The Lady In My Tree

Our FaceBook friend Mitch often posts poetic pictures of  the "Old Lady" tree near his home. And, it is a beautiful, old lady tree.

See?

Mr. Mitch is an interesting fellow and I often want to do and be and think and see in step with him. 

So, imagine my delight when I discovered  that we have an Old Lady Tree too...

See? 

Okay, so she's a bit of a hag. 

I surely wouldn't eat any apples from this tree. Mainly because it isn't an apple tree, but also because 'she' looks like the witch from Snow White, whose specialty was the Drowsy Apple. 

See? 

I have friends standing by - ready to call the right folks and administer the right meds for me if the lady in my tree turns out to be from another Disney franchise: 

If I hear it speak, I am to repeat:"A tree may speak to me, but only metaphorically." 

(...and so help me, if you ever find me running around in a buckskin dress...talking to the trees... wrap me up in my loooong sleeve pajamas please...) 

Make-Shift Griddle (Featuring MacGyver Clips)

One challenge I often face  is serving everyone's meal at the same time; without having the first half served cold.  Especially meals cooked in batches, like burgers or pancakes. Often times, eating a 'batch style meal' works a lot like singing in rounds... as the first group reaches the mid-point of their meal, the second group begins to eat, as the first group reaches takes their last bite,  the third group is beginning and the second group has reached mid-point... everyone finishes on whatever course they find themselves whenever I run out of ingredients... technically, all together.  

By "group" I mean, quite simply, individual.

I have a griddle that makes cooking for many a little easier. Thanks to our most recent move (into a furnished place), it was banished to storage almost a year ago... for (what feels like) forever. 

When life puts your stuff in storage- Make Lemonade!
Yeah, I mixed my metaphors. So, what?

Ice that lemonade and sip it as you improvise. 

Then pat your MacGyver self on the back.  

The point of this post is to tell you that I used a cookie sheet as a make shift griddle for our pancakes one recent morning. I also learned that it is a popular improvisation in other countries.
And now you know, too!

We did not eat- or sing- in rounds. But we all enjoyed warm pancakes around the table together. 

I did hum the MacGyver theme a little... over lemonade and maple syrup. 

(that's a lie, we were out of maple syrup, so we "MacGyvered"that too- using frozen strawberries & sugar ) 

For my particular oven, the Baking-Sheet-As-Griddle method worked best with the burners turned to High. You may need to experiment with a smaller portion of batter until you get the heat right for your own preferences/cooking speed. 

* Bonus MacGyver Clip~ in which Mac goes to the supermarket, cooks up some tear gas in aisle 6 and teams up with Granny to defeat the 'bad guys'

DIY Laundry Detergent

DIY Laundry Detergent

"It's better, cheaper & smells fantastic...MAYBE" 

Basically, one of everything pictured(below):

Washing Soda

Borax

Baking Soda

Grated Pink Zote Soap (or FelzNaptha)

Epsom Salts & Scent (or scented softening crystals) (2 boxes equals proper amount)

Oxygenated Stain Remover

DIY Laundry Detergent Ingredients

I will start by saying that my results may be different than the glowing review of the recipe I followed because I used varied ingredients. I am not convinced that any one substitution made would change my overall experience with the results. The substitutions are as follows: 

1 Bar of Zote Soap instead of 2. The package looked like 2 bars in one wrapper, so we didn't bring enough home. I don't believe there would be a major difference even if the second bar was added because it seems that this soap doesn't dissolve very well before the washer has started- there are always chunks of it still floating about. 

Epsom Salts & Scent in place of softening crystals ~per another DIY recipe. Mixing essential oils with epsom salt was a prescribed substitute for using less chemical product and making the total price lower. No dramatic softening can be detected.  Any noticeable scent is from the Pink Zote soap. 

Competing brand of Oxygenated Stain Remover in place of OxiClean brand- for lower cost. 

One warning that I did not read anywhere was that the Zote soap would get so dangerously hot. 

Be Warned! 

 The recipe I've linked says heat it for a minute to dry it out... it took much more time than that. I would heat it and flake off the dry parts once it had cooled enough to touch, then heat again & repeat the crumbling process. 

Zote Soap Not Cotton Candy 

It cost a few cents less than $20  to follow an online recipe and give this fad a try.

According to the prescribed measurements, the cost came out to about $.07 per scoop. It is cheaper if you use only one scoop, but one scoop has not seemed to be in some of our loads.
Perhaps our water type has something to do with this.

At this point, my results have not been more remarkable than pr-emade detergents, even Value Brand powdered soaps, which if bought on sale comes out to roughly the same cost per load...  I have not come to the conclusion that it is both cheaper AND better  concurrently. Maybe cheaper but not better. Or better but not cheaper. Only, not both at the same time.

