Saturday, December 31, 2011
Friday, December 30, 2011
This Week
Yesterday Luci and I got our hairs cut.
Luci, 7 years old, was admiring herself in the mirror at the beauty salon.
I look older now! I look...(long, dramatic pause)...eight!
The kids' Christmas stockings; they each know for certain that they are my favorite!
And all ready for the New Year!
Luci, 7 years old, was admiring herself in the mirror at the beauty salon.
I look older now! I look...(long, dramatic pause)...eight!
The kids' Christmas stockings; they each know for certain that they are my favorite!
And all ready for the New Year!
Saturday, December 24, 2011
Christmas Eve
Christmas Eve Eve
The girls' table....wait, is that Bryan in there, too??
Luci being all goofy. I like this shot because it shows some of the pretty fireplace, and that gorgeous rug John brought home from Afghanistan.
Christmas Eve
Today's big dinner. Luci set the table and did a fine job.
Tuesday, December 20, 2011
Our Christmas Card
Okay, so I didn't get the cards sent. Here is our Christmas Card/Family Brag Letter for 2011.
Bryan graduated from high school in the Spring! He got his braces off in the Fall. Bryan also got his first-ever real job (meaning the paycheck did not come from mom and dad), teaching gymnastics.
Luci continues to bring us joy. She's learning to read and learning to bake. A winning combination!
JT is doing well in his high school studies. He is enjoying the continuation of his Tang Soo Do training, in which he has a black belt.
All three kids work with Susan at the Friendship Center at church every week. Susan continues to homeschool JT and Luci. John has several part time jobs . He likes to keep busy...retiring from TVA and the Army Reserves left him with lots of time! We went to Idaho to see Susan's family in June. John's folks moved to Alabama in October so we get to see them more often than we used to.
I left out all the arguing that happens here between siblings and the two successful surgeries (shoulder and knee) that John had. Maybe I didn't leave them out after all. Mostly we are a normal family just doing normal stuff. Nothing too exciting here.
Please leave a link to your family's news. I'd love to see how you are doing, too!
All three kids work with Susan at the Friendship Center at church every week. Susan continues to homeschool JT and Luci. John has several part time jobs . He likes to keep busy...retiring from TVA and the Army Reserves left him with lots of time! We went to Idaho to see Susan's family in June. John's folks moved to Alabama in October so we get to see them more often than we used to.
I left out all the arguing that happens here between siblings and the two successful surgeries (shoulder and knee) that John had. Maybe I didn't leave them out after all. Mostly we are a normal family just doing normal stuff. Nothing too exciting here.
Please leave a link to your family's news. I'd love to see how you are doing, too!
He shall be called John
Luke 1:63
This is the little boy Luci wanted to name Jehoshaphat.
He is with the same foster family that had Annie. He has mal development of the brain. And he's adorable!
This is the little boy Luci wanted to name Jehoshaphat.
He is with the same foster family that had Annie. He has mal development of the brain. And he's adorable!
Jumpin' Jehoshaphat!
Annie, the little girl we've been sponsoring through Love Without Boundaries, has been adopted! We are so happy for that news.
Today we were asked to sponsor a little boy who is also from Luci's orphanage...and we get to give the boy an American name, which he will keep until he's adopted.
Luci and I went through popular names (Justin! said with much giggling,after Justin Bieber, in case you didn't know), family names (Bryan, JT, John),
and then I suggested, "What about a Biblical name?"
Luci's answer?
Jehoshaphat!
We settled on John--both familial and Biblical.
Today we were asked to sponsor a little boy who is also from Luci's orphanage...and we get to give the boy an American name, which he will keep until he's adopted.
Luci and I went through popular names (Justin! said with much giggling,after Justin Bieber, in case you didn't know), family names (Bryan, JT, John),
and then I suggested, "What about a Biblical name?"
Luci's answer?
Jehoshaphat!
We settled on John--both familial and Biblical.
Wednesday, December 14, 2011
Pizza, Gluten-Free Style!
Today I made my first gluten free pizza crust. It turned out great!
I used the recipe (and the flour mixture) from Pamela's Products. Click here for the recipe: Chewy Pizza Crust
Isn't he cute?
Why go to all that bother? Because of this boy, here:
Isn't he cute?
