Wednesday, June 29, 2005
Had a yummy dinner tonight. . .Mark especially like it! Even the kids ate it. It's a great dinner just for your family or for company and it's very simple. We had it with Jello Beans and salad but you could fancy it up anyway you like! Enjoy!
Butter and Herb Chicken
2 cups dry breadcrumbs
1 1/2 cups parmesan cheese (the fresher the better of course)
1 packet dry Ranch dressing mix
4 cloves garlic, minced (or 4 tsp. garlic powder)
1/2 cup minced onion flakes
8 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
3/4 cup melted butter
In a large bowl combine first 5 ingredients. Dip chicken breasts in butter then roll in breadcrumb mixture to coat evenly. Place on a cookie sheet coated with nonstick cooking spray and bake for 40-45 minutes or until golden brown. Serve with butter and herb sauce.
Butter and Herb Sauce
1 cup chicken broth
1 tsp. Dijon mustard
1/2 cup dry white wine (or white grape juice)
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
3/4 cup butter, melted (I only used 1/2 cup)
1 Tbsp. fresh basil, chopped
1 Tbsp. fresh parsley, chopped
In a small saucepan over medium-high heat, add chicken broth, bring to a simmer. Remove from heat and put in a blender. Add mustard and blend on high speed. Slowly add wine, lemon juice, butter and herbs and blend until smooth. Return to saucepan and heat over medium-low heat until ready to serve.
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Tuesday, June 28, 2005
Today we went on a Backyard Adventure! We have a little stream that runs through our neighborhood. We go there quite frequently, usually on our Rain Walks, to throw rocks and wade in a little. But, we've never explored to see where it comes from and where it goes. So today we put on our swimsuits and sandals, packed a snack and some towels and set off for an adventure. The boys were thrilled. I was a little unsure, but nevertheless, we were off. We waded through some "quicksand mud" and sunk past our ankles in the mucky, stinky stuff. Hunter even lost his flip-flop in the goop and I had to dig it out. We encountered several large and very thirsty mosquitoes who especially loved me and Noah. And we hiked through several people's backyards. But as yucky and stinky and mucky as our adventure might have been, we made it to the end of the river and satisfied our curious minds as to where our stream comes from. And next week. . . we'll be off to find out where our little river ends, even though I already have a pretty good idea where we'll end up.
  
 
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Monday, June 27, 2005
Hunter finished Kindergarten on Thursday and we've had a bunch of fun ever since. I never thought I'd love having my kids home from school--I remember my mom saying every summer, "I can't wait until school starts again." But, I absolutely love having Hunter home. There's something about not having to get him to school every day that makes my day seem so much simpler. We sleep in until 8:00, get Mark to the train, eat breakfast and hang out together all day. We don't have to get dressed. We don't have to go anywhere. We don't have to do anything. It's wonderful.
Anyway, so far this summer we've celebrated Hunter's graduation and excellent report card by spending an evening at the McDonald's playplace (Hunter's choice.) We visited the Lake and spent four hours there, soaking in the sun and sand. Grandma and Grandpa Henrichsen came to visit and we spent an evening with them catching fireflies and chatting. We took G&G to the beach and buried the kids in the sand and had a blast. Then, they took us to dinner and we treated them to the best fireworks show in CT at Trumbull Days. After church on Sunday I had the pleasure of a nap and then we visited the school park where the kids rode their bikes and Hunter played Bocce Ball and learned some of the "Laws of Childhood" (like every kid has to fall off their bike at least 25 times and skin their knee at least once before they grow up.) Today we visited the library and Hunter and Noah got their own library cards and we checked out a stack of movies and an even bigger stack of books to get Hunter started on his summer reading list. Then I spent two hours trying to help Hunter build a robot out of his KNEX and no, it's still not finished! He makes it look so simple! In desperate need of a break from the KNEX, Hunter and I made our "Summer Goals" lists and now I just hope we can cram it all in. Looks like a pretty busy summer up ahead. . .busy but fun.
