Friday Feist

Appetizer
On a scale of 1 to 10 with 10 being highest, how polite are you?

It depends on my situation I am exceedingly kind, but I am hearing impaired and I think that I often come off as impolite because I interrupt. It is hard for me to hear the cadence of spoken conversation. My heart is a 10 however my actions at times may not live up to that maybe a 8.

Soup
What was the last thing that made you laugh out loud?

The comments of my children. I was watching the kids splash in the puddles and they were playing 'bears on a salmon hunt" in the puddles on all fours. "I think I got Him"(said he)..."No not like that they use their paws in a swooping motion..Like this..."Said she

Salad
Who is your favorite cartoon character?

Tweety Bird, I love his sweet nature yet he just won't put up with being bullied buy the cat.

Main Course
Tell about the funniest teacher you ever had.

Without having memory of those years of my life, The funniest teacher for me is nature. I love seeing the mistakes and mishaps in the animal kingdom.

Dessert
Complete this sentence: I strongly believe that

...I am a friend of God and that he truly cares about me.

Wordless Wedensday (a day late)

Day of (or at least morning of) Rest.

I have to go to the city this afternoon. I am going off to catch some time with the kids
Bye

Lets do the Math

30 pounds of chicken
26 pounds whole chicken @ $.57 pd. 14.82
4 bounds breasts @ $177 pd. 7.08 = $21.90

wings
legs
thighs 15 x 2.00 = 30.00
chicken tenders 5x 6.99 = 34.95
1 pd gizzards,hearts,livers = 3.99
Soup stack pt3.99x4=gal.x3 = 47.88
(3.99x4qt.=15.96x3 gallons)
stew meat x 4 pd. @ 5.00pd = 20.00 ========= $152.83

meat value $152.83
less 2 pounds of fat and yuk 2 pound of bone $.57x 4= 2.28 ====$150.55

$150.55 worth of meat for $21.90

Value in my time.....
$150 divided by 2 and a half hours work=====$60.22 per hour wage for my family in savings if I had purchased this pre- cut and packaged. The benefits of working for my family are priceless. We have medical through Hubby's employment. That makes it possible . Both partners have a role.

Good night , I'll add comentary tomarrow.

Cuting up chickens, 29 pounds of chicken cut and put up.

Beloved blessed me by doing the photos of last night project. I hope this helps any of you who desire the knowledge of how to piece a bird. This work must be done quickly the birds must be kept cold. I had all cut meat in the deep freeze in one hour.
Chickens, .57 a pound for whole fryers (get the larges ones this is the est bargan for the money less bone/fat per pound, and the tenders are bigger(see chicken tenders below) and $1.77 clean breasts (I leave these whole they are "young" or smaller.)
Prepare all surfaces. I used paper bags (recycle) then I line cookie sheets with plastic wrap so they are ready. A VERY sharp knife the best you can afford. If at yard sale look for hardened steal. They will sharpen well.
The breasts first just lay them out not touching. We are going to flash freeze here then bag them in a large zip lock baggies and we will just pull out what we need as we need them. Cover them with plastic. Now when you pull the plastic do it over the item to be covered (don't tear it yet) pull more than you need, let it float in the air into place. I say this after seeing hubby battle over the tear and place method where he trys to grad the wrap with two hands. I have one hand on box one hand on wrap.
When removing your birds lift them out so the moistur stays in the bottom of the bags. This keeps contagions down and mess at a minimum.
I cut wing off then thight at the joint, cut through meat thend bend back to reveil joint it will crack that is the open to cut through.
By slicing close to the ribs the thigh has a lot of meat remaining
Bend back for crack and cut through.

Same for knee, cut through meat all around bend it back for crack cut through
I cut wing tip and toss in stock pots. This pot all the carcass from the backed chiken and all the broth and roasted garlic and onion.
Using Gravity as your third hand. Sorta like God giving you an invisible hand :) Hold bird on end slice through the hollow and as below pull open a little slice down

Here will be your crack to slice you sill be cutting through the rib bones and its all good. Just a little yucky, watch the under left (back) side for neck. slice though joints and clear remaining flesh.

Now from the back cut the meat through and through.