Tuesday, December 13, 2011
Daisies
I'm posting these photos here so I can copy them to my computer--they will be smaller (my geeky teen who knows how to do this isn't cooperating, so you are blessed/bored with this post!). Then I can move them to Facebook so my Daisy Troop friends can have them. Sorry if this is wasting your time!
Tuesday
Yesterday at Daisies. This is Luci with Ava.
We learned a little bit about Santa Lucia today. Luci and I will make some sweet rolls this afternoon, in the spirit of the celebration.
Luci was surprised to learn that she is the "oldest daughter," and so gets to wear the crown of lights. She always hears, "you're the baby," so hearing that she's the oldest girl was mind-bending!
We learned a little bit about Santa Lucia today. Luci and I will make some sweet rolls this afternoon, in the spirit of the celebration.
Sunday, December 11, 2011
Another Sunday Morning
Luci has her own fashion sense. She is using the belt as a hair bow!
This dress is from Robin, at Red Thread Stitches boutique.
Robin is a mother of children from China, too. She uses her talents to help others bring their children home. Our purchase is helping someone else--I love that. And Luci loves, loves, loves her dress!
It's cold out here, Mama! Hurry!
We really do have the prettiest daughter!
Robin is a mother of children from China, too. She uses her talents to help others bring their children home. Our purchase is helping someone else--I love that. And Luci loves, loves, loves her dress!
It's cold out here, Mama! Hurry!
We really do have the prettiest daughter!
Tuesday, December 06, 2011
Christmas Math
This time of year is so much fun. I love doing this kind of math with Luci...measuring, baking, and it's art, too.
First we made some applesauce ornaments.
3/4 cup applesauce
4 oz ground cinnamon
2 TBS white glue
Mix well, then roll out to 1/4 inch thickness. Cut with cookie cutters, then poke a hole near the top with a straw, for hanging later.
Lay out on waxed paper. It will take several days to completely dry the ornaments. Turn them over each day, so they do not curl up.
When dry, you may decorate with glitter glue, as we did.
JT's snow man
Today's math lesson for Luci was making some sugar cookies! Yum. This was our first try at making gluten free sugar cookies, and they are a big hit. (Feingold friends, I did not use approved frosting or decorating sugars.)
With the leftover dough, I made little ropes and put them into my mini-doughnut pan. They made adorable little wreaths.
Cream together the butter and sugar. Add the egg and vanilla and beat again. Mix in remaining ingredients. Chill dough for at least 1 hour.
Heat oven to 400*. Roll out dough to 1/4 inch thickness, and cut with cookie cutters. (I had to use extra flour to keep the dough from sticking, and I picked up each cookie with a spatula to place on the cookie sheet.) Place on UNgreased cookie sheet.
Bake for 6-8 minutes. Let cool on pan for 1-2 minutes before placing cookies on cooling rack.
Decorate to your heart's content. Or, let your 7 year old do it, because she'll have 'way more fun than you will!
First we made some applesauce ornaments.
4 oz ground cinnamon
2 TBS white glue
Mix well, then roll out to 1/4 inch thickness. Cut with cookie cutters, then poke a hole near the top with a straw, for hanging later.
Lay out on waxed paper. It will take several days to completely dry the ornaments. Turn them over each day, so they do not curl up.
When dry, you may decorate with glitter glue, as we did.
With the leftover dough, I made little ropes and put them into my mini-doughnut pan. They made adorable little wreaths.
Gluten Free Sugar Cookies
- 1 stick plus 2 TBS butter, softened
- 2/3 cups white sugar
- 1 egg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 3/4 cups gluten free flour mix
- 3/4 teaspoons baking powder (omit if your baking mix has B.P. in it already)
- 1 teaspoon salt
Cream together the butter and sugar. Add the egg and vanilla and beat again. Mix in remaining ingredients. Chill dough for at least 1 hour.
Heat oven to 400*. Roll out dough to 1/4 inch thickness, and cut with cookie cutters. (I had to use extra flour to keep the dough from sticking, and I picked up each cookie with a spatula to place on the cookie sheet.) Place on UNgreased cookie sheet.
Bake for 6-8 minutes. Let cool on pan for 1-2 minutes before placing cookies on cooling rack.
Decorate to your heart's content. Or, let your 7 year old do it, because she'll have 'way more fun than you will!
