Beanie Muffins

I can't believe that I haven't posted this recipe. The kids have been on a cookie phase and we haven't had muffins in a while, but they have eaten them often.Today, Number One Son requested blueberry chocolate chip.
oven 375*
1 cup beanie flour
1 cup sugar
2 T. flax seed, ground in a coffee/spice grinder
1/2 t. baking soda
1/4 cup canola oil
1/4 cup tapoica flour or 3 T. minute tapioca ground in coffee/spice grinder
1/2-2/3 cup water (depends on how dry the beans are)
1 T. apple cider vinegar
mix ins: chocolate chips, blueberries, seeds, crasins, pureed carrots (use less water), applesauce, chopped apples, coconut, etc... use about 1/2-1/4 cup of whatever you like

Stir all the ingredients together, it is better if the batter is thick, they hold together better. Put in muffin cups lined with paper or a well oiled muffin pan. Fill about 2/3 full, they do not puff up much. Bake for 15-20 minutes, cool. They get more firm as they cool down. Makes about 12, more if you add more mix-ins.

dustin' off the old

I think I made corn syrup! My old camp box has been in the attic for over six years, a bottle of corn oil spilled out and yup, it is as sticky as syrup. I hadn't planned on having to un-stick everything in addition to packing it off. The old vinyl tablecloth didn't make it, but I was pleasantly surprised to find some things we might use. I used to remember everything, not so much anymore. Oh, how I'd love to have one night of uninterrupted sleep.

Frozen

I have many things on a list to do today. We need to go to the grocery store, do laundry, pack clothes, make corn-free marshmallows and pack as much as we can for our cub scout camping trip. It really sucks that this camping trip is a week before payday. 7-11 and i-tunes and a new transmission have drained our bank account and CVS has put our credit card close to the limit. I have to be very, very careful when I go to the grocery store. I just saw that we will need to have cash for our camping trip (communication needs to improve with the Pack and Den)which means that our bank account will be gasping for air until Wednesday. On a good note, Number One and Number Two Sons and I gathered up fallen branches for firewood. I need some peace and quiet to make a very detailed grocery list. I HATE to go to the store and have to add things in my head, especially when all three children are with me, constantly asking for things. I'll try to say a few prayers before we leave.

Two Dogs For Sale!

Just kidding. We had a "moment" today. It ruined my morning. I am going to do my best to turn the day back around. Number One Son and I had two full hours of awesome school time and then Number One Daughter and Number Two Son woke up. Number One Daughter woke up in a meltdown thanks to ingesting a cracker or cookie at the park yesterday. She has to come down on her own, but in the meantime Number One Son was taking Big Dog out and she got away from him and peed on Hubby's bed! Little Dog barks at everything and has been barking non-stop so he has has some vacation time out of his crate so he has peed and pooped all over the front room for day. After cleaning up Big Dog's pee, I've relocated Little Dog back into his crate so I can clean up his mess and avoid any more. This is just gross! Little Dog has been increasingly fussy since we changed his crate at the end of the summer. He is just going to have to get used to it! I do a very poor job at keeping my house clean and organized and the last thing I need is creature excrement. Ugh!

Pea Pie

Hubby was talking to the kids about omelets and asked why I never made them. We explained that omelets and fritatas are the same thing. All three kiddos like green peas. I thought Number One Son was allergic to them, but he is doing fine eating them on occasion. Number Two Son can only eat them this way, no more stir fry with peas for him, last time more than one ended up in his nose!

1 cup, thawed frozen green peas or one can drained canned peas
6-12 eggs (depends on the number of portions)
salt, onion powder, dried or fresh dill, to taste
canola oil
1/2 cup of cheese, grated (optional)

Put about a tablespoon of oil in cast iron skillet, add peas and then eggs that have been whisked up with the seasonings. Gently pull the eggs away from the edge of the pan until the eggs are mostly set. Finish for 15-20 minutes in a 350* oven. Sprinkle with cheese for the last 5 minutes. Our kids like to eat this with homemade mayo.

They love egg days, which makes them dread the no egg, no bean day. I guess since I grew up as a meat eater, this is as close to home cooking as I can get. I pray that they don't become allergic to eggs or anything else. We have enough on our plate.

Salad

This salad sounds strange and I'm not sure how it came together, but the kids love it, especially if I use the hearts or romaine instead of the whole head.