I am now cutting back in half Use pressure he not a slice but a hard press through. Now the worse part is to PUSH don't pull your thumb in an upward motion to remove the blood clots and the two little glands trim with a small knife. Don't put that in your pot YUK, De-fat using your invisible gravity hand lift up on the back with the fat, with a sharp knife slice pulling your blade toward you. It is to keep your stock clear.


Skin your breast using gravity again This will keep your meat free from damage too.

Slice drawing blade toward you. one side and turn it around then the other. As close as you can but don't worry about meat left on the bone this and the back pieces are easily cleaned of all meat after they boil in the stock pot. This is the best soup meat. The back accually has a lot of flavor.

Now each of these large breast will have one small loose tender on the back It comes right off then make three long slices ...chicken tenders. Cover with plastic. These are to be flash frozen right away. They then will be removed and placed into large sip lock baggies.

Stock pots, right all the wing tips, breasts bones, backs and bay leaves several. Left the Roasted Garlic onion batch. All will boil for a few hours here. The right has already boiled for the hour I have been cutting. It was also backed bird. The bird was sliced for supper and the carcass boiled. For soup I will de-bone all this tomorrow or Friday for soup. I removed all meat/bone to be picked tomorrow. I will chill all of this (BELOVED DID IT FOR ME WHILE I SHOWERED) A steal bowl was inserted (floated) in the large pot as it rested in the large sink in cool water. Then he filed the bowl with ice . and stirred the pot.
Here are 2 cups of hearts, livers and gizzards. To it was added 2 cups water. I give this to the dogs after It cools. They always are at attention when they see me with a whole bird. So funny to watch them but they do get a little pesky. My momma would have a fit for this makes the best gravy! I might hold the hearts and livers back, but I just never liked the idea a whole lot. Seams like your eating dirty filters ya know.
Here in a bag is about 2 pounds of skin, fat and the back bone yuk. That is such little waste. Now it is contained in this bag, mess minimized when all done I add three paper towel to spong up the liquid and in the trash it goes.
Trash mess contained and removed post haste by beloved as soon as he walked by (good GUY) .

Cover and freeze. (just a few)


Bleach your counter tops well. Not cross sontamination. This is VERY important with chicken.
Bag all the bags into one
Anticipation.............

4:55 I'm home!

Wow I sure am a hamster on a wheel!
Showered I left the house at 10:10, drove to N City 23 miles one way. Arrived 5 minutes before appointment. I filled out the re-eval. paper work for two kids and 35 minuets later we left Dove with her Therapist and Dash and I drove across the street and through the parking lot to the Pet smart. Got a 30. bag of food for 26. then I had a coupon for $ off a treat got the biscuits too. Dash likes to see the dogs and so he did. We arrived back at 11:50 spoke to the therapst and she shared some concerns we both see them. She said she would talk to the Phyc. at lunch and she had left him a note.
I left took the kids to "Blimpie" got them the kids meal and had a nice salad. The man who owns it had not seen us for three months so he was delightful in his greeting.
We left and I took the kids to a Fry's Marketplace where last night I saw that they had Barbie dolls on reduced sale (she has had her mind set two days now) . Dove got to spend the allowance that was burning a whole in her pocket and I matched them the difference. We got her Barbie and Dash a Bat Man doll. I grabbed the parsnips and extra carrots I forgot last night. I'm making chicken stock and then soup tomorrow. Dove LOVES my chicken soup she wished she could swim in it!

I then had to go tinkle so bad I thought I wouldn't make it. As tacky as it was I knew the place I go to yearly and for many years and for may test before many surgeries for the endomietriosis and the double mastectomy scare. I walked in and just walked back to the rest room, we all relieved our poor suffering selfs and then with a false moxie I just walked straight out. Terrible, but necessary and I think they have earned so much over the years off of me, that I have more than earned the right. However the others in the waiting room may not know that and I felt kinda a poor character show. Oh Well.
Then we drove over to the apothecary shop and got my Hormones, they refunded me the seven pills that were expired! Get this I got a 90 day Rx. and the last 15 of them were expired as of 7-10-07. No wonder My hot flashes have been so bad. This aught to help with the strss response too.
Those secured we headed back to the doc center.
1:48 appointment at 2p.m.
We went in for the appointment and both kids weighed and examined and then we all went to his office. The kids play in the back off the small room with the toys and the books. The first to be covered was Dove. He(we) talked it over, we think that after she is in school a few weeks to try again to stop the Prozac slowly. I has been 6 months since w tried before. We will try again watching for the symtems to show next course I would so love to have success in getting her off without the panic disorder flaring up. She is in need of some phycological support with her Cognitive Social Disorder. He thinks that will help her. So I need to see if our Insurance covers mental health for her (and for Dash too). She will have her visual tracking observed on Tuesday next. She will have Occupational therapy every week then possibly alternating with Dash to every other. That way the each will only miss two mornings a month of vocational (school)

