tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-106540762024-03-14T12:44:37.567-05:00WolfmomAdventures in parenting, homeschooling, home-keeping, and the far too infrequent indulgence in crafts!nisacatbohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10911118343435019269noreply@blogger.comBlogger54125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10654076.post-76497727762956079492012-02-11T11:15:00.001-06:002012-02-20T08:40:36.382-06:00When Olga Met Harry<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAAEbh64EQsEsOkYtCHUzLueLzMxKbRrx_wxdY56inNKWcdjIbMUCZ2g0tKT2LgvwuQxSoqg3aV-e5Y8q9QuGwCM2gdTQVK_JVukt1D_nFQ_s_wg51WR1ywhdBlxsDDW07RDdV/s1600/Olga+and+Harry+3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear:left; float:left;margin-right:1em; margin-bottom:1em"><img border="0" height="396" width="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAAEbh64EQsEsOkYtCHUzLueLzMxKbRrx_wxdY56inNKWcdjIbMUCZ2g0tKT2LgvwuQxSoqg3aV-e5Y8q9QuGwCM2gdTQVK_JVukt1D_nFQ_s_wg51WR1ywhdBlxsDDW07RDdV/s400/Olga+and+Harry+3.jpg" /></a></div><br />
This one is so sweet - I wish I had a heart-shape I could have used.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgskOrhPtw249n2VSz0S8N5Kyow10Anpv2F80dxWCKAzh7XGRX3IW6m71D4xWXLFtWEK_B58jLsuuZyllqjRUHg8nvLKssNqHXOAYuznOzrHyxXuE4xSssr3tOjLJybFaPXwv2m/s1600/Olga+and+Harry+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear:left; float:left;margin-right:1em; margin-bottom:1em"><img border="0" height="278" width="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgskOrhPtw249n2VSz0S8N5Kyow10Anpv2F80dxWCKAzh7XGRX3IW6m71D4xWXLFtWEK_B58jLsuuZyllqjRUHg8nvLKssNqHXOAYuznOzrHyxXuE4xSssr3tOjLJybFaPXwv2m/s400/Olga+and+Harry+1.jpg" /></a></div><br />
Don't you just LOVE their matching shoes? I wonder if it was on purpose or accidental.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7LWxy4mmG-s6r0Vr4gGHrMtsbJycselFj-9ZBxXS5lum_KkzZnQBdTBI1TquC-gN-PXCb1VSwIAj9Dfl5Y4UFEsIKWDL3EpwkIFsmgOMPAFwNWXYinUAxcNg6CrGx6Nj5lWlk/s1600/Olga+and+Harry+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear:left; float:left;margin-right:1em; margin-bottom:1em"><img border="0" height="400" width="285" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7LWxy4mmG-s6r0Vr4gGHrMtsbJycselFj-9ZBxXS5lum_KkzZnQBdTBI1TquC-gN-PXCb1VSwIAj9Dfl5Y4UFEsIKWDL3EpwkIFsmgOMPAFwNWXYinUAxcNg6CrGx6Nj5lWlk/s400/Olga+and+Harry+2.jpg" /></a></div><br />
The other couple with them is 'Auntie' Rosalie Wrysinski and 'Uncle' Frank Wrysinski. Rosalie was Olga's best friend for more than 50 years.nisacatbohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10911118343435019269noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10654076.post-79835576667675682962012-02-07T21:22:00.002-06:002012-02-09T11:07:51.150-06:00Teenager Olga<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbG8qB-r2NpJnpkqGRefZcppBo1WpyXfxmVYgVa2B7l7Cv-N1dYZW6XRXXoj0EKs3Wd9jo9KbRo1jZ3HErDUZZ8cZ95C0ips4MDtDA_wB4lR3tzkm_Sgp5RFTw0pjBH8haNY5N/s1600/Olga+5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear:left; float:left;margin-right:1em; margin-bottom:1em"><img border="0" height="181" width="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbG8qB-r2NpJnpkqGRefZcppBo1WpyXfxmVYgVa2B7l7Cv-N1dYZW6XRXXoj0EKs3Wd9jo9KbRo1jZ3HErDUZZ8cZ95C0ips4MDtDA_wB4lR3tzkm_Sgp5RFTw0pjBH8haNY5N/s400/Olga+5.jpg" /></a></div><br />
I love this first one in the black bonnet. The originals of these are wallet sizes. If you click on the pictures, they open up expanded so you can really see them. <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSdY-969-nk4rmg8bmp-YwWu78iD0ziHcmfA3gR0cx-WpilYAG5TkOYIvRjvTh-GaLJBWO8oz4j2zWtGXmrIdpoXRFvDk7X1S9imjSw9aF4skb6U0zls0-I3WIhoG-cmwSopvF/s1600/Olga+3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear:left; float:left;margin-right:1em; margin-bottom:1em"><img border="0" height="202" width="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSdY-969-nk4rmg8bmp-YwWu78iD0ziHcmfA3gR0cx-WpilYAG5TkOYIvRjvTh-GaLJBWO8oz4j2zWtGXmrIdpoXRFvDk7X1S9imjSw9aF4skb6U0zls0-I3WIhoG-cmwSopvF/s400/Olga+3.jpg" /></a></div><br />
They say your eyes never age. It's kind of spooky seeing my dear Granny's eyes in this very young lady. The left-most pic has writing on the back: Olga Alice Kobza, 2647 W. Augusta Blvd, Chicago, IL. The middle one has: Taken December 7, 1933 Saturday (which makes her 18 here)<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggAesBBXsVGe5Eu8ffe8H-E_28FGOf0avNGpNHXi19Fj776ypslipT18LTL2hBnmyGzFoEzlInAUrrWux7xWSSk-moyAj0n0jD2grs5ovO-knhToZNyKvm62jzFtj0NQooUoA7/s1600/Olga+4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear:left; float:left;margin-right:1em; margin-bottom:1em"><img border="0" height="176" width="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggAesBBXsVGe5Eu8ffe8H-E_28FGOf0avNGpNHXi19Fj776ypslipT18LTL2hBnmyGzFoEzlInAUrrWux7xWSSk-moyAj0n0jD2grs5ovO-knhToZNyKvm62jzFtj0NQooUoA7/s400/Olga+4.jpg" /></a></div><br />
