkey.
1 cup uncooked fine egg noodles
1 1/2 Tbsp. chicken-flavored bouillon
1/2 tsp. ground black pepper
1/4 tsp. dried whole thyme
1/8 tsp. celery seeds
1/8 tsp. garlic powder
1 bay leaf
Combine all ingredients in a medium bowl. Store in an airtight container.
Attach this to the Jar:
Turkey Noodle Soup
1 package Turkey Noodle Soup Mix
8 cups water
2 carrots, diced
2 stalks celery, diced
1/4 cup minced onion
3 cups cooked diced turkey
Combine the Turkey Noodle Soup Mix and the water in a large stockpot. Add the carrots, celery, and onion and bring to a boil. Cover the soup and reduce the heat to a simmer. Simmer for 15 minutes. Discard the bay leaf. Stir in the turkey and simmer an additional 5 minutes.
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Curried Rice Mix
This curried rice mix is an interesting complement for plain chicken or pork.
1 cup long-grain rice
1 chicken bouillon cube, crumbled
2 Tbsp. dried minced onion
1/4 cup raisins
1/2 tsp. curry powder
Layer the ingredients in the order given in a 1 & 1/2-cup jar.
Attach this to the Jar:
Curried Rice
Serves 6
2 1/2 cups water
1 package Curried Rice Mix
In a medium saucepan bring the water to a boil. Add the rice mix. Cover and reduce the heat to a simmer for 20 minutes.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Lemon Pepper Seasoning Mix
Lemon pepper adds a piquant flavor when used on grilled meats.
1 cup ground black pepper
1/3 cup dried lemon peel
Tbsp. coriander seeds
1/4 cup dried minced onion
1/4 cup dried thyme leaves
Stir all the ingredients together and store in airtight jars.
Attach this to the Jar:
Grilled Lemon Chicken
Serves 4
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
2 tsp. Lemon Pepper Seasoning Mix
6 chicken cutlets
Preheat the broiler or BBQ grill. In a low, flat dish stir together the lemon juice, oil and Lemon Pepper Seasoning Mix. Add the chicken breasts, and marinate in the refrigerator for 30 to 45 minutes. Grill over hot coals or broil for 4 minutes on each side, or until done. Serve hot or at room temperature.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Pizza Dough Mix
This is a gift for friends of all ages, whether a starving college student or a senior citizen--everyone loves pizza.
2 3/4 cups bread flour
1 package (1 Tbsp.) active dry yeast
2 tsp. salt
In a medium bowl, combine all the ingredients. Place the mix in an airtight container.
Attach this to the Jar:
Pizza
Makes 2 12-inch pizzas
1 package Pizza Dough Mix
2 Tbsp. olive oil
1 cup warm water
1 cup tomato sauce
1/2 cup grated mozzarella cheese
1/3 cup freshly grated Parmesan
1 tsp. crushed oregano
Place the Pizza Dough Mix in a large bowl & add the oil and water. Beat with a wooden spoon or dough hook until mixture forms a ball. Turn out onto a floured board and knead for 5 minutes. Transfer to a greased bowl and let the dough rise for 90 minutes. Divide the dough in half and pat into two 12-inch circles. For thin crust, fill and bake the pizzas now. For thicker crust, let pizzas rise 30 to 45 minutes. Top the pizza dough with tomato sauce, cheeses of your choice, crushed oregano, and olive oil drizzled over the pizzas. Preheat the oven and bake at 425 degrees F for 20 to 25 minutes. Let stand 5 minutes.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
California Corn Bread Mix
This is a sweet, cake-like corn bread that is delicious with honey butter.
2 cups Bisquick baking mix
1/2 cup cornmeal
1/2 cup sugar
1 Tbsp. baking powder
In a large glass or ceramic bowl, stir all the ingredients together. Store in an airtight container.
Attach this to the Jar:
California Corn Bread
Serves 4 to 6
1 package California Corn Bread Mix
2 eggs
1 cup milk
1/2 cup butter, melted
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Place the corn bread mix in a large mixing bowl and add the eggs, milk and butter. Blend until the mixture is smooth. Poor into a greased 8-inch baking pan and bake for 30 minutes.
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Ginger Spice Muffin Mix
A great gift for people on the go!!
1 3/4 cups flour
2 Tbsp. sugar
3 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp. ground nutmeg
1/4 tsp. ground ginger
1/4 tsp. ground cloves
1/2 tsp. salt
Combine all the ingredients in a medium bowl. Store the mixture in an airtight container.
