Blogging

Blogging has really taken a back-seat for me for a while now. I know some of you blog daily. I just can’t seem to do that. Sadly, I haven’t been great about commenting on your blogs, either. I do read them though.


It’s a balancing act.  As much as I want to blog, I need to run our home, teach our daughter, meet church commitments, run errands, etc.  When there’s time left, I sit at the computer.  Usually, that time is after E is in bed for the night.  She goes to bed about 9:30 most nights.  It’s almost 1 am now.  I get up just after 6 am. That reminds me, I need to go to bed.  Where did my day go?

There’s more rattling around in my mind. Maybe tomorrow I’ll find the time to put some of it in words.

Why Won't My Garden Grow?

Alright bloggy friends, help me out here please.

My garden has not done well again this year.  According to all the experts, a home garden is supposed to produce enough to save money on the grocery bill.  That has definitely not been the case for our garden. 

A little history…

We live in Zone 7.  Our soil is red clay, and the lot is sloped, so the topsoil tends to erode quickly.  We have a retaining wall running the length of our backyard as a tier to minimize the erosion.  Because of these issues, we decided to build raised beds rather than dig around in the yard itself.  To prepare for the raised beds, we tilled the soil about 4-6” deep, which was as far as we could dig with a residential tiller.  Furthermore, failure to coordinate among utilities resulted in several strands of wire/cable running the length of our yard, greatly restricting where we could plant.  There is only one area where we get full sun for much of the day, and that area is where we placed two of our beds, both 4’X8’.  The third bed, a 4’X4’, is in a medium sun area and is used solely for growing salad greens.  Our raised beds are 12” deep. 

When we put in our raised beds three summers ago, we had raised bed growing medium trucked in.  We spent over $250 to build the beds and get seed stock.  That first year, our plants grew large and lush.  They didn’t produce much, though.  I did not use any commercial fertilizer, only compost from our yard which had been composting over the winter.  Typically, our squash plants would produce one squash per week per plant.  Our tomatoes produced well; but not until late-August into September, which is much later than typical for our zone.  It was enough to eat and put some up for the winter, but certainly did not begin to justify the cost of the garden.  However, we didn’t expect a return on our investment the first year. 

The second year, we amended the soil with compost and purchased our seeds.  Our plants grew tall and spindly, but really did not produce anything of significance.  I discussed with our local extension office and learned that the problems we were facing were very common in our area because of draught and temperatures.  We ended up buying a small bag of organic fertilizer to try and boost the growth.  During the dry season, we watered three days a week, according to local ordinances regarding water restrictions.  We did get a decent crop of lettuce for one to two weeks in the late spring.  Our zone is not conducive to growing lettuce during the summer. 

This spring, we amended our soil with more compost, building it up a bit.  We had our soil tested and those results were normal.  Our lettuce bed produced enough for one salad for our family.  That’s it.  Our vegetable beds have produced (so far) 1 zucchini, 1 regular cucumber, and 1 pickling cucumber.  We switched to a commercial fertilizer this year (Miracle Gro Tomato Fertilizer), hoping it would help.  We are using it according to package directions.  The zucchini plant has grown well.  Right now, it has a single 4” zucchini growing that has not changed in size in over a week.  The tomato plants (cherry, roma and slicing) are pencil thin and range from 18” to 30” tall, after 4 months.  Some were grown from seed, others purchased.  They have no blooms.  The cowpeas didn’t even germinate, as the birds ate the seeds.  We purchased 10 strawberry plants to replace them and 4 of those are still alive.  Those are about 6” tall, and were about 3” tall when we bought them in early June.  The okra is about a foot tall and spindly.  It’s the same with the kohlrabi.  I also planted a few marigolds, as a natural bug repellant.  We don’t have much of a bug problem, but our hope was to eliminate any.  Grass grows beautifully in the garden.  I have fought grass all spring and summer.  I pull up large clumps of grass, including roots, and a week later the plot is filled with grass again.  We have a good population of earthworms in our soil. 

