It's What's For Dinner

Homemade Pizza Crust:

Mix 1/3 Cup Shortening

1 Cup Milk

1 tsp sea salt

1/3 Cup Sugar

Heat until shortening melts

Add: 1 beaten egg

Cool

In a separate bowl, mix:

2 1/4 tsp Yeast

1 tsp Sugar

1/2 Cup Warm Water

Add to shortening mixture add:

5 to 6 Cups flour (I use a combination of whole wheat flour and white flour)

Roll out on a greased pizza stone and let rise. Bake at 350 for 7 minutes, then remove from oven add toppings and bake for an additional 12 minutes or until the crust is golden and the cheese is melted. 

This recipe makes 2 crusts, I always triple it, sometimes quadruple it. 

Pizza Crusts on the counter, ready to rise for dinner. 

Recently, we have started paying more attention to our grocery budget. This recipe is NOT budget friendly but so worth it for a special treat! My goal is to spend between $400- $500 a month on groceries. This includes Costco, and Target. In reality, this is less on food because I also purchase TP, Shampoo, etc., at these stores.
With the cost of gas going through the roof, and only looking to get worse. Inflation has taken a real hit on our family's budget. There are expenses that are unavoidable, such as the water bill (our children are limited to 3 minute showers) and the electric bill (I have found my children sitting in a room with their headlamp on reading a book!). However, everything must eat. I think how much we would save if they didn't have to eat so much and so often!
I really struggle with planning and keeping a schedule but to greatly assist our budget I must plan ahead for our meals. Coupled with the fact that a couple meals a week must be portable. We often take our meals with us on nights when the boys have scouts and Sean doesn't have time to come home and eat before he has to leave again.
I am planning on sharing some of my money saving tips and helpful hints for reducing the food bill. Beginning with our menu for the week.

Monday: Baked Spaghetti, Garlic Bread, and Caesar Salad.

Tuesday: Split Pea Soup, whole wheat rolls,

Wednesday: Cheesy Chicken & Bacon with rice and roasted brussel sprouts.

Thursday:BBQ Meatloaf, baked potatoes, creamed corn, and pea salad.

Friday: Pad Thai, rice, peanut salad,

Saturday: Ham Balls, Rice, Green Beans,

Sunday:  Tortellini Soup,

Having a plan allows me to buy ahead, purchase in bulk, and shop sales.  I will not go to 14 different stores, or shop stores I don't like, like Walmart.  I waste too much time shopping a store I am not familiar with, I get irritated with going to a store and them not having the item that is on sale. I learned that it is better to have a joyful spirit.

Planning ahead also saves me from the last minute scramble and grumbling. It looks like that's all I have time to share right now. Blessings ~

Things I Don't Want To Forget

Little things that warm my heart. I don't want to forget in the busyness of life. 

I love how my children play together. Ruby had Libby in the Ergo carrying her around. They often play house or school together.

Yesterday, Taylor and Ian laid on her bed and read the entire book of The Three Musketeers! Then they told Aaron how great it was and he read the whole thing 2 times!

Earlier this week, Aaron was practicing his violin but he didn't want to do it alone. He offered to play for Ian, Ruby and Liberty to have a Ball. They all got dressed in finery, did the proper curtsey, bow, and  waltz while Aaron played Twinkle Twinkle Little Star over and over again.

Sometimes the weeks seem to drag by. Sometimes parenting is really really difficult. Sometimes I don't think I can make it. Then, God gives me these glimpses of His love through my children and their relationships with each other. I am so very grateful for the opportunity to teach them and disciple them. Mostly I am grateful for God's grace and forgiveness.

Remember the little things, sometimes they make all the difference.

Cedar and Pine Lakes Hike

Last week my kids were feeling crummy and we were slowly plowing our way through school. We noticed a sunny day in the forecast. I decided that we simply must take advantage of the weather and get some exercise. 

I love to hike! I like exploring new areas, being together, and getting exercise. I feel like we are finally at a place that it isn't overwhelming to take these excursions. 

Like I said, a few of my children were feeling crummy and the beginning of the hike starts out pretty steep. One of them came to me in tears asking if they could wait in the BRV. Another was whining and dragging their feet. I gave that one a swat and told them to shape up and the other one I encouraged that the fresh air would help them to feel better. 