1 head of romaine lettuce
1 granny smith apple peeled and sliced
1 can chickpeas
1/3 cup sweetened, dried cranberries
1-2 T raw, shelled sunflower seeds (optional)

Vinaigrette:
1 ounce canola oil
1 t. flax seed oil (optional)
1 ounce apple cider vinegar
1 T. sugar
pinch of salt
sprinkle of garlic powder
sprinkle of onion powder

Slice the lettuce how you like it, toss the apple, drained chick peas, raisins and seeds on top. Mix the vinaigrette well, pour it over the salad and toss.

Oh No!

Number Two Son has grown tall enough to reach up and pull items from the counter top. Ohh No, maybe he'll forget he can do it. Naaahhh

HOP Rocks!

Hubby added memory to our computer so I was able to load the CD ROM for the Hooked on Phonics program that Number One Son and I have been working on since August. He spent 2 hours reading on the computer yesterday! It tracks the words he can read and as of this morning, he can read 54 words. He can probably read a few more than that since we have also been working on sight words that I thought were important. He is so proud of himself. He could barely go to sleep last night after he heard the little bee say, "You are a reader!" If Momma or Daddy say it, nada. It just doesn't stick like when a little animated bee says it.

I Thought I Wore the Crown

I went yesterday to get my permanent crown after wearing a temporary crown for three weeks. After several adjustments, our dentist got it to fit, x-rayed it, glued and then had me bite on a cotton rod. POP! "What was that?" I said, he said, "Your crown broke, but it wasn't anything you did, at least it happened here and not once you got home." Darn! They called back to day and I have to go back for new impressions. Good thing Hubby is home sick today. That sounds rather insensitive, but I can't imagine having to figure out when I can go to the dentist, for an hour and a half, without the kids, when I work three days after Hubby gets home and he works late the other two days. This is our crazy world.

Proud of Being Catholic

(Excerpts of an article written by Sam Miller,
a prominent Cleveland Jewish businessman -
NOT CATHOLIC)

Why would newspapers carry on a vendetta on one of the most important institutions that we have today in the United States, namely the Catholic Church?

Do you know - the Catholic Church educates 2.6 million students everyday at the cost to your Church of 10 billion dollars, and a savings on the other hand to the American taxpayer of 18 billion dollars. Your graduates go on to graduate studies at the rate of 92%, all at a cost to you. To the rest of the Americans it's free.

The Church has 230 colleges and universities in the U.S. with an enrollment of 700,000 students. The Catholic Church has a non-profit hospital system of 637 hospitals, which account for hospital treatment of 1 out of every 5 people - not just Catholics - in the United States today.

But the press is vindictive and trying to totally denigrate in every way the Catholic Church in this country. They have blamed the disease of pedophilia on the Catholic Church, which is as irresponsible as blaming adultery on the institution of marriage.

Let me give you some figures that you as Catholics should know and remember. For example,12% of the 300 Protestant clergy surveyed admitted to sexual intercourse with a parishioner; 38% acknowledged other inappropriate sexual contact in a study by the United Methodist Church , 41.8 % of clergy women reported unwanted sexual behavior; 17% of laywomen have been sexually harassed. Meanwhile, 1.7% of the Catholic clergy has been found guilty of pedophilia. 10% of the Protestant ministers have been found guilty of pedophilia. This is not a Catholic Problem.

A study of American priests showed that most are happy in the priesthood and find it even better than they had expected, and that most, if given the choice, would choose to be priests again in face of all this obnoxious PR the church has been receiving.

The Catholic Church is bleeding from self-inflicted wounds. The agony that Catholics have felt and suffered is not necessarily the fault of the Church. You have been hurt by a small number of wayward priests that have probably been totally weeded out by now.

Walk with your shoulders high and you head higher. Be a proud member of the most important non-governmental agency in the United States . Then remember what Jeremiah said:

'Stand by the roads, and look and ask for the ancient paths,
where the good way is and walk in it, and find rest for your souls'.

Be proud to speak up for your faith with pride and reverence and learn what your Church does for all other religions. Be proud that you're a Catholic.

(Reprinted excerpts with permission of the Buckeye Bulletin - courtesy of Brookside Council #3297, Cleveland Diocese)

Our First Pinewood Derby

Hubby is still under the weather, so Momma got to be the Akela today. Number One Son was a little bit surprised to see Momma so excited that his car kept advancing. His car raced eight races, I think he was in the top 12, maybe top eight. It might have been more fun if some of his den friends were there. I only saw one other scout from his pack and they left before I got to talk to them. I think we need to tweak his car a little bit more before the Pack Pinewood Derby in the Spring. Number One Brother-in-law has been through a few Derbies with Number One Nephew. He really helped us not make the rookie mistakes. Number One Daughter is looking forward to painting a "Hello Kitty" pink car for a sibling entry.
Since Hubby is ill, Momma will also take Number One Son on a hike with his Tiger Cub Scouts tomorrow. This in addition to RE, church and I'm on call for work. Sunday is a day for rest, but for us, it seems to be the busiest day of the week.

