Here are two of my favorite recipes. Texas-Style Enchilada Casserole and Curry Chicken. The curry recipe is something my grandma used to make. She used chicken pieces but I like to use cooked and cubed chicken. Tristan had three helpings of it tonight.
The Enchilada Casserole is so easy to make and tastes really good. My friend makes the same recipe using chicken. I have only tried it with ground beef.
CURRY CHICKEN
2 Tbs. butter
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 apple, shredded
1 cup evaporated milk
1 onion, chopped
salt
paprika
2 tsp. curry
3-4 chicken breasts, cooked and cubed
Sauté curry, apple and onion in butter until onion is clear. Add soup, milk, salt and paprika. Put chicken in shallow baking dish. Pour sauce over chicken. Bake 20 - 30 minutes at 350. Serve over cooked rice.
Monday, January 8, 2007
Growing too fast
I can't believe how much the kids are growing. Today I was on the computer just to print out two things. When I looked over at my stairs Tristan had crawled up three stairs! At first it didn't register but luckily it didn't take me long to remember that he shouldn't be there. Kennedy was at the top and I think he was trying to get to her.
Tristan likes to be where Kennedy is, doing what Kennedy is doing. He has never played much with the baby toys Kennedy used to love. He likes to play with Kennedy's toys, dolls, crayons, blocks, etc. I don't mind but Kennedy would rather he did something else.
For the past few weeks Kennedy has been practicing getting herself dressed. I didn't realize how much she was doing this until I did laundry and had four loads to do. I couldn't figure out what was going on since I had just done laundry three days before. When I folded the laundry Kennedy had all her pajamas, 10 pair of socks, and about that many pair of underwear in the wash. Each night she has been undressing herself down to nothing and putting on fresh underwear, pajamas and socks. Then in the morning a new pair of underwear, clothes and a new pair of socks. She loves being independent from mom and dad.
I have been taking Kennedy to Little Gym for the past 18 weeks for a gymnastics class. I thought it would be a good thing for her to do for exercise but she has learned more than I realized. Tonight she got on the balance beam and walked across all by herself. I was so proud of her. At the beginning of the class Teacher Kim told the parents that the children would be able to do that by the end of class but I was sceptical.
We had a guest stay at our home last night. He was interviewing for a residency in Chris's department. He graduated from BYU too so Chris invited him to stay at our house. Kennedy loves having company and made him feel welcome. I got her ready for bed and we knelt down for prayers. I wanted her to say them by herself so we talked about some things she could say in the prayer like that she was thankful for mom and dad and ask for health, etc. the usual things. When she said the prayer she said that she was thankful that her friend could spend the night here. I thought it was cute. She did the whole prayer by herself too which was really good.
I have to remind myself sometimes that these little moments are going too quickly. I try to slow down and appreciate them and appreciate the stages my children are going through. When Kennedy was a baby I found myself wishing her to be older and doing the next thing. Today I am content with where both of my kids are.
Tristan likes to be where Kennedy is, doing what Kennedy is doing. He has never played much with the baby toys Kennedy used to love. He likes to play with Kennedy's toys, dolls, crayons, blocks, etc. I don't mind but Kennedy would rather he did something else.
For the past few weeks Kennedy has been practicing getting herself dressed. I didn't realize how much she was doing this until I did laundry and had four loads to do. I couldn't figure out what was going on since I had just done laundry three days before. When I folded the laundry Kennedy had all her pajamas, 10 pair of socks, and about that many pair of underwear in the wash. Each night she has been undressing herself down to nothing and putting on fresh underwear, pajamas and socks. Then in the morning a new pair of underwear, clothes and a new pair of socks. She loves being independent from mom and dad.
I have been taking Kennedy to Little Gym for the past 18 weeks for a gymnastics class. I thought it would be a good thing for her to do for exercise but she has learned more than I realized. Tonight she got on the balance beam and walked across all by herself. I was so proud of her. At the beginning of the class Teacher Kim told the parents that the children would be able to do that by the end of class but I was sceptical.
We had a guest stay at our home last night. He was interviewing for a residency in Chris's department. He graduated from BYU too so Chris invited him to stay at our house. Kennedy loves having company and made him feel welcome. I got her ready for bed and we knelt down for prayers. I wanted her to say them by herself so we talked about some things she could say in the prayer like that she was thankful for mom and dad and ask for health, etc. the usual things. When she said the prayer she said that she was thankful that her friend could spend the night here. I thought it was cute. She did the whole prayer by herself too which was really good.
