Wednesday, January 26, 2005
At only three years of age and in his first month of Primary, Noah has already memorized the scripture of the month and this month's song. I'm just a wee bit proud.
My Life is a Gift.wmv
And yes. . . that is sign language he is doing while he sings--not karate.
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Friday, January 21, 2005
Denver does!
His body decided, eight days into his amoxicillin, that it doesn't like penicillin and this was the result. Poor Denver.
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Wednesday, January 19, 2005
Lately, before we've even sat down to eat, Hunter has started telling me about how much he hates whatever it is that I'm making and that he's not hungry and he doesn't want to eat it. It is a bit frustrating to say the least, but I can just hear my mom saying we did the exact same thing to her and that Hunter's kids will do the exact same thing to him some day (or rather his poor wife.) Anyway, this week I made Beef Lo Mein from a recipe featured in Family Fun magazine. And to my delight Hunter snarfed his up and asked for seconds! So, for all you parents out there who have children that think everything you make is "barfy"--try this one out. All three of my kids seemed to enjoy at least some part of the dish and dinner was a very pleasant experience for all of us. Happy eating!
Beef and Broccoli Lo Mein
8 ounces of thin spaghetti, broken in half
1 tsp. dark sesame oil
1 tbsp. vegetable oil
3 cups chopped broccoli
1-1/2 cups sliced onion
1 tbsp. minced peeled fresh ginger
4 garlic cloves, minced
12 ounces sirloin tips, cut crosswise into thin strips
3 tbsp. beef broth
3 tbsp. soy sauce
2 tbsp. brown sugar
1 tbsp. oyster sauce
Stir the spaghetti into a pot of lightly salted boiling water and cook it according to the package directions. Drain the noodles well, then return them to the pot and toss them with the sesame oil.
Heat the vegetable oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add the broccoli and onion and cook, stirring often for three minutes. Add the ginger and garlic and continue stirring while the mixture cooks another 30 seconds. Add the sirloin and cook it, stirring often, for 5 minutes or until it is no longer pink.
In a small bowl, mix the broth, soy sauce, brown sugar and oyster sauce. Add the soy sauce mixture and the pasta to the skillet and continue cooking, stirring often, for 1 to 2 minutes or until everything is heated through. Serve the lo mein hot. Makes 4 to 6 servings.
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Friday, January 14, 2005
". . .blew up a big balloon.
Ben Bertie Baker baked biscuits on the moon.
Ben Bertie Baker b-b-baked banana cake--
It tasted like bologna, what a big mistake! Whew!"
 
About a year ago, in preschool Hunter was learning the letter "B" and the sound it makes. Miss Melody made Banana Cake and taught them the above poem to help them remember the "B" sound. Hunter fell madly in love with the Banana Cake and begged Miss Melody for the recipe and the remaining 3/4 of the 9x13 cake. Of course, she gave in to both requests. Well, today she showed up at our front door with another pink banana cake and sang in her loudest voice (so all the neighbors could hear) "Happy Birthday" to Hunter. He was thrilled and I was reminded once again, of all the many reasons I love Miss Melody and her crazy ways. Number one reason--she loves my kids one-hundred percent.
Happy Birthday Hunter and thank you Miss Melody!
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Thursday, January 13, 2005
Tonight's Dinner. . . very good!
1/3 cup Italian Salad dressing
1/3 cup salsa
4-1/2 tsp. lime juice
4-1/2 tsp. minced fresh cilantro or parsley
4 garlic cloves, minced
1-1/4 tsp. grated lime peel
1/4 tsp. hot pepper sauce (optional)
6 boneless lean pork loin chops
In a bowl, combine the first seven ingredients. Pour 1/2 cup into a large resealable plastic bag; add the pork chops. Seal bag and turn to coat; refrigerate for 8 hours or overnight. Cover and refrigerate remaining marinade.
Drain and discard marinade from chops. Place on a broiler pan rack. Broil 4 in. from the heat for 7 minutes on each side or until juices run clear. Baste with reserved marinade.