 
  
 
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Sunday, June 26, 2005
Mark and I have discovered a TV series that we are absolutely addicted to. We've gotten so sick and tired of Reality TV that this is a huge breath of fresh air and it's really good too. Lost is one of the best TV series I've seen since E.R. You'll be hooked in a matter of minutes. The first season is running this summer and starting in September the second season will begin. So, if you're sitting around on a Wednesday night with nothing to do--flip on "Lost." I guarantee, you'll be hooked.
And for those of you that need a good rainy day movie to watch or have a weekend that's too hot for even the beach, Mark introduced me to a fabulous foreign flick that I'm all set to buy with my birthday money. Jean De Florette and Manon of the Spring are two fantastic movies. But be warned--you must watch them both back to back or you'll be tortured waiting to watch the second movie. And you can't watch when you're sleepy--both are subtitled and require 100% of your attention. But I promise you'll love them. I've never seen a story so full of fate and revenge and hate and best of all, tragic love. Excellent!
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What every father wants for Father's Day. . . .At least that's what Hunter was certain his Daddy would like. Mark also got himself a new watch on Ebay and breakfast in bed. Love you Daddy!
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Thursday, June 23, 2005
My house may be noisy. It's messy too. The stairs and walls probably do need painted. My son may be "impulsive." My kids are wild and dirty and rarely sit still. But I wouldn't trade my boys for anything--not a daughter, not freshly painted stairs, or a little peace and quiet. We couldn't be happier in this little, messy, chaotic Cape Cod of ours!
What is a Boy?
Between the innocence of babyhood and the dignity of manhood we find a delightful creature called a boy. Boys come in assorted sizes, weights and colors, but all boys have the same creed: To enjoy every second of every minute of every hour of every day and to protest with noise (their only weapon) when their last minute is finished and the adult males pack them off to bed at night.
Boys are found everywhere--On top of, underneath, inside of, climbing on, swinging from, running around or jumping to. Mothers love them, little girls hate them, older sisters and brothers tolerate them, adults ignore them, and Heaven protects them. A boy is Truth with dirt on its face, Beauty with a cut on its finger, Wisdom with bubble gum in its hair, and the Hope of the future with a frog in its pocket.
When you are busy, a boy is an inconsiderate, bothersome, intruding jangle of noise. When you want him to make a good impression, his brain turns to jelly or else he becomes a savage, sadistic jungle creature bent on destroying the world and himself with it.
A boy is a composite--he has the appetite of a horse, the disposition of a sword swallower, the energy of a pocket-size atomic bomb, the curiosity of a cat, the lungs of a dictator, the imagination of a Paul Bunyan, the shyness of a violet, the audacity of a steel trap, the enthusiasm of a fire cracker, and when he makes something he has five thumbs on each hand.
He likes ice cream, knives, saws, Christmas, comic books, the boy across the street, woods, water (in its natural habitat), large animals, Dad, trains, Saturday mornings, and fire engines. He is not much for Sunday School, company, school, books without pictures, music lessons, neckties, barbers, girls, overcoats, adults or bedtime.
Nobody else is so early to rise, or so late to supper. Nobody else gets so much fun out of trees, dogs and breezes. Nobody else can cram into one pocket a rusty knife, a half-eaten apple, 3 feet of string, an empty Bull Durham sack, 2 gum drops, 6 cents, a sling shot, a chunk of unknown substance, and a genuine supersonic code ring with a secret compartment.
A boy is a magical creature--you can lock him out of your work shop but you can't lock him out of your heart. You can get him out of your study, but you can't get him out of your mind. Might as well give up-he is your captor, your jailer, your boss, your master-a freckled face, pint-sized, cat chasing, bundle of noise. But when you come home at night with only shattered pieces of your hopes and dreams, he can mend them like new with two magic words-"Hi Dad!"
(Alan Beck)
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Monday, June 13, 2005
I don't know if it is because I'm pregnant or if it's just a plain old craving, but lately I can't get enough bananas. So in honor of the wonderful yellow fruit I am dedicating this blog to them and challenging all of you to eat at least one banana sometime this week. They are so good for you and there are so many great ways to eat them. . . just look!
