My Favorite Four Plus One!: May 2010

Sunday, May 30, 2010

Tomatoes

We started collecting tomatoes....too many for John to eat on sandwiches so I had to think of something to do with them. I use lots of canned tomatoes in my cooking, so I thought I'd try using the fresh tomatoes instead and try out a favorite recipe. I first had to figure out how to cook the tomatoes to get them soft like canned tomatoes. You can find anything online so I searched. First I boiled water. Then I sat all of my tomatoes in boiling water for about 1 minute. Then I plunged them in ice water to stop the cooking process. Next I made 4 small slits in the bottom and the skin peeled right off! Next I cut them in half and de-seeded them. I put them all in a big stock pot with some olive oil, fresh basil and oregano (from my garden) that I had chopped finely in my food processor. I let them cook on medium for about 30 minutes. Next I wanted to spice it up a bit and use up other veggies that I had on hand (I totally made this recipe up...except for the first part)...I added diced squash, yellow and green pepper, onion, carrot, and garlic to my food processor (love that tool) and added the veggie mixture to the tomato mixture. I added 1 tsp of sugar, salt, pepper, italian seasoning, and some organic tomato paste. I let it simmer for 1-2 hours while I prepared the rest of the meal! Geez...it took me forever! Next I peeled and sliced the eggplant from my veggie co-op and dredged it in an egg mixture and then flour. I fried those pieces in oil until brown. I layered a dish with the eggplant, topped with homemade red sauce, fresh parmesan cheese and mozzarella. Baked for 25 minutes. I put the eggplant parmesan over whole wheat noodles and then drizzled it all with more red sauce! It was so good!!!!! John loved it and so did the kids! It only took me 4 hours to complete the whole meal! Tomorrow we are ordering pizza....HA HA HA...just kidding sort of! So here are the pictures...you knew I would have pictures!

Popsicles and Sprinkler time!

End of the year!

I thought I would cry like a baby...but I didn't....that is at Emily's end of the year program. Knowing that she wouldn't be a part of the CCS family next year has saddened me but I think I have become so excited about our new adventure that the little things that I will miss and do happen to be sad about...seem to have become less. I will miss chapel! I didn't even partake in the chapel but a couple of times but what those children did at chapel and what that teacher Mrs. Hughes led them in...well I can't recreate at home and I will miss it. There is something about seeing and hearing 200 students recite the books of the Bible and Names of God in unison and recite The Romans Road to Salvation Verses in sign language that moves me and makes me worship. I will truly miss this and I am truly sad that Emily will not have this next year. Sure, we can memorize scripture as a family and I plan to do so and I feel confident that God will bless us and show us new and more incredible things when we follow his will. I know Emily will miss the friends she made at CCS and I plan to really try to stay in touch with her special ones. She has had two awesome years! Her end of the year report at the parent/teacher conference was great! She is one of the most well-behaved students and even got an award at the end of the year for never going onYellow or losing a "mark"...she was one of two students that kept this record all year long! That makes a mommy and daddy proud. Her class also published a book this year and we have had fun reading all the stories. They had to take it from a very rough draft all the way to writing it on "publishing" paper to be bound and finally published. It is a wonderful keepsake. Math will be our struggle (it has always been mine) so we will continue to work on Math throughout the summer. Her tests showed in certain parts that she was reading at an 8th grade reading level which is amazing. We love our sweet friends and teachers we have met at CCS but Mommy is glad that we all feel at peace about our new adventure and decisions.

My Graduate

This is Addison...J.D. told me that they think they are in love....he told his Daddy that she grabbed his hand and he liked it. Apparently, she is telling her parents the same thing....slow down buddy!

His Diploma

The boys...Jake, J.D., Seth, and Carsen

John Daniel and Ms. Alice

John Daniel had a great year at Celebration Baptist Kiderschool. Ms. Alice was great and he had some wonderful classmates that we will be keeping up with. He learned so much and grew so much in one year. We will miss our friends and the fun stuff at school. I'm so proud of my big boy!

Saturday, May 29, 2010

Our Home

I haven't taken a picture of our home in awhile so after John mowed the yard the other day, I did. There is something very comforting about having a home...one to come home to...one to work on...one to admire...one to keep you safe. I really do love our home and I love how we (John) work so hard at taking pride in what we have. One of my favorite things about my husband is that he likes things neat and straight and clean. If they aren't, then he is over tired or too busy or is in a slump because for the most part...he likes things in a certain place...he's organized...he wants things just so and I take up the slack usually where he is lacking....its funny to me because I guess that's just the way our marriage works...

He for instance wants the yard mowed a certain way...I have no clue how to mow the grass. He wants the hose wrapped up a certain way and I can't stand the sand toys all over the yard. He wants the pinestraw put out a special way and I want mulch under the swings. It goes on and on...for the most part we are a little Type A and like things straight. Now I am not perfect in anyway but my kids will tell you that certain things make me go crazy like shoes thown all about on the porch or in the garage or a backpack lying on the ground. Its weird. Anyhow, because we have been spending a lot of time in the backyard due to the cute chickens....we have spent more time getting the backyard in order (laundry is a disaster due to this shift in attention by the way) but it has been nice. We have new pinestraw, porch is nice and clean, a nice path in the back of the yard is underway, we have a new garden spot for potatoes and onions, new mulch, and order to the backyard! We have a long ways to go because our grass had some problems and we have a drainage issue and we need trees cut down but its a work in progress and I love the progress!

Our Compost...Like you really care!!!!!

So I've learned a little about compost and I'm recording it for who knows what reason and I know you don't care but here it goes.

So we've learned you can use a huge industrial garbage can for a compost container. John drilled holes all in it. He puts it down on the ground and rolls it around to turn it. He waters it. We put all kinds of stuff in it from fruits and veggies to lint from the dryer. He drilled holes in the bottom of the container so that when he waters it, it drains into a small tupperware container...this is called compost tea. "They" say it is really good to use the "tea" to water your garden. Its like an extra bonus. I swear the day after he watered the tomato plants with compost tea...they turned red...after we had been waiting on the red color for like 3 weeks! Our compost is looking really good....Its gotten to where it doesn't even smell and isn't really that yucky anymore. I guess the worms are taking care of all that. Its breaking down really nicely but we are now running out of room so we have to move on to a larger one or stop for awhile....John's working on a fix.