Attach this to the Jar:
Ginger Spice Muffins
Makes 1 dozen
1 pkg. Ginger Spice Muffin Mix
1/4 cup butter or margarine, melted
1 egg
1 tsp. vanilla
1 cup milk
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F, and grease 12 muffin tins. In a large bowl, combine the muffin mix with the butter, egg, vanilla and milk Stir the mixture until the ingredients are blended. Do not overmix. The batter will be lumpy. Fill muffin tins 2/3 full, and bake for 15 minutes.
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Lemon Poppy-Seed Cake Mix
This cake is delightful with its lemony flavor and the added crunch of poppy seeds.
1 1/2 cups sugar
3 cups cake flour
1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/4 cup poppy seeds
Combine all the ingredients in a large mixing bowl. Blend with a wire whisk. Store the mix in an airtight container.
Attach this to the Jar:
Lemon Poppy-Seed Cake
Serves 8
3/4 cup butter
6 eggs
1/3 cup milk
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 tsp. lemon extract (not lemon juice)
Zest of 1 lemon
1 pkg. Lemon Poppy-Seed Cake Mix
Glaze:
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup lemon juice
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Butter an 8- to 9-cup Bundt pan. In the large bowl of an electric mixer, cream the butter. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating after each addition. Add the milk, extracts, and lemon zest. The mixture will look curdled. Add the Cake Mix, and continue to beat on medium speed for 3 to 4 minutes until mixture is smooth. Pour the batter into greased pan and bake for 45 to 55 minutes.Glaze: Combine sugar and lemon juice in a small saucepan over medium heat, and bring to boil for 3 minutes. When cake is removed from oven, poke cake all over with a wooden skewer and brush glaze over cake. Let the cake stand for 1 hour and remove from pan to cool on a wire rack. Wrap the cake in plastic wrap.
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Spiced Apple Cake Mix
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 1/2 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. powdered vanilla
1 1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 tsp. ground nutmeg
1 cup chopped nuts
1/2 cup golden raisins
Combine and blend ingredients in a medium bowl. Store in an airtight container.
Attach this to the Jar:
Spiced Apple Cake
Serves 8 to 10
1 package Spiced Apple Cake Mix
1 1/2 cups canola oil
3 large eggs
3 cups chopped apples
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F & grease a tube or Bundt pan. Place the Spiced Apple Cake Mix into a large mixing bowl. Make a well in the center of the Mix; add the oil, eggs, and apples. Stir until mixture is smooth. Pour into the prepared pan and bake for 1 hour & 10 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Cool; remove from the cake pan.
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Carrot Cake Mix
2 cups sugar
2 tsp. powdered vanilla
1/2 cup chopped pecans
3 cups all-purpose flour
2 tsp. baking soda
1 Tbsp. cinnamon
1/4 tsp. nutmeg
Combine and blend ingredients in a small bowl. Store in an airtight container.
Attach this to the Jar:
Carrot Cake
Makes 1 13x9-inch cake
1 package Carrot Cake Mix
1 1/2 cups vegetable oil
3 large eggs
3 cups grated carrots
1 (8-ounce) can crushed pineapple
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F & grease 13x9 inch pan. Place Carrot Cake Mix in large mixing bowl. Make a well in the center of the mix & add the oil, eggs, carrots & pineapple. Blend until smooth. Pour into the prepared pan & bake for 40 to 50 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into center comes out clean. Cool the cake and frost if desired or dust with powdered sugar.
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GINGERBREAD MIX --
8 cups Flour
2 cups sugar
1/4 cup baking powder
1 Tbsp. salt
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. ground cloves1 tsp. ginger
1 Tbsp. cinnamon
2 cups shortening
Sift dry ingredients and cut shortening into it with a pastry blender. Measure 3 cups into 4 jars. Decorate jars with raffia or ribbon.
Attach gingerbread cutter and the following recipe:
Gingerbread Boys
3 cups gingerbread mix
1/3 cup molasses
1/4 cup flour
1 slightly beaten egg
Combine gingerbread mix, molasses, egg and flour. Blend well. Roll to 1/4" thickness on lightly floured surface. Cut into gingerbread shapes. Place on greased cookie sheets. Bake at 350 degrees for 10 minutes. Cool. Can be decorated with cinnamon candies. Recipe to be used within 3 months.
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JAR BREADS --
Carrot-Raisin Jar Bread
2 2/3 cups sugar
2/3 cup shortening
4 eggs
2/3 cup water
2 cups shredded carrots
3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 tsp. cloves
1 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. baking powder
2 tsp. baking soda1 tsp. salt
2/3 to 1 cup raisins
You'll need 6 wide-mouth pint-size canning jars, metal rings and lids. Don't use any other jars. Sterilize jars, lids and rings according to manufacturer's directions. Grease inside, but not the rim of jars. Cream sugar and shortening, beat in eggs and water, add carrots. Sift together flour, cloves, cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda and salt; add to batter. Add raisins and mix. Pour one cup of batter into prepared jars. Do not use more than one cup or batter will overflow and jar will not seal. Place jars evenly spaced on a cookie sheet. Place in a pre-heated 325-degree oven for 45 minutes. Remove jars from oven one at a time keeping remaining jars in oven. Working quickly, wipe rim, place lid and ring on jar and secure. Jars will seal quickly. Repeat with remaining jars. When ready to serve, bread will slide out. A properly sealed quick bread will stay fresh for one year.