Now with Dash the hopital will cover three sessions and then I need to find out the procedure if the hospital does a pre-surgery help so the thing is not a mystery causing him stress/fear. With Dash having the physical special needs too. I need to get him and Dove supported while we get the IEP for school established. I have a referral for the woman who does this and only this for all the n. city clinic. Both kids receive intervention there.
I know im forgetting some details but I think the picture is painted. Special Parents need wisdom when they are surrounded with such special kids! ;)

Supper was cooked this morning I just need to slice and heat up a can or two of vegies. I'm tired. That laundry to fold will just have to hush! :)
O. K. so now I have sat still for 30 minutes. Soon beloved walks in hungry. Better be ready to welcome him in we were both so very tired this morning before the day even began. Back at you later.
Dmbraced in HIS arms of love
Hungry and ready to be fed. Oh wait I have to do that... Hay!

Good Morning!

9:30 a.m. this is the chicken I'll go shower and it will be ready to cool when I get out . I have to leave at 10:15 for the N. City. This will be nice to look forward too. See the roasted garlic. Man I wish you could smell it
I love casaba melons you have to try them sometime, it is the one on the left. I only buy seeded watermelons I do not like the so called seedless all you get is a bunch of pips. The other melons are air loom cantaloupe
ot the fruit washed and put up for the refer

The gizzards, heart and liver boiled were given to will and Rena over their food. I don't think Willy even tasted it. See the garlic , When it is on special and of real good quality, I peal it and pack it into jars covering it with the olive oil I got on a 2 for one lead in last month. It keeps this way several months and ages so wonderfully. The chicken is stuffed with a white onion this gives flavor and also keeps the bird moist. I roast at 300 convection 350 conventional for 2 hours uncover and roast for another half hour to brown. I drizzeled the bird lightly with the infused olive oil. for 2 hours

Let your eggs come to room temp covered in luke warm water. Then boil . I use a was china marker when they are still hot it just slips on with no effort H>B> is for hard boiled then we know whats what when they are in the refer.

Wow! I went out yesterday twice, last night arriving home just before 9 p.m. and brought in my food stuffs from a fr, Ha Psalm91. It was hard to wake up this morning. I have a full day. Gotta go to the N. City for the kids therapy and they both have psych. visits today too.

Yesterday with the lead ins I spent $150 at Safeway and had walked away with $89. free.
Then once the kids were being put to bed by The Daddy Man I went to Frys, I spent 280. and walked away with $99. Free, and another $100. easy from clearance health foods example Granola reg.5. was $2.50 and so on these don't show up on a receipt the same way

$150.
$280.=$430 for over $789. That is without coupons. During the School year I'll be able to do better than that, with more time an energy to expend. This can be done it is some work but well worth it! No more gas for that than the one time shop.
$800.worth of grocery and supplies, that is a four month meat (chickens .57lb I will cut them down and boil the carcasses to make chicken broth (pure no preservative, It can be frozen in ice cube trays and added to recopies as needed. All that frozen ice keeps the out side freezer isolated too. after I cut them down into pieces. I lay the cut leg, breast, thigh and flash freeze them on cookie sheets wrapped in plastic wrap to prevent freezer burn. Then I put them in large zip locks and just grab the amount I need. This is now done by your grocer at 5.99 pound. Now remember I got it for.57 lb It will take me an hours work. . I have one baking now with a white onion stuffed in it and lots of my put up garlic in olive oil in the roaster along with it. I also got boned breasts for $ 1.77 (regularly 5.99) it was another lead in , so I'll lay those out on a lined cookie sheet flash freeze and there I am set.

I wont have to shop now for a long time months except for produce from the field and vine.