 We are still evaluating it on various types of laundry. Chandler believes it is a miracle concoction, as his baseball pants got pretty clean. The baby clothes with food stains weren't as easily cleaned. Before I give up on making it again, I am experimenting with water temp and scoop sizes. I will have to discover something dramatically different to warrant grating anymore Zote soap.

5 Gallon Container of DIY Detergent

Family Birthday

She said "I NEED A PARTY HAT!" 

We sometimes call our anniversary a "Family Birthday". Especially during seasons where sitters are scarce and we will be celebrating with the entire family. This was one of those celebrations. We have been very busy with baseball & the business and our family's 'birthday' fell during a particularly Extra Busy Weekend. On Wednesday night, as everyone was busy with Duck Dynasty (I tuned in from my dish washing station in the kitchen) I secretly concocted one of Clay's preferred treats: Jello Cake.

(He's forever in the debt of his mother in law for the passing down of this recipe :) 

One thing about Jell-O cake is that it calls for Whipped topping- an element that always makes for a decorating challenge... a blank, white, slippery canvas to be improved upon. 

I began to rifle through Riley's small plastic toys for something quirky when I came to these two finger puppets. I was quickly inspired to dress them up appropriately for an anniversary cake. It's just some scraps of ribbon and a few pins but it took concerted effort to get everything just so. 

The Family Birthday/15th Anniversary Jell-o Poke Cake: 

When I was in between steps on the cake, I was also secretly working on my special gift to Clay. We have always sort of played with those traditional and modern gift listings- usually picking something with a bit of a twist. According to this year's list, the appropriate gift would be a timepiece or crystal. I figured out a different take on a timepiece and that was the 'serious' gift. But, I couldn't figure out what Clay could really use made out of crystal. Somewhere in the brainstorming process, my brain switched to Krystal. So I made him a tiny Krystal...with real crystal onions. :)~ the 'not-so-serious-or-as-expensive-but-my-favorite' gift"

 Final touches on the tiny burger were finished around 1 AM. There were multiple coats of glaze to be applied, and a crack in the box to repair due to some miscalculations on the thickness of the cheese combined with the thickness of the mustard...

And then- it was cake for breakfast. Jell-o cake never lasts long in this house, nor can those who devour restrain their forks for long.

 The cake was gone almost as quickly as it was made.

 And that is how we kicked off our "Next 15 Years" (just imagining what those years hold...children in college & finding their spouses... maybe even welcoming grandchildren...wild, I tell you. And me?  I'm looking forward to every second of it.

Cheesy Potatoes (w/Bacon & Onion)

Cheesy Potatoes w/Bacon & Red Onion

• 5-7 Potatoes (we used red) Washed, Peeled, Cut to Fries
• Cheddar Cheese (the more the better, the more varied the sharpness, also the better)
• Half & Half/ Heavy Whipping Cream (about a cup and a half)
• ~Optional: Red Onions, Bacon (about 5 slices cooked & crumbled) 

Preheat Oven to 400º ~Wash, Peel & Cut Potatoes~ Fill 9x11 Greased Baking Dish w/sliced potatoes~Season Well Season Potatoes.

~Optional Steps~ Cook Bacon & Crumble.  Sautee' Onion in bacon drippings. Mix with potatoes. ~

If you do not prefer Bacon or Onions, omit & go straight to covering the potatoes in cream & cheese.

Pour Heavy Whipping Cream/Half & Half enough to engulf potatoes. Cover with Cheese. (I used a combination of half&half & whipping cream & various degrees of sharp cheddar) 

Cover top with greased foil. Bake for apps. 1 hour. When everything looks good enough to eat, remove foil, add more cheese, return to oven for appx. 10 minutes. 

Allow cheese to set up for about 10 minutes before serving.

EAT! 

Fathers

While looking for something celebratory for my nephew's birthday, I came across  this piece for mothers. In the interest of equality, I share this equally challenging & powerful piece on the calling of fathers.

I am grateful for the good fathers I know.

If you are a dad, I hope you celebrate the gift that God has given you in the form of your children and take to heart the call to disciple them & ready them to be presented back to their Giver someday. 

Mothers

As I was looking for something 'sentimental' of sorts, to mark my nephew's 5th birthday and to celebrate his mom and dad's 5th anniversary as parents 

(Reagan made them parents for the first ~but not last~ time) 

I came across this piece on motherhood. It seems to be an excerpt from a mother's day sermon at a church I've never been too.

It is a really good thought.

 It made me thankful for all the godly mothers I know. It also made me want to encourage those who may not value the calling God has placed on the life of a mother... especially friends and family who are moms but think that it doesn't count as much.

I hope you will be encouraged if you are a mom. I hope you will pass this on if you know any other mothers that need to be reminded... or perhaps told for the very first time.