...isn't the outfit in the right-most picture a little racy for the time? Who knew Granny had such nice legs!?! Look closely at the water picture too. It's hard to make out the faces, but someone has her foot in the air - is that Olga or Millie?nisacatbohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10911118343435019269noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10654076.post-7735881218831500132012-02-03T07:29:00.000-06:002012-02-03T07:29:05.327-06:00Growing up Kobza<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4DM2ZwuevS7tDBqBv7ecrssYCuT9lvyAIU8V-hLBmj5ZgEsgLlgoLjTO0h75PQdsJmSph8jqTP5Nmu0u4p9Z16sIIzf7EEx1lVxedzhPEamlam2N1wVn8CHOSVzt4f_8TN5YU/s1600/Olga+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="363" width="520" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4DM2ZwuevS7tDBqBv7ecrssYCuT9lvyAIU8V-hLBmj5ZgEsgLlgoLjTO0h75PQdsJmSph8jqTP5Nmu0u4p9Z16sIIzf7EEx1lVxedzhPEamlam2N1wVn8CHOSVzt4f_8TN5YU/s400/Olga+2.jpg" /></a></div>nisacatbohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10911118343435019269noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10654076.post-17739031563490514982012-02-02T18:11:00.000-06:002012-02-02T18:11:01.624-06:00The Olga ProjectIt's hard to believe that it's been almost a year since we said goodbye to Grandma Olga. I can't believe I've had her memorial pictures on my todo list that long too. Now that the planets have aligned (the scanner's working, the kids are listening, etc.) I'm finding that I need some help. I'm going to post the pictures I have here as I scan them. If you have any information (names, dates, events) that I could add to each picture, please post it in a comment so I can include it in the book. <br />
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At first I was thinking it would just be a book of pictures but you really can't have an old picture without a story to go with it right? So let's see what we can come up with and if you have any pictures, could you send them to me? Also, what will the title of this book be? Do you like, "Just Olga" or "Olga Beck" or something else??<br />
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So, here's the first picture - this may turn out to be the cover. I really like it.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqRByAcX-698vFfVUbhtdT8nXcaofj6IM8MoqC8fj7PCC5jKdDQ4UKPICt1aRecmisWvnxpA-eJBU8JwGpd0pIQoYWmCVLj0ccYbI31g0F9SEtJmb_KKmecFQzuhfObH4A5U5A/s1600/Olga+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="400" width="325" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqRByAcX-698vFfVUbhtdT8nXcaofj6IM8MoqC8fj7PCC5jKdDQ4UKPICt1aRecmisWvnxpA-eJBU8JwGpd0pIQoYWmCVLj0ccYbI31g0F9SEtJmb_KKmecFQzuhfObH4A5U5A/s400/Olga+1.jpg" /></a></div>nisacatbohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10911118343435019269noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10654076.post-63250822829305096752011-03-17T08:11:00.000-05:002011-03-17T08:11:09.469-05:00Testing: Do not lose heart... <br> <sup class="versenum" id="bg_passage-28872">16</sup> Therefore we do not lose heart. Even though our outward man is perishing, yet the inward <i>man</i> is being renewed day by day. <sup class="versenum" id="bg_passage-28873">17</sup> For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, is working for us a far more exceeding <i>and</i> eternal weight of glory, <sup class="versenum" id="bg_passage-28874">18</sup> while we do not look at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen. For the things which are seen <i>are</i> temporary, but the things which are not seen <i>are</i> eternal. (<a href="http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=2+Corinthians+4%3A16-18&version=NKJV&src=embed">2 Corinthians 4:16-18</a>, <a href="http://www.biblegateway.com/versions/New-King-James-Version-NKJV-Bible/?src=embed">New King James Version</a>)<br />
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Success?nisacatbohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10911118343435019269noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10654076.post-5079252081407398532010-05-27T09:02:00.000-05:002010-05-27T09:02:18.857-05:00New Website: Juice Plus+ FactsFor all the juicy details...<br /><br /><a href="http://www.juiceplusfacts.com/">Juice Plus+ Facts</a>nisacatbohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10911118343435019269noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10654076.post-89407469911628322492010-05-23T20:13:00.000-05:002010-05-23T20:13:03.148-05:00Museum Adventure Pass ProgramGo to your library, check out a pass to a museum, garden or zoo for free or buy one-get one deal. Too cool!!<br /><br /><a href="http://www.museumadventure.org/index.php">Museum Adventure Pass Program</a>nisacatbohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10911118343435019269noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10654076.post-58673360028440816782010-05-15T19:22:00.000-05:002010-05-15T19:22:10.714-05:00Double Dog Dare - Borders - Books, Music and Movies<a href="http://www.borders.com/online/store/MediaView_doubledogdare?cmp&cm_mmc=CJ-_-358129-_-361116-_-experience+the+new+Borders.com">Double Dog Dare - Borders - Books, Music and Movies</a><br /><br />This could make a person really, really lazy...nisacatbohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10911118343435019269noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10654076.post-38082454671964844842010-05-13T07:39:00.000-05:002010-05-13T07:39:57.645-05:00Testing 'Add This' : CurrClickJust wanting to see what 'Add This' does to my blog with this link to FREE curriculum.