Song In My Heart

Cookies

2009-11-11T07:00:00.000-06:00

During the last couple weeks, I've been in a cookie baking mode. For starters, there was chocolate chip cookies, the dough of which is nearly unrivaled when eaten raw:

Oh, and I bake nearly all my cookies on stoneware. They make the perfect cookie! I'm sure there are other pans that do a good job, too, but I've been so content with my stoneware that I haven't tried anything else.

These are a new recipe- cappuccino crinkles (recipe to follow). Lovely!

And then another old favorite, snickerdoodles. Talk about cinnamon buttery bliss!

~Cappuccino Crinkles~

1/3 cup butter

1 cup packed brown sugar

2/3 cup cocoa powder

1 T. instant coffee crystals

1 tsp. baking soda

1 tsp ground cinnamon (I used about 1/2 tsp)

2 egg whites

1/3 cup vanilla yogurt

1 1/2 cup flour

1/4 cup sugar

1. In a large bowl beat butter with an electric mixer on medium to high speed for 30 seconds. Add the brown sugar, cocoa, coffee crystals, baking soda, and cinnamon. Beat until combined, scraping bowl if needed.

2. Beat in egg whites and yogurt till combined. Beat in as much of the flour as you can with the mixer. Use a wooden spoon to stir in remaining flour if needed.

3. Place sugar in a small bowl. Drop dough by heaping teaspoons into the sugar and roll into balls. Roll in sugar again. Place 2 inches apart on an ungreased cookie sheet.

4. Bake in a 350 degree oven for 8-10 minutes or until edges are firm. Transfer the cookies to a wire rack to cool.

Raw Foods Diet Attempt

2009-11-09T09:42:00.001-06:00

You may remember that in an earlier post I mentioned trying a raw foods diet. I had been feeling kind of "blah" lately and knew I needed more living foods in my diet, plus I was inspired by my amazing friend Rachel D. She has experience with raw foods diets and their wonderful benefits.

I wanted to last a whole week.

It was more like 4 days.

Before you laugh hysterically, let me whine a little. It was hard! Nothing cooked, nothing remotely processed. Fresh everything. And this by a girl who lives on Bacon and Butter. I ate a lot of spinach salads, including the one above.

But I'm very happy I tried it and my energy level increased by leaps and bounds, even in that short time! Since then, I've continued to eat more raw and be more balanced in my eating habits.

Maybe next time I'll make it to 5 days!

Meet Fred

2009-11-09T07:00:00.000-06:00

My children introduced me to this special young man. Hi, Fred!

By a Mountain Stream in Colorado

2009-11-07T10:10:00.000-06:00

During our trip to Colorado in late August, we loved driving the winding mountains roads and then stopping to explore rocks and water...

Of course Drew had to throw the rocks IN the water!

This is for you, Mara!

2009-11-07T09:35:00.001-06:00

Found at a shop in Estes Park, Colorado.

Caleb's 7th Birthday Party

2009-11-07T09:11:00.001-06:00

In September, we had a casual birthday party for Caleb at his favorite park, with friends and family.
He requested chocolate cake with chocolate frosting with chocolate ice-cream!

And the moment he has been waiting for for over a year....his very own BB gun from Daddy!

Just the Way it is

2009-10-06T18:46:00.004-05:00

Grandma was in a calm mood today, and we had another nice visit. Her and I have always got along well-I'm thankful she hasn't had any friction or confusion in relation to me, especially since I see her so much! She loves the kids, and never complains about Hosanna and Caleb.

Drew-well, she alternately adores him and calls him the "genius child", or is aghast at his behavior and declares that she has never seen such a temper! "My boy"-as she calls Daddy-"never did that!"

I wonder.