Sunday, December 04, 2011
Saturday, December 03, 2011
Field Trips
The next time I take my kids on a field trip, I think I’ll go by myself.
Whine, whine, whine! And most of the whining wasn’t even from me! JTconstantly getting into my space and (gasp!) touching Luci. Luci every second, “Mommy, hold me! I don’t want to see that, it’s scary! Make him STOP IT!”
Not to mention how spoiled we are, getting to chose to visit places when crowds are low–and then we get personalized attention from the docents at whatever museum we are visiting. Until yesterday.
Bother! The children’s science museum is wonderful. But when we drove up to it (in our little Prius, saving gas all the way!), there were SEVEN school buses. SEVEN. Sigh.
It was a madhouse the entire time. I even pulled out my Teacher Voice (cultivated over seven years of teaching in Texas) to make two boys stop whaling away on another boy with part of an exhibit. I was looking around for their teacher or chaperone when finally they left, to go somewhere where no busy-body mother would get in the way of their having fun.
My kids would wait politely to use some of the equipment when wham! eight or ten school kids would crowd in front of them. And no chaperones there, either. Grrr! Finally, when we were in the bubble zone (or whatever cute name the museum gave it), I told one girl to back off, it’s JT’s turn.
One good thing to happen: Luci was in the right spot at the right time to have Channel Six’s weather man do a report from Santa’s Workshop! She’s in there somewhere, trust me. I used Luci’s cheap-o camera so I wouldn’t have to lug my big one around. Next time I’m taking my big camera.
JT making a big bubble. Right after I shooed a sixth-grader away. Just about the only photo that turned out half-way decent.
Then, today was a Daisy outing. The Festival of Trees, where we are
to learn about different cultures’ celebrations of Christmas.
Oh, my! That sounds educational. Sort of like Social Studies, I’m all into this outing!
Until we get there. There are NO trees, except the one that the church had blocked off so we wouldn’t be able to ruin it in all of our Daisy-frenzy.
The Daisies made Christmas tree ornaments with a wish inside–Luci
asked how to spell “pony.” Good luck with that, Luci, I’m doing
good to have a hamster.
Bird feeder made with peanut butter and birdseed, decorate a paper sack with scrap paper, make Christmas cards for a nursing home. What on earth does this have to do with Christmas celebrations around the world? I did love the Christmas cards for the nursing home…that was a sweet, sweet thing for the kids to do. But really?
I guess I am getting too old for this stuff. I would have had so much fun finding things from around the world for them to learn. (ssshhhh….don’t let them know, I really am happy not being any busier than I am!)
And why does this camera say we did all our activities in the early, pre-dawn hours? I’ll never know.
Whine, whine, whine! And most of the whining wasn’t even from me! JTconstantly getting into my space and (gasp!) touching Luci. Luci every second, “Mommy, hold me! I don’t want to see that, it’s scary! Make him STOP IT!”
Not to mention how spoiled we are, getting to chose to visit places when crowds are low–and then we get personalized attention from the docents at whatever museum we are visiting. Until yesterday.
Bother! The children’s science museum is wonderful. But when we drove up to it (in our little Prius, saving gas all the way!), there were SEVEN school buses. SEVEN. Sigh.
It was a madhouse the entire time. I even pulled out my Teacher Voice (cultivated over seven years of teaching in Texas) to make two boys stop whaling away on another boy with part of an exhibit. I was looking around for their teacher or chaperone when finally they left, to go somewhere where no busy-body mother would get in the way of their having fun.
My kids would wait politely to use some of the equipment when wham! eight or ten school kids would crowd in front of them. And no chaperones there, either. Grrr! Finally, when we were in the bubble zone (or whatever cute name the museum gave it), I told one girl to back off, it’s JT’s turn.
One good thing to happen: Luci was in the right spot at the right time to have Channel Six’s weather man do a report from Santa’s Workshop! She’s in there somewhere, trust me. I used Luci’s cheap-o camera so I wouldn’t have to lug my big one around. Next time I’m taking my big camera.
Oh, my! That sounds educational. Sort of like Social Studies, I’m all into this outing!
Until we get there. There are NO trees, except the one that the church had blocked off so we wouldn’t be able to ruin it in all of our Daisy-frenzy.