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Chocolate Jar Cakes
8 pint-sized wide mouth canning jars
1 stick plus 3 Tbsp. unsalted butter
3 cups sugar
4 eggs
1 Tbsp. vanilla
2 cups applesauce, unsweetened
3 cups flour
3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/8 tsp. salt
Pre-wash canning jars (be sure to use the kind that have no shoulders) in hot, soapy water. Rinse well, dry and let them come to room temperature. Grease insides of jar well. Beat together butter and half of sugar until fluffy. Add eggs and remaining sugar, vanilla and applesauce. Sift dry ingredients together and add to the applesauce mixture a little at a time: beat well after each addition. Pour one cup of batter into each jar and carefully remove any batter from the rims. Place jars in a preheated 325-degree oven and bake for 40 minutes. While cakes are baking, bring a saucepan of water to a boil and carefully add jar lids. Remove pan from heat and keep lids hot until ready to use. When the cakes have finished baking, remove jars from oven. Make sure jar rims are clean. (If they're not, jars will not seal correctly) Place lids on jars, and screw rings on tightly. Jars will seal as they cool. Cakes will slide right out when ready to serve. Unsealed jars should be stored in the refrigerator and eaten within 2 weeks. Sealed jars may be stored with other canned food or placed in a freezer. The cake is safe to eat as long as the jar remains vacuum-sealed and free from mold. To enjoy the best flavor, try to eat all canned cakes within 6 months.
More Jar Recipes:
Cobbler Mix
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1 cup sugar
1 tsp. powdered vanilla
Combine and blend the ingredients in a small bowl. Store in an airtight container.
Attach this to the Jar:
Berry CobblerServes 8 to 10
4 cups fresh berries (blueberries, raspberries or boysenberries)
1/4 cup orange juice
1/4 cup sugar
1 tsp. cinnamon
1 cup unsalted butter, melted
1 egg
1 package Cobbler Mix
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. In large mixing bowl combine berries, juice, sugar and cinnamon. Place berries in a 13x9-inch pan. In small mixing bowl blend the butter with the egg. Add the Cobbler Mix & stir until the mixture sticks together. Drop the cobbler topping by tablespoonfuls on top of the berry filling. Bake for 35 to 45 minutes or until the topping is golden brown and the filling is bubbling. Allow to cool for 15 minutes before serving.
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Double-Fudge Brownie Mix
Dense and fudgy, these are the best brownies in the world.
2 cups sugar1 cup cocoa (not Dutch process)
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup chopped pecans
1 cup chocolate chips
Mix all the ingredients together and store in an airtight container.
Attach this to the Jar:
Double-Fudge Brownies
Makes 24
1 cup butter or margarine, softened
4 eggs
1 package Double-Fudge Brownie Mix
Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Grease a 12 by 9 inch pan. In the large bowl of an electric mixer, cream the butter. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add the Double-Fudge Brownie Mix & continue to beat the mixture until it is smooth. Spread the mixture into the greased pan, & bake for 40 to 50 minutes.
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Snickerdoodle Mix
Snickerdoodles are soft sugar cookies dusted with cinnamon and sugar.
2 3/4 cups all purpose flour
1/4 tsp. salt1 tsp. baking soda
2 tsp. cream of tartar
1 1/2 cups sugar
In a large bowl, combine the ingredients with a whisk. Store the mix in an airtight container.
Attach this to the Jar:
Snickerdoodles
Makes about 5 dozen cookies
1 cup butter or margarine, softened
2 eggs
1 package Snickerdoodle Mix
1/2 cup sugar
1 Tbsp. cinnamon
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. In the large bowl of an electric mixer, cream the butter until light; add the eggs & beat on low speed until the mixture is smooth. Add the Snickerdoodle Mix & continue to beat on low speed until the dough begins to form. Combine the sugar & cinnamon in a small bowl. Shape the dough into 1-inch balls & roll in the cinnamon-sugar blend. Arrange on ungreased baking sheets 2 inches apart & bake for 16 to 19 minutes, or until light tan. Transfer to wire racks to cool.
Cobbler Mix
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1 cup sugar
1 tsp. powdered vanilla
Combine and blend the ingredients in a small bowl. Store in an airtight container.