Lately I have been trying to bring them something from my kitchen each time I stop by. Grandma doesn't bake anymore, and I think the routine of grocery store donuts gets a little old. They have an insane sweet tooth, but at their age I figure they deserve to eat anything they want. :) So the latest parade of desserts has been gooey butter cake, chocolate sheet cake, cinnamon rolls (those were made by Candace) and this morning, a coffee cake with coffee frosting. I have now been promoted to Supreme Angel in their eyes-it's amazing what a few desserts can do.

On Tuesdays, I've been in the habit of bringing lunch, usually sandwiches, and seeing if I can get Grandma to eat a whole sandwich verses her usual half. (She always has room for dessert, however!) Today I forgot the sandwich fixings and before Grandpa left he insisted on paying for MacDonald's burgers. Later, I watched in amusement as Grandma ate about 1/3 of hers, gave a few bites to the dog, and saved the rest for "later".

About every 3 minutes she asks if I'd like coffee. Well, I do love coffee but her version of it scares me. Sometimes I will say "yes", so she will stop asking when she sees me holding a cup in my hand. At some point I sneakily dump it down the drain.

Her and Grandpa love Pepsi and that's the only soda they always have on hand. It's another thing Grandma constantly asks me about-"Would you care for some Pepsi, dear?" I used to hate the stuff, but lately I'm giving in a little, again to keep her from asking, and acquiring a taste for it. Ugh! My grandparents seem to think I never eat and drink enough, and look at me with baleful eyes when I refuse their offerings.

Gotta love it all!

Fine Linen Drama

2009-09-30T14:16:00.002-05:00

If you live in the Rolla, Missouri area and have not had the opportunity to attend one of Fine Linen Drama's productions, let me encourage you to attend the upcoming performance of "12 Angry Men"--as with all Fine Linen does, you will be dazzled!
Check out their website:

"Theatre by families... for families"

During the beginning years, my siblings enjoyed being a part of Fine Linen's cast. Tom even played one small role in "Shenandoah". Now, it is exciting to see all the new and talented individuals who have joined to make this the best and most fun drama group I have witnessed!

Tuesdays with Grandma

2009-09-29T16:17:00.003-05:00

I enjoyed watching Caleb and Drew throwing the frisbee at Grandma's house today.

We've been spending every Tuesday with Grandma, roughly between 11:00am and 3:30pm, while Grandpa is out bowling and running errands. Grandma's dementia has required some extra attention, and a good opportunity for the children and I to spend time with her.

I bring a simple lunch, making sure that both Grandma and the two year old eat properly before digging into dessert. :)

This morning was rushed, as I tried to get some school work done (somewhat successful) and the house cleaned (unsuccessful). The boys seemed to have no other goal than to try my patience! I was about ready to go outside and scream, to be honest. Once we arrived at Grandma's house, however, we all settled down and had a good time together-each of the kids cuddling on my lap while Grandma fluttered around providing drinks, taking the dog in and out, and looking through old pictures. The boys were able to run off energy outside.

Relationships are more important than anything else! More important than education, a clean house, how I am feeling at the moment...Tuesdays are a good day for me to remember that, and focus on relationships.

Time...Like an Ever Rolling Stream...

2009-09-10T11:29:00.003-05:00

I have hardly had the mental space to sit down and collect my thoughts for a blog!

Whew, I'm sure many of you know how that is. :)

The quick update is: Tom's fine, I'm fine, the kids are fine, we're all healthy, we had a good summer, school is back in full swing, my house is currently disorganized, and today is Caleb's 7th birthday.

Last weekend we enjoyed spending time with my family at Turkey Hill Ranch's Labor Day family camp. It was great! Mom and I didn't have to cook (and helping with dishes in a camp kitchen is fun, plus you get to meet new people) and there were so many family-friendly activities to choose from that we stayed plenty busy. Tom, Seth, and Dad 's volleyball team won the competition. Keturah, Esther, Naomi and I enjoyed paddle-boating on the lake. The younger children loved the horse rides and swimming in the pool, among other fun stuff. To top it off, we were all blessed and encouraged at the chapel services...and sometimes, laughed until we cried!

