Fishing, Tranquility and Patty Melts

We left yesterday for a quick 24 hours at the farm and honestly, I could have used another day or two... the beauty is that it's only one hour away so we can enjoy trip after trip when the boys' sports schedules allow us to go.  We fed horses, rode dirt bikes and four wheelers, pet the horses, watched the chickens, hiked the trails, fished, enjoyed a glass of wine on the front porch... We did all the things that make us all unwind from the craziness of city life.  Yesterday afternoon Brooke and I walked down to the pond where the boys were fishing...

 

 I love this picture because it reflects how quiet and tranquil it really is. 

 

Brooke and I were frolicking along the bank looking at the fish that Matt and the boys were reeling in.  Then very quickly, Brooke felt heavy on my shoulder as she fell asleep.  I found a shady spot on the bank and enjoyed watching her sleep in my lap.

 

I'm a busy body by nature.  My mom genetically handed this down to me.  We have a hard time sitting still, she and I...this is the case for me unless I am exhausted (which is often) - and then I can really sit still - which usually leads to sleep.  Anyway - I soooo enjoyed sitting on the bank with a sleeping Brooke and watching and listening to the boys fish.  I was forced (happily and willingly) to sit and enjoy my surroundings.  First of all, it's so quiet up there at the farm.  No traffic, no planes, no noise except for the sounds of nature (and the occasional gun shot of nearby hunters)... Have you ever had your power go out and you suddenly realize how loud all the sounds of your house were?  And before the power went out, you didn't even realize how much sound was filling your ears - that's how being at the farm is... it's God's country, really... and just as the landscape is so peaceful, so does this peace fill your spirit when you're there. 

I watched the boys cast line after line and reel them in - sometimes catching a fish, sometimes not.  When they'd catch one, the other would run over to help get it off the line.  I love this picture of the boys working together....

I was filled with peace and joy yesterday afternoon sitting on the bank with my family.  And Papa, if you're reading this, I must say a big THANK YOU for sharing this wonderful and amazing place with us.  Even though most of the time when we're there, you are in Atlanta, everywhere we go, your spirit is there and we think about how much you must enjoy your time at the farm.  Our boys are slowly becoming men at Whispering Pines Farm - they are learning how to do all these outdoorsy type things like fish and drive a four-wheeler, drive a dirt bike, ride a horse, etc. - but they're learning life lessons like what they can accomplish when they work together, what it means and involves to take care of their things (washing the dirt bike and four wheeler when they're done), what it means to respect animals - they're size and power...

They're learning what life without technology is like.. and I'm loving that they're experiencing and FEELING that.  They're learning to think beyond just themselves.  Papa, thank you for these memories that we're making and for all the growing up that is taking place when we're there.  Our experiences are priceless...

 



 

 



Back at home now - laundry going, pouring down rain outside, Matthew is on the baseball field and Champ, Brooke and I are heading out shortly to watch him.  Life is wonderful - it truly is...

This rainy weather reminds me of a dish I made a few weeks ago - Patty Melts!  They were easy, delicious, comforting, and GREAT for a weeknight meal.  Instead of regular whole wheat bread, I used our Rudi's brand gluten free bread and we devoured them.  First, I sautéed the onions.

 

Then I made patties out of hamburger meat, Worcestershire and salt and pepper.  We grilled them but with patty melts, usually you cook them in a skillet.  Then we added Swiss Cheese and onions and cooked the whole sandwich (buttered) in a skillet...

 

Look at how golden brown the bread is!  DELICIOUS, I tell you!  Enjoy!

 

Click here for the recipe. 

Beef Stir Fry

Warning:  Focus on the fact that I'm finally posting something - NOT on the grammatical errors and misspelled words.  Have you wondered where I've been?  I'm still here!  Still doing my THANG...mommy-ing it, wife-ing it, working it... I've started half a dozen blog entries since mid-June.  Problem is... I've had no time to finish them.  My goal is to have a "take-away" with every post - be it a recipe, a tip, some great "Friday Favorites"... and the truth is... it takes time to upload the photos and organize the post, and my time has been stretched so thinly that here we are almost 3 months since my last post and I'm just finding a few minutes of time.

Our Summer was terrific.  I'm able to add a new role to my resume:  Social Coordinator, 6/1/2013-infinity.  It's truly a job in and of itself - the phone calls, the emailing, the texting, the driving, the arranging, the attitudes of our young when they come home having had zero sleep...