 The elevation change on this 5 mile hike was 1,750 feet! Liberty spent most of the time in the Ergo either on my back or on Taylor's back. When she was with Taylor she was a bit more demanding. Saying things like,"Giddy Up horsey!" and, "yaw, yaw, Why you going so slow TayTay?"

 There was still snow on the ground but fortunately we were dressed for the weather. I even found a pair of new hiking boots in the closet, in my size! I was thrilled! I wonder where they came from? The shoe fairy, perhaps? Maybe the shoe fair could also leave me a pair of Ariat Fat Baby Boots!

 Dana, is my running partner,  chiropractor and friend. She is also about a foot taller than me. I usually work really hard to make sure that I am not holding her back but when she put her 4 year old on her back I was in awe! Ruby wanted to be carried for a bit as well, I only offered to hold her hand while Dana actually carried her for awhile.

 You really must appreciate Ruby's sense of style her fur hat, skirt, Bog boots and baby (complete with diaper bag), Every time I turned around Ian was asking me to take his picture. He did make me a bit anxious with his complete and utter lack of awareness of the cliffs, waterfalls and moss covered logs hanging over a precipice. This is the son who routinely falls off of his chair at breakfast!

 Lukas, Bree and Dana at Cedar Lake, our lunch stop! I enjoy her children's sense of adventure, their positive attitude, and mischievous antics.

 Doesn't he look like his father? This is Aaron's sophisticated look. I took all of these photos on my iPhone. I must say that I have gotten quite lazy when it comes to packing the nice camera,  I really don't want one more thing to carry.

We enjoyed our lunch then headed back down the trails. Erik's classic quote was, "Isn't there another, faster easier way back to the van?"
We live in one of the most beautiful places in the world. It is a priority for us to enjoy and explore. I am  excited we have so many new trails to experience this season.
We all felt better and everyone was in bed early and slept wonderfully.

Happy Birthday Aaron

It is hard to believe that a dozen years have passed since Aaron joined our family! He is becoming a wonderful young man. I still see glimpses of him as a child but more opportunities to see how he is growing an maturing. 

He loves his little sisters and jumps at any opportunity to serve them or make them smile. 

I would love to reminisce and put eloquent thoughts down but Alas, I must leave. We have one child camping with Boy Scouts and attending a Merit Badge Extravaganza, another at a wrestling tournament and another has Pinewood Derby today. 

Guess I know why the blog has been so quiet lately.... we are living life. 

Welcome Carese

Carese and Rebekah

Ruth hired me back in October to be her Doula for her April due date. I have never been hired so early before. It was fun to follow so much of the pregnancy with her.

Mommy and Daddy get to look at their newest blessing. Together for the first time.

Her labor started Thursday evening and when the contractions were 2 minutes apart for 5 hours we headed to the Birth Center. We were there for 5 hours Friday morning, then they sent her home because the contractions stopped.
All weekend I kept waiting for a call for her delivery. She called Sunday evening and was back in the hospital.

Helping Ruth nurse in the recovery room. 

 We had a slumber party! We stayed up until 4:30 AM talking and laughing. I did give a pretty good foot massage and made sure she was comfortable. I even took care of her husband's headache. Most of the night/ morning was spent eating M&M's.  However, Monday morning after shift change the Doctor shocked us all and changed the course of action. In a matter of minutes he decided to stop any type of induction and send Ruth home.

I love my job! 

After her doctor appointment on Tuesday it was decided to go ahead with the induction and admit her that day.  I was called back to the hospital,  Ruth said that her contractions were really picking up, at 5:30PM.
We tried to get her body to go into labor and even with a high dose of pitocin she was only having mild contractions. They decided to go ahead and break her water to see if that would speed things up. Again, it only mildly worked.  Just a little before 1:00AM she stood up so that we could go for a walk. She had another significant gush of water and felt some pressure.
Her husband has been praying that this would be her easiest labor ever. I was amazed at the thought that perhaps she was complete, with almost no labor. Unfortunately, the pressure she felt was cord prolapse. From the time they diagnosed the prolapse until the baby was born, was 4 minutes! I am amazed at the quality of care she received.
I have done a lot of deliveries with this doctor and she was able to bend the rules to accommodate me! I was able to go to the special care nursery and take the baby into the recovery room to grant the mother's wish of skin to skin contact and breastfeeding as soon as possible. I am so thankful that the doctor's have great judgement and are able to perform lifesaving techniques as quickly as they do. Their sweet baby girl weighed in at 4 lbs 14 oz and was 18 3/4" long. She spent only a short time in the special care nursery and did not even need help breathing. She had strong muscle tone, beautiful color, and amazing reflexes! Praise God for his provision in maturing Carese's lungs and perfectly forming her body to be equipped to be born bore her due date.
This was definitely a different birth experience. I learned a lot and am even more convinced that we should trust our intuition, it is a gift from God.
Congratulations to Darryl and Ruth on the birth of Carese Faith!