I have to remind myself sometimes that these little moments are going too quickly. I try to slow down and appreciate them and appreciate the stages my children are going through. When Kennedy was a baby I found myself wishing her to be older and doing the next thing. Today I am content with where both of my kids are.
Sunday, January 7, 2007
Olive Creek
When Chris first told me he was thinking about taking a job at Duke my heart sunk to my toes. It's not that life has been so unpleasant since we moved here but I was really looking forward to moving closer to my family. When we moved here I came with the idea that we would be here a grand total of four years. That said, we are staying.
It took a lot of praying, on my part, to come to terms with the idea of staying. The job at Duke is a fantastic opportunity for Chris and he really loves his job and has had a really good experience here. I have not had such an exiting time. I started to list all the things I didn't like about North Carolina. . . humidity, bugs, fear of safety, bad schools, etc. Some of those things can't be controlled but some of them are particular to where we live.
I could tell Chris was really excited about staying here and that he really wanted to. I asked him to at least look around to see what else might be available. Not much this year. I conceded to stay and he promised to do his best to make me feel safe and do what he could to minimize the things I don't like here.
One of the top things on my list is the area where we live. We live in a nicer part of Durham but Durham is really patchy so there are seedy areas not too far from where we live. Durham schools are not very good either. Moving would take care of those problems.
Yesterday I went out with a realtor to look at a couple of neighborhoods. Chris and I decided to look first in Hillsborough which is not far from Durham but is a small town and very cozy. The first house I looked at was a house in the Olive Creek subdivision.
I loved this house! It is built by a woman builder who is local. The craftsmanship in the house is much better than the houses I've seen that are built by national builders. This home has a three-acre lot. It's mostly wooded and feels like a cabin in the forest. I loved the front porch and the screened porch in the back. The kitchen looks out to the screened porch and I could see myself sending the kids out to play while I cook dinner!
All the floors on the first floor are wood floors. Off the master bedroom is a study/office that sits over the garage.
There were a few things I didn't like about this house such as smaller bedrooms and there is not a bonus room which is something I wanted.
I doubt we will end up with this house but I really enjoyed touring it and imagining living there.
So, I am starting a new list now and that is of the things I like about North Carolina. I know we are going to be here for awhile and that's ok. I have lived here long enough to know how to deal with the humidity and bugs and I know that it's only a certain part of the year that I have to deal with that. I do love that it was 70+ degrees yesterday and we were all wearing short sleeves.
It took a lot of praying, on my part, to come to terms with the idea of staying. The job at Duke is a fantastic opportunity for Chris and he really loves his job and has had a really good experience here. I have not had such an exiting time. I started to list all the things I didn't like about North Carolina. . . humidity, bugs, fear of safety, bad schools, etc. Some of those things can't be controlled but some of them are particular to where we live.
I could tell Chris was really excited about staying here and that he really wanted to. I asked him to at least look around to see what else might be available. Not much this year. I conceded to stay and he promised to do his best to make me feel safe and do what he could to minimize the things I don't like here.
One of the top things on my list is the area where we live. We live in a nicer part of Durham but Durham is really patchy so there are seedy areas not too far from where we live. Durham schools are not very good either. Moving would take care of those problems.
Yesterday I went out with a realtor to look at a couple of neighborhoods. Chris and I decided to look first in Hillsborough which is not far from Durham but is a small town and very cozy. The first house I looked at was a house in the Olive Creek subdivision.
I loved this house! It is built by a woman builder who is local. The craftsmanship in the house is much better than the houses I've seen that are built by national builders. This home has a three-acre lot. It's mostly wooded and feels like a cabin in the forest. I loved the front porch and the screened porch in the back. The kitchen looks out to the screened porch and I could see myself sending the kids out to play while I cook dinner!
All the floors on the first floor are wood floors. Off the master bedroom is a study/office that sits over the garage.
There were a few things I didn't like about this house such as smaller bedrooms and there is not a bonus room which is something I wanted.
I doubt we will end up with this house but I really enjoyed touring it and imagining living there.
So, I am starting a new list now and that is of the things I like about North Carolina. I know we are going to be here for awhile and that's ok. I have lived here long enough to know how to deal with the humidity and bugs and I know that it's only a certain part of the year that I have to deal with that. I do love that it was 70+ degrees yesterday and we were all wearing short sleeves.
