New Hampshire or Bust

I’m headed to Squam.  Finally!  I was so excited I couldn’t sleep last night.  Well, excited and terrified I wouldn’t wake up in time to make my flight.  Good thing, since it took me all night to finish packing.  I was making my nametag at 2:15 a.m. and dying my roots at 3.  A girl’s gotta do what a girl’s gotta do.  Needless to say, I feel like death warmed over right now.  My contacts feel like they’re glued to my eyeballs. 

I left the house at 5 and within a mile of my house, I ran over a cat.  I hate that!  I’m holding on to the hope that it won’t bring me any bad luck.  It wasn’t a black cat at least, but I feel horrible just the same.  I said some big prayers for a quick and painless death for said cat and continued down the road, toothpicks holding my eyelids open.

I remember now why I used to always check my laptop with my other luggage when I used to fly more often.  I had it tucked away in my new Fossil computer satchel and I wanted to cry.  It was cutting into my shoulder so badly on the walk to the terminal from my car.  I have two rolling suitcases, my satchel (I love that word), and my purse.  I found myself singing about having sweat rolling down my back to try to brighten my spirits.  “I have sweat rolling down my back, as you’re checking me out, it’s rollin’ down my crack!”  There were a few creepy, gawky men I passed by and my little ditty helped me cope.  I cooled off once I got on the plane and found a seat.  The very young little dude sitting next to me was very chatty for the first bit.  Then I crashed out while listening to the audio book I purchased called “Eat, Pray, Love."  I have found that purchasing these books on Itunes is the only way for me to read any more.   I was able to catch about two hours of sleep from San Antonio to Baltimore.  Waking up was painful.  Also realized that little dude’s parents were sitting behind him.  For some reason it made me feel weird and kind of cougary that they were listening to our conversation and I didn’t know it.  Not that I would have said anything different if I had know they were there, I just can imagine his mom was perked up and on guard. 

I’m flying from Baltimore to Manchester now.  I will meet Cinderella, my sister in law, there and we will rent a car to drive up to Holderness, New Hampshire where our camp awaits.  We’ll be exploring the area for the next two days.  Camp starts on Wednesday afternoon.  I can’t wait. 

Divided by Five

Have I mentioned that I have five kids.  There are some of you out there who could say, "Actually, you have two kids and three step kids."  To you I would have to say, "Bite me!"  I absolutely, positively, without a doubt have five kids.  Otherwise, my time, my mind, my money, and my heart would not be divided by five like it is.  It takes EVERYTHING we've got to feed, care for, pray for, worry about, and dicipline this gang of very awesome children.  I can't IMAGINE what it would be like if they had any issues, disabilities, diseases, or behavioral problems.  These are five healthy, normal kids and it takes ALL that we have to keep up.  But I don't want to just keep up.  I want to be GREAT!  I think I need some vitamins or something.

I just got off of the phone after talking to my stepdaughter, Dylan, who is a freshman in college.  I SO wish that I could say that she's doing great and loving every minute of it, but that would be far from the truth.  She is down in the dumps, hating Calculus, missing friends from high school, missing her home town, and so badly wanting to find her place in the world.  The hard thing for me is that I can make suggestions, I can encourage her to hang in there, to work hard and concentrate on her studies and tell her that things will get better, but I can't hug her or make choices for her or step in and make things better for her by waving my "I don't take no for an answer" wand.  She is out there in the big world and feeling misplaced, misunderstood,  and miserable.  It's killing me.  This is supposed to be such an exciting time for her and instead she is disappointed.  I know that things will turn around and she will eventually adjust, make some friends, and find success, but she doesn't know that and there is nothing I can do to make her understand it.  I just have to stand back (crash pad at the ready) and let her make her way.  It's torture!

