Mardi Gras

We celebrated the transferable feast of Mardi Gras yesterday. :) It was weird celebrating on a Sunday, but it was still fun. The girls made masks and some decorations. I made food. Our guests brought wine and bread. Everyone had a great time.

Check out Claire's teeth...or lack of teeth. Doesn't that mouth look painful?

Here's the King Cake. Chris found the bean.

A picture of the gumbo and my dirty stove, please avert your eyes from the mess. I baked the roux in the oven. It turned out great! I highly recommend baking the roux instead of the traditional method of constant stirring. Why does roux taste so fabulous? Seriously. Roux is burnt flour, but it smells like garlic and onions and tastes like nutty, herb-y, deliciousness.

First Tooth: Then and Now

Sushi

We made sushi last night for the first time. They weren't the prettiest rolls ever, but for my first attempt they weren't too bad.

Victoria Sponge Cake

I made a sponge cake today to accompany our Anne of Green Gables Tea Party. I filled it with buttercream and strawberry jam. The process of spreading the jam on the cake reminded me of my friend Melinda, who I remember scraped the jam off of her cake while we had tea one afternoon in Dover, England. A very good memory--it made me smile.

Supply Corral

I had an entire drawer in my 4-drawer-kitchen (!) devoted to kid craft supplies. It was easy for the girls to open and get things themselves. It worked for a long time, but lately, because of either the kids' laziness or my own the drawer seemed to be perpetually messy. Coloring books and scissors, yarn and markers were haphazardly thrown inside and my attempts at organization kept failing.

So we reorganized! We moved yarn and stamping supplies into neatly labeled boxes in the basement. Coloring books and crayons are now in the girls' desk in their room. Scissors, pencils and markers now have a nice new home inside wide-mouth canning jars and an antique cheese box in the dining room. Why didn't I think of this before? We homeschool in the dining room and it is so convenient to have the supply box to put in the middle of the table for everyone to use.

Happy Valentine's Day

My husband and I don't normally exchange gifts on Valentine's Day, but here is a picture of what I got him: sushi making supplies. Stay posted. Pictures of sushi rolls to follow.

40 Meatless Meals

Chris suggested going meatless for Lent a couple years ago. We tried it and it has since become a nice way for our family to set aside Lent as a special time of the church year. It isn't easy, especially when trying to cook meals that picky children everyone can enjoy. We are not sticklers about it, we do eat meat at potlucks before mid-week services and occaisonally on Sundays.

Here is a list of 40 Meatless Meals. It is a great list, even for meal planning outside of Lent.

1. Tomato Soup with Grilled Cheese
2. Spinach Quiche
3. Cheese Pizza
4. French Onion Soup
5. Cheese Soup
6. Black Bean Soup
7. Minestrone Soup
8. Spinach and Potato Tart
10. Carrot and Potato Pancakes
11. Roasted Corn Pizza
12. Refried Beans with tortillas, sauteed peppers, fresh salsa, cilantro
13. Tomato Sauce with pasta
14. Baked Ravioli
15. Jacket Potatoes with fillings
16. Hummus, Pita, and Chopped Salad
17. Eggs, Chips, and Beans
18. Blueberry Pancakes
19. Scrambled Eggs and Toast
20. Make Your Own Salads
21. Macaroni and Cheese
22. Stir-fried veggies with Coconut Rice
23. Egg Rolls
24. Sushi
25. Hot and Sour Soup
26. Oatmeal Waffles
27. Mulligatawny Soup
28. Cauliflower Gratin
29. Potato Gratin
30. Caramelized Onion Pizza with Gorgonzola Cheese
31. Creamy Corn Soup
32. Quesadillas
33. Savory Corn Cakes, salsa, salad, sour cream
34. Cajun Red Beans and Rice
35. Squash Soup
36. Lentil Soup
37. Greek Salad
38. Tortellini Soup
39. Lasagna Primavera
40. PB & J's

Best Buttery Cutout Cookies

1 1/4 c flour

1/2 c cornstarch

1/2 tsp baking powder

2 sticks butter, softened

2/3 c powdered sugar

1 1/2 tsp vanilla

1/2 tsp almond extract

Beat butter, extracts, and sugar until fluffy. Add flour, cornstarch, and baking powder. Roll out and cut into shapes. Bake at 325 degrees for 8-12 minutes, or until edges just begin to brown. Frost with royal icing. Let the kids go crazy with sprinkles. Wash kitchen floor.

Appreciation

"Mom? Is that throw-up or dinner I smell?"

"Dinner."

"Oh."

Meal Plan Monday

Monday - Leftovers
Tuesday - Spinach and Sausage Calzones, salad
Wednesday - Cauliflower Gratin, salad
Thursday - Pork Chops with Cabbage and Bacon, carrots, No-Knead Bread
Friday - Black Bean Soup, corn bread
Saturday - ?
Sunday - Dinner @ Friend's House

Trillion

A million seconds is 13 days.
A billion seconds is 31 days.
A trillion seconds is 31,688 years.

Sickening.

Weekend Update

In no particular order:

(1) Painted 40,000 watercolor paintings with Grammy and Grandpa.

(2) Visited the Widmer Cheese Factory for Chris and Grandpa stock up on stinky, aged brick cheese.

(3) Went boot skating in the woods behind our park.

(4) Went to Random Lake to watch the ice fishermen.

(5) Ate cake and opened presents.

(6) Ate too much soup at our church's annual "Souper Dinner".

(7) Watched Nature with the big girls last night. It has recently become a Sunday night tradition.

(8) Chris and my father-in-law moved a bedroom set from George's house to ours. (George was a dear friend in our congregation who passed away last February. His daughters generously asked if we wanted anything from his house.)

(9) Friday night was our circuit's Epiphany Party. All the circuit pastors and their families were invited and it was good to talk with everyone in attendance. The kids came home tired and sweaty from playing in the church basement. I think everyone had a great time.

(10) My father-in-law insisted that we wash and vacuum our van. Imagine that! So, he helped. I now drive a non-raisin-cheerio laden van.

(11) Chris and his father played lots of ping pong in the church basement. A few games of Trouble were played too.

(12) Lots of book reading all around!

Cake and Presents

Walking

He has been walking for about 10 days now. I find myself giggling watching such a little person walking around the house.