Friday, January 5, 2007
The Gingerbread Man
I had Kennedy's preschool at our house yesterday. In September we started with a little mom's group. We take turns teaching, one month at time. There are four kids all together. We use the Funshine Express curriculum and it has been really fun. Each month a box comes with the lesson plans, enrichment activities and craft supplies. It even comes with handouts for the parents. I taught in December and decided I better do January too since we are planning to have our house on the market soon.
I had a lesson all ready for last Thursday before everyone got sick and I had to cancel school. I used the same lesson yesterday even though it was about holiday baking and the New Year. I made gingerbread men for snacks. We put them in the oven and then read "The Gingerbread Man". In the story the gingerbread man escapes from the oven and calls to everyone who chases him, "Run, run as fast as you can. You can't catch me. I'm the Gingerbread Man." After we read the story I went to "check" on the gingerbread men in the oven while the kids sat on the couch. I moved the cookies to a plate and put them where the kids couldn't see. I told the kids, "oh, no! The gingerbread men are gone!" They came running into the kitchen and were surprised when the cookies were gone. They decided they better go look for them. While the kids were in the other room I put the plate on the table. They eventually found them and we enjoyed them with a nice glass of milk.
I made quiche for the first time this week. It turned out to be really good. I used up some of the leftover ham from our Christmas dinner. I am always on the lookout for recipes using ham. I only cook one once or twice a year but then there are enough leftovers to last two weeks. This recipe is a keeper.
I had a lesson all ready for last Thursday before everyone got sick and I had to cancel school. I used the same lesson yesterday even though it was about holiday baking and the New Year. I made gingerbread men for snacks. We put them in the oven and then read "The Gingerbread Man". In the story the gingerbread man escapes from the oven and calls to everyone who chases him, "Run, run as fast as you can. You can't catch me. I'm the Gingerbread Man." After we read the story I went to "check" on the gingerbread men in the oven while the kids sat on the couch. I moved the cookies to a plate and put them where the kids couldn't see. I told the kids, "oh, no! The gingerbread men are gone!" They came running into the kitchen and were surprised when the cookies were gone. They decided they better go look for them. While the kids were in the other room I put the plate on the table. They eventually found them and we enjoyed them with a nice glass of milk.
I made quiche for the first time this week. It turned out to be really good. I used up some of the leftover ham from our Christmas dinner. I am always on the lookout for recipes using ham. I only cook one once or twice a year but then there are enough leftovers to last two weeks. This recipe is a keeper.
Thursday, January 4, 2007
Stranger Discipline
I have had two annoying episodes lately of complete strangers disciplining my child. A few months ago I was at the doctor's office with my two kids. While I was checking out, Kennedy played with the toys. Tristan was crying because he just had three shots and I was trying to schedule his next appointment. While I was waiting for the clerk to print out my appointment I looked over at Kennedy and I saw that there was a little struggle between her and another girl, who was younger than she is, over a rocking chair. I didn't see the whole thing but I saw the girl's mom scold Kennedy. Now, I'm not naive. I know my child has a difficult time sharing. After all, she is barely three. But come on. This mother was out of line. If I would have been that mom I would have redirected my child to a different toy or tried to get her to share with the other child. The look on this mother's face as she chastised Kennedy is emblazoned in my mind. What a scowl! As soon as I could break free of the appointment desk I rushed over to Kennedy and took her home.
Yesterday was an even more shocking scenario. I took Kennedy and Tristan to the Museum of Life and Science where there is a butterfly house. It's been a long time since we have been there and I don't think Kennedy even remembered the place. We walked into the butterfly section and I immediately saw butterflies but she saw what was on her level, flowers. She loves flowers and loves to pick flowers. She bent down and popped off a flower and flung it in the air. Just as I started to tell her that was not appropriate and that these flowers aren't for picking, a young woman, who probably doesn't even have any kids, swooshed over and put her finger in Kennedy's face and practically yelled at her and told her not to ever do that again! I was so shocked that I couldn't even respond before she was gone. Kennedy just looked at the woman and I couldn't take my eyes off Kennedy. I thought she was going to cry, I would have. Kennedy was so stoic though. We went ahead and tried to enjoy the rest of the exhibit. With each step, however, my blood got hotter and hotter and I wished I would have said something to this lady.
What is wrong with these people? You can't expect a three-year-old to be perfectly behaved. Kennedy is such a sweet person. She is fun-loving and enjoys life. I have never considered her to be a malicious child.
I decided that I have to store a "Thank you, but I will take care of disciplining my child" on the tip of my brain so I will have it ready next time!
