I am so sick of bugs and other creepy crawlies!

Today has been a really bad day for bugs and creepy crawlie things. I don't know why today has been so bad since it hasn't rained and is average warm. We live in the middle of LOTS of foliage - trees, ivy, etc. (You can hardly see our house from the street.) So I know it is all breeding ground for these things, but can't they stay outside?!

Let's see, today I found a cricket spider or camel spider, caterpillar (fuzzy and striped), a BIG FAT 4" - 6" millipede, and 4 other bugs, not to mention tiny little ants in the bathroom we can't get rid of. We always have spiders, little ones, daddy longlegs and several BIG wolf spiders. There is always some sort of bug trying to get in our house. We look like crazy people coming out of our house as we wave our arms like crazy to get rid of the spider webs outside the door. (There are two big tall bushes on either side of the door and we have cut them back almost to bare sticks to try and cut down on the webs.) My neighbor does the same thing - so I don't feel so bad!

Movie Review: "Nancy Drew" (2007)

Yes, I am reviewing an older movie that I saw several weeks ago. I was thinking through the different movies we had seen in the last month or so remembering this one.

"Nancy Drew" (2007) is a family movie based on the popular Nancy Drew books. I've actually never read the Nancy Drew books since mysteries aren't really my preference in movies or books. But our family enjoyed this movie. I had inquired of my Nancy Drew buffs in my brother's house, and they also said it was a nice movie but cautioned me to the single mother and the possibility of explaining that situation to our 10yo dd. Outside of that it was nice and refreshing to see Nancy Drew remain true to her "old-fashioned" ways and not bow to the peer pressures in her new school.

I really enjoyed her new partner, "Corky", played by Josh Flitter. He was also great in "The Greatest Game Ever Played". He is pinchable cute and offers great humor to the movie. I was hopeful she would still remain true to "Ned", played by Max Thieriot, her quiet boy friend from her old hometown. He was more her type although Corky was fun and totally into the mysteries. But could you really see Corky and Nancy Drew together outside of friends?

This movie was family-clean and appropriate minus the single-parenting. It was a nice introduction to our daughter of Nancy Drew. Maybe she will pick up a Nancy Drew book and have a read.

Recipe Thursday: Avocado Tacos

These are a simple treat that I made up the other night. They were delish and refreshing.

1 ripe avocado, pitted, peeled and chopped
1 medium tomato, fresh from the garden!, chopped
2 tsp fresh lemon juice
sea salt, fresh ground pepper to taste
2-3 Tbsp (or more) chunky salsa
3 flour tortillas
1/4 c. sour cream
1/4 c. colby jack cheese, shredded

Combine all ingredients up to the flour tortillas. Spoon a couple of spoonfuls of mixture into flour tortilla. Add dollop of sour cream and sprinkle of cheese. Wrap up and eat!

NOTE: I chop up my avocado rather than totally mash it. I like that texture better for this. I mash them more for a dip.

I was thinking you could probably add some black beans for more nutrition. You could also punch it up with some chili or cayenne powder. And for an immunity boost, add a clove of minced garlic. If you want meat, maybe add some shredded chicken. I wanted something simple, cool and tasty. And aren't avocados just a power-packed delicious food?!

Recipe Wednesday - Garlic Beef Enchiladas

We love these enchiladas and they don't last long in our house. They take a little bit of work but they are worth it!

1 lb. ground beef
1 medium onion, chopped
2 Tbsp flour
1 Tbsp chili powder
1/2 tsp cumin
1/4 tsp sage
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp garlic powder
1 15oz can stewed tomatoes

Sauce:
1/3 c butter
4 to 6 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 c flour
1 16oz can beef broth
1 14.5 oz can tomato sauce
2 Tbsp chili powder
1 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp sage
1/2 tsp salt

12 flour tortillas
2 c colby jack cheese, shredded

Cook ground beef and onion. Drain off grease. Stir in flour, chili powder, cumin, sage, salt and garlic powder to meat. Add stewed tomatoes, reduce heat, and cover. Simmer for 10-15 minutes. Meanwhile in a large saucepan or skillet, melt butter. Add minced garlic and cook until fragrant. Add flour and make a paste. Slowly whisk in beef broth until a creamy gravy. Stir in tomato sauce, chili powder, cumin, sage and salt. Cook until hot and bubbly.