Fragrance Lake

We made it to Fragrance Lake! Pretty amazing photo taken on my iPhone!

Yesterday, was beautiful! Yes, it started with a layer of snow covering our yard. But, here in the Pacific Northwest when the sun is shining and I can see blue sky, I don't want to waste it inside!

This was probably the only stretch of the hike that was not uphill and muddy. 

We did our morning work, and were struggling through trying to keep people on task. When I decided to take advantage of the beauty where we live! 

I called my friend Christine at 1:30 and asked if she wanted to go for a hike. She didn't even hesitate when she answered, "YES!" 

Another thing to love about homeschoolers, they can take a break whenever they need to. 

Taylor, Ian, Mark Aaron, Aaron, Erik, Sarah, Storm, Ruby, Christine

 We met at 2:30 and headed to the trail head. I told my kiddos to grab their coat, water bottles, and a granola bar. I am not much on detail. Didn't think about all the snow around here, or that it might be cold in the woods, or that we might need extra clothes, or even that it was almost 3 in March and it might get dark soon.

Christine, Me, Libby in the Ergo

 I was focused on one thing: getting out in the sunshine!
We parked, paid the stupid $10 use fee, and started up the trail. The bigger kids left Christine, Ruby, Libby, and I in the dust! I only looked at the hike enough to know it was 2.25 miles to the lake. I completely forgot about the 2.25 miles back! Liberty made it all the way up to the lake without a problem. Well, she had a minor mishap of falling and breaking open the scab on her nose, again. Fortunately there was only a little bit of blood. There was a lot of mud!

Erik said he would have rather stayed home and finished his homework. Who is this guy? 

Christine was worried about the time and ready to head back, so we asked a guy (running up the trail) to tell the kids to head back if he saw them. He did, and they did. But when we met up with them we realized that we were really close to the top. Christine did not want to be so close to the goal and not make it so, we all headed up to the lake together.

My new favorite photo of Aaron, He has a genuine smile!

 I'm so glad we did. Because when we got to the top the sun was shining, the water was crystal clear and calm. It was a perfect opportunity to soak in the glory of God's amazing creation!

Mark Aaron, and Aaron. I felt like I was taking a picture of their dads when they were young. 

 We then had to hurry back to the BRV (Big Red Van) to get the boys to scouts on time.

Liberty and Ruby.
It cracks me up that they currently wear the same size clothes. 

One of the other calamities was that Ruby asked Sarah for a piggy back ride. Sarah probably weighs about 10 pounds more than Ruby and when Ruby jumped on Sarah's back she made Sarah face plant in the muddy snow and Ruby went right over the top and face planted as well. It was sorta comical as it seemed to happen in slow motion. Sarah was embarrassed, and Ruby was slightly dirty and sore but we weren't any worse for the wear.
Upon arriving at the BRV we were treated to a beautiful sunset over the bay. Whew! we made it just before dark. I barely made it in time to get the boys to scouts (which is important since I have the key to the building).
We will definitely be looking to discover more hiking trails in our area! We all needed the fresh air and change of scenery.

Prayers Please!

My friend's son, Apollo, is going in for heart surgery on Wednesday. You can read about his story here. 

Apollo's life began quite dramatically with a cord prolapse at home, and subsequent emergency C-Section.
Since then he has been diagnosed with a double aortic arch and is going to have that repaired. He will be having heart surgery on Wednesday and I am organizing a continuous 24 hour prayer coverage for his surgery and recovery in ICU. Could you please help this little guy and sign up for a 30 minute time slot? You can leave me a message or text me and let me know what time you are willing to cover. Thank you in advance for your faithfulness!