The Fence

My children and I moved into our home last December, five days before Christmas.  That in itself must have caused the neighbors to question my sanity, and they had every right to wonder about the single mom who set up the Christmas tree before moving any of the furniture into the house. 

I could feel their nervous stares over the fence the morning I ran screaming down the driveway, beating the snow with a shovel (I was chasing a mouse.  Honest.)  They shook their heads at me the day they came home to find the three of us lying in a snow bank in our backyard.  They look bemused when Belle, our little cocker mix, tried to take down Sadie, their golden retriever. 

In the spring they watched as the rented tiller pulled me all over the yard and almost through the fence. They never said a word the day they saw me planting sticks in the yard and running string between them to help me visualize where my future gardens would go. They patiently pointed out the unruly mass of daisies that had overtaken a corner of my yard and threatened to impinge on theirs and even managed to smile when Miss Lo picked all of the daisies and threaded them through Sadie's collar. 

They have put up with Mr J's trumpet "concerts" in the backyard and Miss Lo's loud singing.  They watched as nine screaming eight-year old girls piled into a pool meant for four.  They pretended not to see anything the night I treated my sweet G to a candlelit dinner in the backyard. 

Today I could feel them glancing out their back door while I knelt in the garden in the pouring rain and harvested my tomatoes and lettuce (rain = no mosquitos).  I'm quite sure they heard my delighted squeal when I discovered a bean plant with tons of nice plump green beans ready for the picking and probably even chuckled to themselves as my tomatoes kept falling out of my bowl.   

I've heard it said that good fences make good neighbors.  I'm sure my neighbors and I are in agreement when I say this....  we need a bigger fence. 

Tasty Tuesdays: Spaghetti Squash Breakfast Casserole

One of my favorite breakfast dishes to make when I have nothing but time is a casserole that was submitted by a fellow Fat Flush follower at annlouiseforum.com.  This morning, I decided to treat myself to this delicious, nutritious treat, making it with Trader Joe's Very Cherry Berry Blend.  Yummy!

Spaghetti Squash Breakfast Casserole

2 eggs
1 scoop vanilla whey powder
1/2 tsp cinnamon
2 packets stevia
1 small spaghetti squash, cooked, seeds removed (or use 1/2 of a large squash)
1 cup frozen fruit

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Lightly coat bottom and sides of 9 x 9 baking dish with cooking spray.  Place frozen berries in bottom of pan.

In blender, combine eggs, whey powder, cinnamon, and stevia until well blended.  Add spaghetti squash and blend until smooth.  Pour over berries.  Bake 35 - 40 minutes, until firm and lightly browned.  Let cool before cutting.

Shown topped with additional mashed berries and a dollop of Greek yogurt sweetened with just a tidge of pure maple syrup. 

Now, for the calorie count.  Are you ready?  The entire pan has just over 400 calories!  The entire pan!  Share it with a loved one and you have a fantastically low calorie breakfast.  Or serve up a piece for a guilt-free dessert! 

My favorite variations:

• substitute ginger for the cinnamon and use frozen peaches
• use frozen blueberries and serve with warm maple syrup
• omit the cinnamon and use frozen raspberries

I have been tempted to use chocolate whey powder and Enjoy Life allergen-free mini chocolate chips, but I have not done so.   Yet.

Sunday's Scripture: Isaiah 40:28-31

Do you not know?
   Have you not heard?
The LORD is the everlasting God,
   the Creator of the ends of the earth.
He will not grow tired or weary,
   and his understanding no one can fathom.
²⁹ He gives strength to the weary
   and increases the power of the weak.
³⁰ Even youths grow tired and weary,
   and young men stumble and fall;
³¹ but those who hope in the LORD
   will renew their strength.
They will soar on wings like eagles;
   they will run and not grow weary,
   they will walk and not be faint.



Renew my strength, Lord, for the beginning of another week...

Babies and Baseball

Last night I had the privilege of watching a televised Brewers game with my sweet G, his parents, and his adorable little almost four month old granddaughter, SG.  (Yes, I'm old enough to be dating a grandpa.)  Although it's only been 8 years since I've had my own four month old to love on, I've forgotten how comforting it is to hold a little one close, breathing in that baby smell, feeling those tiny fingers wrap around yours, listening to those sweet little squeaks, squeals, and sighs.  God knew exactly what He was doing when He created babies.  He knew how to wrap them around our hearts so that we would love them, protect them, help guide them through this journey of life. 

Tomorrow SG will be baptized into God's family, although I do believe she already holds a special place in His heart.  My prayer for her is that God will guide her through her journey, carrying her through life's toughest times, rejoicing with her in every success and milestone she reaches, and assuring her when her own plan doesn't align with His chosen path for her. 