Attach this to the Jar:
Berry CobblerServes 8 to 10
4 cups fresh berries (blueberries, raspberries or boysenberries)
1/4 cup orange juice
1/4 cup sugar
1 tsp. cinnamon
1 cup unsalted butter, melted
1 egg
1 package Cobbler Mix
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. In large mixing bowl combine berries, juice, sugar and cinnamon. Place berries in a 13x9-inch pan. In small mixing bowl blend the butter with the egg. Add the Cobbler Mix & stir until the mixture sticks together. Drop the cobbler topping by tablespoonfuls on top of the berry filling. Bake for 35 to 45 minutes or until the topping is golden brown and the filling is bubbling. Allow to cool for 15 minutes before serving.
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Double-Fudge Brownie Mix
Dense and fudgy, these are the best brownies in the world.
2 cups sugar1 cup cocoa (not Dutch process)
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup chopped pecans
1 cup chocolate chips
Mix all the ingredients together and store in an airtight container.
Attach this to the Jar:
Double-Fudge Brownies
Makes 24
1 cup butter or margarine, softened
4 eggs
1 package Double-Fudge Brownie Mix
Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Grease a 12 by 9 inch pan. In the large bowl of an electric mixer, cream the butter. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add the Double-Fudge Brownie Mix & continue to beat the mixture until it is smooth. Spread the mixture into the greased pan, & bake for 40 to 50 minutes.
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Snickerdoodle Mix
Snickerdoodles are soft sugar cookies dusted with cinnamon and sugar.
2 3/4 cups all purpose flour
1/4 tsp. salt1 tsp. baking soda
2 tsp. cream of tartar
1 1/2 cups sugar
In a large bowl, combine the ingredients with a whisk. Store the mix in an airtight container.
Attach this to the Jar:
Snickerdoodles
Makes about 5 dozen cookies
1 cup butter or margarine, softened
2 eggs
1 package Snickerdoodle Mix
1/2 cup sugar
1 Tbsp. cinnamon
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. In the large bowl of an electric mixer, cream the butter until light; add the eggs & beat on low speed until the mixture is smooth. Add the Snickerdoodle Mix & continue to beat on low speed until the dough begins to form. Combine the sugar & cinnamon in a small bowl. Shape the dough into 1-inch balls & roll in the cinnamon-sugar blend. Arrange on ungreased baking sheets 2 inches apart & bake for 16 to 19 minutes, or until light tan. Transfer to wire racks to cool.
Friday, November 26, 2004
So how did those of you that like to shop Black Friday do today? What times did you leave to go shopping?
Jay and I headed to Meijer's at 4:30 AM to get Gameboy SP with 3 free games for Brett and Grant. The place was MOBBED and there were cops there because they had $17 DVD players. I walked right up to the Gameboys and got them, no hassles at all (obviously not that hot of an item) but we watched fist fights break out over the DVD players as we were heading to the register. Jay (my 6' 4" 220 lb hunk) helped an old lady out of the maylay, people had shoved her to the ground. He made sure she kept hold of her DVD player and got to the front of the store. He was APPAULDED that people acted the way they did.
After Meijer's we came home (it wasn't even 6 AM yet) and I nursed Will then headed over to my mom's for more shopping. We got to Kohl's by 7 AM. What great deals we got.....all of the toys we picked up were at least 50% off plus all the kids clothes were at least 50% off and we got some items that were originally $40 for $14.99 (like one of those chair massage things for Jay) and also some clearance items at an additional 50% off.....then to make the deals even SWEETER, my mom had a 15% off total purchase and you got a $10 gift card for every $50 you spent.....all said we ended up with $1029 worth of stuff for $385.72, plus we have $70 in gift cards to go back and use (my mom gave me $40 worth of the giftcards)! So we will end up with almost $1100 worth of stuff for our $385.72! We ran into my friend Venita (she is Hannah's former duet partner's mom and a dear sweet friend) who commandeered a huge cart from the shoe department (one of those carts they would use to transport large quantities of merchandise) for us to put our purchases on. We would have NEVER made it through the line, which snaked around the store, without the cart! The store was crowded but we only waited in line 1 hour and we took turn shopping when we were in line. I was still walking back and grabbing stuff when we were only 1 person from the register because I would see something in someone else's stack and have to have it! We were heading home by 9:45 AM.
We went back to my mom's house and sorted stuff and had left-overs for lunch. Then we came and got Hannah and the baby (my boobs ACHED, I had to have my baby!) and headed to Old Navy....againwe found great deals and I got Will the cutest Christmas outfit (a velour 2 piece with santa on the front) even though it wasn't on sale. They were giving out $10 gift cards with any purchase of $50 or more...my mom spend $80 and got one and I spent $53 and got another....my mom gave her card to me since she never goes to Old Navy unless I make her go there...so I have $20 to spend there anytime between Dec 1-24!