I’ve called the extension office again and they recommend spending yet more money to have our soil tested several times during the growing season.  I simply cannot justify dumping more money into this.  We’ve already spent at least $300 in supplies, plus the cost of supplemental watering, and the garden has yielded around $25 worth of produce over three years.  I’m not going to spend more money testing the soil again. 

Our roses, azaleas, roses of Sharon, spring bulbs, mums and hostas are all thriving in their various locations through the yard.  Our lawn is decent. 

Do any of you gardeners out there have any suggestions for getting this garden to grow?  I’m ready to pull them up and lay down a patio instead. 

MyExtra Customized Slim Packs Gum Review

Recently, I had an opportunity through MomSelect to review MyExtra customized gum packs. This is a fairly new product from Extra™, and I thought it would be pretty neat to check them out. So, they provided me with a code to order my own sample packs for review.

Their website is pretty straightforward and easy to navigate. You can pick a theme for your custom Slim Packs™, like graduation, babies, travel or summer. You upload a photo (or several), pick your colors, add any text you want, and decide on a position for the Extra™ logo. Then, you get to proof your packs, select a flavor, and finish the order. It really took me longer to decide on the photos than anything else. The custom Slim Packs™ each contain 15 sticks of Extra sugar-free gum. They are available in Extra Peppermint, Spearmint and Sweet Watermelon flavors.

I designed several packs, just to see how they would look. Here are a couple of my designs.

I received my sample yesterday. The graphics are excellent! E was really excited to see a pack of gum with her photo on it. The hubby was really impressed, too. His went to work with him today so he could show it off. Each pack is cellophane wrapped to keep it fresh. I may not open it for a long while. I chew Extra™ gum on a regular basis and it holds flavor well while not sticking to my crown and fillings.

This would be a really cool way to celebrate an occasion. Imagine a senior portrait on a pack of gum for school friends. Or, a way for parents to show off their new bundle of joy. At Christmas, a family could create a photo-gum pack instead of a photo card.

While I really do like this idea and am impressed with the final product, it is extremely unlikely that I would place an order for the gum. Simply, the cost is too great for regular use. They are ordered in sets of 5 packages for $24.95 ($4.99 per pack) plus $6.95 for standard shipping (or $15.95 for Next Day Air). The first price break comes with an order of 55 packages, and drops $0.50 per pack. The second price break comes with an order of 105 packages, and drops an additional $0.50 per pack. Shipping costs per pack decrease with orders over 10 packs.

So, if I were going to buy 10 packages to share with family using my daughter’s recital photo, it would cost $56.85, with shipping, or $5.69 per pack. A regular pack of Extra™ gum costs around $1.50 locally, so the upcharge for customization is more than $4.00 per pack.

Since there’s a bit of a break with larger quantities, a family could choose to hand these out as baby announcements to 55 family members, friends and coworkers. That would cost $263.90 with shipping, or $4.80 per pack. Given the price of some other announcement options, some might find this to be an affordable alternative.

What about for a wedding? Perhaps the happy couple could hand out packs of customized Slim Packs™ with their engagement portrait to their 250 guests. With shipping, that would cost $1049.10, or $4.20 per pack. I still think it’s rather expensive per pack, but it seems to be inline with other types of wedding favors.

Overall, I think it is a great idea and the end product is delightful. The only real drawback is the pricing, making it cost prohibitive for many applications.

Disclaimer: This review reflects my opinion of the MyExtra customized Slim Packs™. I received five packages for my own use as part of the review. The opinions are my own.

Not-So-Random Act of Kindness

This past Saturday was E's final soccer game of the season.  One of the girls on her team has made tremendous gains in her soccer skills over the course of the season.  She hadn't, however, managed to score a goal. 

