Our first igloo

The snow was perfect for packing today so here's what we made.  It was our third attempt at an igloo but with the help of a few snow brick molds and you tube demonstrations we finally got it .  It fits three people and is somewhat miss shaped but the process was fun and we hope it with stands the sun and high of 39 degrees tomorrow.

If not we'll make another one because we all know it can snow through April here.  My brother Rob got really good at igloos in WA.

 

Here's how we eat it

This is was a simple 15 minute millet meal that all but one of my children ate.  

I cooked the millet in the pressure cooker which took a total of 15 min (10 min high pressure then quick release) then tossed it with a bit of olive oil, cumin, garlic powder and salt.   It was topped on a pile of fresh baby spinach then I let everyone choose their own toppings.  We had available avocado, black beans, tomatoes, cilantro, shredded cheese, and salsa.  

My sister Cheryl does a Greek version of this with quinoa, red onions, feta, cucumbers, tomatoes, parsley, peppers and olives - it is just as satisfying!  We all got pressure cookers last year as part of the "kitchen arms race" and there is no greater group to collaborate with than my sisters.  

As for children (actually it's just one child) not eating what is prepared, that is problem that needs help beyond my sister group.  Any suggestions?   

Name the Grain Game

Last week I was done with the redbox this week I hit my fill of red meat.  

So here is a lovely assortment of grains that I am excited to experiment with.  Can you match them to their number?  The picture is small and I only expect Emily to get them all but here they are:

1. Quinao
2. Kamut
3. Spelt
4. Barley
5. Amaranth
6. Millet
7. Red Quinoa

We've been eating millet and quinoa for about a year now but just yesterday I joined in on Emily's "Dollars and Sense" enrichment meeting where we learned about other grains and how to prepare them.  The dishes that were demonstrated were tasty and filling in addition to being an inexpensive and healthy way to feed a family.  I prefer to use my pressure cooker to prepare them but you can easily do it on the stove top.  Emily posted the flyer from the meeting  and you can find out more ways to prepare the grains from Chef Brad (Suz - I hope I can find one of his books at the library or I just may have to add it to may permanent book collection).

Recent Amazon Order

At the bottom of my stocking I found a coinstar receipt that totaled $30 in Amazon credit.  I put my order in last week and here's what I've been enjoying:

A Midsummer Night's Dream was added just for fun and because my niece Natalie is playing the part of Titania in a school performance. I haven't read any Shakespeare since high school and I never enjoyed it because in the back of my mind was the dreaded essay, exam, and class lecture on the assigned reading.  Back then I had to analyze every word and metaphor but this time around I'm reading it without a care of any deeper meaning, I'm just enjoying the way the words lead me along and with it tell a great story.  This edition is from the Folger Shakespeare Library and provides extensive notes and definitions just opposite the text page and keeps me from getting entirely lost.    

The Dugar's book was added because having grown up in a family with 17 children I was curious.  It was a quick read and I was quite impressed with how they live and raise their children.  I'm still curious though, I want more stories and more details.  My mom always talks of writing her own book about our family and I hope she does.  I don't think we could paint ourselves as perfect and organized as the Duggar family but a book about our family would be full of stories of adventure, chaos and love, certainly enough to keep one laughing even after all the words have been read.  I hope I can raise my own children somewhere between the Duggar family and my own family - my mom would call that "controlled chaos".

 

This last book was just eye candy, I don't think I've even read one page.  Amazon readers gave it 4 1/2 stars but I would maybe give it 3.  I was hoping for more innovative embroidery designs - you know like doodling.  The embroidery featured on the cover is  by far the most interesting piece.  But maybe when I stop looking at and actually read it I will change my  mind.  It just may give me a few new tips that my traditional embroidery books are lacking.

Either way this box of new books really brightened my day and filled both my mind and my soul.  Now I'm thinking of going on a change hunt around the house then taking a little trip to the coinstar so I can make another order. 

Fun with FIMO

Thanks for all the movie recommendations!  I have enough titles to fill our que for several months and may even write a few reviews of our favorites.

But since there were no fresh movies for us to watch today I pulled out the FIMO clay that was originally intended for homemade Christmas ornaments but didn't arrive at our door until Jan. 9.  It's just as well because we had enough activities to keep us busy over the holidays, today was a perfect day for sculpting.

James made the first of many flag magnets, Sweden's for Nanny and Poppy and the Swiss flag is for Oma and Opa .  The other two, U.S.A. and Nigeria, he's keeping for himself.

William made the Weasley's flying car and Whomping Willow from Harry Potter book 2.  

I just discovered the girls love to bead pipe cleaners - it actually keeps them busy.  So I made the beads for them.  I also experimented with a big colorful button and may stick it on that sweater I'm suppose to finish for Henry.

It is not a good project for younger children so the girls did play dough while poor little Peter was sick in bed.  He thought the clay was one of his birthday presents because it arrived just before his birthday party - it will be fun to see what he'll creaate when we try this again. 

An old favorite

I've had enough of the redbox and am now officially convinced few great movies have been produced in the last several years.  It's time to renew my Netfilx account so I can once again enjoy great movies, old classics and international films.

I found Annie at my Mom's house and it's been a couple of decades since I last saw it.  There was a summer in my childhood where us girls watched it at least everyday - we loved it!  I think what made it so entertaining  for us is we really related to those little girl orphans, not that we were uncared for in the least, we were just scrappy little girls sharing one great big room (there were at least 6 of us in there at a time) and living our own musical the way we use to sing, dance and play together.  In fact, we even coreographed our own version of "It's a Hard Knock Life" complete with gymnastics, flips off the bunk bed, pillow fights, jumping from bed to bed and climbing the hallway walls.  Suz often played Annie, Becca was always Molly, and Mary and I switched between Pepper, Miss Hanagen, and Grace.  Watching this movie again brought back many pleasant memories of my childhood.

Yesterday I showed it to Maryanna for the first time.  She must have liked it because she sat through the whole thing and I heard her belting out the words "tomorrow" while sitting on the potty. 

Except for a movie night once a week and occasional sports events our family doesn't watch T.V.  This next month may have to be the exception though as I get back my strength.  I am in need of movie recommendations beyond recent Disney or Pixar productions to enjoy with the kids, or maybe we'll have to pick up where we left off on Planet Earth from our last road trip.   

He cooks!

I guess it was unrealistic for me to think I'd be "back to full strength in another week". Apparently it can take several weeks and even months to be back to full strength after a blood transfusion. But I'm doing what I can do, resting, taking iron supplements, and eating red meat.

I wasn't kidding when I called to ask my Dad if he had any venison heart or chicken liver in his freezer, I even begged Paul to go to the local Super China Market for a black chicken and accompanying dried herbs and fruit for an iron rich stew but they both just laughed at me. Instead, my Dad cooked me a steak on Sunday and Paul went to Costco yesterday and stocked up on enough steak to feed us throughout the week. I think he is going to enjoy this part of the recovery.

Look what he brought to me in bed last night - it was delicious and the presentation was impressive.  What made it all the more delicious was the sound of dishes being washed and the washer and dryer running full force. There is little room for self-pity when those dearest to you put their love to action.