All in a Day's Work

My philosophy as a mother: teach your kids to work at a young age.  Like from the day they turn 3 months old.  If you wait too long, they'll be able to remember their life before work, and you'll have a good deal of complaining on your hands.  It is much better to start early and avoid those types of problems. 

Kate already has a list of daily chores, which she completes thoroughly, often more than once a day.

Chore #1: Unplug the outlet protectors as soon as Mommy puts them in.

Kate fulfills this duty very diligently, up to 19 times a day.

Chore #2: Disorganize the closet.

Chore #3: Clean out all of the DVDs from the entertainment center.

Side note: Kate has a rather large crush on Matthew Mcconaughey, she really likes to look at the cover of The Wedding Planner :)

The moral of the story is, if you want your kids to learn how to work, you've really got to get them going at a young age.  I recommend one chore a day when they are 3 months, two chores a day when they are 6 months, and 3 chores a day by the age of 9 months.  Kate is a perfect example of how well my method works!  Does she do her chores?  Everyday!  Does she complain? Never - she does them happily and willingly.  In fact, she often turns and grins at me as she goes about her work.  Will this cheerful work attitude continue when she gets older?  Yeah, right. :)

Fresh Peach Pie

My mouth waters just remembering how delicious this peach pie is (yes, it's already been polished off).  And it is a lot of fun to make.  This recipe is a classic Grandma Kimball one, that is a must-make at this time of year.  Dave and I went to a local fruit stand and bought fresh peaches, and then went to our local grocery store and bought fresh frozen pie crust :)   The original plan had been to make the pie crusts from scratch, but when I realized I don't even have a rolling pin (which says more about my domesticity than any words ever could), the idea was quickly abandoned.

Ingredients:

1 pie crust (bake ahead of time)

6 large peaches
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup water
3 tablespoons corn starch
2 tbsp. butter
1/2 tsp. almond extract

Heavy whipping cream
2-3 tbsp. sugar
2 tsp. vanilla

Sauce:
Take two peeled peaches and use your hands to work them into a pulp.  Once they are thoroughly squished, bring peaches, water, sugar, and corn starch to a boil.  Once it starts boiling, remove from heat and add the butter and almond extract.  Stir and then set aside, waiting for the sauce to reach room temperature.

Pie:
Take the other four peaches, peel, and then cut into small slices.  Spread evenly in the pie crust.  Once the sauce has reached room temperature, pour it over the peaches in the crust.  Refrigerate at least two hours. 

Topping:
Whip one cup heavy whipping cream with several tablespoons of sugar and 2 teaspoons vanilla until thick.  Serve with pie.

Helpful hint:  Put your pie crust in the oven while you work on the sauce.  I like to overcook the pie crust a little so it's crunchy compared to the soft peaches.

So good!  We finished off the night by eating pie and watching old reruns of I Love Lucy.  What a perfect Saturday night!

Homemade Salsa

So, last night Dave and I decided to have a cooking adventure.  Truth is, we've been watching a little too much TV lately and were ready for a break.  And, when you have a daughter that goes to bed at 6 pm, you can pretty much count on having to find something fun to do at home.  So don't ask me how salsa and peach pie ended up on the menu, they just did.  I'm a little embarrassed to admit that Dave and I ate the whole bowl last night.  And a little proud.

A big thank you to Rachelle Kimball and Grandma Kimball for this recipe:

6 large tomatoes, diced
1 onion, diced
10 sprigs cilantro
2 inches jalapeno pepper (seeds or no seeds, depending on how hot you like it)
Salt and pepper to taste

The wonderful thing about this recipe is that you can completely tweak (isn't that a great word??) it to your liking.  Don't like a lot of onion?  Don't put as much in!  Love cilantro?  Double the amount you add!  Etc.  I like it chunky, so I chop everything small, and don't blend it, but you can blend it for 3-5 seconds if you prefer a smoother texture.  Enjoy!

To make your chips and salsa experience even better, heat the chips on a cookie sheet in the oven for 5 minutes and serve warm!

Fablehaven Shmavelhaven

Who: Brandon Mull

What: Fablehaven & Fantasy

Where: Orem Public Library, Storytelling Wing

When: Thursday, September 30, 7 pm

I don't know about everyone else (okay, actually I do, I've actually talked to a few of you about it), but I love the Fablehaven series!  Such a fun read with great characters and a fun fantasy world.  Anyway, to get right to the point, Brandon Mull (the author of Fablehaven) is coming to the Orem Library on September 30th!  He'll discuss being a fantasy writer and tell about the fantasy books that inspired him to write his own tales!  Everyone who has read it should come!

Just as a side note, the Orem Public Library is AMAZING!  They have really cool events, movie screenings, workshops, and storytime for kids!  Check it out!

http://lib.orem.org/

Dear Mr. Murphy, I hate your stinkin' guts . . .

I'm wondering (which means you probably are too) how this

and this . . .

Could possibly turn into this

and this . . .



so quickly?

Murphy's Law: Anything that can go wrong, will go wrong

Dear Mr. Murphy,

I hate your stinkin' guts.  Why did you have to discover and share your stupid law, anyway?  I mean, come on.  Haven't you heard the old adage, "If you can't say something nice, don't say anything at all" ?  Have you never heard of the power of positive thinking?  I bet that if you shared your discovery of a law that said something like, "If anything can right, it will go right," it could go a really long way in people's lives.  And people's kitchens.  Like mine, for example. 