We then went to Target and got a couple odds and ends...by this time it was 2 PM...the place was rather empty. They had stacks of DVD players for $28.....it is hard to believe people were fist fighting and shoving old ladies to save $11!
We then headed up to Papa Murphy's and grab pizzas for dinner (it is a local place that makes the pizzas and you take them home and bake them)...I got 1 family size and 2 larges for $19.97...what a deal! Hannah, Will and I then came home and walked in the door right before 4 PM, made pizzas and had an early (for us) dinner!
After dinner and relaxing for a bit, then about 7:30 PM I ran out to Toys R Us and got a couple items from their 2 day sale, ran to Biggs (a local grocery store/retail store) and got a video game for Brett and some cool Xavier shorts (my husband's alma mater and our favorite college basketball team) for Brett, Grant and Jacob. Then it was HOME to rest my weary feet!
Hope everyone else had a great shopping day! I made a great dent in my shopping!
Jay and I headed to Meijer's at 4:30 AM to get Gameboy SP with 3 free games for Brett and Grant. The place was MOBBED and there were cops there because they had $17 DVD players. I walked right up to the Gameboys and got them, no hassles at all (obviously not that hot of an item) but we watched fist fights break out over the DVD players as we were heading to the register. Jay (my 6' 4" 220 lb hunk) helped an old lady out of the maylay, people had shoved her to the ground. He made sure she kept hold of her DVD player and got to the front of the store. He was APPAULDED that people acted the way they did.
After Meijer's we came home (it wasn't even 6 AM yet) and I nursed Will then headed over to my mom's for more shopping. We got to Kohl's by 7 AM. What great deals we got.....all of the toys we picked up were at least 50% off plus all the kids clothes were at least 50% off and we got some items that were originally $40 for $14.99 (like one of those chair massage things for Jay) and also some clearance items at an additional 50% off.....then to make the deals even SWEETER, my mom had a 15% off total purchase and you got a $10 gift card for every $50 you spent.....all said we ended up with $1029 worth of stuff for $385.72, plus we have $70 in gift cards to go back and use (my mom gave me $40 worth of the giftcards)! So we will end up with almost $1100 worth of stuff for our $385.72! We ran into my friend Venita (she is Hannah's former duet partner's mom and a dear sweet friend) who commandeered a huge cart from the shoe department (one of those carts they would use to transport large quantities of merchandise) for us to put our purchases on. We would have NEVER made it through the line, which snaked around the store, without the cart! The store was crowded but we only waited in line 1 hour and we took turn shopping when we were in line. I was still walking back and grabbing stuff when we were only 1 person from the register because I would see something in someone else's stack and have to have it! We were heading home by 9:45 AM.
We went back to my mom's house and sorted stuff and had left-overs for lunch. Then we came and got Hannah and the baby (my boobs ACHED, I had to have my baby!) and headed to Old Navy....againwe found great deals and I got Will the cutest Christmas outfit (a velour 2 piece with santa on the front) even though it wasn't on sale. They were giving out $10 gift cards with any purchase of $50 or more...my mom spend $80 and got one and I spent $53 and got another....my mom gave her card to me since she never goes to Old Navy unless I make her go there...so I have $20 to spend there anytime between Dec 1-24!
We then went to Target and got a couple odds and ends...by this time it was 2 PM...the place was rather empty. They had stacks of DVD players for $28.....it is hard to believe people were fist fighting and shoving old ladies to save $11!
We then headed up to Papa Murphy's and grab pizzas for dinner (it is a local place that makes the pizzas and you take them home and bake them)...I got 1 family size and 2 larges for $19.97...what a deal! Hannah, Will and I then came home and walked in the door right before 4 PM, made pizzas and had an early (for us) dinner!
After dinner and relaxing for a bit, then about 7:30 PM I ran out to Toys R Us and got a couple items from their 2 day sale, ran to Biggs (a local grocery store/retail store) and got a video game for Brett and some cool Xavier shorts (my husband's alma mater and our favorite college basketball team) for Brett, Grant and Jacob. Then it was HOME to rest my weary feet!
Hope everyone else had a great shopping day! I made a great dent in my shopping!
Monday, November 22, 2004
Thanksgiving Recipes:
SWEET POTATO CASSEROLE
3 CUPS MASHED SWEET POTATOES
½ CUP BROWN SUGAR
2 EGGS
½ TEASPOON SALT
¼ CUP MARGARINE
½ CUP MILK
1 1/2 TEASPOONS OF VANILLA
Mix ingredients together well and smooth into 1 1/2 quart baking dish.