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When I was little, one of my favorite things to do (besides doing surgery on water balloons) was building waterfalls with dixie cups. We'd just sit at the kitchen table and poke holes in dixie cups and stack them up on other dixie cups and watch the water run from one cup to the next. So today I decided to share the joy of dixie cups and running water with Noah and Denver--who already love playing with water and are passionate about waterfalls. Definitely a winter blues buster--for those of you with kids that might be suffering from cabin fever.
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Wednesday, January 12, 2005
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Monday, January 10, 2005
With it being January and all, we've been eating lots of soup. Mark made a mean Split-Pea soup a few weeks ago to kick off the soup season and I've been doing my best to keep up ever since. So far I've got two great recipes to share. One I've had for several years, a recipe I was given as a gift from a Relief Society supervisor up at Ricks College. The other I just discovered today and was thrilled about, mostly because Mark gobbled his up and went for seconds and thirds which means it was pretty dang good. Here's to good soup!
Broccoli Cheese Soup from Sister Hillier in Rexburg, ID
Dissolve 12 chicken bouillion cubes in 3 quarts water in a large saucepan. Add
1 onion finely chopped, 1 cup celery finely chopped and 1 large bag frozen broccoli. Cook until tender. (If you have kids like me, that won't eat vegetables, I took the veggies and broth at this point and blended them up in the blender to get rid of the chunks of broccoli and disguise the veggies. But for everyone else, just move on to the next step of the recipe.) Melt 2-1/2 cubes margarine in a separate dish. Add 1-1/4 cups flour and blend to a smooth paste. Slowly add some of the broth to the paste until it has thinned out a bit. Pour paste into vegetable bouillion mixture and blend thoroughly. Add 1 large jar of cheeze whiz. Mix well over heat until smooth and thickened, stirring constantly.
Katelyn's Black Bean Soup from "Fix-It and Forget-It Cookbook."
1/3 cup chopped onions
1 garlic clove, minced
1-2 Tbsp. oil
2 15-1/2 oz. cans black beans, undrained
1 cup water
1 chicken bouillion cube
1/2 cup diced, cooked, smoked ham
1/2 cup diced carrots
1 dash, or more, cayenne pepper
1-2 drops, or more, Tabasco sauce (optional)
sour cream
And for you last minute people, like myself, who put off making dinner to the bitter end--here's a delicious and very simple Breadstick recipe that requires very little rising time. And they would go great with either soup recipe!
Bread Sticks
1 Tbsp. yeast
1-1/2 cups scalded milk
1 Tbsp. honey
1 tsp. salt
4 cups flour
Dissolve yeast in 1/2 cup warm water. Add milk, honey and salt. Gradually add flour until dough forms a ball. Turn onto floured board and knead lightly. Divide into sixteen balls. Roll into breadsticks the width of a cookie sheet. Brush with butter. Sprinkle with parmesan cheese and sesame seeds (or fresh parmesan cheese, my new favorite thing in the world and garlic). Allow to raise 15-20 minutes. Bake at 400 degrees for 15 minutes.
1. Saute onion and garlic in oil in saucepan.
2. Puree or mash contents of one can of black beans. Add to sauteed ingredients.
3. Combine all ingredients except sour cream in slow cooker.
4. Cover. Cook on low 6-8 hours.
5. Add dollop of sour cream to each individual bowl before serving.
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Hunter came into our room this morning pretty excited about his dream and couldn't wait to share the details with us. Of course, it was about Nintendo! In my groggy state I caught bits and pieces of the beginning--something about being in a nintendo game, guessing numbers with baby Bowsers and always guessing higher than them. And being spit out of a volcano--I got that bit. But then, he smiled his heart-melting little smile and raised his eyebrows and said, "This next part is very silly." He then proceeded to tell us about a turtle shell becoming a boat and carrying him back and forth across the moat, bouncing off the wall of the castle and the shore--back and forth, back and forth. And he was laughing so hard.