Bird feeder made with peanut butter and birdseed, decorate a paper sack with scrap paper, make Christmas cards for a nursing home. What on earth does this have to do with Christmas celebrations around the world? I did love the Christmas cards for the nursing home…that was a sweet, sweet thing for the kids to do. But really?
I guess I am getting too old for this stuff. I would have had so much fun finding things from around the world for them to learn. (ssshhhh….don’t let them know, I really am happy not being any busier than I am!)
And why does this camera say we did all our activities in the early, pre-dawn hours? I’ll never know.
Sunday, November 27, 2011
Heard Recently
JT, you quit teasing me or I'm going to lose my temperature!
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Did you know that Tyler thought you came out of my tummy, that you were not adopted?
Why would he think that? My hair is black! Your hair is not black! I don't look like you at all!
Sure, he didn't know. Isn't that funny? It's sort of like seeing Jack and not knowing he's adopted.
Jack's adopted?! I didn't know that!
photo of Jack with his Daddy:
Gluten Free Donuts
First, the hamburger buns! I made them in a muffin top pan, because the dough is so fluid--they won't keep their shape if you just form them on a pan. I think this is the one I ordered.
I used one recipe of bread dough that was on the back of the Pamela's baking mix package to make 6 hamburger buns. I baked them for about 25 minutes at 350*.
Now for the donuts (doughnuts?)
I followed this recipe from Hip Girls. I didn't change it enough to call it my own, but here are my tweaks:
How to make Yummy Donuts!
Combine:
2 1/4 tsp yeast
2 tsp sugar
1/4 cup warm water
In a mixer (do NOT use a dough hook), blend:
3 eggs
1/2 cup sugar
Then add:
2 TBS melted butter
1 cup whole milk, at room temperature
a pinch of salt
the yeast/water/sugar mixture
Then add, 1 cup at a time:
3 cups of your favorite Gluten Free baking mix (I used Pamela's)
Beat for 5 minutes on medium. It will be a wet, sticky dough--it will not come together like a regular, gluten bread dough.
GLAZE (you can make this as the dough rises)
This is a Krispy Kreme clone recipe, which comes from this site:
1/3 cup butter, melted
2 cups powdered sugar
2 tsp vanilla (the recipe called for 1 1/2 tsp, but I wanted a very-vanilla flavor)
4-6 TBS hot water
Now for the fun part.
Grease a sheet cake pan. I poured oil on mine and swirled it around until it was well-covered. The SIDES ON THE PAN are a MUST.
Take a tablespoon measuring spoon AND another spoon (I used a big soup spoon) and oil them well, too. (I had some extra oil in a measuring cup that I used for re-oiling my spoons and my hands.) Scoop up a heaping tablespoon of dough and then use the other spoon to flop that ball down on the sheet pan. Keep doing that until you run out of dough--I had just enough to fill up my whole sheet cake pan. The oiled spoons are a must-otherwise you will have that dough all over your hands--it's very difficult to pick up the dough and shape into balls with your hands.
Cover and let the balls of dough rise for 1-2 hours. I waited about an hour and a half.
After some failed donuts, I realized that the balls were just too thick to get cooked all the way through without burning on the outside. So, use that oil you have in the measuring cup and grease your hand really well and then smoosh the balls flat. They are not lovely but will taste good!
Heat oil in a deep pot to 350*. Mine got hotter than this and fluctuated between 325* and 365*. The donuts cooked just fine, but you must keep a close eye on them. Using an oiled spatula (seeing the theme here? Oil, oil, oil everything!), slide 3 or 4 donuts into the oil. When they are browned on the bottom, gently flip them over. The whole cooking time is about 3 or 4 minutes.
Drain the donuts briefly (I used that basket thing and held them above the oil for a few seconds until they stopped dripping oil) and then put into the glaze, turning to coat entirely. Pick up and let them drip the extra glaze into the pan, and then let cool on a wire rack.
Try to let them cool enough to handle before eating!
I used one recipe of bread dough that was on the back of the Pamela's baking mix package to make 6 hamburger buns. I baked them for about 25 minutes at 350*.
I followed this recipe from Hip Girls. I didn't change it enough to call it my own, but here are my tweaks:
How to make Yummy Donuts!