TOPPING
½ CUP BROWN SUGAR
3 TABLESPOONS MARGARINE
1/3 CUP FLOUR
1 CUP CHOPPED PECANS
Mix ingredients together and sprinkle on top of sweet potato mixture.
BAKE AT 350º FOR 35 MINUTES
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Boston Chicken Cranberry Sauce
Serves/Makes: 6
Ready in: <>
1 pound Can jellied cranberry sauce
1 Jar Smucker's Simply Fruit (10 ounces) Orange Marmalade
1/4 teaspoon Ground ginger
2 cups Fresh cranberries -- sliced
1/3 cup Walnuts -- chop fine
In 2-quart saucepan, over medium-to-low heat, use rubber bowl scraper to stir together jellied sauce, marmalade and ginger until melted, about 6-8 minutes. Add the sliced cranberries, keeping sauce on low. Stir often. Continue cooking and stirring often until cranberries are no longer white and taste tender to the bite (not soft, but not too crisp). Stir in walnuts. When cooled to lukewarm, refrigerate, covered and use with a week to 10 days. Should freeze well to be used within 4 months.
SWEET POTATO CASSEROLE
3 CUPS MASHED SWEET POTATOES
½ CUP BROWN SUGAR
2 EGGS
½ TEASPOON SALT
¼ CUP MARGARINE
½ CUP MILK
1 1/2 TEASPOONS OF VANILLA
Mix ingredients together well and smooth into 1 1/2 quart baking dish.
TOPPING
½ CUP BROWN SUGAR
3 TABLESPOONS MARGARINE
1/3 CUP FLOUR
1 CUP CHOPPED PECANS
Mix ingredients together and sprinkle on top of sweet potato mixture.
BAKE AT 350º FOR 35 MINUTES
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Boston Chicken Cranberry Sauce
Serves/Makes: 6
Ready in: <>
1 pound Can jellied cranberry sauce
1 Jar Smucker's Simply Fruit (10 ounces) Orange Marmalade
1/4 teaspoon Ground ginger
2 cups Fresh cranberries -- sliced
1/3 cup Walnuts -- chop fine
In 2-quart saucepan, over medium-to-low heat, use rubber bowl scraper to stir together jellied sauce, marmalade and ginger until melted, about 6-8 minutes. Add the sliced cranberries, keeping sauce on low. Stir often. Continue cooking and stirring often until cranberries are no longer white and taste tender to the bite (not soft, but not too crisp). Stir in walnuts. When cooled to lukewarm, refrigerate, covered and use with a week to 10 days. Should freeze well to be used within 4 months.
Saturday, November 20, 2004
We are the Champions! We are the Champions!....
We are the Champions....of CCYFL FOOTBALL!
Grant's team played in the Superbowl on Saturday, November 20 at 11 AM. Grant had a couple of impressive tackles in the first half and ended the half with an nice run, but when he was tackled his knee went one way and his ankle went the other so he ended up having to sit out the entire second half with an injury because he couldn't put weight on his foot.
Check out some photos of the exciting game: http://pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/mrsmomof6/album?.dir=/87ac
We are the Champions....of CCYFL FOOTBALL!
Grant's team played in the Superbowl on Saturday, November 20 at 11 AM. Grant had a couple of impressive tackles in the first half and ended the half with an nice run, but when he was tackled his knee went one way and his ankle went the other so he ended up having to sit out the entire second half with an injury because he couldn't put weight on his foot.
Check out some photos of the exciting game: http://pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/mrsmomof6/album?.dir=/87ac
Thursday, November 18, 2004
Gym timeCampbell County YMCA
Thursdays starting Nov. 4th
2:00 pm - 3:00 pm
Laura P. writes: Okay, I finally have coordinated a gym day with the Campbell County YMCA. It will be on Thursdays, from 2 to 3 pm, beginning on November 4. It will be $2 per child up to a max of $5 per family. We will have access to all of the Y's sports equipment, including balls of various types, hockey stuff, parachute, mats, bats, flags, jumpropes, hoops and cones. This is a great way to let the kids use up some energy in the cold, wet months we have ahead, as well as a great opportunity for homeschool parents to get to know each other. If anyone is interested in organized games and wants to take the lead, that would be welcome as well. Another thought might be the Presidential Fitness Program. All of theses ideas (and more) can be discussed at will during the Thursday gym time.