Then, when he'd shared it all with us he said, "If you want I will go back to sleep and find out the rest of my dream." He loved it so much he was convinced if he went back to bed and forced himself back into dreamland that he'd start off right where he had ended. It was the most adorable thing I've ever seen--Hunter and his dream.
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Saturday, January 08, 2005
This week has been so strange. Maybe it's all the rain and snow--Mother Nature can't seem to make up her mind. Is it winter or is it spring? But something is definitely throwing me off and it's making everything a little bit crazy around here. I can't seem to get caught up with the house work. I feel like I'm just moving the mess from one room to another. The laundry in the bedroom is almost piled up to the ceiling and if I let it go much longer, I'm not going to know what's clean and what's not anymore. The bathrooms are blah, the kitchen is cluttered and the basement has got to be a fire hazard by now. I know it isn't important and I should really focus on other things but I've never been able to focus on anything when I'm tripping on toys and chasing after mice day. I just keep thinking "If I could just get caught up to a point where I could keep up on a day to day basis." But like I said to the boys today--I have three little tornados chasing behind me wherever I go and maybe it's time for me to let it go. Instead I'll just put a sign on my door (for people like Tom Steinke) that says, "I'm sorry, we're closed. If you have business to do with us, and it can't be handled over the phone, feel free to make an appointment. We'd love to see you. But note, no one will be seen without 48 hours advance notice and an appointment. Of course we reserve the right to cancel any appointment without notice and may refuse to open the door, even with a scheduled visit. Come again soon--The Henrichsens." Tempting. . . very tempting.
Then there's Hunter's teacher. She's been driving me a little bonkers lately and that doesn't help matters, especially on a week like this one. She's a bit like Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde and for someone as shy and passive as I am--I'm not quite sure how to handle the entire situation. Thankfully, a mother called on Friday to find out about Hunter's birthday party and we got to chatting and I found out that she has very similar feelings about Mrs. B. We both would really love to watch her in action when she thinks no one is watching and see how our children are treated when we aren't present. Both of us thought she was pretty hard on one boy in particular and it broke my heart to see how he was so deflated by Mrs. B's treatment. She would make a really great drill sergeant if the five year olds were preparing for battle. Sure, the world is harsh nowadays but I'm not convinced our kindergartners need to be prepared for combat quite yet. Warm fuzzies and hugs and kisses and "well done" and "great job" would do more for them right now than any public humiliation. But then again, I've asked Hunter if he thinks Mrs. B is mean to anyone in particular and he says "no." He says they all like her and I suppose when it all comes down to it--if they like her, then that's all that matters. He still truly loves kindergarten and his friends and for now I'll just keep praying that next year's teacher is a little more friendly and softer with the blows that unfortunately are inevitable.
And last but not least. . . those pesky little mice. Who knew that mice can lick peanut butter off a mouse trap without being caught? And why do they poop so darn much? Yuck! I hate mice. Sure they're cute and furry and all but. . . ewwww! They are much more adorable in pet shop windows than in my kitchen drawers. We've caught two so far. That's not a whole lot considering two mice can produce 50 offspring in one year. Who knows how many of those four-legged furballs have found their way into my kitchen. We just caught one a few minutes ago in the silverware drawer. Pop! And there it is, laying there, dying where I keep (not anymore of course) my eating utensils. Ugh! It's more than I can bear. And the most pathetic thing of all is. . . I feel sorry for them. The thought occurred to me the other day, while we were eating breakfast, that maybe we had just killed a mother and her little babies were waiting at home in their nest for a peanut and now they were going to starve to death (which would be a good thing) on my account. I can't really take the emotional ups and downs that come with having mice in my house. Everytime I open a cupboard or drawer I'm certain a pesky little rodent is going to come flying out at me, hissing and spitting (like the squirrel in the Christmas tree in National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation), and bite me and give me rabies. And then, if it died--I'd feel guilty. Aye!