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.currclick.com/cclick_mothersday.php?SRC=mothersday2010">CurrClick</a><br /><br />Mattie: "Wolfie's hair smells really good."<br />Me: "Well, he took a shower today. You should too."<br />Mattie: "Yea, but what shampoo did he use?"nisacatbohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10911118343435019269noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10654076.post-79937490143142875172010-04-28T07:41:00.000-05:002010-04-28T07:41:57.161-05:00Mother’s Day Crafts: Blogger Edition 2010 eBook | FaveCraftsBlogDon't forget Mom! >^.^<<br /><br /><a href="http://www.favecraftsblog.com/mothers-day-crafts-blogger-edition-2010-ebook/">Mother’s Day Crafts: Blogger Edition 2010 eBook | FaveCraftsBlog</a>nisacatbohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10911118343435019269noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10654076.post-89533868881562044282010-03-19T16:01:00.000-05:002010-03-19T16:01:28.079-05:00See Real!!!Have you seen this deal on Post Cereals at Jewel? They are on sale for $1.59 and if you buy 4 you get a coupon for $3.00 off your next shopping order (buy 5 and you get a $4.00 coupon). That’s 84 or 79 cents a box!nisacatbohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10911118343435019269noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10654076.post-55533484369721413792009-11-24T20:14:00.002-06:002009-11-24T20:24:21.329-06:00Adventures in Vegetables<span style="font-size:85%;">I just ate a spinach salad and I loved it! ‘So what?’ you ask. Well don’t tell anyone, but I was not born a veggie girl, especially if ketchup and French fries don’t count. To be honest, there <em>was</em> canned corn, peas and green beans, but I only ate them to fulfill the clean plate requirement my parents set before the ice cream goal. I really couldn’t say I <em>enjoyed</em> them (and don’t even get me started on the step-monster’s frozen lima beans!)<br />So how did I come to eat raw spinach and thoroughly enjoy it? I had kids and I wanted them to be healthy. I had kids and my hypocrisy convicted me that <em>I</em> must change. How could I encourage them to eat a healthy diet if I was still gorging on chips and salsa? Everywhere I looked ‘healthy’ meant eating fruits and vegetables. I groaned inside. My stomach turned. I did not want to eat the way I knew would be healthy for my kids. Still, I was determined and I started by just making sure we all ate at least one fruit and one veggie a day, every day and built slowly from there – very slowly. I tried lots of different methods and still use these:<br />1 – INDULGE: If there happens to be a fruit or vegetable that you already like, eat it – A LOT! In fact, eat the heck out of it. Add it to everything you put in your mouth. Try preparing it in as many ways as you can. Eventually, you’re going to get bored and start yearning for another veggie to like.<br />2 – ADD: Gonna eat something? Sneak a veggie in it. If you’re having spaghetti, add a can of diced tomatoes or some diced onion or zucchini. Having a salad? Add another variety of lettuce or spinach! Think you won’t like it? Try the kid-tested baby bite – whatever you’re adding, chop it super small. Adding works for breakfast too, add some chopped or sliced fresh fruit to your cereal just like they show on the box.<br />3 – SWAP: Does your family have a favorite meal or dish that you make repeatedly? Try swapping ingredients to make it healthier. Our PB+J’s are now made on whole grain bread with natural peanut butter, low sugar jam and fresh or freeze-dried sliced fruit in the middle. Just don’t try to swap everything out all at once or you’ll have a mutiny on your hands – baby steps people, one ingredient at a time. I actually mixed real natural peanut butter with Skippy ‘natural’ for a couple months before switching to real alone (and I’m defining real as peanuts are the only ingredient.) Switching to fresh or frozen vegetables from canned requires some extra cooking, salt and butter, which can all be eased up on later once everyone gets acclimated.<br />4 – TRY, TRY AGAIN: If you have a child, I know you’ve asked, ‘How do you know you won’t like it unless you try it?’ at least once. When was the last time you asked yourself? Tastes change over time and the body has an amazing capacity to crave what’s good for it. Once you start giving your marvelous machine the nutrition it requires to run, you’ll be amazed at what starts tasting good to you. So try new veggies and fruits from time to time and try ones that you remember not liking as a child too. Fix them in an exciting recipe that looks good to you and you’ll be pre-motivated to like them. For kids they say it may take up to 15 exposures to a food before they enjoy it, so keep offering.<br />5 – GET HELP: Our help is a whole food supplement that fills the gap between our diet and the recommended 7 to 13 servings of fresh raw fruits and vegetables every day. I like having the assurance of knowing the nutrition is already there no matter what else we’re able to eat.