Matthew and Champ played baseball which was great fun (and tiring) for us all.  Tournaments every weekend, practice every night, spend the nights frequently, out of town tournaments, parties several times each week for 5-6 weeks... I was exhausted by it all and I was merely a spectator.  When baseball ended, that's when the social coordinator role really kicked in.  They are at the ages where they want to be with their friends - be it at our house or friends' houses - all the time.  I found it difficult this Summer to make all three of my kids happy with an activity or outing at once.  The boys wanted to do things that Brooke was too young for and when I was making Brooke happy, the boys were bored.  For that reason, I welcomed our end of Summer beach trip (where everyone is happy ALL the time) and the start up of school. 

Recently I started working full time again!  I was very happy in my part time role as working part time is, in many ways, like having your cake and eating it, too. You stay engaged in the professional arena, enjoy dressing up and commiserating with other adults... AND you get to wake up and fix breakfast for your kids and hang with them doing the stay-at-home mom thing, too.  The down side to part time, as I found it, was that I was never fully engaged from a work perspective - and I was spending a lot of my time at home doing things like cleaning the house, laundry and errands. 

Several weeks ago, an opportunity at work presented itself and long story short, I took it.  I'm two weeks in and really enjoying my schedule and the kids seem really happy.  We have two nannies, each is with the kids 2 days a week, and my mother-in-law takes the third day.  My friend, Margaret, articulated the major advantage of having two nannies over one which is - no one is with my kids more than me.  I love that!  They also help with laundry and cleaning so that when I'm home, I can hang out with them.  At this point, I'm really enjoying both my time at work and my time at home.  I'll keep you posted on life as a working woman with three kids as time continues to unfold...

Speaking of Margaret, she and her family accompanied us to the farm and we had so much fun.  It's a place where our kids can really run free... they run, they fish, they drive the four-wheeler, they ride horses, they hunt, they hike through the woods... It's good for their little souls - and for ours.  I love it and it brings us immense joy to share that with others.

 

Here's the big question - have I been cooking this Summer?  During the month of June, I'd have to say no, not really - with the exception of salads which doesn't really count as cooking.  I made salads for every single party I attended.  Now that school is back in, I've done better.  And now that I don't have as much time to spend cooking, I'm constantly searching for quick recipes which don't take much time to prepare.  Last night, I made turkey meatballs over pasta, spinach salad with strawberries and blue cheese and a toasted baguette.  I'll share that soon.  A few weeks ago, I made the Pioneer Woman's Beef Stir Fry and it was delicious and loved by all family members.  This was in her 16 minute recipe section.   

Super easy to prepare - lots of flavor and a dish that appeals to all eaters.  Start with a nice cut of flank steak and slice it super duper thinly.

 

Mix together soy sauce, sherry, brown sugar, cornstarch, and ginger. 

 

Pour half of this mixture over the meat and toss to combine.  While that is sitting, add oil to your pan and add the snow peas.  Stir for one minute and then set the snow peas aside.  Add the meat to the pan and let that cook.  (Might be a good idea to check the real recipe at this point).

 

Next, add the snow peas to the meat - toss to combine.

 

Put the rice of your choice into a bowl and add the meat mixture.  YUMMO!

 

 

This is a great back to school meal because it's easy and QUICK.  Try it.  You won't be disappointed.

I would like to dedicate this blog post to my parents who have been married FORTY years today.  Mom and Dad, I love you dearly and thank you for the life that you have paved for me...I feel so blessed and happy that you united many moons ago... Here's to many more!!

Better than _ _ _ Trifle

Look what I just found!  I was just looking through all the posts I have started but haven't finished and I came upon this that I wrote last Summer after baseball season ended. 

July 2012:

Matt and I are trying to ramp up our exercise routine.  After a Summer of baseball tournaments, beach trips, late nights, sleeping in, it's time to get back in shape.  While I lose the craving for sweets when I ramp up my exercise, Matt's sweet tooth grows.  I thought it would be nice to surprise him and the boys with one of their favorite desserts- Better than _ _ _ Trifle.  Now, I call it "The Heath Bar Brownie Dessert" when I'm talking to my kids.   