I'll use the fruit and vegetables from the field first, then the vine,then the tree then the root.

I'll use the Staples similarly, Yet with a large deep freeze my grains (whole grains to grind, hot cereals, potato flakes for soups, dried fruits, are secure 3-6 months.
Yogurts for Dove at 20/$10. are in the outside freezer, she loves them like that and they last a long time. Her candy :) Candy is also cheep at a grocery when on special. So opposed to the junk machine at the hospital I got a few small items as treats. God is so generous to me I prayed for good eggs at a good price. I use free range eggs. Well the managers special was on both white and brown (our preferred). I got them reg. 3.50 for 2.29 and 1.49 per doz. So Dash is in paradise. With his palate eggs are his perfect protein. Weight is so hard to keep on him. So 8 dozen good eggs and 2 for 1 of 18ct flat white eggs they are good for some strong flavored backed goods. I use the free range for hard boiled and scrammbled they have the best flavor.

I have enjoyed a Science video with the kids and posted now I must refer the eggs turn off the oven and let the bird us the heat in there to finish up. I gotta run! I need a shower.
See you
Celebrate the day!

Why was She so worried looking?

She was looking in a small pool for her father who was maybe 8 feet from her! I was only 10 feet from her sitting in a chair looking right at her. She is really afraid. We have not left either with a care giver I cant and don't ever hire baby sitters ever!

When she was six I was in a car accident where a man hit me doing 120 mpr he fell asleep at the wheel and I was at a stop light. I have also had seven surgeries and due to my head injury many challenges. When we went to get Dash she was 3, she stayed with the folks and she was afraid then because we were in life threatening danger as Americans in Russia 3 weeks after the troupes went into Afghanistan (after the towers came down) . We were gone two weeks. This kid had it hard. Dash also came home critically malnourished like Dove. He also had two surgeries within 6 months.

My Dove has a Panic disorder due to her Sensor Integration Disorder. She has a hard time with her since of self in space, If she were to lay on a bed she free floats we once had to use weights to help her to not scream. She screamed every night for years we were able to get her some medicated help. I don't like giving my daughter Prozac, but it is letting her be more normal. I saddens me though. If I take her off it is bad news. She no longer suffers from a the Attachment deficit (3 years of successful hard work), but she has horrible abandonment fears. My dove came home from a Russian orphanage at 7 months , she had not been touched, because of this she has Nero pathway damage or a lack of proper transmissions, isn't she beautiful. Her spirit is so amazingly kind and generous. She is thoughtful. What we have do most is to keep her safe. She has a Social Cognitive Dysfunction that makes her very vulnerable to bullies an she is VERY naive (she is 10 going on 4-8). She also has a memory function problem, visual tracking difficulties that hinder her greatly. These make parenting hard because she always forgets what you tell her and then really feels bad about herself. She has an average intelligence so she knows something is not right with her and it really bugs her that her body wont do what she wants it too.
We have to constantly remember her heart although she is a kid and all kids do kid things her challenges make her needs and our need to act and not re-act imperative.

Good day to you!

Little Dove Swimming Last Sunday at the play date. She looks so worried.

Wow is is two already.
I have been going through Doves clothing passing on those that she has out grown. I want to clear out the rooms and closets dressers and shelves of all things to let go of before I begin on the toy job. One closet and dresser down! ya! We had a real nice mommy daughter time together. It feels so good to have so much less in her room. She is now doing a fashion show for Dash with the Barbie's. She is going to love the play dates to come with little girlie times. She told me how her little play friend of last Sunday had Barbie's and makeup stuff and Barbie shoes. She is now 10 going on 8 wow overnight transformation. So strange how my little girl lingers in development. Just so sweet how I get to enjoy it a little longer.
Washer hummed all morning as has the dishwasher and dryer too. It was quiet here relatively. I can't believe it is two already the day is going fast. I have an appointment to look into finishing the taxes. We had to for the first time file an extension. We sold a little stock to get Dash's hearing aids and the new flooring. We found this stock and it was not a part of our retirement. Well It just messed up my tax preparation. We had the stock over 25 years but we can only get 7 yrs of records. Hubby was able to get old info. Tax man was referred to us by family members x2 who found him a good resource. So for the first time in all these years I need help on them.
Tax guy thinks we may not have a capital gain but a loss. That would be helpful.
Kids will be with friend for our 4 p.m. appointment. Hubby and I alone don't think it would take a hand to count the times we have been alone since March 20 th when we went for our 25th anniversary overnighter (x3 ) that was so nice. I hope the evening turns out a little romantic and peaceful. Well its a visit to the tax guy. I can hope:)
better get up from my rest laundry calls and calls and calls(where did something so soft ever get such a loud voice). Well I better listen so I have a couch to sit on tonight. I need to do the "lead ins" shop today too.
Enjoy your afternoon!
I think I might pass 1000 hits for the month of July!
I am entering into my 3rd month of blog. Wow this is really a fun way to keep course and have affiliation with the "adult" world.:) My thoughts are so much more focused. Sorta like the journaling everyone has told me to do for years. I like this so much better.
I like to share lives.
All of you are so beautiful!!!!