<br />Remember though, that every healthy bite you take is a step towards your future health, so don’t give up. Just set your goal to try every day and give yourself a pat on the back for every serving you do get. You’re doing more than the majority of average Americans. </span>nisacatbohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10911118343435019269noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10654076.post-40162567633061409352009-08-21T06:58:00.004-05:002009-08-21T08:33:49.624-05:00Sultry Carmelized Tomato Salsa<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQ5TFlJ7cOICncn-509tNKz-VXm8Efv4vJY673XMkYPIIFDuYiaiasI3CXFA9-veOAsFz1Rl7iy7xHcqdMZVfaAS5s9QKEWlY2DwVH_7pH_GNpve0rvddZCT_0dxuziu9HHxKq/s1600-h/P1130341.JPG"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 320px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5372385728498220834" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQ5TFlJ7cOICncn-509tNKz-VXm8Efv4vJY673XMkYPIIFDuYiaiasI3CXFA9-veOAsFz1Rl7iy7xHcqdMZVfaAS5s9QKEWlY2DwVH_7pH_GNpve0rvddZCT_0dxuziu9HHxKq/s320/P1130341.JPG" /></a> <br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">"<em>Roasting tomatoes concentrates their flavor to a rich dark essence that is a mystical experience for tomato addicts</em>." ~ from The New Vegetarian Epicure by Anna Thomas</span><br /><span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;">My recipe is an adaptation of Thomas' 'Roasted Tomato Sauce' (mostly because I did it from memory, forgetting I had printed hers off the internet in 1998!) If you're not lucky enough to have a bumper crop of tomatoes in your backyard, check your local farm stand for bruised and reduced tomatoes. <strong>Klein's Farm Market</strong> (on Route 20 (72) two miles west of Randall Rd in Udina, IL) sells theirs for 99 cents a pound and some of them aren't even bruised, just ugly! </span><br /><span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;"><strong>10 lbs.</strong> Very ripe (or over-ripe) <strong>tomatoes</strong>, any variety (I used beefsteaks + plums)</span><br /><span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;"><strong>1 Sweet onion</strong></span><br /><span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;"><strong>1 Red or Yellow bell pepper</strong></span><br /><span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;"><strong>1 Tablespoon minced garlic</strong> (or more to taste)</span><br /><span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;">Peel and chop the tomatoes into chunks about 1". For peeling, some recipes call for the blanching method (cutting a cross in the bottom of each tomato and submerging in boiling water for one minute, then into cold water to 'slip' the skins off.) My tomatoes were so ripe, once I started slicing them the skins peeled off pretty easily without all the mess of the water bath. Be sure to catch all the juice by chopping over a bowl or placing your cutting board in a tray. This is most labor intensive part of the recipe and I did it over two days, placing the first batch of chopped tomatoes in the fridge until the rest were ready.</span><br /><span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;">Dice the onion and pepper to a small size, about 1/2" or so. The tomatoes will melt into a soft carmelized paste, leaving the onion and pepper to provide a bit of texture.</span><br /><span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;">Toss all of the ingredients together, including the tomato juice and spread evenly over two large baking sheets with edges. I used my lasagna pan and it held all 10 lbs. nicely, but it may have increased the roasting time.</span><br /><span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;">Carefully place in <strong>350 degree oven</strong> and roast for 3 to 4 hours, stirring once after the first hour and then every 30 minutes or so. If you use two baking sheets, you'll need to transfer the salsa onto one sheet once the liquid starts to cook away and watch it carefully. The goal is carmelized not burnt. It's done once most of the liquid is gone and you're left with a soft thick paste.</span><br /><span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;">Now what to do with it? Oh my! Thomas suggests to serve on pasta, with rice, on pizza, with polenta, in soups, in a quesadilla, in an omelet or alongside anything that goes well with tomatoes. I use mine on basically everything I eat until the sad, sad day it's all gone. </span><br /><span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;">Here's yesterday:</span><br /><span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;"><strong>Breakfast</strong>: soft boiled egg chopped and topped with sultry salsa. I think woke up in too much of a hurry to get to eating the salsa. I mean, it's good with eggs and it was good here - heck it's good with a spoon! But next time I'll try an omelet with a bit of cheese and maybe some basil.</span><br /><span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;"><strong>Lunch</strong>: Salsa Roll-ups - tortilla spread with cream cheese, sultry salsa, bacon bits and a bit of shredded cheddar. The creaminess of the cheese played well off the savory salsa, leaving a very pleasant memory on the tongue. ...think I'll have another.