Chilly Children and Chili for Dinner

Aiden to all 3 kids: It's pretty chilly outside this morning.  You might want a warmer coat.

Alex: Nah, I'm good.

Annie: I'm just going to wear this one.

Ashley: *crickets chirp as she ignores me*

Aiden: No, really.  It's way, WAY colder than it has been.

Annie: How much degrees is it?

Aiden: 31.

Alex: That's below freezing.

Aiden: I know.  Are you sure you don't want a heavier jacket?  I know I would!

Fast forward to 10 minutes later at the bus stop.

All 3 Kids:  I'm soooooooo cold.  It's soooooooo cold outside.  When's the bus coming?  It's soooooooo cold.

Aiden: I know.

Does anyone else parent this way?  Holly's classes called it "natural consequences".  I call it, "hey dork! I told you so!"

Now, for dinner.  I made Holly's mom's recipe.  I guess I could just say "my mother-in-law's" recipe.  Duh.  Anyway, it's super easy and super good.  And I'm cheating and making Jiffy Corn Muffins from a box.  Hey, I get a night off.  And the box of mix is like 33 cents!

Mom's Chili

or

Aiden's Mother-in-Law's Chili



1 lb hamburger (we use ground turkey)

1/2 onion sliced

1 or 2 cloves of garlic

1 can crushed tomatoes

1 can tomato sauce (15 oz)

2 cans chili beans (15 oz cans or one large can)

Cumin, salt, pepper and chili powder to taste

1/2 C ketchup

Brown meat, onion, and garlic in 5qt stock pot.  Drain fat if needed.  Combine with tomato products, beans and ketchup.  Stir in spices *(I also season the meat while it's browning).  If you want/need to thicken you can add potato flakes, flour, or corn starch.  Cook to warm through *(I put mine in the crock pot about 2 hours ahead of time just for ease, since I can't always guarantee I'll feel good enough to stand at a stove later).

A Rant

I'm not one to blog about political issues.  I like to blog about happy things like cooking, cleaning, children, and the like.  But I am MAD!

The GOP appointed Veteran's Affairs chairman is all mad that the VA budget has increased annually over the last decade and wants to curb VA spending.  Well, of course the damn budget has increased!  We've been in two wars fought by veteran's who have to keep going back over and over again.  They have needs!  Thank goodness the Democrat counterpart (Patty Murray, Cal) to this yahoo from Florida (Jeff Miller) promises to watch him "like a hawk".  Because, Jeff Miller (who is not a veteran), the people who promised to defend and protect their nation to their death deserve the very best care we can provide them.

And let's talk about this care for a second.  My own personal experience has been awful at times, occasionally spectacular, but generally just fair.  I wait ridiculous amounts of times for prescriptions and appointments.  Overworked staff are unable to call me back for days sometimes, leaving me in excruciating pain with no help.  Just yesterday I learned that my local VA lost a copy of an MRI that needed to get to a specialist in Portland, thus delaying treatment even further.

*Please note, very little of my frustration is directed at the people who work at the VA.  Well, the Walla Walla VA and the Portland VA, at least.  Their issues stem from having to care for far too many veteran's with a very limited number of staff.  My experience at the Spokane VA, well, that was different.

So, that's what I have to have to say about that.  Political beliefs aside, it is ridiculous to send our men and women off to war and then not provide them ample care upon their return.  It makes me sick to my stomach.  And now I'm done complaining.

Dinner's On!

In an attempt to cut back on our food budget, my shopping has gotten a little boring.  But thanks to some decent planning and the fact that I'm a stay-at-home parent, the food has actually gotten better!  I've decided to go all 50's style and make most of what we eat from scratch.  Homemade breads, mac n' cheese, chili, etc.  Yummy!

Today I made Southern Style Biscuits (Alton Brown's Recipe) to go with our Chicken Fried Chicken and gravy, mashed potatoes and steamed carrots.  I ended up just shaping the biscuits as best as I could by hand because I'm one of those people who will overwork bread dough until it's dead.  So, my biscuits aren't pretty, but damn they turned out GREAT!

I posted my chicken frying technique on my old blog, but I'll give it to y'all again.  I prefer to cut boneless/skinless chicken breasts into strips. They're just easier to handle and the kids don't have to cut anything!  I take 2 egg whites and 2T of water and beat together in a bowl.  In a separate, larger bowl I crush a stack of saltines (or you can use flour or bread crumbs, the saltines just add a nice crunch) and mix in pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, and paprika (or just season to your taste).  You can also add some finely shredded cheese to make it extra delicious, but not extra healthy! 

Now, dip the chicken in the egg whites and then coat in the saltines or flour.  Now, here's the important part: refrigerate for at least 30 minutes before frying!  It helps the breading stick!  And I prefer to fry in a non-stick skillet so the breading doesn't get stuck and I can use far less oil.  Depending on the thickness of the chicken, it takes anywhere from 5-10 minutes on each side.

Well, we're not eating very healthy tonight, but sometimes you just have to have some good fried chicken and gravy!  Yum!

Bugs and Scary-Pokey-Things

So far Walla Walla has proven a really good fit for us.  We're liking the town, loved the fair, love the schools and just really like where we're at.  Now, if we could just take care of a couple complaints: bugs and something called puncture vine.

Here in Walla Walla we have earwigs a plenty.  Barf.  I love putting pictures on my blog, but I will not include a picture of these creepy-crawlies.  Nor will I include pictures of the many different spider species I've discovered.  However, these strange green bugs that we have, which are called Green June Beetles (according to google), I will share.  Here's one:

There are lots of other creepy little things, but that's about all I have the stomach to share for now.  I guess I should be happy we don't have the yellow jacket problem like we had in Pullman.  But I'm not happy.  I don't like bugs and neither does Holly.  At least I'm fine with killing them, otherwise we'd have an even bigger problem on our hands!

