Category Archives: family life

>Cheese! Glorious cheese! Sargento Fridge Packs

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Being part of Mom Central Consulting is a lot of fun. The current fun is cheese. Yes, cheese. This cheese is good quality (it’s from Sargento), and the product itself is all about the packaging. Speaking of packaging, I was very excited to open up the box when it came. Look at all this cheese!

Below is the cheese as it fits in the refrigerator. Sargento Fridge Packs are made for convenience. As much as I prefer bulk packaging for most of my foods, I have to admit I liked these. Each cheese stick is vacuum wrapped to keep it fresh.

I opened the box of Colby Jack first. It didn’t take long before all three boxes were open. La Petite and Chuck dipped in immediately. This is a good sign for Sargento; we’re cheese snobs. We like our cheese real and we like it fresh. This cheese, thanks to its packaging, was very fresh and very delicious. Chuck packs a stick or two in his lunch. La Petite eats it any time of day, including breakfast. My favorite time to dip into the Fridge Packs is mid-afternoon to keep me from nibbling later while making supper.
Did I say it went quickly? It was a blur, honestly. Who needs junk food? When something healthier is this convenient, the family will eat it.
I wrote this review while participating in a blog tour by Mom Central Consulting on behalf of Sargento and received product samples and a promotional item to thank me for taking the time to participate. No, it wasn’t a cheesehead. I already have one of those. This product review was tasty and fun; thanks for including me, MomCentral and Sargento. The family thanks you, too.

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>I love a parade!

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Every year we start Memorial Day by throwing our lawn chairs in Amigo’s bike basket and hitting the road for half a block to stake our claim on a good place to watch the parade. Seriously, it’s half a block from our home. We watch from the front yard, and when the police are putting the traffic barriers up, we head over and park ourselves in the road under our favorite shade tree. Here’s Amigo and MIL cheering on the municipal city band. Chuck? He was relaxing.

Amigo didn’t look excited to see my alma mater march past. Well, at least he applauded.
I tried to get my neighbor’s son in this shot with his baritone – instead, it looks like part of the seventy-six trombone section from Music Man.
And then we went home. Home, to help out our “real live veteran in our front yard,” as Amigo put it. FIL didn’t want to struggle all the way down the street with his walker, so he settled under our mock cherry tree and read a book. We gave him a little flag next to his lawn chair so he could be part of the festivities.
Happy Memorial Day, everyone. May your family members in the services stay safe and return to you soon.

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>What to bake?

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>Kitchen sink muffins!

Darn, no zucchini. I thought I had some in the freezer; zucchini just doesn’t freeze well. Tips, anyone?
Make home made ice cream!
Ah, ice cream maker bowl isn’t chilled. Put it in freezer, wait a day.
Blueberry muffins! Now this I can do. Get 2 cups of blueberries out of freezer, let them thaw for a while, then make muffins. We can eat them tomorrow during the parade.
Meanwhile, I’ll go work in the garden before the rain arrives.

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>Rhubarb, tomatoes, and random thoughts

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>Rhubarb! I have rhubarb! In fact, I spent time last night looking through my new go-to books for canning, wondering if I could can some of this bountiful harvest. Since it was too cold to plant tomatoes until recently, I focused on rhubarb.