Today is a beautifully sunny day-perfect for celebrating a birthday. Caleb has enjoyed picking out his menu-for the third year in a row, we're having spaghetti for dinner!

I'm on day three of a "raw foods diet". I'd like to stick to raw foods for a week (a first for me!), but I may add in some lean meat. No, I'm not going crazy. I still love bacon and fudge brownies. More on all that later. :)

We're planning on going camping later this month-I can't believe the summer has almost flown by and we haven't gone yet! The kids-even Drew-were thrilled with our camping experiences last year. Other than that, we don't have any major travel plans. There is a possibility the kids and I will go to Indy in October. We recently spent a week in Colorado, and fell in love with the mountains. Again, more on that later.

As some of you know, today has been a reflective day for me. I'm looking back, remembering, and looking forward, knowing God is good through it all.

Happy September!

Breakfast for Dinner

2009-08-25T07:00:00.000-05:00

A week ago, this is what we had for dinner~breakfast! Tator-tots, tomato bacon tart, cinnamon rolls (from a can!), and scrambled eggs.
Tom was in St. Louis, so the kids were thrilled to invite their Uncle Andy, Aunt Amy, & Cousin Ryley to join us.

Baking Day: Bread and Cookies

2009-08-24T07:00:00.000-05:00

A couple Mondays ago, I used my Bosch mixer to whip out 5 loaves of bread. And since the oven was on, it seemed appropriate to make some chocolate chip cookies as well.
Still trying to get in the routine of baking every Monday!

Face of Summer

2009-08-22T07:00:00.000-05:00

Boy with Fudge Popsicle, age 2 1/2.

Garden Veggie Pizza

2009-08-21T19:39:00.002-05:00

I was celebrating an unusual event-Tom coming home for lunch! Thin wheat crust, sauteed veggies from the garden. Yes, it's heart shaped. I'm such a sap. :)

A Garden Dinner

2009-08-05T07:00:00.000-05:00

Cucumber sandwiches (made by Keturah!) and homemade tomato soup, from Tom's garden bounty.

Notes From 1998 :: June

2009-08-04T16:40:00.004-05:00

1
Amy's 17th birthday! I gave her a b-day gift on Sunday. She is excited to be 17! It seems hard to believe. I first met her when she was 13.

2
In the afternoon we swam at the E's pool. The M's were there too and we all had fun. Hot day. In the morning I watched all our Indians while Mom and Mara went shopping.

3
From "Voice of the Martyrs": Home doesn't have a physical address but spiritual one, and can be found only at the end of a road-the road to Calvary.

4
Mara and I spent all day at Grace and Ben's trailer, painting.** (When we finally got home I was dead tired.) It was nice to have an opportunity to get to know Grace. Her little Bethany is a sweetie!

5
B's and D's came over for a fish fry and the R family showed up for singing. We had a very full house. Getting to know Mary and Liz better...

6
Mr W's surprise party. We had a nice evening, and a potluck picnic. Large group.

7
Met a new family today-there is always a steady trickle of people passing through. Amy M gave me a beautiful recipe box!

8
My 16th birthday. Swimming lessons supposed to start-instead I had a surprise day! Jessie and Elisabeth spent the afternoon with us. I loved having them. Rainy. Tobias and Simeon sent me a SNAKE!

9
No lessons today-too cold. Sabrina Wurmbrand: "Don't treat the martyrs like idols-martyrs don't make the truth. The truth makes a martyr."

10
Lessons today at the Marti's pool. The little B girls are so enthusiastic! We all had fun. In the evening had dinner at the N's and most of us kids camped out.

11
We all rose very early today. Rainy and humid-no swim lessons. We went to the Library, came home for lunch then slept all afternoon. M's came in the evening for dinner.

12
This evening we left for G-ma Neupert's. I was sick all morning and stayed home while everyone else went to swimming lessons. I still feel weak.

