Paper Snowflakes

Every year when the days get shorter and the temperatures fall, the Parker family gets that gleam in our eyes dreaming of the elusive white stuff. All the signs point to it. Our tongues crave it. Yet, it keeps us waiting. So we turn to making our own.

I found two really great sites for instructions on making paper snowflakes.

For the right way to fold the paper, this easy to follow video is cute and really helpful! Way better than diagrams you'll find at other sites.

And for simple snowflake patterns that even kids can do, this site is the best. There are lots of others out there, but they tend to be quite intricate and hard for little hands. Plus these designs are classic and bold.

We are having fun playing the the (paper) snow. Emeline wants to put some final touches on them namely glitter. There might be a blizzard after all without the soggy socks or frozen toes.

Pictures to come...

Winter Passtimes: Movies and Books

Winter is great for staying in the cozy warm house close to the fire. Unfortunately, the television is right next to the fireplace so we are watching more TV than I like, but we have discovered some movies that are worth sharing.

Owen has become obsessed with all things Star Wars and wants to watch an Episode daily. His choice changes depending on his mood. One day it has to be Darth Vader, the next Darth Maul, another day it's all about Anakin.



Emeline enjoys Star Wars with Owen since she loves all things dark and scary, but she has also discovered Kit Kittredge - An American Girl. I really enjoyed the movie too! It's a wonderful story of a 10-year old girl during The Great Depression that is surprisingly applicable to our world today when so many of us are just "a step away from the poor house". Monday she watched Mr. Magorium's Wonder Emporium and right away she pegged the young boy narrating the story as Kit's friend from the American Girl movie. When he finally appeared on screen, I was shocked that she was right. She is remarkably observant! I had avoided Mr. Magorium when it came out because the movie trailer made the film seem like a 4-year old on Mountain Dew and Skittles, but it really wasn't like that at all. It was a sweet film about being yourself and enjoying life.



Ben has discovered the Independent Film Channel and is expanding his film horizons while stuck home from work due to the freezing temps. He recommeded The Cat's Meow to me. I rarely find the peace and quiet I require to sit and watch a movie and when I do I often fall asleep. Maybe one day...




I have tried to keep the couch potato syndrome at bay by encouraging (or enforcing) reading time too.

Emeline loves the Barbara Park Junie B. Jones series. We have some of the books and have read them all. Currently we are reading Junie B. Jones First Grader Toothless Wonder. She is also reading them in school. She has also started bringing home one easy reader book a week to practice reading on her own and she is doing great! She's got lots of the sight words (high-frequency words) down pat and can sound out just about anything.



Owen's favorite books have to do with... you guessed it! Star Wars. He has a few, but the coolest book ever is The Pop Up Guide to the Galaxy. It's a pop-up book about everything Star Wars Episodes 4-6. It can only be used under adult supervision, but that's ok. Ben and I are amazed at the pop-ups everytime.

Maybe you are wondering why I haven't mentioned Holden. I didn't forget him, but he's a special case. Not really interested in movies or TV. He'd rather not read. So what does he do? He loves scouring the internet for teaching tools. Yes, he loves dreaming of being a teacher and exploring lesson plans and grading books. He hasn't quite gotten the point that to be a teacher you have to have a vast store of personal knowledge. But he's getting knowledge whether he likes it or not. His teacher requires two books a month. This month she assigned his reading group a book that he's choking down and he has a project that involves a non-fiction book. This got him off track from reading the Lemony Snicket Series of Unfortnate Events which he does enjoy. Hopefully, he'll get back to Book 5 in February.


The same thing that I deal with in trying to watch movies keeps me from reading much too. In addition, to the fact that I don't want to pick up a book and start reading only to be disappointed. I'd love some of your suggestions.

Happy hibernating!

Resolutions

A new year always brings talk of renewal, change, and resolutions. It is only natural at the start of something new that you want to do things differently and hopefully better. I often set my personal goals against upcoming events or other milestones such as my birthday. And usually I feel a sense of renewal at the beginning of each new year.