And add to all of that the fact that I'm gaining weight--like a pound a day. In 2004 I lost 20 pounds. So far in 2005 I've gained a quarter of it back and it's been what, a week? Depressing. It's no surprise really, with all the stress. I medicate with food. I'm a Mormon, what else am I gonna do? Run out to the local bar and get wasted? I try and do something positive when I'm feeling yicky--like clean something or organize something--but then the three tornados blow past me or the mice poop and then I just feel worse than ever. Nevermind it though--it will pass, as does everything else in life. Tomorrow is a new day and hopefully with a few hours of sleep, things won't seem so glum in the morning. . . except for the dead mice in the cupboard or the lack thereof.
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Tuesday, January 04, 2005
Today was a bad day. I haven't had a bad day in awhile so I guess it was my turn but that doesn't necessarily make me like it. Just didn't get much done this morning. Too many phone calls. Then when I picked Hunter up from school his teacher took another jab at me (and Hunter I suppose). I always expected that whoever ended up being Hunter's teacher would eventually fall in love with him. He is a little rambunctious--he never sits still for very long--and he's not the world's greatest listener. But. . . at the end of the day, when all is said and done, he's a really good kid and you will never find anyone with a bigger heart than his. Unfortunately Mrs. B doesn't seem to see Hunter the way I do and it is a little (okay. . . a lot) discouraging at times. And try as I may to "let it go" I haven't been successful yet. Then the one thing Hunter wanted to do today, more than anything else ended up being a huge disaster and by 4:00pm I had all but given up on the day. In a desperate attempt to save a small portion of the day I decided I could at least make a yummy dinner for the family. So I headed into the kitchen and got to work making Broccoli cheese soup and breadsticks. And just as I was getting started you'll never guess what I discovered in almost every drawer of my kitchen. Mouse poop! I don't recall having trouble with mice in any of the homes I've ever lived in. But I know Mark's family has a couple of times and I've had several friends who have and chances are my family has and I've just conveniently blocked it out. Either way, the thought of little mice creeping through my kitchen late at night just freaks me out. And I can't say the discovery of the little turds made my day any better.
Anyway, we cleaned up the messes and I finished making dinner and we picked Mark up at the train. The boys proudly announced to Daddy that we have a mouse problem as soon as he hopped in the car and immediately asked if they could go with him to Home Depot to pick up some mousetraps. After dinner they picked up the traps and Mark demonstrated several times with a pencil how the trap works. We added some cheese, stuck them in some assorted places in the kitchen and sent them to bed. After bedtime prayers I told the boys they could check in the morning to see if we'd caught any mice and Noah sat up in bed, with very large and excited eyes and said, "Then I will shout 'DEAD BODY!' And then you will know." (Can you tell we played "Murder" during the holiday break?) I think they are more excited about the mouse poop and traps than they were about Christmas.
Anyway, my house is a disaster zone--still haven't recovered from Christmas. I gained too much weight over the holidays. Hunter's teacher has a vendetta against me. And there's mouse poop in my kitchen. Phooey! Nevermind though. With the terrible tragedy of the tsunami, all of my miseries seem foolish. And while they may be a little unpleasant I suppose I'd take a house full of mouse poop any day over seeing my home and my babies washed out to sea. I have very, very much to be grateful for and who knows, maybe I'll luck out tomorrow morning and find two full mousetraps in my cupboard instead of more poop.
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Monday, January 03, 2005
Just a few video clips that I meant to post with the Christmas letter but never got around to. The first is of Noah singing "Silent Night." The day after Christmas in Primary we played "Mormon Idol--Christmas Edition." Kathy, Aaron and Alice were my guest judges and Noah (brave little man) chose to sing a solo (the kids had the choice of singing a solo, duet or trio.) He did such a fabulous job, we had to video tape it as soon as we got home.
The second clip is of Noah and Denver reciting a poem I taught them during preschool.
I took a lick of my peppermint stick,
And was it ever yummy.
It used to be on my Christmas tree,
But now it's in my tummy.
Mormon Idol.wmv
Peppermint STicks Big.wmv
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