13
We're having a good visit; swimming and playing outside. We leave tomorrow morning. A beautiful day!

14
"...My God lives, and He has my heart." Sarah Edwards
After prayer (at church) we went to Rolla, got a picnic meal and went to the park. Busy day-we're all tired!

15
From the book, "John Ploughman's Talks": "Though man alone may be good, yet it is not good that man should be alone."

16
As "by the ears the ass is known"-A truth as sure as parsons preach-The man, as proverbs long have shown, Is seen most plainly through his speech.

17
Swimming lessons. Hot! Afterwards we ran errands and I finally bought a purse I liked. We spent forever in K-Mart trying on swimming suits.

18
Swimming lessons-I love the Marti's pool! I'll be sad when lessons are over. This evening the M's came over for piano. Bad storm.

19
Swimming lessons. Then in the evening we went to the St. James park to play softball with the Nisbetts. We had fun-I played horribly!

20
Mom stayed in bed all day because of stomach pains. The rest of us helped the D's butcher chickens all afternoon, and sold bread...we love helping but I'm so tired!

21
Little Ricky was born this morning-and taken to Columbia. Keeping the B family in prayer.
The W family had flooding.

22
Today Mom, Dad, and Mr. and Mrs. M left to help the W family. All us kids stayed here at home. Hectic day but nothing major.

23
3rd longest day of the year. :) Mara has been sick since Sunday. Dad made an appt. with a doctor in St. Louis for the 30th...hoping he can give insights.

24
I've been working in the garden each morning until it gets hot (which isn't long!). The children are always begging to play in the water.

25
"Fear not that your life will come to an end. Rather, fear that it will never have a beginning."

26
This evening we went to Meramec Springs to camp with the Tice family.

27
Float trip today. We all had fun even though it was hot and the river was packed. First time Mara and I had a canoe to ourselves!

28
Mr. B and children came to church. It was good to see Elisabeth again! Adam's baptism. A lot of people came and it was very meaningful.

29
We are trying to get caught up on cleaning and laundry. This evening we went out to dinner with the N's and Yong's family. It was good to see them again!

30
Today Dad, Mom, and Mara went up to St. Louis for the doctor appt. Found out she has candida. Not all results from testing are completed-she may have some thyroid and other complications as well.

** Little did I dream this would be my future home!

Blueberry Goodness

2009-08-04T07:00:00.000-05:00

When Keturah was here, it seemed we cooked and baked all week long! We were blessed with guests, three nights in a row, and this blueberry puff pastry was, I think, Keturah's most scrumptious dessert. To make this recipe yourself, click here~ Blueberry Tart from "Real Simple".
(Note: we thought it tasted best cold!)

Crepes in the City

2009-08-03T07:00:00.000-05:00

During our little "just-Tom-and-Me-getaway", we found this eclectic restaurant tucked in a corner of downtown St. Louis~Crepes in the City. Tom had never had a crepe before, so I insisted we should remedy that immediately. Friendly service, bright atmosphere, great menu. (If you have little ones with you, the art is a little...something to be desired, but not offensive, in my opinion.)

Oh my, the crepes were delicious! I would definitely go back. We shared two different crepes- sweet and savoury. It was hard not to fight over the blackberries in this one:

I always enjoy visiting artsy, non-touristy spots. If you have a favorite St. Louis eatery, let me know! I'd love to go back and visit this one.

Esther and the Zoo

2009-08-01T07:00:00.000-05:00

At the end of Esther's week with us, we went to St. Louis in order to meet up with my family, who decided to spend the weekend there before taking Esther home and leaving Keturah with me. We all spent some time together at the zoo, bear watching:

Never had we seen Forest Park so crowded! The zoo was packed with people. Thankfully, it was an unusually cool day and we enjoyed fighting the mob for a chance to see some pretty cool animals. (And no, I'm not referring to you, Ian; I'm talking about the ones behind bars). As usual, I got about three pictures at the zoo-of the bears-and then forgot my camera the rest of the day. Drew loved the zoo! He kept calling it the "FuZoo".