Not so much 2009 though...

There are plenty of self-improvement resolutions I could make, but I am seriously lacking motivation. December 31, 2008 went and January 1, 2009 arrived and I felt no cosmic shift. I sat up with Holden, Emeline, and Owen watching Dick Clark kiss his lovely wife at the stroke of midnight and then we all rolled over to snooze the first few hours of 2009 away. Honestly, I could use a few more months of that.

But feeling the pressure of the media (or maybe that's just our too tight jeans squeezing us) Ben and I have made the same resolution as about 1/3 of the people who even bother making them anymore... weight loss & fitness. We really do want to shape up, but that extends my resolution to getting up early to prepare a BIG breakfast for us every morning. And of course, having a healthy dinner ready every night (no later than 6pm). Then that adds on being organized enough to have healthy meals planned day in and day out and keeping the house stocked with healthy snacks. Ugggh... suddenly my list is way longer than Ben's.

I have a feeling that I will end up like the 85% who break their resolutions (at least temporarily), but I have faith in myself (and Ben) that we will end up making positive changes over the next 12 months and beyond.

The kids and I talked about resolutions/goals: what they mean; why people make them. When they head back to school on January 6th their teachers may ask them if they have resolutions. I want them to be prepared with their own thoughts not just what the kid before them said. They each told me what they wanted to do in the new year...

Holden: do good in school; read the Bible more

Emeline: go swimming this summer

Owen: "play games... well... just play with blocks" (a direct quote)

I love how Emeline and Owen's resolutions are all about fun. Holden has the maturity to set actual goals although I am sure he'd agree that swimming and playing games are definitely on his things to do list for '09.

Now here's a resolution I know I can keep: help the kids reach their goals... and not just the ones they've set for 2009, but whatever they choose for the rest of their lives.

But swimming sounds really good...

Rafferty's Revisited

My mom swooped into town Friday to steal Emeline away for a few days of Granny Time so Ben and I had a built in babysitter... the easiest way to get out of the house! After a week of being housebound with sick kids, the holidays, and school/work vacation I was ready to eat a meal that I did not prepare.

So Ben and I decided to make our return trip to Rafferty's.

We were seated right away even though the restaurant was busy. That's one of the advantages to being a party of two! Our server was a friend (that ensured good service) and she knew of our previous negative experience so she was interested in the quality of this meal. This dinner was off to a good start.

The last time we dined at Rafferty's we ordered an appetizer, Ben had a margarita, Ben and I ordered meals, Ben added on a house salad, and Holden had a children's meal. The manager provided us with two meal cards good for any entree on the menu. Since we had a pretty big bill on the night of the nightmare we felt comfortable ordering the most expensive thing on the menu: the Jackson Hole Filet. It comes with a house salad and one side... a plus since most items on the Rafferty's menu come with a side only and you have to add the salad for $3.79.

The food arrived quickly. Salad was fresh and crisp. A problem that I have with Rafferty's salads is that towards the bottom they get watery and this time was no different, but the Romaine was fresh and it did not have the chemical taste that many restaurant salads have so I was ok with the watery finish. I skipped the croissant because I am trying to quit (in the famous words of my boss), but it was the usual big, fluffy pastry drizzled in liquid gold (honey butter).

The entrees also arrived quickly... maybe too quickly because Ben wasn't finished with his salad, but we didn't complain. Unfortunately, we are like most American's and we shovel food like nobody's business. Eating out is usually not an event that we linger over. Maybe it stems from school lunches that were 20 minutes long 10 of which were spent in the lunch line or maybe it's from eating out with small children: the faster you eat, the sooner you leave, the less chance for a kid to have a public meltdown. I digress... The filet was cooked perfectly; moist and juicy. It was a little salty tasting to me, but good. My side was Vegetable Stuffed Tomato (I was trying to be healthy). It turned out to be somewhat of a broccoli casserole with mushrooms, corn and parmesean bread crumbs... not so healthy, but it was the only vegetable option on the sides list. Ben got his usual fries and for once they seemed decent. I am not a fan of Rafferty's fries since they are usually pieces of fries - crumbly and greasy. All in all our meal was much better than before. We might go back on our own dime... if the recession ever ends.