As the game was about to end, the young lady in the white jersey set up a plan to let "D" score a goal.  They didn't give it to her; but created an opportunity where she could do it.  E threw the ball in from the sidelines and D intercepted it.  She dribbled it toward the goal, then gave it a good kick.  It went in!  Her teammates...and the opposing team...shouted cheers for her.  When D realized what had just happened, her face lit up and she started to cry.  That loving act, organized by a small group of girls, helped make a memory for D that will last forever. 

There weren't too many dry eyes on that field that afternoon.  I'm thankful I was able to witness it happening. 

E has participated in Upward sports for several years now, and we've seen similar acts before.  One of the blessings of working with Upward is that they teach good sportsmanship and teamwork, rather than focusing on winning at all costs. 

Breadbaking

My friend Sarah, who is not a blogger, gave me a recipe for the most delicious bread. At first, I was really hesitant to make it. In the past, when I’ve made bread, it was with the help of a bread machine. This recipe doesn’t need a machine. Even if you think you can’t make fresh yeast bread, try it. It’s really a whole lot easier than it seems and it doesn’t take very much time.

First, let me tell you how much time you are going to need to do this. Then, you can decide if it will work with your schedule. You will need 5 minutes or so to assemble the ingredients and get started. Then, you will need to wait 15 minutes (check facebook, read a few blogs). When you come back to it, you will need about 7 minutes of active time. Then, you will walk away for an hour. After the hour passes, you will either spend 10 minutes preparing to bake, or just a moment to stick the dough in the fridge until you are ready to bake it.

Still with me? Okay, here is a list of the items you will need to bake this awesome, delicious bread. Trust me, you can pronounce and recognize everything in here.

Water – 3 cups
Honey – 2/3 cup
Yeast – 2 Tablespoons
Olive Oil – 2/3 cup
Salt – 4 teaspoons
Whole Wheat Flour – 8 cups

That’s it. Just six ingredients you probably already have. Yes, you can substitute white or unbleached flour, but it will change the taste and nutritional value. Yes, you can also substitute your favorite oil (canola, corn, soy, etc), but it will also change the taste. Make it once by the recipe, then mix things up the way you want them.

Okay, so let’s get started. I make mine in my KitchenAid mixer. If you don’t have one, you can do this by hand. First, you have to activate the yeast. To do that, you need to get it into warm liquid. So, in a large bowl, pour in 3 cups of warm water. I use it hot straight from the tap. Add the honey to the water and stir until it is well mixed.

Sprinkle the yeast over the water, stir lightly and walk away.

Read a couple of blogs, send out a tweet or two, or fold some laundry if you must. Come back in 15 minutes. The mixture should be foamy looking and not at all appetizing.

Pour in the olive oil and add the salt. Stir the mixture. (Note: If you are using a mixer, now is the time to add the kneading tool to the machine and turn it on “stir”.) Add the flour, stirring after each cup, until it is all in there. Now you have the basic dough.

Next comes the kneading step. If you are using the mixer, just step up the dial to “2” and keep an eye on it while it kneads. If you are doing this by hand, turn it out on a lightly floured surface and work it with your hands. You will knead the dough for a full 5 minutes. Don’t skimp here. Whole wheat flour does not have as much gluten as white flour. If you skimp on the kneading, the bread will be heavier and not rise as much. It will still taste fine. It just won’t be as light and airy. If you have never kneaded dough before, here is a link to a tutorial from Allrecipes.

After you knead the dough, it’s time to let it rest and rise. You will need a large bowl (or a dutch oven). Pour a little oil in the bowl and spread it around. You can also use no-stick spray. Put the dough in the bowl and roll it over so that the oil coats both sides. Cover the bowl with waxed paper or a clean towel. Leave it sitting out on the counter for an hour. Walk away and go do something else.