Spoon some of the gravy into 9x13 pan. Spoon a couple of tablespoons of the meat mixture into a flour tortilla and sprinkle with cheese. Roll tortilla up and place in pan. Finish with rest of tortillas. Cover with remaining gravy. Cover and bake in 350 degree oven for 30 minutes. Remove foil and sprinkle with remaining cheese. Bake additional 10 minutes.

Suggestions:
* I use flour tortillas, but you could try corn tortillas as well.
* For a little extra heat, try a little cayenne pepper in there.

New Haircuts

Well two of the boys got haircuts this weekend. Our 2yo has only had little trims but he got a good buzz Saturday. While I was at it, I went ahead and buzzed the 3yo too.

I mean, who couldn't love that face!? :-)

First week of school - done!

Well, we made it through the first week of school with no blood shed, not too many tears, and an overall good week. There was only low grumbling from our 10yo dd who was warned to be positive with the young ones who may like school. Our 5yo ds did really well and had more staying power and stamina than the 5th grader! The 3yo ds wanted to "do school" and got in the thick of things quite well.

My only concern and eye-opener was how much one on one time was needed for the Kindergartener and Preschoolers. It should be an interesting year. We only hope we have the endurance to run this race!

:-)

Movie Review: "National Treasure 2: Book of Secrets"

This last week I watched "National Treasure 2: Book of Secrets" with Nicholas Cage, Jon Voight, and Ed Harris. I thoroughly enjoyed the first National Treasure. So I was looking forward to this one and I was not disappointed. In some ways I enjoyed this one more than the first. Although Nicholas Cage is the main star, it was Justin Bartha who plays Riley that makes the movie humorous along with Jon Voight. I can't help but like them. Then Helen Mirren, who plays Emily and mother of Ben Gates (Cage), also makes the movie more enjoyable and adds another layer to the story. I've always been an Ed Harris fan and he doesn't disappoint either.

Watching this movie like the last makes one want to go to places like the Library of Congress to see if the book of the Presidents exists and go to Mt. Rushmore to look for this secret passage to the gold. It definitely boosts tourism and encourages one to want to go to these landmarks and learn their true history.

This movie was PG and I had no problem watching it with our 10yo dd. There wasn't any bad language, questionable scenes or anything I felt was inappropriate. She also enjoyed the movie and would recommend it to her friends.

So for an enjoyable adventurous movie to get lost in, you should rent "National Treasure 2: Book of Secrets".

Movie Review: "Definitely, Maybe"

I watched "Definitely, Maybe" this last week with Ryan Reynolds and Abigail Breslin ("Little Miss Sunshine"). This looked like it might be a good chick flick which I am always up for. I enjoyed Abigail Breslin in "Little Miss Sunshine" although I didn't care for that movie. This was the first I had heard of or seen Ryan Reynolds although it appears he has been around a number of years and has some good stuff coming out.

This movie was alright but a little disappointing. Without trying to give spoilers, Will Hayes (Reynolds) has a series of disappointing relationships and settles into a marriage that ends in divorce and a little girl, Maya (Breslin), who is his happy ending. Maya is interested in his string of lost loves and her mother. He realizes he married the wrong woman and should have ended up with another woman whom he pursues and wins. I guess I was disappointed because he settled and married the wrong woman, tossed his marriage, and magically hooked up with the "right" woman. Then his daughter was encouraging all of this although totally devoted to her mother too. I suppose I wanted him to either not marry who he did, or stick it out and make it work with her. I know there are those who totally disagree with me and my "old-fashioned" opinions or ideas.

Stormology 101 - Dr. Bill Lawrence

I stumbled upon Bible.org in looking for Bible studies on Elijah and some other references. Before downloading the podcasts and materials I wanted to get the background of the website and writers. Then on their home page there was reference to a study that seemed interesting to me - "Why Does God Lead Us Into Storms?" by Dr. Bill Lawrence of Dallas Baptist Theological Seminary. Hmmm....this seemed to hit the spot for me. I downloaded the first podcast and sermon notes. Wow! Stormology 101 was the first sermon and I sobbed through most of it because it cut straight to my hurt healing heart.