Billy, who has transitioned beautifully into his new school and town, is suddenly finding that he is going to actually have to APPLY himself in school or he's not going to make his grades.  Tomorrow is the end of the first three weeks and progress reports will be coming home.  The thing that has been such a brilliant catalyst for him making friends, football, will be stripped away if he doesn't pass everything.  His father and I can help make sure his homework is done, hound him about missing assignments and low grades, and nag 'til we're blue in the face, but we can't MAKE him listen and ask questions in class.  We can't MAKE him be responsible enough to turn in all of his assignments.  We can't MAKE him be an organized person.  All we can do is try to explain to the best of our ability that failing will be humiliating and devastating for him and that we're just trying to protect him from having to experience that awful setback.  After a lot of talking and arguing tonight, he asked for a day planner and admitted to himself and to us that he is NOT giving school his best effort and that he wants to try harder and do better.  He has always managed to pull himself and his grades up in the past.  I pray he can make it happen this time, too.  I will purchase a planner for him tomorrow and we'll continue to worry daily about his grades.  He has four years to go before graduation.

Jackson just experienced a devastating setback a week ago when he injured his knee badly in football practice.  Things were really looking up for him the day before the accident when the coaches told him he was moving up to the "A" team and playing running back, a position he'd hoped he'd have the chance to play.  A hard blow to the knee in the last play of practice changed everything.  He is on crutches now, watching practices from the sidelines, unsure of how long it might be before he returns to the field.  I can't tell you how hard it has been to watch all of this unfold.  Jackson is tough, but no kid should have to endure something like this.  I am so proud of him for keeping a good attitude and not letting this adversity get the best of him, but he still has a long way to complete recovery.  If only we could somehow make it all better for him.

Harrison is being picked on at school by a kid in his class.  He tells us stories daily of how this child hits him, scratches him, and pushes him.  Yesterday I spoke to the teacher about it and she moved the kids around hoping this would help the situation.  It took me a while to even mention it to her because I really expected it to be a short-lived scuffle that would work itself out.  You know...boys being boys.  But yesterday he came home with a scratch on his nose and today a scratch on his eye.  It seems that these scuffles are taking place not in the classroom, but at P.E.  Of course, I had to be careful that Harrison himself was not the one causing the skirmishes.  I fear now that Harrison's retaliation toward this child may be worse than what the child is dishing out to him.  After all, Harrison is a self-proclaimed ninja.  I hate that this is happening and I WILL get to the bottom of it eventually, but I can't be there at school with him to protect him.  This is something he has to deal with and I was very impressed with his own proposed solution when his daddy and I talked to him about it tonight.  He decided that he will just "have a talk with" the kid tomorrow and tell him he "doesn't want to fight him anymore, he just wants to be friends".  Thank God he's got this one figured out.  Roger was asking "how big an ol' boy the kid's dad is" and I have been telling Harrison to "tell the teacher" or "scream loudly at the kid to stop so the teacher hears and can step in".  Boy are we dumb.  We'll see how the "talk" goes tomorrow and if that doesn't work, I'm gonna send in the big guns (Roger) and I guess I'll pack him a lunch, just in case.

Emerson...well...I think she just may be trying to kill me.  She is 20 months and 20 pounds of D-I-N-O MITE!  How can something so cute and petite be such a PISTOL?  She's like a wolverine in kitten's clothing.  You know in the movies when someone walks up to the cute, soft, furry, wide-eyed little cuddly kitten and says, "Here, kitty, kitty.  Come here sweet little kitty baby" and then the thing suddenly pounces on them embedding it's claws into their head, hissing, and screeching?  That's my baby girl.  Yes, I'm exaggerating, but not much.  Crossing her in public is terrifying because she is like BANSHEE loud when she gets mad.  So we're like, "Here little kitty...eat the tasty lollipop.  How about some Skittles, or a pony?"  Anything to make it STOP.  I could take Harrison anywhere when he was this age...the movies, a concert, a restaurant...not Sister...or at least not without having my butt cheeks clinched so tight they feel like they're gonna fall off from such extreme stress the entire time.  The difference, I think, between her and Harrison is that Harrison cared what I thought and didn't want to disappoint me.  Emerson, on the other hand, does not let this concern her pretty little self.  She is just fine.  And I'm sure I'll love this quality in her some day in the distant future, but for now...I'll keep my purse stocked with candy and look at family outings as my only chance for a nice butt.

On that note, I'm gonna go collapse into my bed (with my sweet (sleeping) angel baby girl) and try to rest up for what tomorrow may hold.  By the time you're reading this I could already be wearing a kitten skin hat.

Gang of Five

They may divide my whole being by five, but the joy they bring to my life is multiplied by infinity.

