Pioneers had to be tough!

I made the yummiest wheat rolls tonight!! And amazingly by hand. I started in my kitchen aid but to not waste my time I had to eventually turn it out onto the counter top. There's no way there would be enough rolls for everyone if I made the batch fit the mixer, I would have had to make 2 batches. It really wasn't that hard, I just pretended I was getting a good bicep workout. Oh man those pioneers were tough......I love my kitchen tools, let there always be power to my house! I will attempt bread tommorrow...or the next day. :)

Everyone go hug a Teddy...poor things!

Video games can be scary. Some of them are so violent, and down right evil! So where do you draw the line for the acceptable ones? I know the companies rate the games, but in my book those rating are more a suggestion than guidelines. I have this iPod Touch and you can download free games. I let Cody download some games, and there is this one that I found on there called "Battle Bears". I thought I would check it out, but before I knew it I was blowin heads off of Teddies that just wanted to hug me....to death. Disturbingly rainbows shot out of them when you hit them. I have to admit it was pretty fun! Today though Sam asked to play on the iPod and when I looked over his shoulder he was feverishly blowing Teddies heads off with this sort of evil little laugh. I started to tell him that that wasn't a good game when I remembered how much I liked it just a week ago...... I decided it was ok, at least he wasn't blowing up anything that really lives, and breaths here on Earth. Although maybe that's how it starts....in your living room shooting up Teddy?

My new favorite recipe

CHICKEN CURRY
1 TBS olive oil
1 onion chopped
3-4 cloves garlic (peeled, & sliced)
2 bay leaves
1 (14.5 oz) can diced tomatoes
3-4 tsp Indian curry powder
1/2 tsp salt
2-3 lbs chicken, cut into bite sized pieces
3/4 c. heavy cream
1 tsp coconut extract
1 TBS sugar
juice of half a lemon

Heat oil in large pot over medium heat. Stir in onion, garlic, & bay leaf. Saute until lightly browned.
Mix tomatoes, curry powder, sugar, and salt in pot, and continue cooking about 5 min.
Mix in chicken & continue cooking on simmer for 10- 15 minutes, until meat is fully cooked.
Reduce heat to low. Mix together coconut, and cream. Gradually blend in coconut cream, and stir well. Continue cooking until desired thickness, and meat is tender.
Turn off heat, and add lemon till desired tartness.
Great as a soup, or over smashed cauliflower!!

How to help your kids with thier smoking

Eric told me the funniest story tonight that I just have to share with everyone!
When Eric was younger two of his older siblings got caught stealing their Dad's cigarettes. So their Dad thought it would be a good lesson to get all the kids, oldest to about 5 (Eric being at the youngest cut off mark) together to smoke one each. Now I've heard of this sort of antic to help kids not to ever want to smoke ever again, because they get so sick. Well from what I know of Eric I could see a couple of ways this could backfire on his Dad! So they were all sitting around smoking, and soon the kids start to get sick, except Eric. One by one they refuse to smoke anymore, except Eric.....Eric helped smoke the last of his two older siblings cigarettes. When their Dad came back and asked Travis (the oldest) "Do you want another one?" he sickly replied "no", and so on down to Eric. He asked Eric the same question, and Eric's eyes lit up with the realization only a little boy could get from being asked a question while buzzing, and having a blast, and replies with blood shot eyes, "could I". His Dad looked at him with horror, told him "No" and proceeded to spank his butt!

My baby's not such a baby anymore

We had such a fun trip to Melinda's! Almost 4 whole days. We spent our days playing games, sledding, staying up obscenely late, and pranking her neighbors on New Years eve!! On the last sledding trip, the day before we went home, I realized that this was the first time I didn't have a baby small enough to keep with me, or that had to go sledding with me. To my realization Whyett my last baby, was grabbing sleds , and going down the hill by himself!! When did this happen......! I guess some just grow up right under your nose, and before you know it your babyless. This made me pretty sad as you could imagine. I do so love the baby thru the toddler stage. After gathering everyone up in the dark(but not before loosing Cody, and Paisey, freaking out, and causing panic on the hill) I picked Whyett up, still in my previous state of mind, and told him "come here my last baby, I will carry you across the street" and kissed him on the cheek. He stiffened right up in my arms, and he told me very sternly "I am NOT a baby!". I had to laugh at his chubby faced attempt to scold me, but quickly apologized and told him that I had just forgot. He forgave me, and hugged my neck. That's when it hit me...again... no more babies for this family....I wanted to cry! I wonder how many times that will happen till it finally sinks in...maybe never.

Ahh Christmas

Christmas was good, even the 4 am wrapping was full of excitement! I didn't think the kids were ever going to stay in bed. I had plenty of energy though!! We exchanged gifts earlier that evening, like we do every Christmas eve, and Eric opened his flavored coffee I gave him, and was roasting some. Can I just say it smelled soooo good! I was feeling a bit rebellious, so I decided to try some, ummm cherry chocolate....then hazelnut....and lest we forget my all time favorite Irish Cream with whipped cream on top!!! Before I knew it I was wired! I was cleaning, making Santa's cookies with the kids, finishing neighbor gifts, cleaning some more, putting kids to bed, and, well you get the idea. I usually do all those things anyway, but certainly begrudgingly. I've never been so determined, or excited to get so much done.....is that what energy feels like......? I can't remember? I started wondering... why did I give coffee up in the first place...?? And how could I get that much energy naturally....is that even possible? Just think...of all the things I could get done with that kind of energy. But...alas I don't drink coffee....right....