If you have some time or are looking for a moving study, try this one and any others of interest on Bible.org. I've also downloaded other Bill Lawrence's studies/sermons that look like they might be good too. I will blog what I find...

Eek! What's happened to my Janet Craig?

I am not a gardener, horticulturist, or anything else involving plants. But I do have a Janet Craig that seems to have done well the last several years. It gets the usual brown leaves that drop off here and there and it will sometimes get little browned edges. I am careful to lightly water it to prevent root rot and it is in reasonable, not too bright, indirect light. A week or so ago I gave it some MiracleGrow plant food as recommended by my plant book and MiracleGrow's box. In the last day or so over half of the leaves turned dark brown-black and look sick. The stalks are getting dark and brown too. There are two "stalks" in the large pot. One of them seems alright, but the other is the sickly one. What could be the problem? Time to Google...

***UPDATE: Apparently I have over-watered it. After looking at several sites they describe my leaves and associate it to over-watering. Great, I just watered it again today. I guess I better back off and really let it dry some before it dies.

First Day of School

Today was our first day of school at home and with our virtual school. It is 5yo ds first day of Kindergarten, 10yto dd first day of 5th grade and 3yo ds first day of "wannabe a Kindergartener and do school". We got started at 8:30am and stopped at 10:15am for a breakfast break. (Our kids don't like to eat real early but prefer a midmorning breakfast.) Then 5yo ds wrapped up his day around 12:30pm. He was still going strong when the 3yo ds and 10yo dd were ready to pack up and be done. Hmmm. I told him he was done with his assignments but I think he would have done more. But I didn't want to push him too much for fear he might not want to do it again tomorrow and beyond. It is almost 3pm and I am still working with 10yo dd on her school assignments, although she did take a lunch break for about 30-45 minutes. She also largely participated with 5yo ds quite interested in what he is doing and learning...no worries.

5yo ds told me he really liked school and 3yo ds said he liked school too. They were looking forward to tomorrow. YEAH! I just hope it lasts for awhile. 10yo dd was grumping getting started as usual. Bummer! I am hopeful she will enjoy this year more with her brothers "doing school" alongside her.

Since I took today off of school and I am still helping with school at 3pm, it looks like we will have our hands full this year. Although we would be done sooner if they weren't distracting one another and "chasing rabbits". However, "chasing rabbits" isn't all bad and do provide spontaneous educational moments.

So we shall see how tomorrow goes for day number 2!

Music Review - "Praise to the Lord - Hymn Arrangements for Two Pianos"

Okay, I just got this CD this week - you have to check it out! I was so moved when I heard this CD. "There's Something About That Name" moved me to tears. "It Is Well With My Soul", "I'd Rather Have Jesus" and more. You can go to Danny and Deanna's website to hear clips and order the CD.

Danny and Deanna are a husband-wife duo that have a piano studio in Owasso, Oklahoma. They are extremely accomplished pianists and musicians. I cannot say enough about them.

Deanna "Dee Dee" and I were roommates for a semester in college and were in a girls glee club together. Danny and I graduated the same year although I don't believe we shared any classes together. I heard them play individually many times while in school. I remember the first time I heard Danny. It was a Concerto-Aria concert one spring. My mouth hit the floor and my eyes got as big as saucers when I heard him play! Deanna is equally as accomplished with sight-reading that will make your head spin. You can read all about them on their website too.

Please check out their CD - you will thoroughly enjoy it!

Competition and Economics

While I was driving home from work a day or two ago I noticed that two name brand gas stations were advertising gasoline at $.20 difference from one another. They were right next door to one another and both common brands. How can this be? How can the station with the higher gas stay open and be competitive? I have noticed this repeatedly over the last couple of years and I still don't understand it. Sure, a couple cents difference I could understand, but $.20? All I can figure is the more expensive station was closer to the interstate and they gamble that someone pulling off for gas will stop there first. Or more people have that station's gas credit card than the other stations. I don't know. This is really a befuddlement to me...