King Ranch Chicken Casserole

This is a quick and easy favorite around our house especially when we have left over baked or beer can chicken.  My Mom perfected King Ranch Chicken Casserole back when she had a catering business, so I use a version of her recipe.  My little kids won't really eat it because the Rotel makes it a bit too spicy, but my teenagers love it.  Here it is:

I use about half a cooked chicken de-boned usually left over from beer can chicken which is a way of baking whole chickens on little metal stands that hold half full beer cans.  The beer supposedly steams up the middle making a very tender, juicy chicken.  It works!  My husband has this method down to a science, so we eat it often.

Anyway, you can use cooked chicken breasts or any kind of baked chicken as long as the meat is already cooked.   The baked chickens that you buy at the grocer's deli work great, too.

Cut the chicken into messy chunks using a knife and big fork.

Spray the bottom and sides of a 13" x 9" baking dish with Pam.  I like the one with olive oil, but the regular kind will do.

Line bottom of baking dish with chicken.

You will need 12 corn tortillas torn into bite size pieces.

I enlisted a tiny helper for this task.  She always wants to be held while I'm cooking dinner which REALLY complicates things.  When I give her a job, she is as happy as a little lark!

Next, stir in one can of Cream of Celery or Cream of Mushroom soup.  I prefer to use Cream of Mushroom, but I usually just end up having to use whichever one is in my pantry.

Then, pour in a can of Original Rotel.

Add one and a half cups of shredded cheese.  Today I used cheddar, but I have also used Colby Jack and it works well, too.

Add a sprinkle of salt and pepper, stir everything together, and smooth out the top a bit.

Sprinkle half a cup of the same shredded cheese evenly on the top, and it's ready to go into the 400 degree oven.

Bake for 20-25 minutes making sure the cheese has melted and the tortillas have had time to soften.

Look at all that yummy, cheesy goodness!

Serve with black beans or pinto beans (or both, like I do), a green salad, and dinner rolls and you've got yourself a meal.

I like Bush's Best for canned beans.  The pinto beans are no comparison to a homemade pot of beans that have been cooked slowly all day with lots of bacon, but they are okay if you don't have time to do it up right.  The black beans are awesome.  Just add salt.

Enjoy!  

Wakey, Wakey, Shake and Bakey

Saturday morning I awoke to a good morning kiss from my sweet husband at around 7:45 a.m.  I was sandwiched between my little honeys and feeling like I needed another hour of sleep.  I managed to squeeze in thirty precious more minutes before Harrison began talking gently in my ear.  "Hi, Mommie".  "Hi, Baby," I answered.  This is my daily dose of perfection.  I will forever remember these sweet moments... when eyes first open...the day's first squinty smiles...little hands gently rubbing my cheeks ...the rising sun peeking over the hills and through the wooden blinds... Harrison's scratchy voice saying, "Oh, Mommie...you feel soooo good to hold" ...Emerson's CRAZY bed hair...morning chants like "wakey, wakey shake and bakey" or "rise and shine" or "who wants kisses for breakfast?"  These are the things that will forever be etched into my mind.  I'm sure it's what I'll be thinking about as I watch them walk across the stage to graduate and as I watch them walk down the aisle to get married.  Please God, don't take those memories as I grow old.  I want them with me in Heaven.

At around 9 a.m. I started cooking breakfast.  I always have to feed Harrison and Emerson something light as soon as we get up so the older kids have more time to sleep in before the "real" breakfast is served.  Roger left early to take Jackson to see the orthopedic doctor to look at his recently injured knee.  This would be our biggest topic of discussion at the breakfast table as we have all been so worried about Jackson and the extent of his injury.  Billy's best friend Tanner was able to visit for the weekend and Dylan came home from college Friday night.  It was our first chance in a long time to have breakfast together as a family with everyone under the same roof.  It was a good, good day.

Harrison wanted to take a picture of me getting out the orange juice.  Alrighty.

 

The bacon is on!

Sister eating Cheerios to tide her over until the "real" breakfast is served.

On my "to do" list:  make flower arrangements and peach preserves

This is one of my pretty juice glasses I got this Summer on sale at Pottery Barn.  I think they were left over from their Easter inventory.  I love them and am sad to say one broke recently.

Who will wake the sleeping college girl?  So glad to have her home!