Our week with Esther was busy-we volunteered at Camp David (I was kitchen staff and the kids participated in the "Green Team"), Esther went on a canoe trip and spent another afternoon with a friend, we went to the river, went to the Doctor's office (to make sure Caleb didn't have appendix problems), and took as many naps as possible, among other things. It was great. We hope you come back next summer, Esther!

Waiting

2009-07-31T07:00:00.001-05:00

This was taken a couple weeks ago while waiting at an Olive Garden in Springfield. The kids were hungry and tired after a busy weekend in Branson. Hosanna-big smile as usual. Drew-active and quite the stinker. He ran away from me in the restaurant. Caleb-his look of woe cracks me up.

Tom and I Escape

2009-07-30T23:48:00.001-05:00

Although our 9 year anniversary was back in December, we finally got around to celebrating it last week. Almost without exception, every year we enjoyed staying one night at a Bed & Breakfast...and often with a nursing baby in tow! This year, however, we decided to mix it up a little and try a fancy hotel instead. Here's a picture of the Riverfront Hyatt-view from the arch.

Oh yeah-king sized bed with pillow top mattress and fluffy pillows-I could get used to this. Our room was large with an amazing view of the arch and river:

Happy 9 1/2 Years to Us! It was so wonderful to relax and visit together. (The kids did great with their Aunt Susie!)

At the Arch with Dad and the Girls

2009-07-30T15:38:00.002-05:00

Here is my current Facebook profile picture:
Keturah, Me, Dad, Esther, Naomi
Taken at the top of the Arch

After Keturah spent a week with us, Tom and I took her to meet Dad, Esther, and Naomi in St. Louis. We all went to the Gateway Arch together-it had been many years since I had done so, and the first time for Tom-afterwards, Dad took the girls to the Muny and Tom and I celebrated our long-overdue ninth anniversary.

Here is Dad, looking a little more alive. :)

Tom looks way, way down to this view of the Arch's shadow in the Mississippi River:

Summer

2009-07-30T13:38:00.004-05:00

The last several weeks have been a whirlwind-an enjoyable one, yes, but a whirlwind nonetheless.
Three of my sisters each spent a week with me! You'll probably hear more about that in a future blog.
This week the kids and I are taking a break. Besides a play-date at the park with some of their cousins, absolutely nothing is on the schedule. I know, shocking! We've been doing a little of the three R's, reading, working in the yard, watching "Horton Hears a Who" and "Planet Earth" DVDs and eating peanut butter apple tortillas. I haven't been calling anyone (but don't worry, I'm always happy to answer the phone and talk to my friends!), but I have been reading a hugely long and interesting book and moping around in knit pants (not quite sweat pants-still refuse to wear those). At the end of next week, the whirlwind starts again! My family will be coming down from their home in Indy for numerous events. All of us are really looking forward to that visit.

Meanwhile, I thought I would drop back in here to blog a little and catch up on friend's blogs which I have neglected lately. I hope you are all doing well and having a fabulous summer!

Tootles,
Rachel

Strawberry Jam

2009-07-09T07:00:00.000-05:00

This is what we have been putting on biscuits and toast lately-homemade strawberry jam! I made a traditional variety and then for the first time tried "no-cook freezer jam", which has much less sugar so that's a bonus. Also in the freezer and on the shelf is blackberry and blueberry jam. Not a lot, though, so I'd love to add to it as berry availability and time permit.

Drew with Sparklers

2009-07-08T07:41:00.003-05:00

He never appeared afraid of the fireworks, and begged to watch and participate in them, but when it came to the sparklers he seemed a little concerned! He gave them his full concentration. Woe to anyone who got too close to him; apparently he needed his space. Funny!