I did find a recipe that looks a lot like the stewed rhubarb I made for supper tonight. It was like applesauce, but with rhubarb instead of apples. Make sense? I found one and thought Yeah! Canning commences! And then realized I will need eleven pounds of rhubarb to fill seven quart cans. Yes, I said 11 lb. of rhubarb! Well, if I harvest and freeze this week and do the same next week, I’ll have all eleven before I know it. Yum.
The tomato seedlings are in the ground now! I tallied up the tomatoes and put the supports in place as a planning maneuver. All right, I also did it because I wanted to get in the garden and it was too darn cold to plant! Only a few green sprouts dared poke their little heads out from the soil, and they’re all spinach. Yep. I will have a minimum of 13 tomato plants, even if those I started from seed do not make it (darn late blizzard) and at least 5 peppers. The pepper plants are coming up better from seed, and if they survive, I’ll have nine pepper plants. Salsa time!
I’m experimenting with various new dishes, and right now rhubarb is my theme ingredient. Part of the locavore menu involves eating what’s ripe and in season. By the time it’s our of season, we’ll be tired of it and ready to move on to something else. About the time my family rebels and shouts out “No More Rhubarb, Mom!” strawberries will be coming into their prime. Then I can mix strawberry-rhubarb pie, strawberry-rhubarb crisp, strawberry-rhubarb dump cake — bwahahahaha! Just kidding, family. I’ll be more creative than that. Maybe.
Meanwhile, back at the ranch, we helped another family rescue five bunnies last Monday night. I think that’s a sign that I’m feeling a little more energetic; I went with daughter to help out, even though it was getting late.
I could share a picture of the garden plot, but it would be rather dull. Soil, compost, remains from last year because I’m going no-till this time, and a few red spiral posts standing sentry, all alone, with small tomato plants.
But trust me. I’ll overwhelm you with garden pictures eventually – hopefully sooner rather than later.

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The Great Bunny Rescue

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When La Petite’s phone rang, it was the mother of a friend. She and her youngest two children had come across five domestic bunnies that had been abandoned at a construction site near a local bike trail. They went back with lettuce and a large box, lured the furry ones, brought them home, and called The Bunny Whisperer, a.k.a. La Petite.
We knew what to do, so Chuck and I joined her. We gathered two cages with litter, hay, and pellets for each cage. La Petite knew where we were going, so she drove. When we pulled into the driveway, Friend’s Mom and two kids in pajamas led us into the garage where she’d set the box.
Five full grown domestic rabbits were in the b
ox. Two were harassing the others, so Chuck picked up those two first and looked them over closely. “Yep. Boy bunnies. Let’s separate these from the others.” We put the two males in one cage and the three females in the other, and they calmed down significantly. All five started to nibble on the hay and pellets, and they even found the corner with litter and used it appropriately.
Four looked like they may have been related or from the same litter; the other was a lop-eared character who didn’t resemble any of the others. He was either a major case of recessive genes or was unrelated. Cute, though. They were all cute, even though they were incredibly dirty from their adventure and trauma.
We left them settled for the night, and La Petite made arrangements to help Friend’s Mom take all five to the Humane Society the next day. When they delivered the bunnies, La Petite reported to me that all five looked cleaner and they were eating well and (are you sitting down?) at least two of the three females were pregnant. We were further appalled.
We’ll never know why the owners dumped the bunnies. Maybe realizing the males were mature was too much to handle. Getting them neutered could have been too expensive. Maybe the owners realized that not only were the males mature, but the females were expecting. If five bunnies are too many, five plus two litters of babies would be overwhelming.
The girls, getting a little attention
I still don’t fully understand, though. La Petite and Friend’s Mom brought the rabbits to the shelter. The previous owners could have done that instead of dumping them. Pet rabbits are not equipped to survive in the wild. They don’t know what to eat, and they’ll be eaten soon because of their lack of camouflage. With their domestic coloring, they’d be hawk bait before long. The little albino in particular would be easy prey for eagle-eyed predators – and I do mean eagles.
La Petite was pleased with the people and the set-up at the shelter. Rabbits and other small animals were kept a significant distance away from dogs and cats and in a separate room. She said they looked clean and well cared for. We wished we could have done more. When cash flow is a little easier, maybe we’ll make a donation. We’re grateful to have a Humane Society in town. We’re also grateful to know people like Friend’s Mom who thought it was important to rescue these animals when they were homeless and in danger.
The Boy Bunnies

We’re grateful we’re able to make a good home for our pet rabbits: Sadie, Buttercup, and Krumpet. We love them dearly.