I also don't understand eBay. I do a lot of shopping, searching, selling, etc. on eBay. I don't understand how some people will pay retail prices or more for items on eBay they could easily find at their local Wal-Mart, K-Mart, mall, etc. Or why someone will pay retail for used items again that could be found at these same locations brand new. Then they pay shipping and handling on top of all of that. All I can figure out is they are remote or just hate to get out and shop. But then I think that so many stores and shops now have online stores and usually good deals on shipping. Again, this is a befuddlement. I just don't understand some shopping trends.

What are your thoughts or insight?

Recipe Friday - Italian Pizza Casserole

1 lb. turkey sausage
3 oz. pepperoni, chopped
1 1/2 jars spaghetti sauce
1 box ziti pasta, cooked
1 c mozzarella cheese, shredded

Cook turkey sausage. Add spaghetti sauce and simmer 10-15 minutes. In a large casserole dish or 9x13 pan combine ziti pasta, turkey sausage and sauce mixture, and pepperoni. Top with mozzarella cheese. Bake for 30 minutes in 350 degree oven until hot and bubbly.

Recipe Friday - Italian Beef Sandwiches

3-5# pot roast
5-6 cloves of garlic, halved
2 cans beef broth
1 Tbsp oregano
Salt & Pepper
1 small jar pepperocinis, sliced, not drained
1 small onion, chopped
1 green bell pepper, chopped
Hoagie or Sub Rolls or Ciabatta Bread
Swiss or Provolone Cheese slices, Mustard, Mayonnaise

Lightly brown pot roast in pan (optional depending on your time). Place roast in crock pot. Cut slits in roast and embed halved pieces of garlic. Pour beef broth over roast. Sprinkle with oregano, salt and pepper. (Oregano is the key to the flavor.) Cover and let roast cook 3-5 hours until fork tender.

Remove roast from crock pot and tear apart or shred with fork. Add chopped onion, pepper, and pepperocinis (along with pepperocini juice) to broth. Begin to simmer and add shredded roast back to mixture. Simmer for another hour to infuse or blend all of the flavors.

With tongs, grab tongs full of meat and squeeze juice out. Place on toasted roll or bread. Optionally top with cheese, mustard and/or mayo depending on your tastes.

Recipe Sunday - Whole Wheat Pizza Crust

Whole Wheat Pizza Crust - Bread Machine

1 c. water
1 Tbsp olive oil
2 tsp honey
1 1/2 c. all-purpose flour
1 1/2 c. whole wheat flour
1/2 tsp salt
2 tsp yeast (bread machine yeast works well)

Place ingredients in order by manufacturer's suggestion. We have a Breadman Bread Machine and this is the order is specifies. Set the setting to pizza dough or dough and press start.

When the dough is complete, I let it rest a little in the bread pan. Dump the dough onto a lightly floured pan. Shape dough into pan to form even crust. Top with your favorite toppings. Bake in a 400 degree oven until brown and bubbly.

Gettin' Ready for School

This weekend was Sales Tax Holiday in our state. Although we homeschool and don't need all of the supplies and things the other school kids need, I thought I would take advantage of the savings. Maybe I should have reconsidered because it was an absolute madhouse in the stores! Gee whiz, you would have thought it was the day after Thanksgiving shopping!

I waited until late this evening to get the few school supplies I needed figuring things might have died down....nope! The school supply aisles were jam-packed with moms and kids. Yesterday I ventured into the malls and other stores to find a few clothing items the kids needed. Whew! Children's Place is a tight store with no one and no strollers in there...but claustrophobic with all the people and strollers. Boy, I was glad I left the boys and stroller at home!

And is it me or can you only find dress pants and dress shoes for boys at Christmas and Easter?! I have been convinced over the last 5+ years shopping for boys that they get the shaft sometimes for clothing. You have 10 racks of girls clothes to their measly little one or two racks. It is terribly frustrating. I know boys aren't as into clothing but a little selection and size variation would be nice.

Well, I think I am done shopping for now...and I am wondering where the weekend went.