SG, you are loved by so many.  Tomorrow will be a day of celebration, a day of renewed hope and faith, and a day to bask in His glory.  And of course, for those of us with teeth, a day to eat cake.  =)

Blessings to all of you,

        "C"

Good news for lemonade drinkers everywhere! (And things I never thought I'd say or do.)

On Saturday, August 20th, 2011, from noon to 3 p.m. activists will meet on the west lawn of the White House to sell lemonade.  Children across the nation are encouraged to open lemonade stands that day, so please be prepared to support your neighborhood vendors!

Now on a completely different note.....

Before becoming a mother to Mr. J and Miss Lo, I never dreamed that one day the words "please take my swimsuit off the dog" would ever come out of my mouth.  In the last 11.5 yrs, I have had conversations that even the most imaginative author could never have imagined.

     Miss Lo:  What does it mean when Belle licks me?
     Mom:  It means she likes you.
     Miss Lo:  What does it mean when I lick her?
     Mom with a hand to her head:  Please.  Don't.  Lick.  The.  Dog. 

I've been expected to know the answers to things that I really have never thought about, nor particularly wanted to. 

     Mr. J:  How do cows communicate?
     Mom:  I have no idea.
     Mr. J:  They must just moo.
     Mom:  Probably.
     Mr. J:  So "mooooooooo" means "I love youuuuuuuu"? 

And there are things that I never dreamed I'd be doing, such as sitting in the freezing rain watching a soccer game, only to look around and discover the other parents in their cozy warm cars.  Or enduring four performances of the same ballet only because my three year old was in it for 45 seconds.  Or apologizing to a deli clerk at the Fresh Market rotisserie:

     Mr. J:  What is that thing??
     Deli Clerk:  That's a roasted chicken.
     Mr. J:  That's not a chicken.
     Deli Clerk, slightly amused:  That's definitely a chicken.
     Mr. J:  Is it a baby?
     Deli Clerk:  No.  It's full grown.
     Mr. J:  Why's it so small?
     Deli Clerk:  I don't know.  Just a small chicken, I guess.
     Mr. J:  That's the scrawniest chicken I've ever seen!
     Mom:  I'll take two, please.

And of course, I'm now expected to be the foremost expert on all subjects, from inserting pads into football pants, to transforming crazy curls into a perfectly smooth ballet bun.  Oh, and a foreign language translator:

     Miss Lo:  Mom, what does "no comprende" mean?
     Mom:  I don't understand.
     Miss Lo:  What does "no comprende" mean?
     Mom:  I don't understand.
     Miss Lo, enunciating clearly:  What...does..."no...comprende"...mean?
     Mom:  Lo, it means "I don't understand".
     Miss Lo:  Oh.

I would be remiss if I forgot to mention that I'm now an expert in healthcare.  From the normal bruises, scrapes, fevers, and tummyaches to asthma, Osgood Schlatter, eczema, and blepharitis.  Oh, and let's not forget braces and expanders!  I mean, really.  How many people get the privilege of saying, "Come here, Lo.  We need to turn your screw"?

All in all, it's been an incredible adventure.  I'm much smarter than I was 11.5 years ago.  I may be a bit more exhausted and I certainly have a few more grays, but I wouldn't change a minute.  

Well, maybe the night Mr. J woke me up at 2 a.m. asking if he could have some pudding.....
    
         

Dairy, lemonade, and football fundraisers

I would have preferred my first post to be a general musing on motherhood, love, cooking, or other warm and cozy topics and not a rant on politics.  I generally go out of my way to avoid any political topic and manage to hold my tongue when a conversation is forced upon me.  Unfortunately, recent events are making it increasingly difficult for me to maintain my silence.   

The recent raids on small farms, along with the prohibition of unlicensed lemonade stands all across the country (WI, CA, TX, IA, NY, GA) and the proposed bans on bake sales in several states has brought me to seriously consider moving to Canada.  (OK, maybe not Canada.  Someplace warmer.  Fiji, perhaps, assuming lemonade stands are still legal in the South Pacific. ) No wonder our country is in the financial state it's in.  Too much money is going to pay SWAT teams to harrass 7 year olds and farmers.  I've finally reached an age where I can say it:  What is this world coming to???

On a completely different note, my sweet Mr. J has begun football practice.  Yes, my sweet, loving, kindhearted, caring "little" boy is now playing tackle football, complete with cleats, helmet, and very smelly pads.  For those of you who are interested, they are selling cookie dough to raise money for the RKY Football League.   That is, unless the government shuts them down...