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>Treasuring Simple Pleasures & Everyday Joy

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MomCentral calls this blog tour in honor of Mother’s Day “Treasuring Everyday Joy.” I added Simple Pleasures to the title because the everyday happy moments are often simple.

My little darlings are entering adulthood; Amigo is 19 and La Petite is 24. Chuck and I are gradually getting tastes of what the home will be like as an Empty Nest.
Since my children are not home every day, I treasure the days and nights that they’re here – mostly. I’m sure we’ll reach the point where we love it when they arrive, and we like it when they leave. We’re not there yet. I still get a tug on my heartstrings when my young adults leave for school and work in other cities.
Simple pleasures include eating supper together at the table, watching Jeopardy as a group, and exchanging stories of our time apart. Simple pleasures might be shopping with La Petite; we’re both bargain hunters. Amigo is a fan of Public Radio, and listening to Old Time Radio Drama is his favorite Saturday night routine. When I join him, I might listen, or I might just relax with my laptop and work while we enjoy each other’s presence.
Simple pleasures are different when the “kids” are gone. La Petite and I email, text, and chat online when she’s not busy. Amigo emails me or calls me with news. He called last weekend as his bus left the site of their forensics meet; he’d earned a first place medal! Thanks to cell phones, we were able to share the celebration right away.
Yes, my babies are gone. They haven’t been babies for a long, long time. If I need to fulfill the urge to snuggle a small one, our bunnies are usually willing to step up. Hop up. Okay, I pick them up.

In honor of Mother’s Day and babies everywhere, Johnson’s is contributing $1 to the March of Dimes for each “promise” (like) on their Facebook page. They are also hosting a series of photo contests on Facebook; check out the page for details.
This was not a typical product review blog tour. I wrote this post while participating in a blog tour sponsored by Mom Central Consulting on behalf of Johnson’s. I will receive Johnson’s Baby products and a promotional item as a thank you for my participation.

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>The Depression roller coaster

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>Some days. I mean it. Some days my anxiety level goes up and down like a roller coaster, and my stomach feels like it rode one, too. Yesterday, for example:

Woke late, with sinus headache, after nightmares: high
I know better than to go back to bed when I wake near my regular time. I don’t know what possessed me to go back to bed, but I paid dearly for it.
Drank coffee, concentrated on data entry for local politicos: med. high
Sinus headache started easing, but still painful; entering data is a tedious job, but it feels good to make a contribution. I kept thinking, though, about how I wouldn’t be able to keep up the volunteer work when school starts. School – now that’s another nightmare.

Showered, employed Neti Pot (apologies for that image): improvement. Lowered pain & anxiety
Between Neti and the steam from the shower, sinus headache finally eased significantly.

Lunch, noon news: low, somewhat relaxed
No news may be good news, but I still like to check in mid-day for the Ag Report. Just kidding. My favorite segment is really the PetSaver.

Ran errands to pharmacy & credit union: anxiety rising
Staff meeting looming at my new school; almost forgot to use my own bag at the pharmacy, I was that distracted.

Sent daughter to vet with rabbit: medium anxiety (routine visit)
But she was driving my minivan with the rabbit cage in the backseat, and paying with my debit card. Okay, I shouldn’t worry. So I didn’t. Much.

Killed time before staff meeting: anxiety rising higher and higher
This was my first staff meeting at my new school, my first staff meeting since going on medical leave. I was manufacturing stomach acid by the quart, if not the gallon.

Attended staff meeting: anxiety high, but stable
Introduced myself to new principal, participated in reconfiguration routine (don’t ask, it’s a routine procedure, but wickedly stressful for those changing grade levels).

The roller coaster analogy came to me as I put up my umbrella and walked the short distance home. My heart was still pounding, but my mind was listing all the reasons this was a good move for me. Good coworkers, escaping the bullies at my previous school, heading into a positive change. Maybe. Hopefully. Stomach acid subsided, and I went to meet a friend for soup and salad at our favorite family restaurant.
Then the anxiety level went up suddenly as I plugged in my laptop and the cord began sparking and smoking at a spot that had been spliced. Aargh!