Banana Facts
A banana contains 88 calories and 0 grams of fat and they are a good source of vitamin c and fiber. The average person eats 33 pounds of a bananas a year and over 4 million bananas are imported into the US every year. Legend has it that the forbidden fruit offered by Adam to Eve in the Garden Of Eden was in fact a banana. In some parts of the world, green bananas are cooked and eaten as a vegetable. A banana doesn't come from a tree but rather a giant fruiting herb (the world's largest.) A banana contains all eight amino acids that our body cannot produce itself, including Tryptophan! Tryptophan, an amino acid, stimulates the production of Serotonin. About 45% of people suffering from depression are found to have a low level of serotonin in the brain. Anti-depressants, such as Prozac, work by regulating the body's serotonin levels. According to Peter D. Kramer, author of "Listening to Prozac," raising a person's level of serotonin seems to enhance "security, courage, assertiveness, self-worth, calm, flexibility, and resilience." He says, "It makes people feel safe." Potassium is essential to mental function, brain power and nerve impulses. According to certain biochemists, no new brain cells can be made without potassium. Bananas, one of natures richest sources of potassium, are also one of the easiest ways to give your body this important mineral. Potassium plays a crucial role in fluid balance and enables your cells to maintain correct blood pressure and remove fluid retention.
Banana Websites
Fabo's BananaLand
Dole's Kid Site
Ideas for Eating Bananas
Slice some bananas on your cereal.
Mash up some bananas (or slice them) and mix them into vanilla yogurt.
Spread some peanut butter on toast and top with sliced bananas.
Have a Nutella Banana sandwich for lunch--just spread nutella on two pieces of bread and place some sliced bananas inbetween.
Make pancakes and add a mashed banana to the batter.
Make some banana bread, banana cake or banana pudding.
Have a Frozen Banana Pop for FHE--Just cut some bananas in half, insert a popsicle stick and freeze for at least one hour. Dip in melted chocolate and sprinkle with chopped nuts or candly sprinkles.
 
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Wednesday, June 08, 2005
We spent the afternoon at Lake Mohegan. I'm sure Kathy will post some pictures on her site later. So far this week we've been to Lake Mohegan twice and spent one afternoon in the backyard with the slip and slide. I'm feeling a little burned and tired but it beats sitting in front of the TV any day. Supposedly we're gonna have sunshine for the rest of the week--guess we'll have to hit the beach next. Wanna come?
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Tuesday, June 07, 2005
Last night when Mark and I went to bed we fell asleep watching a special on pretzels on the Food Network. They sure did look good. This morning Noah asked if we could do preschool. Now before I go on I must explain a few things. First, Noah doesn't ask to do much of anything with me lately so I had to think up something quick for preschool. Second, the reason I do preschool with Noah instead of sending him somewhere else is because in CT (at least in our part of the state) it costs $4000.00 to have your child "socialized" for ten months. That is almost two semesters at BYU and a price I refuse to pay for someone else to do, especially when it's something I can do myself.
So, back to the story, Noah wanted to do the letter "M" for preschool and play Monkey Ball on the Nintendo. I explained that even though Monkey Ball did start with "M" we weren't going to play Nintendo for preschool. Thanks to last night's special I immediately suggested "P" for pretzels. Noah gave in grudgingly and we jumped right in making pretzel dough and "pretzel and popcorn art." Both boys liked gluing the pretzels and popcorn on the paper and the pretzels were a HUGE success. We all liked eating them and they were especially easy to make. Anyway, I just thought I'd share the idea with those of you mom's who are looking for an idea to pass the afternoon with instead of watching another Disney movie or roasting in the sun at the park. My kids didn't get to shape the pretzels (because they were having "meltdown") but it is definitely simple enough even a two year old can do it. Afterall, who says a pretzel has to be in the shape of a knot? Hope you have fun and enjoy! I have a feeling we'll be doing it again real soon.