The Campbell County Y is located in Ft. Thomas, Kentucky (right across the river on I-471). Take I-471 South to the Ft. Thomas/Southgate exit. Turn left at the end of the exit ramp (if you are coming from somewhere in Kentucky and are on I-471 North you will need to turn right at the end of the ramp). Turn left on Grandview (it will be the 3rd stoplight - ??) When you get to the stop sign, turn right onto Ft. Thomas Blvd/Ave. The Y will be about 1/4 mile down on your right. Feel free to call me if you have any questions: Laura P. or Julieanne
After we attended the program at Woodland Mound, we grabbed lunch at Frisch's and then decided (or I should say the boys decided) that we would join our friends at the Campbell County YMCA for gym time. The boys had wanted to play with their friends at the park, but it was too wet so this was the perfect alternate activity.
The kids ran around like the wild children that they are, playing basketball, using hula hoops and just goofing around while the moms (Julieanne, Michelle and me) sat around and talked. It is so nice to spend time with other homeschooling moms while the kids are busy playing and entertaining themselves!
The boys and Sophie really enjoyed themselves so we will probably be heading back in a few weeks (since they won't meet next week because of Thanksgiving).
Thursdays starting Nov. 4th
2:00 pm - 3:00 pm
Laura P. writes: Okay, I finally have coordinated a gym day with the Campbell County YMCA. It will be on Thursdays, from 2 to 3 pm, beginning on November 4. It will be $2 per child up to a max of $5 per family. We will have access to all of the Y's sports equipment, including balls of various types, hockey stuff, parachute, mats, bats, flags, jumpropes, hoops and cones. This is a great way to let the kids use up some energy in the cold, wet months we have ahead, as well as a great opportunity for homeschool parents to get to know each other. If anyone is interested in organized games and wants to take the lead, that would be welcome as well. Another thought might be the Presidential Fitness Program. All of theses ideas (and more) can be discussed at will during the Thursday gym time.
The Campbell County Y is located in Ft. Thomas, Kentucky (right across the river on I-471). Take I-471 South to the Ft. Thomas/Southgate exit. Turn left at the end of the exit ramp (if you are coming from somewhere in Kentucky and are on I-471 North you will need to turn right at the end of the ramp). Turn left on Grandview (it will be the 3rd stoplight - ??) When you get to the stop sign, turn right onto Ft. Thomas Blvd/Ave. The Y will be about 1/4 mile down on your right. Feel free to call me if you have any questions: Laura P. or Julieanne
After we attended the program at Woodland Mound, we grabbed lunch at Frisch's and then decided (or I should say the boys decided) that we would join our friends at the Campbell County YMCA for gym time. The boys had wanted to play with their friends at the park, but it was too wet so this was the perfect alternate activity.
The kids ran around like the wild children that they are, playing basketball, using hula hoops and just goofing around while the moms (Julieanne, Michelle and me) sat around and talked. It is so nice to spend time with other homeschooling moms while the kids are busy playing and entertaining themselves!
The boys and Sophie really enjoyed themselves so we will probably be heading back in a few weeks (since they won't meet next week because of Thanksgiving).
Park Program:
Pioneers/Native Americans
Thursday, November 18 10 AM and 11 AM
Woodland Mound Park
From Laura Riesenberg – We’ll meet at the Seasongood Nature Center and learn about the Native Americans and Pioneers that lived in this region. Hands on activites and games are sure to make this a wonderful program. Program held rain or shine.
RSVPs: (with number of children participating)
10 AM: Faulk (2), Fetters (5), Fite (2), Sebastian(2), Alpers(1)
11 AM: Riesenberg (4), Vaske (3), Malott (4), Hensley (2), Campbell (2)
What a great program! We were thrilled that our favorite of the Hamilton County naturalists, Trina, led the program for us. We learned about the Ohio landscape in the 1700's, a bit about how the Native American's lived, about farming in pioneer times, and about Native American and Pioneer games. The program was very hands on, the kids got to touch everything, and we played a could of games. Once the program concluded, there was time to play with everything and the kids had a great time. Cade's favorite thing was the drum, but he just couldn't get the concept that he needed to bang on it gently!
Check out some photos: http://pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/mrsmomof6/album?.dir=/3c54&.src=ph
Pioneers/Native Americans
Thursday, November 18 10 AM and 11 AM
Woodland Mound Park
From Laura Riesenberg – We’ll meet at the Seasongood Nature Center and learn about the Native Americans and Pioneers that lived in this region. Hands on activites and games are sure to make this a wonderful program. Program held rain or shine.
RSVPs: (with number of children participating)
10 AM: Faulk (2), Fetters (5), Fite (2), Sebastian(2), Alpers(1)
11 AM: Riesenberg (4), Vaske (3), Malott (4), Hensley (2), Campbell (2)
What a great program! We were thrilled that our favorite of the Hamilton County naturalists, Trina, led the program for us. We learned about the Ohio landscape in the 1700's, a bit about how the Native American's lived, about farming in pioneer times, and about Native American and Pioneer games. The program was very hands on, the kids got to touch everything, and we played a could of games. Once the program concluded, there was time to play with everything and the kids had a great time. Cade's favorite thing was the drum, but he just couldn't get the concept that he needed to bang on it gently!