And...if you happen to be a father? Well... there's something in there for you too 

:) Big Smiles Until We Meet Again 

Busy, Busy

 It was a busy weekend in the Brewer Camp~ 2 birthdays (1 carrot cake, 1 jello) , 2 baseball games(1 out of town). Multiple sport practices,  one incident of UpWards Cheer...birthday present shopping and early voting across town.

 While I am still uploading and sorting photos for the birthdays, I thought I'd begin chronologically with the Halloween that wasn't--- since there are only two pictures for that occasion.

We opted out of Trick Or Treating... because of the aforementioned busy-ness; because the Big Kids are big now; and....because we're not pagans.

Relax- I'm only teasing.

:)

We also opted out of our church carnival (a.k.a. the "Christian Tee Shirt" version of Trick or Treat). (See above reasons.)

But, we did have a spot of pumpkin pie:

(15= First Date 15 years ago, Halloween Night 1997)

We decided to spend our evening inside, hanging out as a family. I started the birthday cakes, we watched a movie together and just relaxed. But then...there came a smirk worthy twist to our evening. 

But first, a smidge of background. 

In the week prior, several neighbors had asked if the kids would be trick or treating, so that they could have candy on hand, if so. Our complex isn't a local trick or treating destination and -our kids make up more than half the adolescent population. We have heard many times 

"How nice to have children around here... we were becoming a retirement home" 

Having received a "probably not" when asked if they should expect our kids at their front door, I thought perhaps I sensed some disappointment...but...this one time,  I was accused of over-analyzing stuff, so I didn't really give it a second thought. ;)

UNTIL....

The Reverse Trick Or Treating began. 

It started with a knock on our door. 

"Who is it?" met by "Trick or Treat!"

 I opened the door to our landlady, dressed as a friendly witch, holding out goodie bags for each child. 

On her heels came the complex's security guard, carrying a bowl full of apples, cupcakes and goodies that he and his wife had put together. 

Next up was our next door neighbor to the right with M&M's. 

Then came our neighbor on the left, two doors down- he brought Reese Cups. 

After that, more candy from our neighbor directly to the left - More M&M's.

I've never seen anything like it.

It is a hard thing for me to accept kindnesses and thoughtfulness extended in my direction. 

Of course, the kindness and thoughtfulness were really extended to our children, but- to me, same difference.

I tend to want to pay kindnesses back...endlessly... until what was meant as a small gesture, turns into a huge nice-off (and often involves an insane amount of baked goods exchanged)

But in this case, we had not prepared for trick or treaters...I couldn't even match them candy for candy. All I could offer in exchange for their treats and thoughtfulness was a smile, a heartfelt thank you ... and, I don't know... 

"...do you need some soup or something? Let me go see what I have in the pantry... surely there's something in there I could send you away with... "

:) 

(I'm not serious, though it MAY have crossed my mind...) 

Thank You Again, Neighbors!

We really appreciate your thoughtfulness. 

Reverse Trick Or Treating Sweets

Rye's Reading Room

Last night, while everyone else was at the ball-field, Me and Rye rearranged her toys. We made a 'clubhouse' with the new play door that Grummy & Grandpa brought then filled it with pillows, sock monkeys and books. Here's Rye giving it a try before we finished setting everything up...

Starbucks Sunday

Fresh Pressed Coffee

Clay took me to Starbucks for coffee on Sunday. While I was there, I picked up a French press (finally).

I love the coffee that comes from a press. I have given them to others as gifts...but I always held out splurging on myself for some yet to be declared occasion. Spontaneously, Sunday became that day. 

 I always brew way too much coffee in the mornings and even when I recycle the leftovers into a pitcher of cold coffee in the fridge, I run out of room in the pitcher after a day or two. I have also used leftover coffee to make ice for my iced coffees but again, only so much ice fits in the tray and I'm always sadly pouring out coffee that couldn't find a home... 

I used to have a nice Cuisinart KCup & Hot Water Machine (not the official name) to assist in a cup by cup brewing method,  but moving always breaks stuff... usually the good stuff. And this last move was no exception. The Cuisinart was dropped by a well meaning helper-child and leaked un-repairably ever after. 

I chose a small press. It fills my favorite mug exactly twice and my "on-the-go" travel cup enough to get me up the road and to the next coffee pot. 

( I am thinking especially of Saturday mornings en route to UpWards :) 

I waited until this morning to try it out- because I wanted to replace the bulky coffee pot with a simple hot water kettle- but didn't make it to the store and couldn't wait to try it any longer. 

The splurge was a good one. 

(On Monday, I found a basic Mr. Coffee KCup machine at Barnabas' New To You for ten bucks... yep, I bought that, too.)