Maisy smells bacon cooking.

  "MO JUICE!!!"  "No, Sis, no more juice!"  

"Is the bacon ready yet?"  "Almost, Bubby"

Our breakfast plates make me so happy.  They were hand-me-downs.  I love hand-me-downs!

I decided to make chocolate chip pancakes in honor of Dylan.  They're her favorite.  I sometimes make them from scratch, but I've learned that on some mornings I just need to let it go and make it easy.

Oh, boy...there's nothing like the smell of bacon cooking and bacon grease adds loads of flavor to the pancakes.  Healthy...not so much...but very tasty!

My secret ingredient to spruce up the already pretty good box mix-  Vanilla!

What a gang!  

We found out that Jackson's MCL is most likely sprained and not torn.  It is likely an injury that will affect him to some degree for the rest of his life.  Of course, he is worried about making it back out on the football field as soon as possible.  He loves the game and it was his lifeline at his new school...a way to make new friends and make a place for himself in a sea of strangers.  He was working so hard to prove himself to his teammates and coaches.  It happened the second week of school the day after he came home from school and excitedly announced that he had earned a spot on the A team.  It was the final play of practice and he was tackled by several teammates as he was about to score.  One day you're up...next day your down.  I can't imagine what God is up to, but he has a plan for Jackson and I know he won't give him anything he can't handle.  I'm praying for a complete and speedy recovery that leaves Jackson stronger and wiser and exactly where he needs to be for a great future!

Summer Garden Bounty

This is seriously when I LOVE what I do!  Look at this gorgeous (albeit tiny) bounty from the garden...from Earth...from God...from tiny seeds...from dirt...from bare hands...and sweat...and drip irrigation...and my helper, Pilo!  Thank you, God (and Pilo) for a great first garden season.  It was a huge success and I owe it all to you!

Yesterday's bounty:  Eggplant, Plums, Tomatoes, and an assortment of Peppers 

Green, purple, and yellow bell peppers, jalapenos, 

banana peppers, chile pequins, and a few small poblanos.

Purple, yellow, and white eggplant.

Caution:  Objects in picture are even smaller than they appear.  

This is the only watermelon that grew in the garden this Summer.  It's so puny!  I will try again next year and hopefully get a better yield.

My three new Araucana chickens... Alberta, Maud, and Lucille 

They will start laying blue or green eggs sometime this Fall!  They are still adjusting to their new life and their new coop mates here.  The terms "old wet hen" and "pecking order" are being played out daily.  The new hens are terrified and have obviously not been allowed to free-range before.  They just stand there when I open the door to the coop and huddle in trio.  They look at me and then look at each other and then look at me again, mouths agape (chickens pant like dogs to keep cool).  I'm like, "Shoo, shoo" and they're like, "Huh, what?"   Again, "Shoo, git" and they say, "Wha?"  I give up, go about my day, and they stay inside the hot coop panting away.  Stupid, pretty birdies.  I love them and laugh at them and care for them... and they will someday give me eggs. What a great relationship!

Daily gifts from my sweet feathered friends

Having chickens is such a treat!  We are collecting about four eggs a day right now, which is up from one to two a day a few weeks ago.  The weather is beginning to cool down (thank goodness) and the girls are starting to pick up steam!  

Rather Loyal to Rather Sweet

Rather Sweet Bakery and Cafe in Fredericksburg, Texas has been a favorite of mine for years.  I discovered it back in college when I was living in Johnson City and working in Fredericksburg.  

It is a quaint, delightful, and very tasty little spot that I have really enjoyed over the years.  I ate lunch there after doctor's check-ups during both of my pregnancies.  It was my little reward after being poked and prodded during those final days before giving birth to my son.  I have hosted bridal showers there and have invited many a girlfriend to join me there for a weekend lunch.  I love the atmosphere, I love the name, I love the food, and I think Rebecca Rather, the owner, has done a great job of branding and marketing her goods.  I appreciate, respect, and am inspired by women who have the gumption to take something they love to do and turn it into a successful business.  I also have her beautiful cookbook, which I would photograph and share with you if only I could find it.  I know it is in some box somewhere in our big cedar barn labeled "Step-woman's Books"(by Dylan, my step-daughter) awaiting the day when I finally make the time to finish unpacking from our move.  