</span><br /><span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;"><strong>Dinner</strong>: Salsa Salad - baby spinach and romaine lettuces, chopped red pepper, 2 tablespoons of salsa and a teaspoon or so of ranch dressing (actually it was really good with just the salsa, I just wanted to see how it would combine with the ranch. So, viola, a fat-free dressing!)</span><br /><span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;">One thing I purposely did this year, was to leave spices out of the recipe. Adding one slice (roughly half dollar size times 1/2") of Fresh Ginger Root gives carmelized tomatoes an aftertaste like the twang of barbeque sauce. My kids don't like that particular kick so I skipped it. I might try placing a small slice in a container of salsa in the fridge and see what happens. Same thing goes for basil and salt and pepper - I suppose you can add anything later.</span><br /><span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;">Also, this does freeze quite well. I put it in those Ziplock plastic containers and hide it away in the bottom of the freezer. Sometimes I still have one left in October. Hmmm, maybe I'll make it again with the Ginger - I think I need a bigger freezer. If you try it, do let me know all the things you do with it. >^.^<</span>nisacatbohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10911118343435019269noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10654076.post-81221416101584630382009-08-14T08:06:00.003-05:002009-08-14T08:19:27.532-05:00Blown Away<span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;font-size:100%;">I was reading Job 38 this morning where God answers Job's 'why me' with a barrage of questions and I got to verse 31 -<br /><br /><br /></span><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;font-size:100%;"></span><p></p><p align="center"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;font-size:85%;"> <sup id="bg_passage-13825" class="versenum">31</sup> “Can you bind the cluster of the Pleiades,<br /> Or loose the belt of Orion? </span></p><p align="center"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;font-size:85%;"> <sup id="bg_passage-13826" class="versenum">32</sup> Can you bring out Mazzaroth in its season?<br /> Or can you guide the Great Bear with its cubs? </span></p><p align="center"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;font-size:85%;"> <sup id="bg_passage-13827" class="versenum">33</sup> Do you know the ordinances of the heavens?<br /> Can you set their dominion over the earth?</span></p><p align="center"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;font-size:85%;"> (</span><a href="http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Job+38%3A31-33&version=50&src=embed"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;font-size:85%;">Job 38:31-33</span></a><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;font-size:85%;">, </span><a href="http://www.biblegateway.com/versions/New-King-James-Version-NKJV-Bible/?src=embed"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;font-size:85%;">New King James Version</span></a><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;font-size:100%;"><span style="font-size:85%;">)</span> </span></p><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;font-size:100%;"><p align="left"><br />Wow! I had always thought that the Greeks named the constellations (probably from watching Harry Hamlin in Clash of The Titans one too many times). This is one of the many reasons I'm loving homeschooling - I get to reschool MYSELF! And evidently I have a great deal more to learn. I hope and pray that I am able to teach my children to consider and weigh facts and ideas - thinking for themselves, drawing conclusions in their own minds and not simply accepting what is presented.</span></p>nisacatbohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10911118343435019269noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10654076.post-76616554348405926412009-07-17T08:11:00.004-05:002009-07-17T08:20:28.577-05:00Someone Stole my baby!!<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgS2U7Zp_POruvLln0PZ7ruqXwAP4hiueCA6QkA6vO4D2GWBK2NojNySP_wZVBRJAC8yBG2gxWg3-zdhMEddtdmYlGr8wR9CPYvg_4qKqvToOJsSo_gJjn1QcfB5kxIrNr_A20I/s1600-h/P1120820.JPG"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 320px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5359416279163418018" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgS2U7Zp_POruvLln0PZ7ruqXwAP4hiueCA6QkA6vO4D2GWBK2NojNySP_wZVBRJAC8yBG2gxWg3-zdhMEddtdmYlGr8wR9CPYvg_4qKqvToOJsSo_gJjn1QcfB5kxIrNr_A20I/s320/P1120820.JPG" /></a><br />I always kind of expected my baby image of my son would be gone with that first front tooth, but I never imagined being startled when I looked at him - filled with pride and love sure, but also surprised to see the boy he's become.<br />That dark little hole in his smile is the physical manifestation of his growing independence. He's got thoughts and feelings that are completely his own now - a total person in his own right.