The water droplets on the grass caught my eye one morning when I was outside with the little ones:
Bryan Peterson: Beyond Portraiture: Creative People Photography
Fil Hunter: Light: Science and Magic: An Introduction to Photographic Lighting
Elaine Weinmann: Photoshop CS for Windows & Macintosh (Visual QuickStart Guide)
Editors of PHOTOSHOP USER Magazine: Photoshop User, December 2007 Issue
Editors of PHOTOSHOP USER Magazine: Photoshop User, July/August 2007 Issue
Editors of PHOTOSHOP USER Magazine: Photoshop User, September 2007 Issue
Dan Margulis: Professional Photoshop: The Classic Guide to Color Correction (5th Edition)
Karen Andreola: A Charlotte Mason Companion: Personal Reflections on the Gentle Art of Learning
Clay Clarkson: Educating the Wholehearted Child Revised & Expanded
Ruth Beechick: You Can Teach Your Child Successfully: Grades 4-8
Elizabeth Laraway Wilson: Books Children Love: A Guide to the Best Children's Literature
Harvey Bluedorn: Teaching the Trivium: Christian Homeschooling in a Classical Style
Ruth Beechick: Adam and His Kin: The Lost History of Their Lives and Times
The water droplets on the grass caught my eye one morning when I was outside with the little ones:
I usually don't have much to say about my cookbooks or magazines. (not on here, anyhow.) I love cookbooks and collect them, yes. I have an insane amount, according to my husband. After boxing up dozens (maybe hundreds) of cookbooks that I could live without, but still want to keep forever, what remain are.... hundreds of cookbooks on a bookshelf devoted entirely to cookbooks. So now that it's established that I am a cookbook freak, let me say this. I LOVE COOKS ILLUSTRATED. The magazine, the website, the cookbooks and even--corny as it may be--America's Test kitchen. LOVE LOVE LOVE. So why am I freaking out today? Because....after being a member of Cooksillustrated.com for--I don't know--years?? I realized just today that you can browse their current edition and previous editions online. No joke. If that is something that other people knew, don't stop in to tell me. Just say "wow!" like you didn't already know. Please. I am nearly ashamed of myself for not knowing it sooner. Maybe I knew subconsciously. ;)
Travis and Tara are used to green smoothies. They drink spinach/water/banana smoothies any day. So one day I was making a big batch of green smoothies with just that--lots of spinach, some water and two bananas (yes, nice and sweet.) and Thomas heard the blender going. (Who couldn't? It sounds like a jet engine.) So he asked me if I would make him one with peanut butter. I told him if he tastes my smoothie I will make him one. So he did, and he thought it was "Yucky". He mentioned something about grass and banana.....haha. So he wanted me to make him a peanut butter smoothie. I really had no clue what to do precisely, so I just threw in some milk, ice, a couple scoops of Ovaltine powder and a big scoop of PB.
The other day Tara asked Daddy what he wished for. He told her something silly like cookies or dinner. Then he asked her what she wished for. She said "I wish I was a Beeuteeful princess." AWwww. He told her that she already is one! (what else could you say?)
Travis was on the floor playing with this big box of Star Wars toys when he had a revelation. He stopped what he was doing and said, " I know what Yoda is."
I want to shout it and say it all happily, but its bittersweet. She's growing up! She's a doll though. She's so sweet and so smart. Isn't she a doll? It was so windy, her hair was all over the place....just ignore that.
So I was playing in the kitchen with my Nikon sb800 off camera, and some reflectors. I felt happy to be taking pictures again. These are so far from good that I feel almost embarrassed to post them, but on the other hand, with no experience and no training in shooting glass, I am not going to be too terribly critical of myself. (for once. ;) )
I haven't posted in forever with deaths in the family, holidays, birthdays, pregnancy problems and illness it seems that there's always been something preventing me from taking the time to catch up on my blog. But I *think* I'm back! Now that spring seems to finally be here, I almost feel alive again. I didn't realize that I felt...well... less than alive until one day the air hit me and I felt alive. I am just glad to finally be feeling better. Please let spring be here! I am so ready for flowers and bees and warm, sweet air!!!!!
As I was leaving for my Grandpa's funeral, I got the call from my mother-in-law. Tim passed away around 9:00pm Monday. Please pray for his wife and daughters. I cannot imagine the pain they must be in. My heart is broken for them.
I am completely heartbroken for so many people during this holiday season. My grandpa was very sick for the last several months and just when we thought he couldn't get worse, he did. Until Friday, when he passed away. I am relieved that he is no longer in pain and suffering, but I am so sad for my grandma. She misses his presence in the big old house they built many years ago when they still had kids at home. Now my little grandma goes out at night, all alone, to take care of her animals and when she comes in, its to an empty house. I hate thinking of how alone she feels. Today we will attend his funeral.
One of my favorite things in the whole wide world is food. Not only do I love to eat it, but I love to cook it too. So yesterday I had chicken breasts in the refrigerator that needed cooked and I had no idea what I wanted to do with it so I threw them into a soup pan with some chicken stock and let it simmer until I could pull the chicken apart with forks. Then I added the rest of the carton of stock, some water, seasoning (thyme, salt, pepper, bay leaf) and chopped up 3 peeled potatos and a bag of frozen mixed vegetables. In another pan i threw in half a stick of margarine and a chopped onion--then added some flour, cooked it a little then dumped in lots of fat free half and half. MMMM. like gravy. Then I dumped the "onion gravy" into the soup. It made YUMMY creamy chicken vegetable soup. YUM. It really was good. I was in the mood for something more substantial than just regular ol' clear broth soup. I guess this was more like chicken stew. Anyhow, it was actually good.
Doris Janzen Longacre: More-With-Less Cookbook (World Community Cookbook)
Rita Bingham: 1-2-3 Smoothies : 123 Quick Frosty Drinks-Delicious AND Nutritious!
Rachael Ray: Rachael Ray 2, 4, 6, 8: Great Meals for Couples or Crowds
Paula Deen: Paula Deen & Friends: Living It Up, Southern Style
Peter Reinhart: The Bread Baker's Apprentice: Mastering the Art of Extraordinary Bread