Love,

A very dissatisfied Murphy's law-abiding citizen

P.S. If you want a laugh, check out this website: http://www.murphys-laws.com/murphy/murphy-laws.html



Book Review

Thunderstruck by Eric Larson

 

If you like very interesting, yet very disturbing books, then this one is perfect.  This tells two interwoven stories, one about Guglielmo Marconi, the inventor of the "wireless," and Hawley Crippen, a soft-spoken, gentle man who becomes a murderer.  It is a true story, but one that I had never heard before, so it was very interesting to see the story unfold.

I have a love/hate relationship with how the author is heavy on details, because they can be both boring and fascinating.  That is one reason for the lower rating, the other is that I was just so disturbed by the actual murder that I had a hard time sleeping for the next couple of days.  It didn't help that Dave was out of town the night I finished the book, so I was all alone with my imagination . . . sitting here in the daylight it isn't quite as scary.  Truly, a fascinating book.

Book Review

A. Lincoln by Ronald C. White, Jr.

An absolute must-read.  I've read quite a bit about Lincoln, including another biography, but this book completely captures the man.  I have to admit, the beginning gives a lot of Lincoln's background and is a bit slow.  But I was enraptured by how White, Jr. makes Lincoln an accessible political figure, simultaneously portraying his very human traits while honoring his greatest accomplishments and affirming why we esteem him as one of the greatest American presidents.  I also love how candidly he depicts Lincoln for what he was at the time, and what people back then thought of him, rather than just the glorified view we have of him with the hindsight we enjoy.

One other thing I'll add is that this book helped me to understand Lincoln's character and the great sense of patience, forgiveness, and compassion which he possessed.  I came away from this book wanting to be a better person.  I will definitely read this book every few years.

Trifle - A dessert not to be trifled with

Ingredients:

2 boxes Ghirardelli Brownies
1 pkg cheesecake jello pudding (3 oz)
1 pkg white chocolate jello pudding (3 oz)
3 cups milk
1 container Cool Whip

Directions: 

Mix two batches of brownies and bake in a large deep cookie sheet. Under cook them just a little - make sure they are very soft and the edges aren't crusty.  Let cool.

Mix both packages of jello pudding with 3 cups milk, and let it thicken.  Mix in one container of Cool Whip.

Once the brownies are cool, cut them into one-inch squares, and put a layer of brownies in the bottom of your trifle dish.  Then add a layer of the pudding mix, then brownies.  I usually do about 3 layers of each, depending on the size of the trifle dish.  Cover and refrigerate for 2 hours, or overnight.  Garnish with crushed Skor or Heath bar right before serving.  


Eat several large servings!  Enjoy!

*Note, you can mix it up with different kinds of pudding, add hot fudge, nuts, or fruit!

My New Found Soapbox

Okay, I have to admit. I'm pretty excited. My very own soapbox. I can say whatever I want and no one can stop me. I can already feel the power going to my head. Deep breath.

My first item of business: the much-contested mosque near Ground Zero. I know this has already been going on for quite awhile, but I wanted to put my two cents in, for what it's worth. My position - let them build it! I am so grateful to live in a country where people are allowed to express their religious opinions - and not just when it's convenient! How can we say we abide by the Constitution if we make a decision that so flagrantly goes against everything it stands for?

Now, I'm not obtuse (just in case you didn't know). I can definitely see how this might rub some people the wrong way. There are some people out there who are sensitive about this, and understandably so. But I think we as Americans could go a long way in showing that we practice what we preach, and that we aren't so narrow-minded as to believe that a few people can define an entire religion. I say let them build the mosque/community center.

I'm anxious to hear everyone's thoughts on the matter. Even those who disagree.

For more information: http://www.watoday.com.au/world/critics-stymied-on-911-mosque-20100804-11fl4.html

Well, I thought starting with a list of goals for this blog might help. You know, to keep me on track. Or to help emphasize how off track I've become. Or something. So, here is a list of things that I want to cover.

1 - Stuff going on in my life (I figure that's easy and obvious)
2 - Current Events and my take on them
3 - Great recipes (ones I've tried or want to try)
4 - Cool crafts (not that I've done a ton yet, but maybe this will motivate me?)
5 - Book Reviews
6 - Things I'm learning
7 - What's on my mind

I figure that's a pretty good start. PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE comment on my blog so I won't feel all alone in the world. I'd really appreciate it.

And by the way, welcome to my blog! Thanks for being here. Just make sure you wipe your feet on the mat when you come in :)

My Fear of the Blog . . .

Hmmmmm . . . I'm pretty sure that everyone I know, plus their dogs, has a blog. And I just couldn't bring myself to make one for the longest time. For some reason I've always been intimidated by them. BLOG. The word itself just sounds ominous. BLOG. The word has been unnerving me for some time now. BLOG. Are you starting to sense the alarm that the word "blog" puts into my soul? Good.

I've decided to overcome my fear of blogs by making one. So here it is, in all its glory. Ha, I can already say the word more easily. Blog. Blog. See? blog. It doesn't even deserve to be capitalized! Let it be known that in Heidi vs. The BLOG, Heidi was victorious.

Current Score: Heidi 1, Blog 0
(Note, the above score began at the creation of the blog, otherwise the blog would be up 1,293,004)