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>Redecorating

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La Petite has an internship in another town, so she’s only home about half the week. Just so we don’t miss her too terribly much, Chuck redecorated the fireplace mantel with something uniquely hers: her collection of Converse shoes.

Yes, this is only part of the collection. We were able to “borrow” from her supply because she is dressing more professionally now and wears dressier, but still comfortable, shoes. I guess that means she’s grown up now. Maybe.

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>ABC order – by adjective?

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>I gather many recipes online. Some come from other blogs, some from recipe sites, some from email newsletters. I copy them into work documents and save to a file named “Recipes.” Ah, you guessed it; I don’t always change the name of the recipe, making it a challenge to find later. Just for fun (and for La Petite’s amusement), here are a few examples.

Under B for Baked:
Baked Crab Cakes
Baked Hush Puppies
Baked Zucchini and Tomatoes
Classic Baked Corn Pudding is actually filed under C for Classic.
Also under the letter C:
Country Swiss Chicken Thighs
Creamy Tomato Basil Pasta with Shrimp
Crispy and Creamy Potato Pie
Not one, but three recipes find a home under the letter E for – are you ready for this? – Easy. How about Fresh or Five Minute, both brought to you by the letter F? Those make the two Fruit Cocktail selections look almost logical. G is even with E: three Grilled something-or-others make the list just before Gumbo.
Remember my home made baked macaroni and cheese? It’s not listed under Baked or Macaroni or even Cheese. It’s under M, though – for My Mac and Cheese Bake. Yes, it is. That’s almost as nonsensical as Overnight (O) or Pull-apart (P). S has Simple, Savory and Special.
And for the last, La Petite’s favorite filing term: Q. Quick. Quick and Easy.
At least I only filed one under T for The.

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>Maple Oatmeal Muffins

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>My entire family was home and awake Saturday morning. La Petite was up earlier than usual to babysit for her adorable cousin, Amigo was home from school and had no Forensics meet or sporting events, and both Chuck and I were up and at ’em. Having everyone here at once is a big enough deal that I baked. I love to bake, and I like cooking brunches, but we never seem to have the right occasion to celebrate with a brunch or breakfast. This time, I picked a muffin recipe to treat the entire family.

Whole wheat pastry flour has become my go-to for baked goods such as muffins. If you don’t have it, go ahead and use all-purpose flour. It’ll work just fine.
Ingredients for Maple Oatmeal Muffins
1 cup quick or old-fashioned oats
1/2 cup milk
1 cup whole wheat pastry flour (or all-purpose flour)
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
3/4 cup pure maple syrup
1/4 cup butter, melted
1 egg, beaten
1/2 cup chopped pecans
Directions for Maple-Oatmeal Muffins
1. Prepare muffin tin for 12 standard size muffins.
2. In a medium bowl, combine oats and milk. Set aside.
3. In a large mixing bowl, combine flour, baking powder, salt and cinnamon. Set aside.
4. Stir maple syrup, melted butter, and eggs into the oats mixture.
5. Add wet ingredients all at once to dry. Stir until just moist; batter may still be lumpy.
6. Add half of the chopped pecans.
7. Spoon batter into prepared muffin cups, filling about 2/3 full. Sprinkle with remaining nuts.
8. Bake in 400 degree oven for 15-18 minutes. Cool for ten minutes, if you can wait that long. Serve warm – with coffee, of course.
Daisy’s notes:
Use real syrup. The cheap kind in the plastic bottles? Forget it. Get real, pure, maple syrup. Look around; someone near you may have had a good maple sap season and have some to spare!
This recipe turned out slightly dry. Next time I might add a bit more milk or butter. It wasn’t a problem; everyone in the family ate them and pronounced the muffins “good.”
Raisins might work in these, too. What do you think?

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