After an hour, you are ready to bake the bread. However, if it is a weeknight and you want to finish tomorrow, you can do that, too. If you want to bake it later, just punch down the dough so that some of the air gets out. Then, put it back in the bowl, cover it loosely with plastic wrap and put it in the refrigerator until you are ready to bake it. If you are going to bake the bread now, preheat the oven to 350°. Punch down the dough and divide it into four equal portions.

Quickly shape each piece into a rounded loaf shape and put them into oiled loaf pans.

Let them rise for 30 minutes while the oven is preheating.

Pop them in the oven and bake them for 30-35 minutes, until the top is just as brown as you like it. We like ours a little crustier, so they bake the full 35 minutes.

Pop them out of the baking pans and let them cool on baking racks. I store mine in gallon size freezer bags. You can keep a loaf on the counter for a couple of days. If you want to keep it longer, store it in the refrigerator. There are no preservatives, so the loaves will not stay fresh as long as store bought bread.

See? Easy peasy.

Now, want to mix things up a bit? Yeah, me too. What if you want fresh bread for dinner each night with enough left for sandwiches the next day. Go ahead and divide the dough into four equal portions. Bake one. Put the other three into individual gallon sized zipper bags and store them in the refrigerator until you are ready to bake them. Bake them one at a time. The dough will stay fresh in the refrigerator for a week. When you are ready to bake a loaf, pull it out, knead it for a moment or two, put it in the oiled pan, let it rise and then bake it.

What if you need hamburger buns? Take one of the four portions and divide it into 8 pieces. Roll them into balls and squish them flat. Put them on a baking pan (or stone) and let them rise for 20 minutes or so. Bake at 350° for 12-15 minutes. Or, turn those 8 pieces into breadsticks.

How about pizza dough? Take one of the four portions and divide it into 2 pieces. Keep stretching and pulling the dough until it is the diameter of your pan. I bake mine on a stone. Bake for 8-10 minutes. Use it like you would a store bought pizza dough. You can also freeze the baked crust.

Hungry yet?

Swimming Lessons

E has been taking swimming lessons for much of the winter.



She's turned into quite the little fish.



They've asked her to join the swimteam. Mom and Dad think that's just too much for her schedule, since she also plays soccer and takes dance.



At least she's active.

Legos

Have I mentioned that Legos are pretty popular in this house?  E and her friend decided to create a Lego boy.  Here he is, wearing her friend's shoes and jacket.  

Visiting Birdie

Spring is close.  This bird was pecking around in my garden.  Any ideas what it might be?  I haven’t figured it out myself.  For perspective, it’s about as bit as a pigeon.  I’ve included a close-up of his markings.  I managed to convince E that it is NOT a hummingbird.  She was just certain it was.  At least she tried to identify it using her photo guides.  She gets an A for effort, if not for accuracy.

(Please excuse the grainy photos.  These were taken with my telephoto lens, from inside my house, with two panes of dirty glass and a screen between us.)

The Moon

I took this with my camera last night.  Not bad, eh?

F 32

250 mm

1/25 sec

ISO 400

Our New Pet

We got a new hamster today. Isn't he cute? We can love him and pet him and feed him and call him Hammy. Would you like to play with him, too? Go ahead! You know you can't resist.

Would you like a hamster of your own? Visit here to get one.  You can love yours and pet him and feed him and call him...well...not Hammy.

Mama Time

Sometimes, I just need to get away by myself.  It's been one of those weeks.  J is still home sick, but thankfully starting to feel better.  E has been in rare form all week.  She can be the most wonderful child...loving, obedient, compassionate, giving etc, etc, etc.  She is like that MOST of the time.  This week, though, she has pushed every limit, disobeyed continuously, lied, sassed us and basically behaved like an absolute brat.  Simple things, like toothbrushing and hair brushing, she refused to complete without being told twice and then having something taken away.  In other words, we had to resort to punishment to get her to do things she's been doing for quite a while.  These are not new skills.  By today, this mama was DONE.