It rained , it poure and I'm told Dash is gonna snore...

Well that was a "doosy" of an afternoon!
When we were on the way to the city I saw the massive thunderheads collapsing at 2:00, by 2:50 a dust storm was buffeting us as we entered St Joe's Clinic. Well I told these kids were gonna get rain! I told them before we make it back home today this storm will hit. I never had witnessed the thunderheads collapse so early in the heat of the day. From three directions they were becoming one.
We were 1/3 way home Dash saw lightening North East of us it was heading South fast we were on the major freeway and all break lights came on. We were able to ease a way farther due to the HOV lane. There was a BAD three car accident bottlenecking (on the kids side of the car as we passed, the road moments before it. The VERY LARGE bombs of a drops began pelting the car all freeway halting to 25 mph. Past the wreck the pace bettered then on, on the exchange a car corralling up from behind realizing that the lane was merging much too late came within ONE FOOT OF MY BUMPER AS I SCREAMED "JESUS" THREE TIMES INCREASING as it neared . I got mad! they were on a cell phone! I had to light my emergency flashers because poor little Dove had a panic attack, I had to pull over WAY over ...I had to just reach to the back seat to console her and Dash was just frozen up trembling. I told them Now JESUS looked over us RIGHT! the stress was so hard to do. ARG!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Well we made it to the off ramp then onto a surface street, I saw a lot of emergency vehicle's so I flipped a safe u-turn and the wind hit the car hard! and the sheets of rain were blinding I searched for a pull out to go and park and wait it out. I found out later that I dealt with 60mph wind gust with 4 inches per hour down pour! Ya that felt about right! :)
The storm followed me once again no kidding or exaggerating! On the major to my East I could not see my roof lines of the community it was heavy deluge. Right up into the drive way the wind blowing the rain 4-6 ft into the garage shutting the door the garage door was buckling and moaning two terrified kids were freaking out . They had been freaking out for me for over 30 minutes at this point
After about an hour it had slowed enough to go get a pi of our new river out front. It had a ridge or two of
"white water"
Two hours later fun, fun fun.
They can not get enough, feel enough the intensity of the need for proprioception is intense!
She has to feel it with everything she is, I allowed it because the river had cleansed the street. Ours is a very private street and they are well trained to get to the sidewalk if I say "CAR".
She was splashing to the Gory of Gratitude fo rthe rain. So very happy pure JOY!
They were bears on a mighty salmon hunt..

Now as for Dash and the scope. The therapist did a great job informing and defusing the scene . She gave Dash a glove (non latex) ya! and showed it to him he got to touch it and she explained all about how small it is compared to his nose hole. She took him to the scope room. and He sat in the chair. She explained the surgery to me. I am not too sure , well not completely sure that the risk/fallout is worth is. I am told he will snore afterward due to the procedure. It is complicated but the cut a slice in the back wall or adenoid area and attach it to the upper palate. it will be spanned by open airway. However it will cause him to snore for the rest of his life. It sometimes has to be redone if it is to long or short a section. Like a tonsillectomy will the recovery be. Man what an overload to think on. I must do more research. Anything that will effect this child for "the rest of his life"... Yet the inability to speak without the hyper nasal loss of air effecting the ability to be understood is huge for his future too.
You guessed it.. I need HIS wisdom. Thank you for your thoughts and prayers.