It was brought to me originally as part of a Just Had a Baby meal.  I couldn't get enough of this stuff.  I would wake up in the middle of the night to nurse my newborn and would sneak into the kitchen to scoop myself a bowlful.  It made those middle of the night feedings tolerable - plus, I was nursing, so I figured that the calories zeroed themselves out. 

Many of you have probably made this or some version like it, but here is mine. 

Here are the players:

Bake a box of brownies according to the directions on the box.  Let them cool and then crumble them onto the bottom of whatever dish in which you plan to serve it.  Top the crumbled brownie with chopped up Heath Bar. 

Here I am unwrapping each little miniature heath bar and chopping.  This is a fun thing to let your kids do and a great way to let them practice chopping with a knife. 

Make a box of instant chocolate pudding according to the directions on the box. Spread that on top of the heath bar and then add more chopped up Heath Bar.

Top the whole thing with Cool Whip and then... you guessed it!... Top with more Heath Bar (and I used some extra brownie that I had). 

Whala!  You have yourself a heavenly dish that lives up to its name!  Enjoy!

Heath Bar Brownie Trifle

1 box of brownies
1 6-serving instant chocolate pudding box (made according to directions)
1 bag miniature Heath Bar
1 container Cool Whip

Bake your favorite box of brownies according to directions on the box.  Let them cool and then crumble and lay in the bottom of a big dish (or you can divide into smaller dishes to give out as little gifts). 

Make a box of 6 serving chocolate pudding according to the directions on the box. 

Unwrap and chop the heath bars into little pieces.

Time to layer away!  On top of the brownie, spread the chocolate pudding and on top of that, sprinkle a hefty portion of heath bar pieces.  On top of that, spread some Cool Whip.  Then sprinkle with the remaining heath bar pieces.  This is SO simple but the combination of flavors is to die for.  Perfect for a new neighbor, a new mom, your kids... enjoy!

Friday Favorites 6/7/2013

I love sharing my favorite things. 

For years I have been hearing about a product called Iron Out.  A lot of my baseball mom friends use this on their kids' baseball pants to get the red dirt out. 

I don't know what took me so long, but this stuff is amazing.  So amazing, in fact, that I would probably feel okay about going door to door to sell this stuff.  It's like magic!  All these years, I have accepted the red stains and lived with them.  Well, no more, folks!

I pour a half a cup of the powder into a big Home Depot bucket and fill it with about a gallon of hot water.  I put dirty pants like this in:

Before I started using Iron Out, I would spray pants like this with Shout and wash them, and they always came out of the wash still red and stained. 

I let them soak for about 10 minutes - sometimes longer.  I rinse them well with water and then spray the grass stains with a product called AWESOME (Dollar Store!!) and let them sit a few more minutes.  When finished, they look like this:

Can you believe it?  It's magic!  Now, I must warn you that it produces some fumes.  In fact, I have inhaled so much of this stuff (while adding the hot water to the powder) that I've convinced myself I may have some abnormal cells growing in my lungs.  In all seriousness, do consider wearing a painter's mask or something of the like, when doing this.

On to my next favorite THING - and I love it!  First of all, let me just say that I LOVE the Container Store.  I feel like an organized woman just because I shop there from time to time (when the reality is that I'm really not).  I went in a few weeks ago to pick up a magnetic strip to hang all of Brooke's artwork, and I came across this sticky note weekly calendar.  Check it out:

http://www.containerstore.com/shop/office/calendarsNotebooksPlanners?productId=10032527

It's the most wonderful little $9.99 purchase I have ever made.  I write all that we have coming up each week - so this Summer so far, it's full of baseball practices and games, doctor's appointments, reminders, etc.  I peel it off, place it at eye level on the wall beside my fridge and the kids can reference it whenever they want.  I LOVE this product!  I think it comes with 50 weeks, so you're set for almost a year!

And to wrap up this week's Friday Favorites, let's talk about eggplant.

I am having a love affair with this cute purple vegetable.  I eat it 5 times a week.  I can't get enough!  I wash it, slice it and sprinkle it with salt.

Then I cover it with a paper towel to soak up all the moisture that the salt brings out.  I let it sit anywhere from 30 minutes to several hours.

Can you see how wet the paper towel is?  The next step is that I squeeze each piece in a paper towel to remove just a bit more of the moisture - then I toss the slices with some olive oil - that's it - no need to add salt because you have already done that.  Lay them out in a single layer.