So, how does this mama get a little time for herself?  This mama goes to the grocery store...ALONE.  Bwahahaha!  I can price compare, walk the aisles and read labels.  Not once did I have to say "STOP THAT" (like when she wants to rub her fingers on the packages of raw meat) or "GET DOWN" (like when she climbs on the freezer doors).

Two hours.  I spent two hours wandering through two different grocery stores today.  Just me, myself and I.  I came home feeling so much better.  Plus, I got some really good deals, and that always makes me happy.  Fresh chicken breasts and fresh strawberries were both $1/pound.  I got yellow and orange peppers for $0.25 each.  Woohoo!

The Flu...

King J is down with the flu. Poor guy is really feeling badly, and sounds like he's trying to cough up a lung. At least he went to the doctor as soon as the symptoms started and started Tamiflu early on. Today, we added narcotic cough syrup to the mix.

We get our flu shots every fall...except this year. Between illness in the house, his knee surgery and just bad timing, he and I didn't get ours. Thankfully, E did get hers. What we are hearing though is that the strains going around are not the strains in the vaccine.

I don't like seeing him feeling so rough. At least he is a nice "patient".

Thoughts on Valentine's Day

Happy Valentine's Day!

Here's a reminder of the greatest Valentine ever! This is a beloved song for me, performed by a favorite group.



I'm baking bread today, to share with my Valentine. E has gone with a friend to a Valentine Breakfast at his school. Later, we'll bake a ham and fix a special Valentine dinner for Daddy.

How are you spending your Valentine's Day?

Life

It's been over a month since I last updated. Slacker. Writer's Block. Brain Dead. Yeah, all of the above. I've got thoughts swirling around in my head, but they just don't seem to make it to my fingers. Then, there's that pesky little issue of "real life". Somehow, I've got my priorities mixed up...you know, blog first, then do everything else. That's the way it should be, right? Ha!

My birthday was this past weekend. I turned 42. How'd that happen, anyway? I wouldn't trade it though. To paraphrase a friend of mine, so many people don't get the chance to make it this far and I know how blessed I am to be here.

I hope to be posting a bit more regularly. I need the discipline that blogging provides. It's an outlet for ME and I really should put a bit more effort into it.

Three Kings Day

Our family observes the 12 Days of Christmas and this day commemorates the visit of the Magi.  Tonight, at bedtime, we will turn off our tree for the last time this year. 

Wishing the blessings of Christ for your home and family on this holy day.

MERRY

CHRISTMAS!!!!

Our Christmas Dance Video

Personalize funny videos and birthday eCards at JibJab!

Rudolph Gets a Lobotomy

We have had the opportunity to walk in this parade in previous years. I can't say I'm surprised it happened. Those larger balloons just don't fit under the street lights very well. We were part of the crew that escorted Raggedy Ann along the route. We struggled against those same lights. Unfortunately, that was Raggedy Ann's first and only appearance in that parade. She was just too large for the streets. Those balloons are really hard to handle, especially when it is windy. It's all done by volunteers, too, with on-the-job training. The next year, we were able to help lead a moderately sized snowflake. It was so much fun! I wish I could find some video from then. Boo!

Hilarious

This showed up in my inbox one day, and I thought it was soooo funny.  Well, I ran across it the other day, it's on SenorGif.Com along with a bunch of other funny (and not so funny) videos.  (Warning:  There is a naughty word.)

Enjoy!

see more Gifs

Blogging Survey

Back when I was in college, one of my courses (Statistics) required me to design and administer surveys.  Finding willing participants isn't always easy.  That said, I just completed this survey for a university project and it was requested that I post this to assist with finding other bloggers. 

"If you are a woman who writes a blog with content predominantly about her family, and you have 10-15 minutes to spare, we would love to hear from you! We are doing research on bloggers, and invite you to take a survey at www.surveymonkey.com/s/mommyblog Your participation will help one graduate student get one step closer to completing her thesis, and one step closer to graduation! Thank you for your input and for your time!"