Now, puncture vine is a pain in my ass.  Or more specifically, my feet.  This bastard of a plant has seeds that stick into your shoes and then get transported wherever you go.  Like into the house.  Where people walk barefoot.  Like right after a shower.  When they're feeling really good.  Until suddenly they're cursing enough to make a sailor blush.  (Can you guess what happened to me this morning?)

So, if someone could just take care of the bug and scary-pokey-things for me, I'd be very much obliged.

Pumpkin Mini Muffins

Oy vay, I owe you all a lot of posts.  Things have been so crazy around here with Holly's class starting this week, the kids being in school, county fairs, a new car, and a couple of quick out-of-town jaunts this weekend.

But for now I'll post this recipe since so many of you have requested it.  I'll give you fair warning that baking these will make your whole house smell like fall.  Also, just like Lay's Potato Chips, you can not eat just one.  Well, there you have it.  Don't say I never told you!

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Mini Muffins

*You will need a mini muffin tin and I strongly suggest getting baking cups (or papers or liners or whatever you happen to call them!).  These can be found at WalMart (sometimes in the baking section, sometimes in the craft section where they have cake decorating stuff), some grocery stores, or Michael's craft store.*

Preheat oven to 350

Yield: Approx. 6 dozen

Ingredients:

3 C all-purpose flour

2 tsp cinnamon

1 tsp salt

1 tsp baking soda

4 eggs

2 C sugar

2 C canned or cooked pumpkin (one large can is more than enough)

1 1/4 C vegetable oil

1 1/2 C mini chocolate chips

1. Combine flour, cinnamon, salt and baking soda in large bowl.
2. Beat eggs, sugar, pumpkin and oil in a separate bowl.
3. Stir into dry ingredients until just moist.
4. Add chocolate chips.
5. Pour into greased tins or baking cups (seriously, baking cups!).
6. Bake at 350 for 12-14 minutes.

A Conversation with a 10 Year-Old

(*Note: this conversation occurred after several attempts to get Alex into bed.  Also, please note, that Alex has a tested IQ of over 130)

I hear a bedroom door open and instantly know who's it is.

"Alex, go to bed.  If you get up again, you're losing your PSP for the rest of the month," I warn.

"Well, but, Aiden, I had something to tell mom.  I guess I'll tell you."

"No, you need to go to bed.  It can wait for morning, unless it's life-threatening or something," I respond, exasperated because we go through this bedtime nonsense every single night!

"Well, it's just that something scary happened, Aiden."

"Okay, fine.  What?"

"Well, you know that lamp you put by my bed? And you know that little knob you twist to turn it off and on.  Well, I got it stuck in my nose and I didn't think it was going to come back out."

Cue crickets to fill the extended silence as I stare at Alex in awe.  There is no answer to this statement.  There is nothing in the entire world I could possible say.  So, I say,

"Alex, go to bed."

"But Aiden, it was scary and now I can't fall asleep."

"Let me get this straight," I say.  "You, at age 10, decided to unscrew the knob for your lamp, shove it up your nose, all while you were supposed to be falling asleep and now you want my sympathy?  Go to bed.  I'm coming to take the lamp out of your room.  You've lost that privilege.  We'll see you in the morning.  And please, resist the urge to put anything else up your nose!"

Maybe I just don't understand 10 year-olds!

Live Bait

For the past few years we have lived in hawk country.  All three kids are familiar with hawks, including their feeding habits.  Therefore when we see a hawk circling high above, the kids all know there's a good chance that something is dead on the ground down below.

Apparently the kids' curiosity about hawks has not been satiated.  Today when we saw a hawk flying high in the sky, they all stared and admired it from afar.  But "from afar" is not good enough for these young scientists.  Oh, no.  If they are truly going to experience these majestic creatures, our kids need to see them up close.

Well, just how will they get the opportunity to see a hawk close enough to truly observe it?  Not in a museum or in books and pictures like some scientists might settle for.  No, our children are going to bait the thing.

Having a shortage of dead field mice or other appropriate hawk bait, the kids pondered for a moment as to what they could use.  They didn't ponder long before deciding that Annie would be a fine substitute for a lousy field mouse. 

Once the "bait" had been decided on, Ashely and Alex quickly began gathering up all the branches, sticks and leaves in the yard in order to cover up Annie.  I'm not entirely sure why they would want to hide their bait so well, but alas, these are young scientific minds at work and you've got to expect some trial and error learning to take place.

Annie took position lying in the grass, conjuring memories of Anne from Anne of Green Gables and her Lady of Shallot production.  All she needed was a dory and a river, and it would have been a perfect reenactment. 



I didn't actually know that the kids had planned any of this.  It wasn't until I saw Ashley and Alex begin to cover Annie with the branches and leaves that I asked that question that all parents regret asking once it leaves their mouth: what in the world are you kids you doing?

"We're trying to get the hawk down here," Alex says.

"Ummmm, how?" I ask, warily.

"By making it think Annie's dead."

And this is where all their plans for scientific discovery came to a screeching halt.  Besides the fact that it was probably an exercise in futility, I couldn't stand to bare witness to Annie's eyes being pecked out by a hawk. 

I don't think Alex and Ashley would have liked to see that either.  At least, I hope they wouldn't.  But, then again, they did volunteer Annie to be the bait in the first place.