Then roast them in a 420 degree oven for 30-40 minutes.  I like mine pretty well cooked.

They are good hot or cold - but the best temperature is room temperature.  Mmm mmm - so delicious!  Eggplant is a good source of Vitamin K, Thiamin, Vitamin B6, Folate, Potassium and Manganese, and a very good source of dietary Fiber.  Sounds good to me! 

Have a super weekend!

Peanut Butter Balls - the Healthy Kind!

Written on Monday morning:

Typically Monday mornings have that "back to the grind" feel to them.  You wake up and go to work and look forward to Friday... For me, on this Monday morning, I am feeling like my battery is being recharged.  These baseball tournament weekends with two playing in two different far away places is SO FUN but utterly exhausting!  I have to say that I am impressed by myself and all of the other moms who do this weekend after weekend.   

We go go go from sun up to sun down.  Each day feels like a LONG sprint - or a very fast marathon - invigorating, exciting, fun, and tiring all at the same time.

Deep breath.

Then the same thing begins the next day.... though yesterday we were blessed with not having to be anywhere until 11:45.  Both boys spent the night out Saturday night and Brooke went over to a neighbor's house so Matt cut the grass while I cleaned the house - then off to the game we went.  Champ's team went on to win the wooden bat tournament!  So exciting! 

So, you can understand why on Monday morning I am feeling relaxed - almost like I'm thawing out - mentally and physically.  All three of my chickens are sleeping - birds are chirping - my coffee is hot and delicious.  Life is good.

So..I thought that I had blogged about my peanut butter balls recipe but I searched my own blog (yes, is it sad and pathetic that I can't even remember what I've blogged about and what I haven't?  If you happen to come across some brain cells lying around, they're probably mine as I seemed to have lost some over the years...)  I couldn't find the recipe, so here it goes!

Several years ago, I came across this recipe in a family/parenting magazine.  My kids - my nieces and nephews - friends - everyone LOVED them and they go crazy for them every time I make them.  They are healthy little sweet treats full of protein - and I've discovered this year that they're the perfect snack for in between baseball games - to re-energize the players with a punch of protein and sweetness.  They're a great snack to keep in the fridge because you can grab one (or two or three) and keep moving. 

They are so easy and fun for little helpers to make if you have any in your house. 

Five ingredients:  Natural peanut butter (I like natural Jiff which I know has a little added sugar - but I like the creaminess and flavor of it.  You can use ultra natural peanut butter (where the only ingredient is peanuts) if you wish), Rice Krispies, wheat germ, honey and graham cracker crumbs.

Typically I throw the first four ingredients into a bowl and mix and taste, mix and taste and mix and taste until they taste right and then I roll them up into little balls.  I had so many moms at the baseball field ask me to post this recipe, so the other night, I got my pen and paper out and took notes on the proportions.  I felt like a scientist!

Here you go:

Ingredients:

Four cups of peanut butter - this is almost an entire jar of the large jar of peanut butter
1 1/2 cups wheat germ
12 ounces honey
2 cups Rice Krispies
Graham Crackers

Mix the above together (this gets pretty hard to mix once all the ingredients are incorporated). 

In a food processor, take one pack of graham crackers (when you buy a box, it comes with three wrapped sections - use one) and process it into fine crumbs.  Pour crumbs onto a plate or into a bowl.  You will use this to coat the peanut butter balls. 

Roll a little bit (about 1 1/2 TBS) of the peanut butter mixture into a ball.  If you feel like it's too sticky, add more wheat germ and/or Rice Krispies.  Conversely, if you feel like it's too dry, just add more honey and peanut butter.  That said, the proportions I am giving worked well for me.  Roll each ball in the graham cracker mixture and place on a cookie sheet.  Do this until you have used up all of your peanut butter mixture. 

This should yield about 80 peanut butter balls.  Trust me, you will want all 80 of them.  I let them sit on the cookie sheet in the fridge (covered with foil or saran wrap) for an hour or so and then put them in a Tupperware container and store them in the fridge (I put a little sheet of wax paper in between the layers).  You can give these to your friends (especially if they kids!) and they will go crazy!  I haven't figured up the nutritional breakdown yet, but they are healthy, delicious and a great pop of protein for our growing kids and ourselves!