   
Aunt Annie's Pretzels
1 1/2 tsp. active dry yeast
1/2 tsp. brown sugar
1 dash salt
1 1/2 cups 110 degree water
4 cups bread flour
1 T baking soda
1/4 cup warm water
1 cup melted real butter
toppings (see Notes, below)
Combine first 4 ingredients; allow to rest for 5 minutes. Stir flour to mixture and knead for 5 minutes. Place dough in a lightly greased bowl, cover with a damp towel, and allow to rise in a warm place for 1 hour. Divide dough into 8-12 equal-size pieces; roll each piece into a rope; shape each rope into a pretzel. In a shallow dish, stir baking soda into warm water; dip pretzels into mixture; lay coated pretzel onto a lightly greased cookie sheet. Bake in a 550 degree oven for 8 minutes, or until golden brown. Brush melted butter onto hot pretzels.
Notes: For salted pretzels, sprinkle with pretzel salt or Kosher salt. For cinnamon-sugar pretzels, stir 2 T honey into the melted butter before brushing on pretzels, then sprinkle with a mixture of 1/2 cup granulated sugar and 1 tsp. ground cinnamon. For Parmesan pretzels, sprinkle with a mixture of 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese and 1 tsp. garlic salt; serve with marinara sauce.
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Sunday, June 05, 2005
Here's a few good recipes we've had recently. The kids especially loved the Monkey Bread (which Denver now calls "Monkey Balls") and have asked to have it again several times. Mark and I liked the Manicotti and were even more thrilled when our kids ate it. Anyway, if you're like me, a few "tried it and liked it" recipes are always helpful. Hope you're family enjoys them as much as ours did.
Easy Monkey Bread
4 cans (10-count) refrigerated biscuits
1 cup white sugar, divided
1 cup brown sugar, divided
1 Tbsp. ground cinnamon
1 cup butter
1 cup chopped nuts, optional
non-fat vegetable spray
Spray a 10-inch bundt pan with the veggie spray. Set aside. Cut each biscuit into 4 pieces. In a plastic bag, combine 1/2 cup of each sugar and the cinnamon. Mix well. Place half of the biscuit pieces, a few at a time, in the bag and shake well to cover. Place biscuit pieces in bundt pan. In a saucepan, mix together remaining white and brown sugars with butter (and nuts.) Heat until butter melts and sugars dissolve but do not boil. Pour half of syrup mixture over biscuits in the bundt pan. Shake remaining biscuit pieces in bag of sugar mixture. Place in pan and add remainder of butter mixture on the top. Bake at 350 degrees for 40-50 minutes, but do not over bake or syrup will crystallize. Cool just long enough to flip pan over onto a serving plate. Remove pan and serve.
Spinach Cheese Manicotti
1 10-oz. pkg. frozen chopped spinach
1 32-oz. jar spaghetti or marinara sauce
1 cup water
1 egg
1 16-oz. carton ricotta or cottage cheese
2 8-oz. pkgs. shredded mozzarella cheese
1/2 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. pepper
1 8-oz. pkg. manicotti, uncooked (14 shells)*
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 13- x 9- x 2-inch baking dish. In a saucepan, cook spinach according to package directions. Drain well and squeeze dry; set aside.
Place 1 cup of the spaghetti or marinara sauce in bottom of dish. Stir in water; set aside. In a medium bowl, beat egg. Stir in ricotta cheese, 2 cups of the mozzarella cheese, spinach, salt and pepper until well blended. Using a table knife, fill manicotti shells with spinach mixture. Arrange in dish. Spoon remaining sauce over shells to coat completely. Cover tightly with foil. Bake for 1 1/4 hours or until shells are very tender when pierced with a fork. Sprinkle with remaining 2 cups mozzarella cheese. Bake 3 to 5 minutes longer or until cheese melts.
*I made 7 shells for dinner and froze the other 7 stuffed shells for another night. We still had leftovers but didn't have to spend four nights trying to eat them all. And I have an easy dinner already prepared in my freezer for some night when I'm too hot and tired to cook--which I'm sure I'll have plenty of come the end of August.
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Friday, June 03, 2005
Where the wee birdie rests.
Yes. . . it's true. We have a wee birdie in the nest above our front porch. I'm not sure how old--definitely less than a week and very cute.