They have a glass case full of amazing-looking desserts and pastries that make your mouth water.  My favorite cookie there is the Pink Pig.  It is perfect.

I went out on a limb this particular day and ordered something I had never tried before from the specials on their blackboard menu- Curry Chicken Salad.

I was not disappointed.  It was scrumptious!  The only thing that would have made it taste even better would have been faster service.  I literally waited for 50 minutes...for a salad!  There was no "quick lunch to go" happening around there that day.  I am a die-hard fan, though, and returned on Tuesday morning thinking surely I wouldn't have to wait long for breakfast.  I ordered an egg and cheese breakfast taco on corn tortillas.  Thirty-five minutes.  Because I know they cook to order and I had my cappucino to drink while I waited, I was okay.  After all, if I wanted McDonald's fast, I would go to McDonald's.  

This morning I was much wiser and  CALLED in an order for the same taco.  IT was waiting for ME when I got there and IT, along with the cappucino, was GREAT!  I might complain a little, but dammit, I'm loyal!  Check it out. 

Time to Plant the Fall Garden

I know I'm new to vegetable gardening in the hill country, but I've lived in Texas all my life and I never dreamed that August would be the time to plant the Fall garden.  It's crazy.  I have no doubt that everything I am about to plant is going to catch on fire right there in the ground.  How will those little babies not get scorched by the 100 degree heat and blistering sun? Alas, I will throw caution to the wind, ignore my instincts, and listen to the recommendations of the local people.  After all, I am the one who couldn't get a single yellow squash out of my Spring garden!  I need all the help I can get.

Last week I trekked over to my favorite feed store in Fredericksburg to purchase seed and bedding plants.  This was after looking at a local nursery in Kerrville called the Plant Haus.  It is a great nursery and I highly recommend it.  I was able to buy some amazing looking tomato plants there, but they didn't have all of the other vegetables I wanted.  So, I drove to Woerner Warehouse in Fredericksburg and hit the mother load!  They were just unloading a truck full of vegetable transplants when I arrived.  I was able to get everything I needed, short of butternut squash.  They only had one tiny little squash plant and I need a lot.  Anyway, I ordered some butternut squash, got a bit of seed, and loaded up on plants.  Transplants are the way to go, especially if you're getting a late start like I am.  I'm telling you, this Fall garden in August thing really bushwacked me!  Purchasing plants that are already started buys you at least a month of time.  Is it cheating?  Absolutely not.  You have to keep them alive just the same.  

  

My Fall garden planting list (with respective planting dates): 

Beets (September 1), Broccoli (August 1), Brussels Sprouts (August 1), Cabbage (August 1), Carrots (August 15), Cauliflower (July 1), Swiss Chard (August 15), Collard Greens (August 15), Eggplant (June 15), Garlic (August), Kohlrabi (September 1), Radish (October 1), Spinach (Spinach), Butternut Squash (July 1), Mustard Greens (October 1), and Tomaotes (June 15)

You can see how using transplants instead of seed enables me to plant a Fall garden.  If I only had seed, I would be too late for all but a few!

As a gardener, you have to decide if you are going to follow the planting date recommendations of the nurseries or the recommendations based on the moon.  The idea is to get everything planted so that you can harvest before the first frost, which in the hill country of Texas usually happens around the first of November.  On the left hand side of the chalk board above are the dates based on the moon.  I just happen to be planting my little plants according to the moon this time!

I had too much to fit in my car and had to send for help to get it all back to the garden!

Salad anyone?

The good, the bad, and the ugly- At any garden store it helps to be there right after the truck delivers the goods.  It's just too difficult to keep all of the little peat pots watered this time of year and those babies can start to look rough pretty quick.  The plants on the top shelf are not from the latest delivery and you can see that they have seen better days.

Sallie is watching guard over the new transplants.  I made sure to give them some shade and water as soon as I got them home.  

These are the raised beds where I usually plant herbs and greens.  We cleaned out and composted all of the old stuff and trimmed up what is still good in order to make room for the new transplants for the Fall.  Before we plant, we will add some shade cloth over these areas.  This should especially help the basil and arugula.

Next gardening post will show the new transplants in the ground.  Stay tuned!