Check out some photos: http://pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/mrsmomof6/album?.dir=/3c54&.src=ph
Tuesday, November 16, 2004
Will's 4 month check-up
We took Will in for his 4 month check-up. He weighs 13 lb 8 oz and is 24 3/4 inches long at 4 1/2 months old! He is such a SHRIMP (25% for both height and weight).
The ped seemed happy with his growth (slow but steady) and was thrilled with him rolling both ways, trying to sit, trying to scoot, holding and mouthing toys, cooing, laughing and babbling. She was absolutely SHOCKED to look in his mouth and see his two teeth (given my other kids were very late teethers). We are both a bit concerned about his hearing (he doesn't seem to respond to the extremes...very soft or very loud/high pitched) but we are both willing to wait another 2 months since he passed his newborn hearing test.
He has a bit of a yeast rash so she prescribed nystatin for it, but other than that he got a clean bill of health!
We took Will in for his 4 month check-up. He weighs 13 lb 8 oz and is 24 3/4 inches long at 4 1/2 months old! He is such a SHRIMP (25% for both height and weight).
The ped seemed happy with his growth (slow but steady) and was thrilled with him rolling both ways, trying to sit, trying to scoot, holding and mouthing toys, cooing, laughing and babbling. She was absolutely SHOCKED to look in his mouth and see his two teeth (given my other kids were very late teethers). We are both a bit concerned about his hearing (he doesn't seem to respond to the extremes...very soft or very loud/high pitched) but we are both willing to wait another 2 months since he passed his newborn hearing test.
He has a bit of a yeast rash so she prescribed nystatin for it, but other than that he got a clean bill of health!
Monday, November 15, 2004
Dinner Conversations....
Monday night was rather unusual. Since Brett has Biology until 7PM he gets dropped off at the dance studio so that we can pick him up. Today, Jay had to take Grant to a basketball try-out and agreed to take the younger kids with him if I would keep Will and pick up Brett and the girls at the dance studio. He handed me money and told me to get them dinner on the way home.
I rarely get to spend time with the 3 older kids without the little ones in tow. I get to spend time with Hannah and Emily, but Brett usually opts out or has basketball so it was a rare treat. I ended up laughing through most of dinner because of the conversations.....
Me: Oh, I forgot to stop at Dairy Queen. They had cakes on sale half price.
Brett: Just get me some icecream, some fudge, some cookies and a square round pan and I will make you a cake
Me: A square round pan?
Hannah: (Laughing) yeah it would look like this (holds up a piece of paper with an odd shape on it)
Brett: I'll be back (stands up and walks into the bar area so he can see the score to the basketball game on tv)
Me: (looking at girls) He definately is your father's son!
Hannah: What? You just figured out dad is his father?
Brett: Emily, why are you a vegetarian?
Emily: I had a dream.
Brett: see that is the stupid stuff that happens when you dream.
On top of our dinner conversation (there was so much) we had a WONDERFUL waitress who really seemed to enjoy us and share some of her waitressing stories with us!
There is nothing better than family, good food and great conversation!
Monday night was rather unusual. Since Brett has Biology until 7PM he gets dropped off at the dance studio so that we can pick him up. Today, Jay had to take Grant to a basketball try-out and agreed to take the younger kids with him if I would keep Will and pick up Brett and the girls at the dance studio. He handed me money and told me to get them dinner on the way home.
I rarely get to spend time with the 3 older kids without the little ones in tow. I get to spend time with Hannah and Emily, but Brett usually opts out or has basketball so it was a rare treat. I ended up laughing through most of dinner because of the conversations.....
Me: Oh, I forgot to stop at Dairy Queen. They had cakes on sale half price.
Brett: Just get me some icecream, some fudge, some cookies and a square round pan and I will make you a cake
Me: A square round pan?
Hannah: (Laughing) yeah it would look like this (holds up a piece of paper with an odd shape on it)
Brett: I'll be back (stands up and walks into the bar area so he can see the score to the basketball game on tv)
Me: (looking at girls) He definately is your father's son!
Hannah: What? You just figured out dad is his father?
Brett: Emily, why are you a vegetarian?
Emily: I had a dream.
Brett: see that is the stupid stuff that happens when you dream.
On top of our dinner conversation (there was so much) we had a WONDERFUL waitress who really seemed to enjoy us and share some of her waitressing stories with us!
There is nothing better than family, good food and great conversation!
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