Combine:
2 1/4 tsp yeast
2 tsp sugar
1/4 cup warm water
In a mixer (do NOT use a dough hook), blend:
3 eggs
1/2 cup sugar
Then add:
2 TBS melted butter
1 cup whole milk, at room temperature
a pinch of salt
the yeast/water/sugar mixture
Then add, 1 cup at a time:
3 cups of your favorite Gluten Free baking mix (I used Pamela's)
Beat for 5 minutes on medium. It will be a wet, sticky dough--it will not come together like a regular, gluten bread dough.
GLAZE (you can make this as the dough rises)
This is a Krispy Kreme clone recipe, which comes from this site:
1/3 cup butter, melted
2 cups powdered sugar
2 tsp vanilla (the recipe called for 1 1/2 tsp, but I wanted a very-vanilla flavor)
4-6 TBS hot water
Now for the fun part.
Grease a sheet cake pan. I poured oil on mine and swirled it around until it was well-covered. The SIDES ON THE PAN are a MUST.
Take a tablespoon measuring spoon AND another spoon (I used a big soup spoon) and oil them well, too. (I had some extra oil in a measuring cup that I used for re-oiling my spoons and my hands.) Scoop up a heaping tablespoon of dough and then use the other spoon to flop that ball down on the sheet pan. Keep doing that until you run out of dough--I had just enough to fill up my whole sheet cake pan. The oiled spoons are a must-otherwise you will have that dough all over your hands--it's very difficult to pick up the dough and shape into balls with your hands.
Cover and let the balls of dough rise for 1-2 hours. I waited about an hour and a half.
After some failed donuts, I realized that the balls were just too thick to get cooked all the way through without burning on the outside. So, use that oil you have in the measuring cup and grease your hand really well and then smoosh the balls flat. They are not lovely but will taste good!
Wednesday, November 23, 2011
Thanksgiving, Gluten Free
Sunday, November 20, 2011
Officially Gluten Free
We are going Gluten Free at our house--all except John's favorite cereal (Raisin Bran Crunch) is gone. I don't dare touch his cereal.
Luci and I both have reactions to gluten. She gets eczema, and I, well, I won't bore you with icky details. JT has presented some symptoms that I finally connected to gluten and so we are now gluten free.
I've been busy this past week--baking up a storm!
These are rolls made from Pamela's Amazing Wheat Free and Gluten Free Bread Mix. JT proclaimed them just as good as the rolls at Logan's Roadhouse. Made me happy to hear that.
I also used the Pamela's mix to make some cornbread for making into dressing. Since we're Southerners, and my Mom grew up down here, cornbread dressing is the way to go!
JT realized that gluten free living meant that the Girl Scout cookies that Luci sells will be off-limits to him. Oh, that was a sad day when he figured that out! So, being the good mama I am (or am aiming to be, anyways), I found a gluten free version of Thin Mints, which are JT's favorites.
I wish you had a scratch and sniff computer, because, wow, these are good! Taste like the real thing. Not only gluten free, but these Thin Mint lookalikes are also all natural!
I can't wait for JT to get home and try these cookies. He's on a church trip with John and will be back tomorrow evening. I'll let you know how the taste-test goes.
Luci and I both have reactions to gluten. She gets eczema, and I, well, I won't bore you with icky details. JT has presented some symptoms that I finally connected to gluten and so we are now gluten free.
I've been busy this past week--baking up a storm!
These are rolls made from Pamela's Amazing Wheat Free and Gluten Free Bread Mix. JT proclaimed them just as good as the rolls at Logan's Roadhouse. Made me happy to hear that.
JT realized that gluten free living meant that the Girl Scout cookies that Luci sells will be off-limits to him. Oh, that was a sad day when he figured that out! So, being the good mama I am (or am aiming to be, anyways), I found a gluten free version of Thin Mints, which are JT's favorites.
I can't wait for JT to get home and try these cookies. He's on a church trip with John and will be back tomorrow evening. I'll let you know how the taste-test goes.
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Oh, and that sleeping in the big bed thing with Luci?? I did jinx myself. The very next night she woke up at 4:30 and slept the rest of the night under her bed. Because her room is too tiny for us to sleep next to each other next to the bed, she had to be under the bed. Good thing it's got a good clearance for her sweet head when she sits up!
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