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Thursday, June 02, 2005
Hunter had quite a week at school. Monday, of course, he was home with us for Memorial Day. Tuesday, according to his teacher he was "very quiet and slow" and even scared her by laying too still on the woodchips on the playground. When he came home he seemed fine. (The teacher didn't think it was important enough to tell me that Hunter wasn't acting like himself until Thursday.) We went out to play Tuesday evening and all of the sudden Hunter didn't seem well. He was laying on the grass very still and seemed pretty tired. On our way to get Daddy at the train station Hunter started complaining that his stomach hurt and he went very pale and his eyes looked sunken in. Daddy carried Hunter in and laid him on the couch. He really didn't seem well at that point and even made me wonder if he was having absent seizures. He said his stomach hurt pretty bad, which also made me wonder about appendicitis. Anyway, he stayed up until 10:00pm when he all of the sudden seemed better and managed to eat some chicken noodle soup before going to bed.
Because he was up so late and hadn't been feeling good, he stayed home from school Wednesday and seemed like his normal, energetic self the entire day. Thursday I got a call from the school nurse at lunch time telling me that Hunter was acting really spacey and slow and that he didn't seem well. Hunter said he "fell asleep" during lunch but the teacher's aid said he was just staring off into space eating really slow. She said he was doing weird things like taking his glucometer to lunch instead of his lunchbox. She reassured me that his blood sugar was fine, but wondered if anything had changed with his seizure meds. I also thought maybe he was having seizures which made me really nervous since the teacher, the nurse and the teacher's aid were all being stupid (I wish there was another word to explain it--but that about says it all.) The teacher sent him to the nurse without telling her Hunter seemed quiet and spacey all morning. The nurse sent him to lunch without telling the teacher's aid what was going on. And then, after lunch the nurse returned him to class without talking to the teacher. They are all lucky he didn't fall somewhere and hurt himself. By the time school was over they all said he was back to his normal self and seemed confused by his strange behavior. So much for reading the fax Yale sent to them about Absent Seizures and the discussion I had with Mrs. B about what to look for and what to do if it should happen.
Anyway, Friday the nurse called me again because Hunter's blood sugar was at 57 but he was falling asleep and she had to keep calling his name and shaking him to keep him awake and what should she do? Mind you this is supposedly an RN and that kind of question coming from a nurse just baffles me. So I explained that the glucometer can be 20 points off and that his sugar might really be 37. Then I asked if she had a tube of glucose gel in his box and she said "yes" and I said "Use it." Then she asked, "When should I check his blood sugar again?" And baffled once again, I said, "In 15 minutes." Of course, 15 minutes later he was fine.
All I can say, at the end of this school year, is that this week was the cherry on top of it all. I've been very disappointed in almost every aspect of Hunter's experience at school, most especially with his teacher and the nurse. I'm so ready to home school him, if only he didn't love it all so much. Hunter is definitely a social animal and I would be crazy to think I could make up for that at home. Everyone at school loves Hunter and Hunter loves everyone at school. I just hope that next year his teacher will give him a chance (despite the labels that I'm sure Mrs. B is going to slap all over his record) and challenge him a little and see him for the great big heart he really is. And I hope, with the retirement of the principal (and I wish Hunter's teacher and the nurse) we'll get someone in there who really cares about the kids and their education and not so much about the teachers and their tenure. Otherwise I suppose I'll have to homeschool the boys and that is a very, very scary thought indeed.
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Wednesday, June 01, 2005
The Fourteen Bears in Summer and Winter, for all of you Stout children that want your own copy of that book but can't afford $400 for an original copy on Ebay, is now available on Amazon for a measley $10. It's probably available in your local bookstores too. It was re-released in May--so go on out and buy yourselves a copy and spend a few minutes with your kids down Memory Lane. I should be getting my own copy in 3-5 days and I can hardly wait to show it to the boys. I also noticed Miss Suzy on Amazon--another one of my favorite books. I haven't been to a bookstore in years so I don't know how long it's been available for purchase or if it ever went off the market but either way--they are both fantastic books, definitely worth purchasing and definitely worth taking a few minutes out of your busy day to snuggle on the couch and read with someone little you love.
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