<br />Now what do I do with my little collection of spurned incisors? I suppose one goes in the scrapbook?nisacatbohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10911118343435019269noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10654076.post-577208672100309252008-12-19T16:01:00.001-06:002008-12-19T16:03:46.594-06:00All the Pics in a Slideshow!!Scroll down to the bottom of the page to see all the latest kids pics in a slideshow. It's small here but I think if you click on it you'll go to Picasa where it will be bigger.nisacatbohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10911118343435019269noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10654076.post-68312718392087500032008-12-01T08:54:00.000-06:002008-12-17T09:02:49.157-06:00Home!<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjthusoM7kScqb1Zg5ysAx35j1eTV2FkulUxlszAwz_P37yiVTc3Sd6qcPdBCgen30rmUNGKYnwJwBp9zHpWXv_2w4j7dMisVKzYN5vj-Jp9Ts9B2eS8vyJJtkCBNHHH-S9Vsak/s1600-h/BROWN+DOOR.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5280773381311987682" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 213px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjthusoM7kScqb1Zg5ysAx35j1eTV2FkulUxlszAwz_P37yiVTc3Sd6qcPdBCgen30rmUNGKYnwJwBp9zHpWXv_2w4j7dMisVKzYN5vj-Jp9Ts9B2eS8vyJJtkCBNHHH-S9Vsak/s320/BROWN+DOOR.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><em>Come home, come home,</em><br /><em>You who are weary, come home;</em><br /><em>Earnestly, tenderly, Jesus is calling,</em><br /><em>Calling, O sinner, come home!<br /></em><br />What makes this our home? It’s not that it was built with our own sweat and struggle, though that is a miracle in itself. This is the place where we will take our refuge from the world and knit ourselves closely together as family, deliberately purposing to follow Christ.nisacatbohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10911118343435019269noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10654076.post-1253591694377607582008-11-16T08:25:00.000-06:002008-12-18T08:31:35.303-06:00The Lastest Pictures from Target<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWgRpqyFL4RMG8wwwgbxoOHBOEQ7I5TN6k3rEl4Pjlobb_p5c4kdNI1RTY73Eu5by4UwSGDJbxGaOht8DkbaybacGERb3ZzEfaXuilnh_LBLTZnk5p3sVjApS9nfVdYiCeJ8ay/s1600-h/WM+Portrait+standing.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5281137224405610482" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 250px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 312px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWgRpqyFL4RMG8wwwgbxoOHBOEQ7I5TN6k3rEl4Pjlobb_p5c4kdNI1RTY73Eu5by4UwSGDJbxGaOht8DkbaybacGERb3ZzEfaXuilnh_LBLTZnk5p3sVjApS9nfVdYiCeJ8ay/s320/WM+Portrait+standing.jpg" border="0" /></a> Wolfie and Mattie had so much fun at their photoshoot at Target. I wish I had as much fun trying to decide which pics to buy! E-mail me or leave a comment for a link to the full set. >^.^<<br /><p align="right"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjh0f7drGKnm3pZ-ZR7x7CtvXe9r5n90ninwpPokA7HJR5B6duyVXw1LTC5ZLNaFjjdkOyUxGfSj4wTm1YGTIvdjossjKiUgudr_7dxqCh1HGCCuOFy-zcgbJLuJNX4GcusWU_o/s1600-h/WM+Landscape+CU.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5281137221800194466" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 312px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 250px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjh0f7drGKnm3pZ-ZR7x7CtvXe9r5n90ninwpPokA7HJR5B6duyVXw1LTC5ZLNaFjjdkOyUxGfSj4wTm1YGTIvdjossjKiUgudr_7dxqCh1HGCCuOFy-zcgbJLuJNX4GcusWU_o/s320/WM+Landscape+CU.jpg" border="0" /></a></p><div><br /><br /></div>nisacatbohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10911118343435019269noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10654076.post-1644908293453158682008-10-13T07:59:00.002-05:002008-12-18T08:07:07.049-06:00Sharp Dressed Man<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4euZc5BawngdY0Bbj-wBOow-MFhtArdPQ3j7PgszvS4XpcZ8O8rOflP8qM98NHCMNuROahc4YirL3BpEwAqRUOp5waN6gaEiUCWvSgK_OXkbaVJpsze6WTzJwatGZ1Z2l6a5F/s1600-h/W+standee.jpg"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5281131131337264434" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 125px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 312px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4euZc5BawngdY0Bbj-wBOow-MFhtArdPQ3j7PgszvS4XpcZ8O8rOflP8qM98NHCMNuROahc4YirL3BpEwAqRUOp5waN6gaEiUCWvSgK_OXkbaVJpsze6WTzJwatGZ1Z2l6a5F/s320/W+standee.jpg" border="0" /></span></a><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"> I'm so thrilled with my children today. They are turning out so wonderfully no matter what my consuming worries are. Wolf asked Grama for some ‘gentlemen clothes’ meaning a suit and tie. He wore it to church on Sunday and everyone thought he was going to a wedding. Mattie put on one of her new dresses from Auntie Rose to match. We decided that he needed to wear his suit to the Manor to visit Grandma Olga because she would love it. We actually cut our annual Stades Pumpkin Farm and visit with the O’Neill’s short a bit to get home to change. Mrs. O’Neill gave us some flowers from her garden for Granny.