The Yuckies

Hubby and I had been married almost a year when both of us were sick at the same time, can you believe that was when we got in out first fight ever? Being ill is never an easy thing. Hubby wears a green scapular because he was so sick last year. It was one thing after another. He is fighting a cold/sinus infection right now. This week, Number One Daughter had an allergic reaction that turned into sinusitis resulting in challenging behavior from headaches, cold medicine and generally feeling yucky. Number One Son has been having increasing asthma difficulties and has been very defiant and mean as a snake. Now, Momma comes down with a cold or fall allergies. Number Two Son doesn't know what to think about all the strange behavior. Our house including laundry, cleaning, dishes and shopping get put on hold. Not feeling well, no clean clothes, no clean dishes, short temper... good thing we are on the mend and hopefully we can go to Nana and Poppie's house tomorrow to get Number One Son's Pinewood Derby car built and ready to race.

MMMMmmmmeringues

A fancy, time consuming, but easy treat for the kids to talk to parties (on egg days).
Oven 225*; 2 or 3 cookie sheets lined with parchment paper. Large pastry bag or gallon sized zipper bag.

3 egg whites at room temperature
1 cup superfine sugar (add on T. at a time)
pinch of salt
pinch of cream of tartar (optional)
8 drops LorAnn flavoring (contains propylene glycol, but no corn)

In a stand-type mixer, add egg whites and slowly turn it up to high speed. Add sugar 1 Tablespoon at a time, every 20 seconds. After the final addition, beat an additional 2 minutes. Gently transfer to pastry bag/zipper bag (If you are using a zipper bag, push out all the air before you zip it, then cut off one corner with scissors.) Pipe out golf-ball sized meringues on the parchment paper. Bake for 1 hour and 15 minutes, them remove from the parchment paper. If you do not, they will steam and get sticky in the middle. I have a gas oven and I do not need to leave them in the oven for additional baking. Store in an airtight container, if you have leftovers. We rarely do!
Some times I make lots of little tiny meringues and other times, I make them bigger. They generally take the same amount of time to bake.

We LOVE Cranberries

When the Natropath told me several years ago that we need to add astringents to our diet, I was happy to find out that one of Number Two Daughter's allowed foods was especially good for her. We do buy the super sweet dried, sweetened cranberries (our ONE convenience food), but the kids also like to chew on frozen unsweetened ones too. We almost always have some form of cranberries in our house.

Cranberry Juice
14-16 ounce bag frozen cranberries
1 cup sugar
1/2 gallon water

Cover the cranberries and sugar with water and add the rest of the water to the storage pitcher. Bring to a boil, avoid stirring to often. Simmer for 15-20 minutes, strain, add juice to additional water and save the cranberries for sauce.

Whole Berry Cranberry Sauce
add 1/2 cup sugar to the above cranberries, eat warm or cold

Jellied Cranberry Sauce
14-16 ounce bag frozen or fresh cranberries
1 cup water
one cup sugar

Put all ingredients in a saucepan, bring to a boil, simmer for 15 minutes, strain through a medium-fine colander. Add the seeds and skins to your whole berry sauce or compost them. Cool.

and the countdown begins

We were going to go to Nan and Poppie's house on Tuesday morning, but I think we will wait until Thursday. I want hubby to be able to vote and not have to walk several blocks in the dark Tuesday morning or Tuesday night. Poppie's birthday is Tuesday, but we can celebrate on Thursday. Hubby and I were talking today that we might not know who is our next president on Tuesday or even Wednesday. I can't remember how many days it took eight years ago. Another homeschool mom suggested praying rosaries at polling places or at home, whatever we can manage. I think I'll do that and pray a Divine Mercy Chaplet also. When I get stressed and can't sleep, thinking about St. Faustina and how she gave herself totally to God, helps me focus on praying the chaplet. Jesus I Trust in You!

78704

Thank You top all the anonymous 78704 neighbors who allowed our kids to have so much fun last night trick-or-treating. Speed race was his usual charming self, but St. Philomena was very bold in going up to houses and saying, "Trick or treat!." Little St. Francis was carried by Hubby for several blocks. I try to explain to the kids that Halloween is all about the kindness of strangers and try to avoid all the scary, evil stuff. We will approach that as they get older. Right now, they can be "not scary" things for Halloween. I think I have one more year to choose Number Two Son's costume and then I'll have tp plant seeds all year long about what they might want to dress up as. It helps that Momma is willing to make their costumes, right?