Yesterday was an even more shocking scenario. I took Kennedy and Tristan to the Museum of Life and Science where there is a butterfly house. It's been a long time since we have been there and I don't think Kennedy even remembered the place. We walked into the butterfly section and I immediately saw butterflies but she saw what was on her level, flowers. She loves flowers and loves to pick flowers. She bent down and popped off a flower and flung it in the air. Just as I started to tell her that was not appropriate and that these flowers aren't for picking, a young woman, who probably doesn't even have any kids, swooshed over and put her finger in Kennedy's face and practically yelled at her and told her not to ever do that again! I was so shocked that I couldn't even respond before she was gone. Kennedy just looked at the woman and I couldn't take my eyes off Kennedy. I thought she was going to cry, I would have. Kennedy was so stoic though. We went ahead and tried to enjoy the rest of the exhibit. With each step, however, my blood got hotter and hotter and I wished I would have said something to this lady.
What is wrong with these people? You can't expect a three-year-old to be perfectly behaved. Kennedy is such a sweet person. She is fun-loving and enjoys life. I have never considered her to be a malicious child.
I decided that I have to store a "Thank you, but I will take care of disciplining my child" on the tip of my brain so I will have it ready next time!
Tuesday, January 2, 2007
Kids say the darndest things
My three-year-old, Kennedy, has quite the vocabulary. In her everyday language she uses words like delicious, delighted, golden, and congratulations but somhow she still can't say a few words like "movie". It comes out sounding like "weeoo".
Yesterday was a dreary, rainy day. I kind of had the doldrums. I told Kennedy it was a dreary day and tried to explain to her what dreary means. This was her reply, "Mommy, do you want to watch a 'weeoo'? If you watch a 'weeoo' it will make you feel better. We turned on Cars and it did make me feel better!
Yesterday was a dreary, rainy day. I kind of had the doldrums. I told Kennedy it was a dreary day and tried to explain to her what dreary means. This was her reply, "Mommy, do you want to watch a 'weeoo'? If you watch a 'weeoo' it will make you feel better. We turned on Cars and it did make me feel better!
Monday, January 1, 2007
Happy New Year
I love celebrating the New Year. When I was young I used to have a party every New Year's Eve. There's something about staying up until midnight to ring in the New Year. These days my New Year's Eve party is a little different.
We got the kids to bed by 7:30 and Chris went on a walk. I had a pizza recipe I wanted to try so I got the pizzas ready while Chris was gone. I have been on a search for the perfect pizza recipe my whole life it seems. Every time I make pizza I say I'm going to leave it up to the professionals. I said it again last night as I pulled my Deep Dish Chicago-Style Pizzas out of the oven and the toppings were a boiling, soupy mess in the middle of a brown pie that was as hard as the stone I cooked them in! I really had high hopes this time. Maybe next year.
After our pizza we watched MI3. Another disappointment. Every time I watch a Mission Impossible movie I say I'm not going to watch another one. I said it again last night. Tom Cruise needs to move on! This is the third time he's done this same movie with the same plot and the same special effects and the same outcome.
Finally I turned on "Dick Clark's Rockin' New Year's Eve." I watched that while Chris slept on the couch. We finally went to bed at 11:30. Every night when I get into bed and it's late I say I need to start going to bed earlier. I said it again last night. What was the point? I stayed up too late but not late enough to ring in the new year. How boring is that?
Sounds like I need to make some resolutions. . . .and stick to them!
We got the kids to bed by 7:30 and Chris went on a walk. I had a pizza recipe I wanted to try so I got the pizzas ready while Chris was gone. I have been on a search for the perfect pizza recipe my whole life it seems. Every time I make pizza I say I'm going to leave it up to the professionals. I said it again last night as I pulled my Deep Dish Chicago-Style Pizzas out of the oven and the toppings were a boiling, soupy mess in the middle of a brown pie that was as hard as the stone I cooked them in! I really had high hopes this time. Maybe next year.
After our pizza we watched MI3. Another disappointment. Every time I watch a Mission Impossible movie I say I'm not going to watch another one. I said it again last night. Tom Cruise needs to move on! This is the third time he's done this same movie with the same plot and the same special effects and the same outcome.
Finally I turned on "Dick Clark's Rockin' New Year's Eve." I watched that while Chris slept on the couch. We finally went to bed at 11:30. Every night when I get into bed and it's late I say I need to start going to bed earlier. I said it again last night. What was the point? I stayed up too late but not late enough to ring in the new year. How boring is that?
Sounds like I need to make some resolutions. . . .and stick to them!
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