<br /></span><div><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">When Wolf walked into the manor in his suit with those flowers in his hand, every head turned. Every single lady he walked past made a comment about how handsome or sweet he was – you could tell they were secretly wishing he was coming to see them. It’s too bad that Granny was facing away from us as we walked down her hall. When he got to her though, she was thrilled speechless to see him and know he was there for her. She sputtered out, “Oh! I love you!”Everyone loved Mattie too and said she was adorable in her dress, but Wolfie was the show-stopper. Grama told me Grandma Olga had bought Uncle Michael a suit every year when he was a kid. No wonder she loved it so much. We sat in the activity room which has windows onto the hallway and all the ladies kept walking by and peeking in at Wolfie. At bedtime, I told him he made everyone’s day very special today and he was genuinely happy with himself. It felt so good to me to finally see him satisfied. I just hope it’s not all tied up in the suit.</span></div>nisacatbohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10911118343435019269noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10654076.post-87835957678198753902008-09-15T08:07:00.000-05:002008-12-18T08:18:55.394-06:00Our Favorite RecipieI took the kids into Jewel with me and in the canned veggie aisle, I noticed our favorite tomatoes were buy one get one free. They’re Red Gold brand petite diced olive oil and garlic flavor and we call them ‘magic tomatoes’ because whatever we add them to seems to taste incredible (even salad!). These tomatoes created the Tiki Taco base dish and I said we should make it for dinner. Mattie and Wolfie started chanting, ‘Tiki Taco Dilla, Tiki Taco Dilla’ to the conga line beat like we usually do at home when we're making it. All the ladies in the aisle were laughing, but quietly and to themselves. Funny that no one asked me for the recipe though. Here it is for you:<br /><br />Tiki Taco Dilla Mix<br />1 pound ground beef<br />1/2 packet Taco seasoning mix<br />1 can Red Gold Petite Diced Tomatoes, Olive Oil & Garlic<br /><br />Brown ground beef and drain. Sprinkle Taco seasoning liberally and stir to coat beef evenly. Stir in tomatoes and heat about five more minutes.<br /><br />The Options:<br />Make Nachos with it (tortilla chips, cheese & sour cream)<br />Make a "Pie" by layering with cheese and flour tortillas<br />Make a casserole with mix on the bottom, then some cheese and cornbread mix<br />Make Quesadillas<br />Make 'hamburger helper' by adding cooked pasta<br /><br />If you think of some more, let me know.nisacatbohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10911118343435019269noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10654076.post-86066786551430564342008-09-09T08:59:00.000-05:002008-12-18T09:09:44.873-06:00SunflowersAt bedtime Mattie asked me if God made just one sunflower or a whole bunch. I almost responded with ‘God makes all the flowers’ when I realized what she was really asking. Wow! Her brain just amazes me. Later I asked if she had talked to God that day and she said she prayed for the rain (at Grama’s filling the backyard) to stop and she forgot to fold her hands and it ‘worked’ anyway. This led to a discussion of God not being magic and granting wishes, but helping us to get things for ourselves. We also talked about the good gifts God does give and how they last forever. Such deep discussions with my FOUR-year old -nisacatbohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10911118343435019269noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10654076.post-66074661121663176892008-07-25T08:54:00.000-05:002008-12-18T08:59:13.051-06:00Summer Kids 'Stories'At Grama’s Mattie was having trouble doing something with Grampa and said. “Where the heck is my brain today?”<br /><br />On 7/4/08 at the Bville pool with Auntie Dee Dee: she wanted to see Wolf go down the slide and he said it was too cold / he didn’t want to / etc. She said I don’t think you can do it / I’ve never seen you do it. He said, Yes I can! And went toward the slide, stopped and came back to ask her: “Do you believe God created the world? (yes) Well, you didn’t see that so why can’t you believe I can do it without seeing me do it?”<br />Auntie Dee Dee said she knew she was in trouble when he mentioned God.<br /><br />Wolf has recently decided to call Papa, Dad instead. Papa would rather be Papa and asked him not to call him Dad. So Wolf said, “Okay, Bob.”<br /><br />At Lonestar for Grama’s birthday lunch, they put a loaf of dark bread on the table and Mattie exclaimed, “Chocolate bread!?” Then after she and Papa had been discussing the cactus decoration next to the table, she decided, “I know why there’s a cactus! (points to a cowboy boot on the menu) they have lots of cowboy stuff here!” Then, after we told Wolf and Mattie that their lunches came with ice cream, they both began sort of chanting, “It’s my ice cream and I want it NOW!”