Cheers to Rafferty's for not being a blankedy-blank embarassment again!

Rafferty's Update

My complaint to Rafferty's website was delivered to the manager... much to Ben's surprise (he said no one would ever read it). The manager graciously called me the Monday after my email to discuss my experience. I really didn't have anything more to add, but I did clarify the reason that I didn't mention it while at the restaurant was because I didn't want to make a scene (or get my food spit in). He sent out complimentary meal cards to compensate us and he said hopefully win us back. Believe it or not I am not in a hurry to go back. Not even for free food! I am sure we will though and I will post back about my experience. At least, they earn brownie points for having such a competent and pleasant manager.

What's Cooking?

This afternoon I came to a realization... I hate cooking. I cook everyday of my life at least once a day. Figuring out what to cook is frustrating. Preparing is a disaster. Clean up is a hassle. But we gotta eat and we are too poor for an in house chef (my fantasy) even eating out everyday is not an option.

OK... I guess I overstated it a bit. This is just the build up of a days and days of being a short order cook for four lousy tippers.

Many of our happiest family memories are in the kitchen over a bowl of cookie dough or a griddle of silver dollar pancakes. All three kids love to help prepare meals and Ben is the best guinea pig ever! I have a repertoire of recipes I prepare regularly, but every now an then I'll try something new. Sometimes it flies and sometimes it flops.

This weekend I had a taste for Buffalo Wings (skinless, boneless to be exact). My relationship with Buffalo Wings is an interesting one. I used to despise them. The smell would turn my stomach. Then during my pregnancy with Owen I started craving them almost daily. Not being one to deny a pregnancy craving I ate them and I liked them! And would eat them in a train... in a box... with a fox! I've heard they aren't hard to make at home and I gave it a whirl.

Here's the recipe I chose:

1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 tsp paprika
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1 Tbsp margarine or butter
1/4 cup Frank's Red Hot sauce
1/4 cup Worcestershire sauce
1/4 tsp garlic powder
about 2 lbs chicken
vegetable oil or olive oil

You just mix the first four ingredients to coat the chicken pieces in. Then mix the next four for the sauce. You coat the chicken in the flour then brown in small batches in the oil in a pan on the stove top. Remove them from the pan and dip them in the sauce and place on a baking sheet. If you have extra sauce, pour it over the chicken. Bake the chicken at 350 for 5-10 minutes. And voila... Buffalo Chicken!

I tweaked the recipe some. After I mixed the butter, hot sauce and Worcestershire sauce it seems too Worcestershirey so I added more hot sauce. Ben loved it and declared it "better than a restaurant." I am not so sure. They were good, but not quite true Buffalo Wings. The next time I may only use one or two tablespoons of Worcestershire sauce.

As for the name of this recipe? I cut the chicken into nugget sized portions so I started calling them Buffalo Nuggets and of course, Buf Nugs for short. Ben said it and I was thinking it...great minds, huh?

One more side note... I left the sauce off some of the nuggets and baked them on a separate baking sheet for Emeline and Owen because I thought the hot sauce might be too much for them. They were moist and delicious. Reminded me of Chick-Fil-A nuggets, but way less greasy. They ate 'em up!

I will be adding Buf Nugs to the rotation especially for football nights and parties!

Sinus Update

This is a follow up to my recent post regarding using the neti pot (sinus pot) to battle an impending cold. It didn't completely save me from the cold, but what I did come down with was considerably mild compared to what I felt like was coming. Whenever my sinuses became congested, I simply rinsed my nasal passages and I could breathe again. A sinus headache? Out came the neti pot and the headache went away. Usually every cold I get turns into a 3 week long hacking cough. This cold seems to be on it's way out and I have no cough.

I would say the neti is a success and I will be using it again!