<br /><br />Some Mattie-speak: We’re supposed to go to lava surf planet and Wolfie is not on the rocket ship. I want to find the key to open the door to the secret jewels. The pirahnna’s are buckled already and there’s a creature I wanted to find. The lava dinosaur is on that planet. Sorry I have to go now, I have to get on the rocketship and I bet the other pirahnnas are coming.nisacatbohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10911118343435019269noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10654076.post-12706279138860387272008-04-02T16:11:00.001-05:002008-04-13T16:14:54.493-05:00A Fool for Love<span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;font-size:78%;">Last night, at bedtime we were watching Spiderman at Wolf’s request. The scene ended and Papa said ‘that’s it.’ Wolf calmly asked if he brushed his teeth quickly could he see some more and Papa said no, it’s bedtime. Amazingly, Wolf accepted the answer, and without pouting or crying, “Awww!” he went to brush his teeth! (WOW!) </span><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;font-size:78%;">I said, “You want to have time for snuggling don’t you?”<br />“No,” he answered, “I’m too old for snuggling.”<br />“What?! You’ll never be too old!” and I went to grab him. </span><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;font-size:78%;">He started up the stairs and looked back laughing, “<strong>April Fool’s!!”</strong><br />WOW! Look at my big enjoyable boy! I just love him, still!!(The night before, he woke up around 11:30pm to go to the bathroom HIMSELF!!)</span>nisacatbohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10911118343435019269noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10654076.post-54127782756379329862008-03-11T07:55:00.001-05:002008-04-13T16:50:48.088-05:00Planning and Parenthood Don’t Mix<span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;font-size:78%;">So many subjects to cover and so little grammar to deal with it all! Yesterday was a hard day for me, having been full-time, full-on Mama going on two weeks without a sleepover at Grama’s or a Mom’s day out. I salute everyone who’s full-on all the time – God Bless You! I don’t know how you do it. I guess I’ve adapted to (read: come to depend on/thrive on/SURVIVE on) Grama’s breaks so much that I can hardly function without them.<br />Our day usually goes a bit like this: We wake up, have a bit of blissful snuggle time where the kids come to me straight from bed and kind of finish waking up in my lap (my favorite part of the day!) Then it’s on to the eat-drink-dress circus where I tend to do amazing feats to get them to accomplish these three simple tasks. Try this feat: repeat yourself in a loving voice, every time! Next it’s get Mattie to pre-school, with a secret goal of Wolf being dressed instead of waiting in the car in his PJ’s but don’t tell him that – I try to be very casual about this one-time emergency strategy not turned everyday habit. Finally Wolf and I return home and begin school by 9:30 a.m. (the major benefit of Mattie in preschool!)<br />At 6 years old, school is really just reading, writing and math, plus we have Bible time and science in observing the world around us. Sounds pretty simple, right? Five subjects at 15-20 minutes each should really be done before we pick up Mattie at 11:30 a.m. NOT! I don’t think it has ever happened. Wolf claims to not like school other than Bible time (we’ve had many discussions of the public school alternative, but he remains less than positive.) So wherever we happen to be in Wolf’s school schedule, we stop and go get Mattie at 11:30 and then the real fun begins!<br />Try this next feat: Juggle these priorities while modeling a good attitude – the boy’s schooling (be sure to keep learning fun to avoid rebellion!), keep your house semi-presentable (afterall you are home all day), sort and pack items to move, clean and stage your house for a quick sale, nurture your daughter’s creative spirit by helping her act on her ongoing series of varied ideas for games and crafts, and encourage your children to love each other, playing harmoniously together. (Wow! I actually DO all that! – No wonder I’m exhausted!)<br />When Bob came home early last night to work on Wolf’s car for the Awana Gran Prix, I kind of dragged my defeated little self and Mattie out of the house to visit Grandma Olga and hit the Walmart on the way home. Turns out even just the one-child ‘break’ did wonders for me. Mattie and I had fun; I came home refreshed and Bob was amazed – so was I.</span>nisacatbohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10911118343435019269noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10654076.post-38661713911837220662008-01-01T07:30:00.001-06:002008-04-13T16:56:28.931-05:00Happy New Year!!<span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;font-size:78%;">Of all God's miracles on Earth, the one I still like best is seeing the sweet peace of my sleeping child's face. Even if the only reason I get to see it is because he's on the couch after a middle-of-the-night accident because we gave him a whole can of 7-Up after 9:00pm!<br /><br />Happy New Year!! He got to celebrate and now I get to swoon in the glow of his special still beauty. I think I'll go sneak in to see my daughter now too.</span>nisacatbohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10911118343435019269noreply@blogger.com0